Music

‘I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys of learning.’ - Plato

Music is taught by

‘…It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery (the theory of relativity) was the result of musical perception.’ - Albert Einstein

Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate students. It is a vehicle for individual expression, and it can play an important role in the personal development of all. Music can reflect the culture and society that we live in or come from, and the teaching and learning of music enables students to learn more about the world we live in. Music can play an important role in helping students feel part of a community. We provide opportunities for all to create, play, perform and enjoy music; to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms, and to develop the confidence to make informed judgements about music.

KS3

Year 7

• Keyboard Skills I

• African Drumming

• Instruments of the World

• Reggae

• Soundscape

• Band I

Year 8

• Drum Programming

• Samba

• Indian Music

• Canon

• Keyboard Skills II

• Band II

Year 9

• Songwriting

• Keyboard Skills III

• Theme and Variation

• Jazz

• Film Music

• Band III

Home Learning (frequency and expectations)

Home learning assignments will be published on Satchel One

Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 will have one homework every 6 weeks

KS4

GCSE in Music

Students follow the Edexcel GCSE specification. This is made up of the following:

• Performance and Composition (Coursework) – 60% of total GCSE

• Listening and Appraising (Exam)  - 40% of total GCSE

Year 10

• Area of Study 1 - Instrumental Music

• Area of Study 2 - Vocal Music

• Area of Study 3 - Music for Stage and Screen

• Area of Study 4 - Fusions

• Solo and Ensemble Performances

• Composition

• Listening and Appraising

Year 11

• Set brief and Free Composition

• Final Ensemble and Solo performance pieces

• Listening Exam (June)

•  

BTEC Tech Award in Music Practice

• Component 1 - Exploring music products and styles - Learners will explore the techniques used in the creation of different musical products and investigate the key features of different musical styles.

• Component 2 - Music skills development - Learners will have the opportunity to develop two musical disciplines through engagement in practical tasks, while documenting their progress and planning for further improvement.

• Component 3 - Responding to a music brief - Learners will be given the opportunity to develop and present music in response to a given music brief.

Home Learning (frequency and expectations)

Home learning assignments will be published on Satchel One

Pupils in Years 10 and 11 will be expected to do one homework per week. In edition to this pupils will also be expected to practice their instrument for at least 20 minutes a day. Pupils without the ability to practice at home can use the department which is open for practice every morning from 8.00 - 8.20am, at lunchtime and after school. Pupils can also borrow smaller instruments during the holidays.

How parents/carers can support their child

Encourage your child to listen to music from different genres, periods in time and cultures. They can do this on Spotify, YouTube or other music streaming platforms. In addition to this, BBC Four has many good musical programmes. Take an interest in their instrumental studies, remind them to practice and support them if they perform at school concerts. If there are opportunities for your children to see live music in the community or at concerts, then do take them.

‘God respects me when I work, but He loves me when I sing.’ - Rabindranath Tagore

Instrumental

We offer free lessons to pupils who wish to learn learn an instrument. We currently offer the following instruments:

• Singing - Ms Hart

• Guitar - Mr Barquilla

• Saxophone - Mr Jacobson

• Clarinet - Mr Jacobson

• Flute - Mr Jacobson

• Piano - Mr Cross

• Bass Guitar - Mr Barquilla

• Drum Kit - Mr Osbourne

• Tabla - Mr Surjeet

• Dohl - Mr Surjeet

Extra Curricular

We run the following lunchtime clubs for pupils:

• Monday - Technology Club

• Tuesday - Keyboard Club

• Wednesday - World Orchestra

• Thursday - Lunchtime Concert

• Friday - Choir

Careers in Music

Composer, Music Artist, Session Musician, Songwriter, Record Producer, Film Music, Library Music, Artist Management, DJ, Sound Engineer, Musical Director, A&R Coordinator, Music Journalist, Booking Agent, Broadcasting, Record Companies/Labels, Music & Entertainment Law.

The music industry is the fourth biggest employer in the UK.

Useful websites:

Spotify Playlist - GCSE Set Works

GCSE Bitesize