fTrE: cHaPtEr 2
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
fTrE: cHaPtEr 3
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
fTrE: cHaPtEr 4
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
fTrE: cHaPtEr 5
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
aQa GcSe LaNgUaGe PaPeR 1 WiTh FAiNt DeCeMbEr
Read this story inspired by Linkin Park and practise your Language Paper 1 skills.
https://youtu.be/uOJRx5GEDu0
Music has the power to make us feel... Read More...
fAiNt DeCeMbEr: CrEaTIvE WrITiNg SeRieS paRt 1 – WaKe
Faint December Chapter One
LiGhT & dArK iMaGeRy WiTh To KiLL AcHiLLeS
So many of our favourite songs are as multi-layered as any of the texts we study in school 'The Cave' is a perfect example. Let's look at how To Kill Achilles ... Read More...
fAiNt DeCeMbEr: CrEaTIvE WrITiNg SeRieS paRt 2 – FaLLoUt
Faint December Chapter Two
tHe SiGniFiCaNcE oF yUnGbLuD
When you're asked to explore the 'significance' of something, what are you being asked to think about? This is a chance to figure that out. With a little help ... Read More...
AnDrEw McMaHoN & wRiTiNg PoEtRy
Listen to the brilliant Andrew McMahon and then have a think about your own brilliant life!
For lots of my generation, Something Corporate and Jack's Ma... Read More...
fAiNt DeCeMbEr: CrEaTiVe WriTiNg SeRiEs PaRt 3 – HiGh VoLtAgE
Faint December Chapter Two
gLaStOnBuRy & GiLeAd
Let's spend today's session thinking about exactly why we would love to live at Glastonbury Festival FOREVER AND EVER - and why we would rather never go to Gil... Read More...
gCsE eNgLiSh LaNgUaGe WiTh eLLiE gOuLdiNg
Ellie Goulding lit up Camden's KoKo with a kaleidoscopic show! Now she can help you add some spark to your own GCSE Language Paper 1 work!
ACTIVITY 1
... Read More...
eLLiE gOuLdiNg & iNvEsTinG yOuR wRiTiNg WiTh A sEnSe Of DeBaTe
Like so many of our course writers, Ellie Goulding is OBSESSED with love. Which makes her the perfect person to lead a study of our favourite, conundrum-filled... Read More...
RhYmE WiTh PrOpEr, mAcHiNe GuN KeLLy, tAyLoR sWiFt & MoRe
To rhyme or not to rhyme, that is the question!
ACTIVITY 1
Match each of the lyrics below with the relevant type of rhyme. Choose from:
absent: n... Read More...
eXpLoRe ThE SiGniFiCaNcE oF iNeQuALiTy WiTh yUnGbLuD
Before going on, you could listen to this clip from the session I ran with in 'real life' with the Sound of Pen students. It goes some way to summarising w... Read More...
eMo & aQa GcSe LaNgUagE pApEr 2
Language Paper 2 is TOUGH - in large part because it revolves around extracts written in that more challenging Victorian style. For now, then, let's concentrat... Read More...
eXpLoRe ThE SiGniFiCaNcE oF LoVe iN DoRoThEa
The Sound of Pen students spent a session exploring the significance of love in Taylor Swift's 'dorothea'. Here's an essay built from the ideas discussed durin... Read More...
LoNdOn WiTh LoUiS dUnFoRd & WiLLiAm bLaKe
Both Louis Dunford and William Blake write about London in a way that makes us feel so strongly about the city. Let's compare 'The Angel (North London Forever)... Read More...
PeRsUaSiVe wRiTiNg WiTh dAiSy JoNes & mAnEsKiN
In recent years, rock music may have been buried out of sight. Thankfully, it's likely to return to the frontline at just about the same time as you perfect yo... Read More...
cOmPaRiNg aTTiTudEs WiTh TrOpHy eYeS
Of course, both our reviews of 'Suicide and Sunshine' focus on the fact that it's an utterly brilliant album! But let's look more closely at how Daisy and JC c... Read More...
tRoPhY eYeS, sUiCiDe & SuNsHiNe: A pErFeCt aLbUm FrOm ThE bEsT bAnD iN thE wOrLd
Trophy Eyes, ‘Suicide and Sunshine’ (Hopeless Records)
Think about the truly important albums: Nirvana’s raw yet resplendent ‘Nevermind’; Biffy Clyro’s hear... Read More...
sLaM dUnK 2023
We went to Slam Dunk and it was the PERFECT day. Read our review, then write about your own perfect experience.
