JC, Author at Sound of Pen | More Than Perfect

eLLiE gOuLdiNg & iNvEsTinG yOuR wRiTiNg WiTh A sEnSe Of DeBaTe

JCFebruary 7, 2023

Ellie Goulding is BACK! And, like so many of our course writers, she is OBSESSED with love. Which makes her the perfect person to lead a study of our favourite... Read More...

A-LevelEssay WritingGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

sLaM dUnK 2023 & wRiTiNg WeLL-StRuCtUrEd aNaLyTiCaL EssAyS

JCFebruary 1, 2023

MUSIC FOCUS: Yellowcard; Kids In Glass Houses; Underoath; Charlotte Sands; Creeper; Boston Manor; Trash Boat; The Menzingers; Maggie Lindemann; Enter Shikari; ... Read More...

A-LevelEssay WritingGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

PvRiS @ HaMMeRsMiTh aPoLLo

JCFebruary 1, 2023

MUSIC FOCUS: PVRIS.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Review an album or live show and practise writing about structure! PVRIS, Hammersmith Apollo PVRIS have never been a band to pretend that the darkness doesn’t exist. Against the backdrop of a striking UK... Read More...

A-LevelEssay WritingGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

We’LL aLwAyS hAvE PvRiS: tHe EnDuRiNg iNfLuEnCe oF wHiTe NoiSe

JCJanuary 17, 2023

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...

A-LevelEssay WritingGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

MaGGiE LiNdEmAnn: tHe MarLa SiNgEr oF aLt-PoP

JCJanuary 6, 2023

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...

A-LevelEssay WritingGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

LoCaTiOn, LoCaTiOn, LoCaTiOn PaRt 2: WiTh CaLviN HaRRis, eLLie gOuLDiNg, MaGGiE LiNdEmANN, yUnGbLuD & mAcHiNe GuN KeLLy

JCJanuary 5, 2023

Think about where your favourite songs are 'located' and develop your understanding of setting within your GCSE and A-Level texts. MUSIC FOCUS: Calvin Harris; Ellie Goulding; Maggie Lindemann; YUNGBLUD; Machine Gun Kelly.ACTIVITY FOCUS: To assess... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisMaking PointsStudy 4

fTrE: cHaPtEr 1

JCJanuary 4, 2023

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...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisPen GenStudy 4

yUnGbLud: 21sT cEnTuRy ShAkEsPeAre

JCJanuary 1, 2023

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...

A-LevelEssay WritingGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

AgAiNsT tHe CuRReNt’S FiGhT fOr ReDeMpTiOn

JCJanuary 1, 2023

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. MUSIC FOCUS: Against The Current.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Read our essay and then think about how y... Read More...

A-LevelEssay WritingGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

BrAiNsToRm WiTh ArM’s LeNgTh, ChAt PiLe, cArLy CoSgRoVe & BaRtEEs StRaNgE

JCDecember 31, 2022

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...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

HoW tAyLoR sWiFt HeLpEd Us SmAsH oUr eNgLiSh LiT eXaMs

JCDecember 30, 2022

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...

A-LevelEssay WritingGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

bRiTnEy SpEaRs & bLaNcHe dUbOiS: tHiS LoNeLiNeSS iS KiLLiNg Me

JCDecember 29, 2022

What do pop icon Britney Spears and Tennessee Williams' Blanche DuBois have in common? Uh, how about A LOT! Raised in Southern America, forced to adhere to a rulebook written by men, sucked into a class war as well as a gender one, then sectioned by... Read More...

A-LevelStudyText MessagesText Specific 4

GaViN RoSSdALe & OtHeLLo: DoN’t LeT tHe DaYs Go bY

JCDecember 27, 2022

Lots of our texts examine the importance of self-belief. Let's listen to the music of Bush and work out what we'd say if asked to explore that very theme. M... Read More...

A-LevelLanguage AnalysisStudyText MessagesText Specific 4

fTrE: cHaPtEr 5

JCDecember 23, 2022

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...

Language AnalysisPen Gen 4

tHiS iS wHaT tHe SoUnD oF pEn cLAss 2022 hAd To SaY!

JCDecember 20, 2022

While you may well be working on a Sound of Pen activity at home, I do run classes in school. We are thinking about how to make these live sessions more widely available to everyone. If you're interested in joining us in the classroom, let me know a... Read More...

