Music and Music Technology
Music at Teddies is vibrant and varied and the School enjoys first class purpose-built facilities. The Music School houses everything an ambitious young musician could wish for, with 20 practice rooms, seven ensemble rooms, the large Weston Recital Room, a rock room, the Fenton Recording Studio, and the Ferguson Sixth Form Music Library. We also have an award-winning concert hall – the Olivier Hall – with a 1,000 seat capacity, enabling pupils to experience performing in a professional venue.
The Music Department offers excellent small-set teaching within the purpose-built classrooms and practice spaces, finding the right options for each individual musician, with very strong results in all qualifications.
The courses on offer include GCSE Music, Music Technology and Popular Music Pathway, A Level Music, A Level Music Technology and IB Music, with individual musicians coming from a performing, composing, music tech or academic perspective. GCSE and A Level Music are all based upon three different strands of study which consist of Performing, Composing and Listening, and the Pathway and Music Tech A Level options include study of recording, synthesis and DAWs. The IB course includes elements from both Music and Music Technology.
Set works covered vary from qualification to qualification. At GCSE, breadth is the key, with eight set works studied across the vast musical spectrum. These include classical music from instrumental works 1700-1820, vocal music both classical and popular, music for stage and screen, and fusions of different world music styles. Similarly, at A Level, candidates look closely at Western art music from 1650-1910, including Baroque solo concerti, Mozart opera and Romantic piano music, plus Music for Theatre and 20th century art music. IB pupils study a very broad range of works from different time periods and musical cultures. All courses stress the importance of wider listening from across the complete spectrum of music including all time periods and from all over the world. Sixth Form pupils studying for their A Level and IB Diploma have the added benefit of utilising the extensive collection in the Ferguson Sixth Form Music Library.
The Shell course complements these qualifications. It introduces pupils to performing, composing and analysing, with a varied scheme of work encouraging group composition and performance tasks within solid study of varied musical topics — everything from jazz improvisation to world music and music technology.
Music Technology options are available throughout all of our courses with pupils able to work on Sibelius for score-writing, Ableton Live for DJ and remix work, and Logic X for recording and sequencing work. Performers can choose to use music tech as their first instrument, if they feel they have enough experience. The innovative Music Technology and Popular Music Pathway, offered in the Middle School, allows musicians to specialise in particular areas of interest in their choice of projects.
Musicians at St Edward’s are able to combine their academic music with all of the performing and co-curricular work available. In fact, the range of musical activity is extensive and covers virtually every facet imaginable from choral music, close harmony choir, chamber music, orchestra and bands to jazz and swing, rock, pop and musicals. The School stages House concerts and singing competitions every year with a major musical every two years. Masterclasses are held with visiting musicians and trips to both operas and concerts are regular events.
We have a good record of preparing students for Oxbridge music, choral and organ awards, music college entry, and higher education courses involving Music and Music Technology.
For further information about the music programme, including for prospective music scholars please contact the Director of Music. For further information about the concert programme please email the Music Secretary.
Director of Music: Peter Clements