Video Game Music

Overview

This 60-minute lesson will introduce Year 9 students to the role of music in video games, focusing on how soundtracks contribute to character development and narrative. Through listening activities, analysis, and worksheet tasks, students will explore musical techniques that composers use to create memorable characters and immersive game worlds. The lesson is directly linked to The National Curriculum for England's Key Stage 3 Music Programmes of Study.

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National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 3 Music (Years 7–9)

• Subject Content:
  • "Listen to, and comment on, music from different traditions and composers from different times."
  • "Learn how music is created, produced and communicated, including through technology."
  • "Develop an understanding of the organisational devices used in music and how they can be used to develop musical ideas."
• Learning Objectives:
  • Use aural skills to identify musical features and purposes.
  • Analyse how music conveys character, mood, and narrative.
  • Develop listening and critical thinking skills through structured activities with a focus on context.
• Competencies:
  • Critical listening and evaluation.
  • Understanding how music supports storytelling and characterisation.
  • Applying analytical vocabulary related to music elements (tempo, instrumentation, motifs, timbre).

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Identify key musical features used in video game character themes.
2. Explain how music helps to develop and represent characters in video games.
3. Analyse and evaluate two distinct video game music extracts, focusing on instrumentation, mood, and motifs.
4. Complete a creative worksheet that links descriptive character traits with musical elements.

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Resources

• Audio clips of video game character themes (approx. 2 mins each) – examples can include music from games such as Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Halo, or Journey (ensure copyright compliance within classroom use).
• Headphones (or speakers) for individual or group listening.
• Worksheet with structured activities (see below).
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Pens/pencils and paper for students.

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction and Starter (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief discussion: “What role does music play in video games?”
• Ask students for examples of memorable video game music or characters they recognise. Record key ideas on the whiteboard (e.g., music builds atmosphere, signals emotions, helps identity characters).
• Introduce the lesson focus: understanding how music supports character development.

2. Listening Activity 1: Character Theme Analysis (15 minutes)

• Play the first video game character theme (2 mins).
• Guide students in listening for: instrumentation, tempo, mood, and any recurring musical motifs.
• On whiteboard, model notes on the track linking musical features to character traits (e.g., fast tempo = energetic; minor key = mysterious).
• Students use a simplified listening frame worksheet to jot down their observations.

3. Listening Activity 2: Contrasting Character Themes (15 minutes)

• Play a contrasting character theme (2 mins).
• In pairs, students discuss how this differs from the first theme in terms of musical features and what kind of character it might represent.
• Worksheet includes a Venn diagram for students to compare and contrast the two pieces based on tempo, mood, instrumentation, and character impression.
• Share a few pair observations with the class to consolidate understanding.

4. Worksheet Creative Task: Compose Your Own Character Sound (15 minutes)

• Students imagine a new video game character and describe three personality traits (e.g., brave, mysterious, playful).
• On worksheet, they select musical features (from given options: tempo, dynamics, instruments, musical modes) that would best represent these traits in a theme.
• Optional extension: Students write a brief paragraph explaining their choices of musical elements to reflect character.
• Walk around to support and challenge students to deepen musical vocabulary use.

5. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Summarise key points: How music can represent characters through specific musical elements.
• Ask a few students to share their character descriptions and musical ideas.
• Quick formative assessment: "What would happen if music didn’t match the character’s mood?"
• Collect worksheets for assessment against objectives.

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Assessment

Formative assessment through:

• Worksheets evaluating identification of musical features linked to character traits.
• Pair discussion and teacher observation.
• Creative justification paragraphs demonstrating understanding of musical elements and their purpose.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide a glossary of musical terms and sentence starters on worksheets.
• Challenge: Encourage use of more detailed musical vocabulary (e.g., ostinato, leitmotif, dissonance) and ask students to suggest real examples from other video game soundtracks.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• English: Descriptive writing skills and vocabulary development in character description.
• Drama: Understanding how mood and tone are conveyed non-verbally.
• ICT: Introducing sound editing software or digital audio workstations (can be extended in future lessons).

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Teacher Notes

• Ensure audio is clear and working before the lesson.
• Select video game music extracts suitable for the classroom environment – avoid loud or distracting content.
• Encourage students to think beyond popular titles and reflect on emotional impacts of music in any media.

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This lesson plan aims to engage Year 9 students with contemporary media, fostering both musical analysis skills and creativity, fully aligned with the National Curriculum requirements for Key Stage 3 Music.