A-LevelGCSEStudy 4

LoCaTiOn, LoCaTiOn, LoCaTiOn PaRt 1: WiTh tRoPhY eYeS, yUnGbLuD. sOmEtHiNg CoRpOrAtE & FeVer 333

JCDecember 19, 2022

Think about where your favourite songs are 'located' and develop your understanding of setting within your GCSE and A-Level texts. MUSIC FOCUS: Trophy Eyes;... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisMaking PointsStudy 4

tOp tWeNtY aLbUmS oF 2022 & sOpHiStiCaTed CrEaTiVe VoCaBuLaRy

JCDecember 17, 2022

Underneath our number 1 pick, you'll find some vocab activities - read them through and then have a go at sprinkling magic dust on your creative writing! MU... Read More...

A-LevelLanguage AnalysisStudyVocab 4

NNNNNineteen Chapter 29 Ayley Taylor Swift pt 1

tAyLoR sWiFt & PeRsUaSiVe wRiTiNg

JCDecember 16, 2022

Our review of Taylor Swift's 'Lover' will serve as the launchpad for your own successful piece of persuasive writing. MUSIC FOCUS: Taylor Swift.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Explore the use of similes and m... Read More...

Language AnalysisStudy 2

‘WhErE i BeLoNg’ bY cHiArA

JCDecember 15, 2022

Following our work on the 'Location, Location, Location' series, the amazing Chiara wrote a truly beautiful song. She thought carefully about the setting and h... Read More...

GCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

ThE bEsT 75 sOnGs Of 2022 & wRiTiNg ExCiTiNg iNtRoDuCtiOnS

JCDecember 15, 2022

How do the best songs of 2022 help us make sense of the texts we're studying at school? Look at the list of our top 75 tracks of the year - then have a go at t... Read More...

A-LevelEssay WritingLanguage AnalysisMaking PointsStudy 4

ToP TeN sOnGs: jAy gATsBy

JCOctober 17, 2022

Jay Gatsby (aka James Gatz). Dignified? Desperate? Deluded? Here are the songs to help you make sense of Fitzgerald's most famous character. Okay, so they might not have been written with the Roaring Twenties' ultimate icon in mind, but the dots are... Read More...

A-LevelLanguage AnalysisStudyText Specific 4

tAyLoR sWiFt & CrEaTiVe wRiTiNg

JCOctober 14, 2022

It's impossible to read 'Where The Crawdads Sing' or listen to Taylor Swift's 'Carolina' and not feel inspired! Our aim today is to write a description that so... Read More...

GCSEStudyVocabWriting With Style 4

bLaCk WiTh LoLo, MaGGiE LiNdEmAnn, dAvE, cArLiE hAnSoN & GiRLfRiEnDs

JCSeptember 15, 2022

Looking at writers' use of colour is a worthwhile exercise - how many pieces of writing don't refer to a colour of one sort of another at some point?! Today, w... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudyText MessagesVocab 4

ToP TeN sOnGs: cOMMuNiCaTiOn & TeChNoLoGy

JCSeptember 14, 2022

In most stories, there's a letter being posted... or a phone ringing... or an email being sent. Characters are communicating and - whatever the era - they're using the latest technology to facilitate that interaction. Not that it's only novelists an... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudyText Messages 4

ToP TeN sOnGs: CoLoUr

JCAugust 31, 2022

A lot of songwriters make use of colour in their lyrics - and some of those artists employ blacks, whites, greens, pinks etc. as potently as actual painters. H... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudyText Messages 4

A Level Taylor Swift and Unseen Poetry Part 1

tAyLoR sWiFt & LoVe PoEtRy PaRt 5

JCAugust 29, 2022

This is the final part in a series we created so that you can indulge your love for the inimitable Taylor Swift AND develop your confidence with unseen poetry ... Read More...

A-LevelContextLoveUnseen Poetry KS5 3

tAyLoR sWiFt & LoVe PoEtRy PaRt 4

JCAugust 29, 2022

This is the fourth part in a series we created so that you can indulge your love for the inimitable Taylor Swift AND develop your confidence with unseen poetry tasks. Before working through these activities, you'll probably want to look at: part 1, ... Read More...

