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Music at Kingsbridge Community
College is fundamental to the overall ethos and atmosphere
of the school. All students are encouraged to participate
in music making at their own level and within their own sphere
of interest. Involvement in music extends far beyond the curriculum
and students have many opportunities to extend their musical
skills and interests.
The department aims:
- to inform and to build an appreciation of a wide
variety of music
- to impart musical skills and techniques
- to develop students’ creativity and musicality
- to support students in their pursuit of musical
excellence
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The department’s approach to teaching is one of openness
and accessibility. The curriculum is designed to be attractive
and immediately engaging whilst delivering fundamental musical
concepts and information. Teachers are encouraged to work side
by side with students and to value their innate musicality.
Social skills and cooperation with others are valued and emphasis
is placed on trust and independent learning. Achievement is
shared and celebrated. Music education incorporates objective,
logical thought and sequential patterns of learning but at
the same time it also encourages intuitive and non-sequential
learning. Music brings great joy and spiritual fulfilment
to those who create, participate and experience its power.
It is not easy to express this fundamental truth in words
but perhaps, this picture taken at a coursework concert
will convey the value of the subject in its educational and
wider context.
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| Currently there are two full
members of staff and two part time members of staff. .
Peter Johnson
Peter has responsibility for the department overall.
He is an ex- Royal Marine Musician with a wealth of instrumental
experience. He directs the big band and also teaches music
technology.
Rob Grace
Holly Molyneux
Sian Beavan
Her particular expertise is choral/vocal education. She also
plays the piano, violin, guitar and recorder.
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| We are extremely fortunate in the support which we get
from the staff in general and quite a significant number
are actively involved in the extra-curricular activities
run by the department. |
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The instrumental/vocal teaching
service is flourishing at Kingsbridge
Community College with approximately 200 students taking lessons.
Current provision includes: cello, double bass, flute,
clarinet and saxophone, classical and electric guitar, piano
and keyboard, recorder, brass instruments, violin and viola,
voice and percussion. The time tabling is efficiently
devised by Lis Collard, secretary to the Principal.
A number of peripatetic staff run extra-curricular instrumental
groups. |
Student groupings
Students are taught in tutor groups of approximately
thirty in Year 7 and 8. In Year 9 students are taught in smaller Music/Drama
groups which affords more flexibility.
A large number of students opt for Music at GSCE and A Level.
At Key Stage 4 students opt for GCSE music. Currently we have 45 students in Year 11 and 30 students Year 10.
Post-16 students opt for Music or/and Music Technology A level.
There are approximately 40 students studying AS and A2 in Years 12 and 13.
Exam
specifications
GCSE students follow the AQA Music specification and
AS/A2 Music/ Music Technology students, the Edexcel specifications.
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The department organises a wide
variety of extra-curricular music groups, in addition numerous
student groups are spawned throughout the year making the music
suite a busy and exciting environment in which to work!
| The following groups rehearse weekly: |
Monday
Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Friday
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3.30pm
1.00pm
3.30pm
1.00pm
3.30pm
3.30pm
4.00pm
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Chamber group
Training Choir
Big Band
Guitar Group
Percussion Club
Training Band
Super Choir
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Mrs Graton-Sprenger
Ms Beavan
Mr Johnson
Mrs Chapman
Mr Hiley
Mr Johnson
Ms Beavan
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| The rock room and recording studio are both
available for after school sessions on weekdays. |
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The Music Department presents and organises a wide variety of concerts/performances throughout the year. These include Christmas Concerts, GCSE and A level presentations and rock concerts. We also takes students to many concerts including trip Royal Opera, Royal Albert Hall and musicals in the West End. Also tour abroad frequally.
There is also a strong link with music making
in the community. The school participates in a number of festivals
in the area and local people are encouraged to become involved
with the department. |
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Key Stage 3
Students at Key Stage 3 do not use a text book or follow
a published course. They all have access to keyboards, pianos,
percussion instruments, recorders, selected orchestral instruments
and computers. The curriculum is designed to motivate students
by delivering the building blocks of music in Year 7. In Years
8 and 9 the curriculum then evolves to allow skills, techniques
and knowledge to be developed. Listening activities, differentiated
performing sheets, composing guidelines and stimuli, song sheets
and listening material have been prepared and piloted for all
units of work. Within each unit of work the key activities,
performing, composing and listening are integrated.
