Our goal is to make music accessible, enjoyable and engaging for all involved at The Roseland Academy. We are constantly finding imaginative ways to make learning relevant to all of our students. We have a team of experienced and highly qualified staff that specialise in all aspects of the subject creating diverse and varied schemes of work.
We provide an exciting extracurricular programme of activities and clubs enabling students to experience the joy of making and performing music with others. We currently offer a Steel Band, Samba Band, Ukulele Orchestra, Roseland Voices choir, Folk club, Jazz Band, and Rock club. We are in the process of establishing an Orchestra also.
The College is well equipped in terms of resources and has a professional 32 channel analogue Allen and Heath desk, recorded onto Adobe Audition. The studio also features a selection of rack mounted compressors, delays and reverbs which are frequently used for GCSE compositions. We have a large performance classroom and many professional standard practice rooms all fully equipped with guitars, bass guitars, keyboards, drum kits, tuned percussion and pianos. The department has recently purchased several brand new brass, string and woodwind instruments that are available to loan.
Students are heavily involved in the music department from the very beginning of their time at The Roseland. In their first music lesson they begin preparing for The Big Sing, which is held at the end of the first half-term and involves every Year 7 student. Following this, students learn about the elements of music, basic music notation, keyboard skills, composition, and learn a string instrument.
Year 8
Students develop their understanding of music-theory with a practical unit focusing on major and minor tonality. This unit involves a performing and a composition task. They then broaden their cultural awareness with the study of Indonesian Gamelan and Indian Classical music. All Year 8 classes then take part in a performance project which culminates in a Year 8 music concert. This provides every Year 8 student the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience. The year is concluded with an in-depth study of Blues history and musical features.
Year 9
Year 9 is a highly practical year in music at The Roseland Academy. From learning to perform a solo piano piece at the start of the year (The Entertainer), to taking part in two units which put students together in bands to perform a song of their choice, all Year 9 students continue to be actively involved in music throughout Year 9. In addition, we also study film music and undertake a pop-song composition.
GCSE Music
GCSE Music enables those students with a particular passion for music to continue developing their skills and knowledge. The course includes the core disciplines of performing, composing and understanding/appraising. There is an extremely broad range of styles covered: from the Western classical tradition, though jazz/blues, world music, to modern styles of popular music.
Students can perform and compose music in any style. This means everyone can develop in their own unique way, and achieve results which truly reflect each student’s maximum potential.
We have been honoured in recent years to be recognised nationally by the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) for our outstanding GCSE Music results.