A-LevelComparing TextsLoveUnseen Poetry KS5 2

tAyLoR sWiFt & LoVe PoEtRy PaRt 3

JCAugust 29, 2022

This is the third part in a series we created so that you can indulge your love for the inimitable Taylor Swift AND develop your confidence with unseen poetry ... Read More...

A-LevelEssay WritingEssays KS5LovePoetry AnalysisUnseen Poetry KS5 2

tAyLoR sWiFt & LoVe PoEtRy PaRt 2

JCAugust 29, 2022

This is the second part in a series we created so that you can indulge your love for the inimitable Taylor Swift AND develop your confidence with unseen poetry... Read More...

A-LevelContextLove 2

tAyLoR sWiFt & LoVe PoEtRy PaRt 1

JCAugust 29, 2022

This is the first of a five-part series which will allow you to indulge your love for the inimitable Taylor Swift AND develop your confidence with unseen poetry tasks. Isn't life gorgeous! MUSIC FOCUS: Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift and more Taylor S... Read More...

A-LevelContextLoveUnseen Poetry KS5 2

DoWnLoAd fEsTiVaL & PeRsUaSiVe wRiTiNg

JCJuly 20, 2022

Is there anything more fun that writing about the things you REALLY love? And is there anything any of us love more than going to a festival?! MUSIC FOCUS:... Read More...

A-LevelGCSEStudyWriting With Style 4

aNaLySiNg WoRd ReLaTiOnShiPs WiTh YeArS & YeArS

JCJuly 19, 2022

Get ready for the best hour of your day. A class soundtracked by the beautiful Years & Years. What more could you ask for? MUSIC FOCUS: Years & Year... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

pOp-pUnK & tHe LiTeRaTuRe oF LoVe

JCJuly 15, 2022

Listen to lots of artists inc. Olivia Rodrigo, Maggie Lindemann, MGK, Holding Absence - and secure your ability to analyse any text (seen or unseen) about love. MUSIC FOCUS: Maggie Lindemann, Machine Gun Kelly, Holding Absence, Alec Benjamin &am... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisLove 4

LeTTeR SoUnDs WiTh LaDy GaGa & aRcHiTeCTs

JCJuly 15, 2022

If you’re looking to finetune your use of letter sounds, you’re in the right place. This class works brilliantly all on its own, but you might also want to thi... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

Symbolism Charli XCX Ethel Cain Dashboard Confessional

sYmBoLiSm WiTh ChArLi XcX, DaShBoArD cOnFeSSiOnaL, EtHeL cAiN & MoRe

JCJuly 14, 2022

If you’re looking to finetune your use of symbols, you’re in the right place. This class works brilliantly all on its own, but you might also want to think of ... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

sTrUcTuRe WiTh ThRiCe, AgAiNsT ThE CuRReNt & MoRe

JCJuly 11, 2022

Special thanks to my Year 8 class for providing the musical inspiration for this class! Check out their favourite songs here. You may wish to download the activity 1 sheet. STRUCTURE ACTIVITY 1 Read the 'poem' below. Look at the circu... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

ReViEw wRiTiNg WiTh oLiViA rOdRiGo

JCJuly 11, 2022

Review writing can be tricky. You might love a record or a film or a book soooooo much - but how do you possibly pack all the positive energy you're feeling in... Read More...

GCSEReviews & Life LessonsStudy 2

NNNNNinteen Chapter 30 Bright Star Taylor Swift pt 2

ReViEw wRiTiNg WiTh tAyLoR sWiFt

JCJuly 6, 2022

NOTE: THERE IS ONE MOMENT OF SWEARING DURING THE TRAILER. Review writing can be tricky. You might love a record or a film or a book soooooo much - but how d... Read More...

GCSEReviews & Life LessonsStudy 2

sOpHiStiCaTEd VoCaBuLaRy WiTh nOvA tWiNs, BMTH, MgK, WiLLoW & mOrE

JCJune 16, 2022

If you’re looking to develop your vocabulary, you’re in the right place. This class works brilliantly all on its own, but you might also want to think of it as the seventh part in our poetry writing series. If so, you should have a look at part... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

Allusion My Chemical Ro,mance Foxes Dorian Electra

aLLuSiOn WiTh mY cHeMiCaL rOmAnCe, FoXeS, DoRiAn eLeCtRa & MoRe

JCJune 15, 2022

If you’re looking to develop your understanding of allusion, you’re in the right place. This class works brilliantly all on its own, but you might also want to... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