The following is a summary of the topics delivered at
Key Stage 3:
| Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
| Rhythm |
Magic and Mystery |
Musicals |
| Pitch |
The Seasons |
Ragtime, Blues and Jazz |
| Timbre |
The Sea |
Music for TV and Films |
| Structure |
Animals |
World Music |
| Texture |
Space |
Classical Music |
| Dynamics |
Machines |
Popular Music |
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Key Stage 4
This is a course for those who enjoy music making
and who want to be actively involved in performing, composing
and listening.
There are five areas of study: Celebrations;
Music for Dance: Orchestral Landmarks; Music for Film;
The Popular Song.
There are four components to the course:
Coursework Composing
Creating music is an important part of the
course. There will be lots of opportunity to compose:
individually, in groups, using instruments and using
ICT. The most successful pieces are recorded and either
written down as a musical score or written about in
detail. One of the pieces will be written for a special
occasion.
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| This is a course for those who enjoy music making
and who want to be actively involved in performing,
composing and listening. |
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Coursework Performing
Throughout the course students will be performing many
different kinds of music. Of course they may specialise
in whatever style they prefer. Students can take lessons
with one of our visiting instrumental or vocal tutors.
One solo and one group piece are recorded for the exam.
Integrated Assignment
This is a composition which must be performed
and written down either as a score or a detailed description.
It will be associated with one of the areas of study.
Details of the assignment are not released until January
of the year in which the exam is taken. A short exam
is taken in which students write about their composition.
Listening
The course teaches about musical elements and
the culture and background associated with a wide range
of music. A listening paper of 1 hour and 15 minutes
is set which tests students’ knowledge of the
five areas of study.
Cooperation, willingness to participate, being reliable
and trustworthy are all qualities which are encouraged
in the music department and which will help students
progress and enjoy the course.
There are a number of key texts and anthologies, some
of which are recent publications designed to support the
new specifications at GCSE.
Currently we are using General Musicianship (Cambridge
Press), GCSE Music (Longman) and we will acquire the GCSE
AQA anthologies (Peters) this year.
There is a huge amount of material which can be researched
and presented by the individual teacher. A limited amount
is currently available.
Students opting for GCSE tend to be self motivated to
a great extent and appreciate and use a percentage of
the lesson time to work in their own particular musical
fields to develop performing and composing.
The topics at GCSE are broken down into the following
units:
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| Celebrations |
Dance Music |
Film Music |
Orchestral Landmarks |
The Popular Song |
| Weddings |
Medieval Dance |
Westerns |
Baroque |
Jazz |
| Funerals |
Baroque Dance |
Thrillers |
Classical |
Musicals |
| Birthdays |
Ballroom Dances |
Science Fiction |
Early Romantic |
1960s |
Carnivals / Holidays
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Folk Dance |
Romance |
Late Romantics |
1970s |
| Christmas |
Disco |
Comedy |
20th century |
1980s |
| National Events |
Ballet |
Cartoons |
Musical forms |
1990s |
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AS/A2Music
The course allows students to study music in an integrated
way: composing, performing and listening are linked. It allows
students to study music as a practical, intellectual and creative
subject with the opportunity to specialise in performing or
composing during the second year. It recognises that we live
in an age of cultural diversity and the areas of study cover
a wide range of music: classical, world, popular and jazz. |
AS Music
Unit 1 Performing
Students must study an instrument or voice and record a solo
lasting between 5 and 6 minutes.
They must also perform throughout the course. This must include
a solo performance and a performance of one of their compositions.
Group performance and direction is also encouraged. Students
are marked on four performances and a recording of a solo is
sent as evidence of the standard reached.
Unit 2 Developing musical ideas Students work on
composition exercises which are examined
in the Spring term.
These include techniques for using chords, textures, scales,
series and timbres.
Students also have to write one extended composition
which is chosen from the list below: Variations; Romantic
miniatures; Neo-classicism; Post- modernism; The Popular Song;
Club dance and hip-hop; Fusions; Film and TV; Music theatre.