MUSIC FOCUS: Enter Shikari; Malevolence; PVR... Read More...
PoWeR & CoNfLiCt PoEtRy WiTh TrOpHy EyEs
Today, the best Australian band of modern times are going to help you with your 'Power & Conflict' poetry. How lovely of them.
MUSIC FOCUS: Trophy Eyes.... Read More...
BeAuTy ScHooL dRoPoUt @ iSliNgToN AcAdEmY
Our New Favourite Band Injects Us With (Greased) Lightning!
MUSIC FOCUS: Beauty School Dropout.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Practise the skills needed to answer question... Read More...
aNaLySiNg StRuCtuRe: ToP 10 sLAm DuNk SoNgS 23
Let's think about how the final moments of Slam Dunk will hit harder because of the songs you've enjoyed during the earlier parts of the day!
MUSIC FOCUS: M... Read More...
pOeTrY & tHe FeMaLe PoSiTiOn WiTh eLLiE GoULdiNg
Accelerate your ability to analyse poetry - and deepen your appreciation of the female position - with a quick study of 'Better Man'.
MUSIC FOCUS: Ellie Go... Read More...
iNtRoDuCinG SoUnD oF pEn: FoR sTuDeNtS & TeAcHeRs oF gCsE & a-LeVeL eNgLiSh
Sound of Pen classes use music as a doorway to a deeper understanding of GCSE & A-Level English texts.
Sound of Pen is home to original, unique free les... Read More...
aNaLySiNg StRuCtUrE WiTh PvRiS & SiNcErE EnGiNeeR
Why do things happen in the order they do? Who can say? YOU can. Or, at least, you will be able to once you've completed this class!
MUSIC FOCUS: PVRIS, Sin... Read More...
gLaStOnBuRy fEsTiVaL & PeRsUaSiVe wRiTiNg
Glastonbury! Exactly the kind of important event we should write about when asked to write about something important!
MUSIC FOCUS: Glastonbury Festival.ACTI... Read More...
tHe pOwEr Of AvA mAx
Ava Max sings songs that dissect the concept of power whilst making you feel like you can take on the world. Perfectly meta.
MUSIC FOCUS: Ava Max.
ACTIV... Read More...
wRiTiNg A LeAfLeT WiTh iNsOmNiUm
Question 5 AQA's Language Paper 2 will require you to write a letter, speech, essay, article or leaflet text. Let's practise the leaflet writing.
MUSIC FO... Read More...
nF & dUaLiTy
It's been a while since Robert Louis Stevenson and Oscar Wilde wrote their novels about humanity's duality. But the conversation is NOT over...
MUSIC FOCUS:... Read More...
mEtApHoRs WiTh MaSSiVe AttAcK
"Music ignites all areas of child development... particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills." (UNICEF)
MUSIC FOCUS: MASSIVE ATTACK... Read More...
PoWeRfuL, PaSSiONaTe & PoSiTiVE: PeRsUaSiVe wRiTiNg WiTh CaLViN HaRRiS, ToVe Lo & ZuRiCh OpEnAiR fEsTiVaL
Sometimes the world can feel slightly too angry. Let's use today's persuasive activity as an opportunity to channel our positive energy!
MUSIC FOCUS: Zurich... Read More...
eXpLoRiNg ThE pAiN oF LoVe iN a-LeVeL LiTeRaTuRe WiTh ToVe Lo, HoLDiNg AbSeNce, tAyLoR sWiFt, bMtH & MoRe
Sometimes, when studying English Literature, it can feel like the experience of love will be utterly joyless. Soooo much pain!
ACTIVITY 1
Read each l... Read More...
iNvEsTiGaTiNg ThE rAiN MoTiF WiTh PaLe WaVeS, SiGriD, PaRaMoRe & MoRe
Our top ten songs about rain are all GORGEOUS. But what do they mean? What does the rain symbolise?
