compose and perform or play back short musical phrases and support these phrases by creating rhythmic/melodic/harmonic ostinati to accompany them

create and present a short piece, using instruments and/or other sounds in response to a stimulus

design a harmonic or rhythmic accompaniment, record this accompaniment and improvise over this recording

indicate chords that are suitable to provide harmonic support to a single melody line

read, interpret and play from symbolic representations of sounds

listen to and transcribe rhythmic phrases of up to four bars and melodic phrases of up to two bars

perform music at sight through playing, singing or clapping melodic and rhythmic phrases 

rehearse and perform pieces of music that use common structural devices and textures

demonstrate an understanding of a range of metres and pulses through the use of body percussion or other means of movement

discuss the characteristics and defining features of contrasting styles of music represented in the local school or community 

illustrate the structure of a piece of music through a physical or visual representation

indicate where chord changes occur in extracts from a selection of songs

compare different interpretations or arrangements of a piece of Irish traditional or folk music, paying attention to musical elements and other influences

compare pieces of music that are similar in period and style by different composers from different countries

experiment and improvise with making different types of sounds on a sound source and notate a brief piece that incorporates the sounds by devising symbolic representations for these sounds

create a musical statement (such as a rap or an advertising jingle) about a topical issue or current event and share with others the statement's purpose and development

adapt excerpts/motifs/themes from an existing piece of music by changing its feel, style, or underlying harmony

rehearse and present a song or brief instrumental piece; identify and discuss the performance skills and techniques that were necessary to interpret the music effectively

prepare and rehearse a musical work for an ensemble focusing on co-operation and listening for balance and intonation; refine the interpretation by considering elements such as clarity, fluency, musical effect and style

design a rhythmic or melodic ostinato and add layers of sound over the pattern as it repeats, varying the texture to create a mood piece to accompany a film clip or sequence of images 

create and present some musical ideas using instruments and/or found sounds to illustrate moods or feelings expressed in a poem, story or newspaper article

analyse the chordal structure of excerpts from a range of songs and compile a list of songs with similar chord structures and progressions

distinguish between the sonorities, ranges and timbres of selections of instruments and voices; identify how these sounds are produced and propose their strengths and limitations in performance

develop a set of criteria for evaluating a live or recorded performance; use these criteria to complete an in-depth review of a performance

evaluate the impact that technology is having in how we access music; propose ways that their music and that of their fellow students can be shared to reach a global audience

collaborate with fellow students and peers to produce a playlist and a set of recordings to accompany a local historical event or community celebration

examine and interpret the impact of music on the depiction of characters, their relationships and their emotions, as explored in instrumental music of different genres

make a study of a particular contemporary or historical musical style; analyse its structures and use of musical devices, and describe the influence of other styles on it

compose and perform an original jingle or brief piece of music for use in a new advertisement for a product, and record the composition

devise and perform examples of incidental music that could be used in a variety of contexts or environments 

associate/match music excerpts to a variety of texts (words, film, language) and justify the reasons as to why this piece of music was chosen to match the text

compare compositions by two or more Irish composers or songwriters; use listening, background reading, and scores (where appropriate) to explain and describe differences and similarities in the compositions

select a particular advertisement and analyse the role music plays in supporting the message and promoting the product

investigate the influence of processing effects (e.g. distortion, reverb, compression) on the recording process; select some recordings and evaluate the use and effectiveness of such effects within them

discuss the principles of music property rights and explain how this can impact on the sharing and publishing of  music 

explore the time allocated to Irish artists and performers on a variety of local or national Irish media and present these findings to their class