Music
Music at Lawrence Sheriff School is a compulsory subject in year 7 and 8 and is taught by two teachers: Mr Watson-Tate and Mrs Welch. We are also a popular subject at GCSE with two GCSE classes in years 9, 10 and 11 and an enthusiastic A Level class. We have our own building: Penhros House with lots of practice rooms, a dedicated IMac suite and a wide range of equipment. We are proud that the music department is a loud, busy and welcoming department before and after school and at break and lunch with a strong community across all year groups.
Within in the Music department at LSS we believe that everyone can learn to perform, compose and listen critically to music. We challenge all students regardless of whether or not they learn a musical instrument. Our lessons are practical and fun whilst also ensuring that students understand the building blocks of music and how music is constructed. Students will also learn a range of transferable skills such as team work, creativity and performance.
In year 7 and 8 students have 1 lesson a week in classes of 15. We complete 4 projects a year, which allows us to explore each topic in depth and enables the students to all feel a sense of achievement.
In year 7 the students learn to perform ‘Minuet in G’ by J.S. Bach on the piano, whilst also learning about notation and how melody is constructed. They also learn how to play the ukulele, how chords are constructed and perform the pop song ‘5 Years Time’ in a group. We also focus on composing skills and the students complete two projects in our IMac suite learning how to use both Logic and Sibelius by composing a fanfare and a classical piece for the piano, whilst also learning about notation, dynamics and rhythm.
In year 8 we develop these skills further performing ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ on the piano, whilst also learning about the Romantic period and accidentals and chromaticism. The students then perform ‘Stand by Me’ in a group creating their own version and gaining important performance skills. Students develop their composing skills further; learning how to compose a pop song, using Rick Astley as inspiration. We then build on their skills from year 7 composing a more sophisticated piece for the piano looking at a range of piano accompaniment styles and what makes an effective melody.
At GCSE we follow the Edexcel course (https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/music-2016.html). In year 9 we continue to build up their composing, performing and appraising skills by looking at a range of styles, composing in lots of different genres and having regular opportunities to perform, both as an ensemble and a soloist. One of the requirements of the GCSE course is that students must have regular instrumental lessons and we would advise that student be at grade 1 standard or above at the start of Year 9 to enable them to achieve strong results once in year 11. However every year we have enthusiastic and hardworking students who love their year 7 and 8 music lessons and begin learning a music instrument at the start of year 9 and many of them have achieved a grade 9 in Music.
In year 10 and 11 we study the 8 set works from the Edexcel specification:
- Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto
- Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Pathetique: movement I
- Purcell’s ‘Music for a While’
- ‘Killer Queen’ by Queen
- ‘Defying Gravity’ by Stephen Schwartz
- Star Wars: Episode IV by John Williams
- ‘Release’ by Afro Celt Sound System
- ‘Samba Em Preludio’ by Esperanza Spalding.
Students will learn about to analyse these set works in the context of their period and genre.
Students will also complete their coursework (60% of the GCSE) by composing 2 compositions and performing as a soloist and in an ensemble.
Extra-Curricular Music at Lawrence Sheriff School
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