Typically, rain is used to signify sadness. Perhaps ... Read More...
aViCii: GcSe UnSeeN pOeTrY
When Avicii died in 2018, we lost an artist capable of brightening the darkest day. We're so grateful for the music he left behind. Uplifting and poignant, Avi... Read More...
ThE NaTuRe oF dReAmS iN a-LeVeL LiTeRaTuRe WiTh YeArS & YeArS, AtC & MoRe PLAN & NOTES
The texts we study are so full of dreams. Which sounds lovely. But - like love - dreams are complicated, unwieldy things. Listen to the songs below if you want... Read More...
ThE sYmBoLiC VaLuE oF WaLLs iN a-LeVeL LiTeRaTuRe WiTh LiNKiN PaRk, ThE pReTTy ReCkLeSS, hAyLeY KiYoKo & wE aRe ThE iN cRoWd
Walls aren't simply walls. They're symbols of power, traps within which we confine ourselves - and that's not all. Our favourite artists are here to help us in... Read More...
wRiTiNg cOmPeLLiNg EssAyS WiTh LiNkiN pArK, vEnBee & CuRReNtS
Before starting any essay, the first thing we need is a good idea!
ACTIVITY 1
Many of our A-Level questions are structured something like this: 'Expl... Read More...
sLaM dUnK 2023 & wRiTiNg WeLL-StRuCtUrEd aNaLyTiCaL EssAyS
MUSIC FOCUS: Yellowcard; Kids In Glass Houses; Underoath; Charlotte Sands; Creeper; Boston Manor; Trash Boat; The Menzingers; Maggie Lindemann; Enter Shikari; ... Read More...
PvRiS @ HaMMeRsMiTh aPoLLo
MUSIC FOCUS: PVRIS.
ACTIVITY FOCUS: Review an album or live show and practise writing about structure!
PVRIS, Hammersmith Apollo
PVRIS have never be... Read More...
We’LL aLwAyS hAvE PvRiS: tHe EnDuRiNg iNfLuEnCe oF wHiTe NoiSe
PVRIS are back in England (well, almost!!) - and they're bringing the ludicrously brilliant Maggie Lindemann and Charlotte Sands with them!! Life hasn't been t... Read More...
LoCaTiOn, LoCaTiOn, LoCaTiOn PaRt 1: WiTh tRoPhY eYeS, yUnGbLuD. sOmEtHiNg CoRpOrAtE & FeVer 333
Think about where your favourite songs are 'located' and develop your understanding of setting within your GCSE/A-Level texts - and your own writing!
It's e... Read More...
LoCaTiOn, LoCaTiOn, LoCaTiOn PaRt 2: WiTh CaLviN HaRRis, eLLie gOuLDiNg, MaGGiE LiNdEmANN, yUnGbLuD & mAcHiNe GuN KeLLy
Think about where your favourite songs are 'located' and develop your understanding of setting within your GCSE/A-Level texts - and your own writing!
... Read More...
MaGGiE LiNdEmAnn: tHe MarLa SiNgEr oF aLt-PoP
Read Sound of Pen's essay about Maggie Lindemann's 'SUCKERPUNCH' and fuel your own investigations into the literature of love.
MUSIC FOCUS: Maggie Lindemann... Read More...
yUnGbLud: 21sT cEnTuRy ShAkEsPeAre
Read Sound of Pen's essay about YUNGBLUD - and prepare to get very excited about the links between 'weird!' and Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 116'!
MUSIC FOCUS: YUN... Read More...
AgAiNsT tHe CuRReNt’S FiGhT fOr ReDeMpTiOn
Read Sound of Pen's essay about Against The Current's 'That Won't Save Us'. The song underlines ideas that will feel so relevant to your A-Level Lit study.
... Read More...
BrAiNsToRm WiTh ArM’s LeNgTh, ChAt PiLe, cArLy CoSgRoVe & BaRtEEs StRaNgE
Our brainstorm activities don't so much focus on one idea as collate a whole stack of thoughts - all of which will feel absolutely relevant to one or other of ... Read More...
HoW tAyLoR sWiFt HeLpEd Us SmAsH oUr eNgLiSh LiT eXaMs
Read Sound of Pen's essay about Taylor Swift and develop your ability to make interesting points + to address context/typicality + to incorporate critical quot... Read More...