Music
Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation. Through studying music, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.
At Verulam we see music as an essential part of school life. All students get to experience music throughout their time here whether it be listening to performers in assembly or taking part in one of our many extra-curricular groups many of which are open to all.
Music Education enhances learning skills, communication skills, creativity, teamwork, discipline, cultural awareness, respect for others, and self-esteem through personal accomplishment. Music can raise someone’s mood, get them excited, or make them calm and relaxed. Music also allows us to feel nearly or possibly all emotions that we experience in our lives. It is an important part of their lives and fills a need or an urge to create music.
The opportunities for music at Verulam are rich. The Music Department is vibrant, lively and fun. We nurture our students, developing both their confidence and standards of excellence. There is something for everyone and every year an ever-growing proportion of our students enjoy an extensive programme of instrumental lessons and co-curricular activities.
There are over a dozen different groups/choirs and clubs on offer including Jazz Band, choir, string group, Samba drum group, brass group, guitar group, Rock School, Junior Band, theory clubs and a Jazz ensemble.
As part of our enrichment package, we invite professional musicians into school to work with our pupils. We also work in partnership with the St Albans Symphony Orchestra to enable our talented singers and musicians the opportunity to work with Tom Hammond, the dynamic, award-winning Principal Conductor, known for his exciting and thoughtful programming and broad repertoire, and the talented musicians in the company.
Key Stage 3
Throughout Key Stage 3 our students get to experience music from many different cultures around the world and from different genres of music.
We start in Year 7 building on the basic skills to perform, compose and understand how music works, using the voice is a very important part of this as all of us have the use of this versatile instrument. Students will develop group skills, understanding how their contribution to the group regardless of skill level is invaluable to the overall performance.
Year 8 introduces more instrumental skills to the classroom with Samba Drumming, Ukuleles and continuing keyboard skills from Year 7. This builds on the key learning from the previous year with students performing and composing in pairs and groups.
In Year 9 we introduce use of Music Technology to the classroom. We teach our students how to use our suite of Mac computers as composing tools to create music such as Electronic Dance Music and Music for Computer Games, looking into historical context of these styles and how they relate to music from different periods in time.
Extra-Curricular Groups
Junior Band – Any level instrumentalist
Choir – Open to all
Samba Drumming Group – Open to all
Music Tech Club – Open to all
Jazz Ensemble – Grade 4 and above
Ukulele Club – Open to all
Drum Club – Open to all
Chamber Orchestra – by audition/invitation
Verulam Rocks – any popular music instrument/voice
Where can I go with music?
There are many jobs in the music/media industry but the skills learned through taking music as a subject are invaluable to any occupation and will stick with you for life.
