St. Bonaventure’s Music Department

‘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

 

Mr N Bowers-Broadbent Curriculum Team Leader
Mr D Siew Music Teacher
Mr J Morris Music Technician

‘…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
  • Arican Drumming

Year 8

  • Reggae Project
  • Music for Media

Year 9

  • Remix/Production Project
  • Band Project

Home Learning (frequency and expectations)

Home learning assignments will be published on Bromcom and Google Classroom

Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 will have one homework every half-term

 

KS4

GCSE in Music

Students follow the Educas 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 – Musical Forms and Devices
  • Area of Study 2 – Music for Ensemble
  • Area of Study 3 – Film Music
  • Area of Study 4 – Popular Music
  • 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 Bromcom and Google Classroom

Pupils in Years 10 and 11 will be expected to do one homework per week. In addition 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 8.10 – 8.30am, 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 instrumental lessons to pupils who wish to learn an instrument. We currently offer the following instruments:

  • Piano
  • Guitar
  • Bass Guitar
  • Drums
  • Trumpet
  • Violin

 

Extra Curricular

We run the following lunchtime clubs for pupils:

  • Monday – Choir – Sopranos & Altos
  • Tuesday – Karaoke/Guitar Club (after school)
  • Wednesday – Choir – Tenors & Basses
  • Thursday – Lunchtime Concert
  • Friday – Technology Club

 

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