Music

Music

Who doesn’t love music?!  Both in and beyond the classroom, Monkton offers an incredible range of opportunities to participate in, and appreciate all aspects of music. From performing Ghanaian drumming to analysing synth waveforms, from singing evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral to composing orchestral film soundtracks, there’s a place at Monkton for all music, genres, styles and abilities.

Our programme of study, whether in lessons or rehearsals, is packed with experiences and opportunities: chances to build skills; to collaborate; to create, perform and appreciate; to understand the wider world.  Such ‘soft skills’ are becoming increasingly central to education in the 21st century, and Music is the perfect subject to offer help develop and hone these.

You can listen to a variety of our recorded pieces on our Soundcloud account.

Monkton Soundcloud

Flickr album: Senior Music | Height: 400px | Theme: Justified | Skin: Default Skin

Year 9

What will I learn?

We aim to engage and inspire all students as they enter Monkton Senior School.  Our programme includes Music Technology work composing film soundtracks, the study and performance of Ghanaian drumming dances, the composing and studio recording of Blues songs, the creation of 20th century Minimalist music, and a series of very noisy and fun-packed Samba sessions!


GCSE Years 10 and 11

What will I learn?

For those who have opted to continue their music studies, there is an opportunity to take a deeper dive into the complexities and mechanics of music. Students create their own portfolio of recorded performances and compositions, and study a bespoke range of exciting musical works. (See Eduqas syllabus for further details).  The facilities at Monkton are second-to-none, and students can access our recording studios, the Bowerman Hall and Music IT suite of Macs to pursue their musical passion (see the Eduqas website for further details).


A Level Years 12 and 13

At this level, students are fully engaged in all of our key areas - excellence, participation, breadth and collaboration.  Both composition and performance aspects of the course offer a vast range of possibilities in terms of genres, styles and cultures.  Our students can be performing Bach in the stunning Bowerman Hall in the morning, and composing Hip-Hop tracks in the studio in the afternoon!  A Level musicians are undoubtedly influential figures in both the department and throughout the school, and we are proud to challenge and celebrate our most talented (see the Edexcel website for further details).

What do I need before starting this course? 

It is desirable but not essential to have taken Music at GCSE, as much of the background material needed for A Level would have been studied at this stage. A reasonable proficiency on an instrument is needed, with a standard equivalent to grade 6, and it will also be advantageous, although not absolutely necessary, to have passed the ABRSM Grade 5 Theory exam. 

For further details on the Music Department’s co-curricular programme, please visit the ‘Beyond the Classroom’ page.

Where next?