Music and music technology

 

From classical to contemporary, from jazz to rock and pop, the world is full of music, sound, and song. At BSB, students are able to pursue their passions and learn to create and appreciate a wide range of musical styles.

Students receive a solid grounding in both the history of music and its practical application, learning to recognise, appreciate, and perform in a wide variety of musical styles. Students of music technology are given the opportunity to learn how to use the latest in modern technology to record, produce, compose, and manipulate sound. BSB has a fully equipped recording studio and audio suite stacked with the latest equipment, computers, and software.

We aim to give students the opportunity to explore and enjoy diverse music from around the world, to appreciate classical and contemporary music, and to develop their own musical skills. Students gain knowledge creatively through performance and composition and develop critical skills through a wide range of musical experiences.

Outside the classroom, students regularly perform in music events ranging from concerts, proms and festivals featuring our orchestras, bands and choirs, to jazz nights and rock shows featuring our contemporary musicians. Our bi-annual musical gives our students an additional opportunity to perform on the stage or as part of a large orchestra alongside professional musicians, who are also our instrumental teachers.

Music Curriculum

In Years 7 to 9, we emphasise practical learning skills. Students are given plenty of opportunities to perform, as well as working on individual compositions using our Music Technology suite. Students spend their times listening, composing, and performing, and are introduced to a wide variety of genres such as classical, jazz, and blues through to world music and Britpop.

Years 10 and 11 study for a GCSE in music. While the subject is serious, the emphasis is on fun. We believe students should enjoy music as well as appreciate it, and students are introduced to an even wider variety of styles and encouraged to work with sounds and instruments that resonate with them. The course involves a wide variety of practical workshops, live concerts, composition, and practice.

In Years 12 and 13, students may study music at A Level or as part of their IB Diploma. Both courses emphasise a wide range of musical styles and a mixture of practical and theoretical work. Students studying at this level are generally skilled with one or more instruments, or with their voice. Students perform and produce their own compositions as part of their evaluation.

Music Technology Curriculum

In Years 12 and 13, students have the opportunity to study music technology GCE at AS and A2 level. This course offers students the exciting opportunity to study the history, development and practice of contemporary music, recording and sequencing, which includes the use of our state of the art recording studio. It also provides students with the opportunity to be creative, using technology to develop original compositions and arrangements. Many of our students have gone on to study music engineering, production and technology at College and University, and some are already taking up significant positions in the industry following the solid grounding provided here at BSB, and of which we are justly proud.