Music Lessons

Key Stage 3

All students in years 7 to 9 study Music once a week.  During lessons, students are taught three key skills:

• Listening to and Appraising music
• Performing
• Composition

In class, students have the opportunity to compose and perform live, or multi-track record on Apple iMac computers using GarageBand. Each iMac is linked to a MIDI keyboard or an electric piano with MIDI outputs. 

Six topics are covered each year, with one topic being covered each half-term.  The topics for each year groups are:

Year 7

• A Brief Musical History of Time
• Popular Music of the 1980s
• Musical Clichés
• The Music of China
• The Baroque period
• Blues and Jazz

Year 8

• Reggae
• Hooks and Riffs
• The Classical Period
• Rock Music
• The music of India
• Film score composition

Year 9

• Musicals
• Popular music of the 1960s
• Working in the Music Industry
• The Romantic Period
• Dance Music
• Albums that changed the world 

Key Stage 4

Music GCSE

In year 10, students have the option of studying music for GSCE.  The Edexcel exam board syllabus, specification 1426, is followed focusing on 12 set pieces that form 4 areas of study.   These are:

Western classical music 1600-1899

• Handel – 'And the Glory of the Lord'
• Mozart – 1st Movement of Symphony No. 40 in G minor
• Chopin – Prelude 15 (The Raindrop)

Music in the 20th Century

• Schoenberg – 'Peripetie'
• Steve Reich – 3rd movement (fast) from 'Electric Counterpoint'
• Leonard Bernstein – 'Something’s Coming' (from West Side Story)

Popular music in context

• Miles Davis – 'All Blues'
• Jeff Buckley – 'Grace'
• Moby – 'Why does my heart feel so bad?'

World music

• Capercaillie – 'Skye Waulking Song'
• Anoushka Shankar - 'Raag Desh' 
• Koko – 'Yiri'

Music Btec

We offer the Edexcel Level 2 Extended certificate, equivalent to two GCSEs. This course is designed for students who have an interest in how the music industry works and what it takes to be a professional musician today. The units currently covered are:

• Working in the Music Industry
• Professional Development in the Music Industry
• Solo Musical Performance
• Producing a Music Recording

Extra Curricular Music

The Music Department has 4 music practice rooms that are open at lunchtimes for students to practise and perform in, as well as a dedicated drum studio, an ensemble/band studio and a recording studio. Drummers can record performances using our Alesis DM10 Studio Kit, Alesis DM8 Pro kit or one of the 5 acoustic drum kits.  Nine MacBook computers are set up with Line 6 recording equipment for guitar and bass and USB microphones are available for singers and orchestral players. Guitarists and bassists also have access to Line 6 amplifiers and many acoustic guitars, electric guitars and bass guitars.

There are various opportunities for musicians and singers to perform together in an ensemble:

• Jazz band rehearsals take place on Mondays after school with Mr Perrin from the Richmond Music Trust.
• The various singing groups meet with Mr Cragg every lunchtime.
• Music GCSE catch-up sessions are on Tuesdays after school with Mr Cragg
• Orchestra rehearsals take place on Tuesday lunchtime with Ms Bowman.

Instrumental lessons for individual students are offered through the Richmond Music Trust on a variety of instruments.  Please see the Richmond Music Trust’s website for details.