Unit 3 Listening and Understanding
Students study a wide variety of music. A forty-five
minute examination tests their knowledge and perception
of timbre, texture, tonality and harmony.
Students also choose two areas of study on which they answer
structured question in a one and a half hour examination. |
A2 Music
Unit 4 Specialist options: Students
choose to specialise in either composition or performing.
Composing:
Two compositions are required. Students
choose from the same topics offered at AS but one composition
must be from the same area of study as chosen in the previous
year.
Performing:
Students present a 20 minute recital
which is recorded and submitted to the board.
Unit 5 Performing and composing:
Students sit an examination in compositional techniques.
The choice of topics is the same as at AS but greater command
of the medium is expected.
Students are expected to perform throughout the course
and to develop their skills to a higher standard than in the
previous year. Four pieces will be selected for assessment,
one of which must be a solo.
Unit 6 Analysing music
Students undertake extensive listening in
order to respond to questions from a wide repertoire of music.
This is examined in a forty- five minute examination.
Students continue to develop their knowledge of one area of
study from the AS course and also select one other new area.
A two hour paper examines students’ knowledge of the
theory and cultural context of the music and focuses on continuity
and change in the specialised area.
A level listening is resourced primarily through the Edexcel
Anthology, CD and student guide.
Packages are also available to support the teaching of composing
techniques and students have access to Cubase and Sibelius
to record and notate compositions.
All students are encouraged to take instrumental or/and vocal
lessons, (in Year13 these are provided free of charge by DYM)
and to perform in the various events which take place throughout
the year. |
AS/A2 Music Technology
Students use Cubase VST for most of their work. They also
have excellent facilities for recording in the studio. The
Fostex is used for most recording and we also have pro- tools
installed on the computer and this should come into use this
year with the A2 students. However, more training and expertise
is required. |
| This course is suitable for students
with an interest in computer technology, sound recording and
popular music. If you are interested in going into the popular
music industry it’s certainly going to be an advantage
to have this qualification. Whilst it is not absolutely necessary
to be able to read music, musical literacy is an advantage.
You need to be a dedicated musician with a real interest
and enthusiasm for the subject.
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| AS MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
During the course students study recording techniques, the
history of popular music and jazz and computer sequencing
techniques. The examination consists of coursework and a written
paper.
- As coursework students must produce performances of music
realised using a sequencing programme with a PC; this means
programming the computer to play the music in as realistic
a way as possible.
- Students will also produce recordings of performances,
both ambient (recording a live performance) and multitrack
(recording each track separately).
- At the end of the year there is a written paper where
you listen to a CD of musical extracts from a range of periods
and styles and answer questions on the musical, stylistic
and technological features of the extracts.
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A2 MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
During this year the skills learnt at AS level will
be further developed and built upon. Students will continue
to study the development of music technology and also choose
another area of study, either Words and Music or Music and
the Moving Image. Once again, the examination consists of
coursework and a written paper.
- Coursework consists of one multitrack recording of popular
music and one recording combining sequenced tracks with
audio tracks.
- Students must also produce two compositions, using technology.
The first can be in any style and the second is to a brief
set by the examining board which will be in your chosen
area of study.
- The written paper will be in two parts. In the first
you will be given a score and a recorded version of the
music and asked to comment on differences between the two
and to suggest ways of altering or improving the performances.
The second part of the paper will be based on your chosen
area of study and in this section you will be asked to comment
on the musical, stylistic and technological features of
the extracts on the audio CD.
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Homework must reflect the curriculum
and have direct relationship with the National Curriculum objectives
or examination requirements.
Key Stage 3
Homework is not set on a regular basis and is not included
in the homework timetable. However, students are encouraged
to use the materials given to them in class at home and to
research topics further using the internet and the library.
Many students also come into the department in their own time
to use the facilities.
All students are encouraged to take part in extra-curricular
activities and workshops.
Key Stage 4
GCSE students are expected to work in their own time on performing,
composing and recording tasks. Learning, research and theory
based homework is also given three times each half term.
Students should also take part in extra-curricular activities
and concerts.
Post 16
Students are expected to put in a considerable amount of
their own time particularly on performing, composing and recording.
Learning, research, theory and essay writing homework is given
each week.
Students should also take part in extra-curricular activities
and concerts. |