SiMiLeS & mEtApHoRs WiTh bMtH, SiGriD, TaTe McRaE & mOrE

JCJune 10, 2022

Here's a selection, not just of our favourite songs of the year, but of our favourite similes and metaphors EVER! If you're looking to finetune your creativ... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

RHyME WiTh LoLo, MaGGiE LiNdEmAnn, mAcHiNe GuN KeLLy & MoRe

JCJune 8, 2022

MUSIC FOCUS: Machine Gun Kelly, LOLO, Maggie Lindemann and Proper.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Look at how some of these brilliant songwriters use rhyme and then have a go at making use of similar ideas in your own writing. This lesson works well on its own, ... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

wRiTiNg PoEtRy WiTh aViCii

JCMay 27, 2022

Start today's poetry writing class by watching this tribute to the superstar DJ/humble songwriter... https://youtu.be/FhWDZExRacE TASK 1 Watch the '... Read More...

A-LevelGCSEStudyWriting With Style 2

LiNKiN pArK, bMtH, eNtEr sHiKaRi & mOrE: aNaLySiNg dArKnEss

JCMay 17, 2022

Yes, we do know it's the school holidays, but as far as fun activities go, it's hard to think of anything more enjoyable than listening to Creeper, Against The... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisPen Gen 2

AgAiNsT ThE cUrrEnT, aLLiTeRaTiOn & DiGGinG DeeP

JCApril 12, 2022

We love Against The Current because they’re fighting the same problems that we're battling with too. In order to ensure we understand this, the band make such careful language choices. Just look at their use of alliteration! Make sure to focus, t... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

AgAiNsT ThE cUrrEnT & ThE MoNsTeR MoTiF

JCApril 11, 2022

Imagine you're living in the 12th Century, chatting to your friends in Latin and someone uses the word 'monstrum'. You know immediately that they're taking abo... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

making your teenagers read with against the current

AgAiNsT ThE cUrrEnT & TyPiCaLiTy

JCApril 10, 2022

The more you read, the easier your life as an English student gets. And yet sometimes the thought of actually picking up a book which is not on the A-Level ... Read More...

A-LevelLanguage AnalysisStudy 4

gLaStOnBuRy & wRiTiNg WiTh aTTiTuDe

JCMarch 21, 2022

Examiners love students who write with personality and passion. Read the question (in orange) and response (in green) below, then have a go at writing about your favourite festival or rock/pop/metal artist. ‘Festivals are dangerous places. These ... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

BiLLiE EiLiSh & MeTaPhOrS

JCMarch 15, 2022

Unbelievably, Billie Eilish's 'Ocean Eyes' song is now more than half a decade old! But it remains as fresh-sounding and relevant as ever... TASK 1 Read ... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

fTrE: cHaPtEr 4

JCMarch 9, 2022

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...

Language AnalysisPen Gen 4

sWiFtOgEddOn & aNaLySiS oF UnSeeN TeXtS

JCFebruary 20, 2022

Swiftogeddon Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen, Leeds 18th February 2022 Outside Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen, the queue stretches up the hill. The cold air makes us shiver. That and the anticipation. After endless months of listening ... Read More...

A-LevelGCSELanguage AnalysisStudy 4

fTrE: cHaPtEr 3

JCFebruary 19, 2022

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...

Language AnalysisPen GenStudy 4

wHaTeVeR hAppEnEd tO dAiSy BuChaNaN? aN inVeSTiGaTiOn WiTh tAyLoR sWiFt

JCFebruary 12, 2022

Taylor Swift’s 2020 albums – ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore’ – are like water. In the surface of them, we see ourselves, as vague and actual as we really are. Undern... Read More...

A-LevelLanguage AnalysisStudy 4

A-LeVeL: tAyLoR sWiFt & LoSS oF LoVe

JCFebruary 1, 2022

So many A-Level Literature texts deal with what it means to lose out in love. If you look closely at Taylor Swift's 'Exile', you'll realise our favourite pop star is dealing with the same kind of emotions that consume the likes of Jay Gatsby and Ot... Read More...

A-LevelEssay WritingGatsbyLanguage AnalysisLoveOthelloPre-1900 PoetryUnseen Poetry KS5 2

fTrE: cHaPtEr 2

JCJanuary 12, 2022

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...

Language AnalysisPen Gen 4