Channing School - Junior School Music Booklet

Junior School Music 2022-23

Mimi Munro HEAD

OF MUSIC CHANNING JUNIOR SCHOOL

In the Music Department at Channing Junior School, we learn music by doing music! The curriculum here is driven by practical music making using voice, percussion and music technology. These hands-on activities are complemented by our wonderful Visiting Music Staff. They are a dedicated and highly specialised team, providing over 160 individual lessons every week. In addition, they offer leadership and support in our school-based ensemble programme. We have individual practice/teaching rooms as well as a large teaching space for class lessons. In addition to frequent performance opportunities in assemblies and recitals in the Music Room, we frequently enjoy performances in the Arundel Centre, with its professional stage, lights and sound! Further afield, we have a close relationship with the Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel with opportunities throughout the year for our choirs to take part in services. Close links with the Senior School provide our pupils with aspirational opportunities and the chance for them to work alongside pupils performing at the highest level.

I hope the following information gives you a taste of what the Music Department can offer your daughter as she starts her musical journey here at Channing.

‘Music for all’ is our mantra

Channing Music

Organisation of Visiting Music Staff Lessons

Lessons are organised on a weekly rotational basis so that the girls’ access to the wider curriculum is not compromised. In this way, it is expected that the girls will miss a different lesson each week. The girls are then required to make up the work they have missed. Their Form Teachers are always happy to help.

The timetables are prepared in advance with the date of the lesson published so that the girls have their instruments and music in school. The exact time of the lesson is published and available to view via the girls’ designated Google Classroom or Firefly page the week beforehand. Visiting Music Staff are aware of all events occurring in school and adapt the timetables as necessary to ensure that the girls have 30 lessons a year.

Additional Information

Your daughter will receive 30 lessons over the academic year (which is usually 36/37 weeks long). It is important to note that, as the terms are of uneven length you may find that your daughter has 12 or 13 lessons in the Autumn Term, 10 in the Spring and the remainder in the Summer. For ease, the payment is spread as 10 lessons equally across each term. This flexibility of lessons enables our Visiting Music Staff to accommodate some of the changes that occur during the school term such as outings, workshops, rehearsals and school tests.

The fees for the Academic Year 2022-2023 are £350 per term. The cost is added to your termly bill.

A term’s notice to cease lessons is required.

School Ensembles and Extra Curricular Music

We have a wide range of ensembles rehearsing at lunchtimes, including:

• Spears Choir for Years 5 and 6

• Spears String Orchestra

• Training String Orchestra

• Guitar Ensemble

• Brass Ensemble

• Blues Band (for wind and brass)

In addition, there will be enrichment activities that will take place on a rotational basis: Composer’s Corner, Ukulele Club, Orffestra (tuned percussion orchestra) and Samba Band. This allows children who may not be accessing instrumental lessons to enjoy composition and playing instrumental music with others.

There are also opportunities throughout the year for you to come and take part in percussion and singing workshops alongside your daughter. These take place on Thursdays directly after school. Dates will be communicated via the Bulletin.

All performance opportunities, and ensembles, are open to all girls regardless of where they study.

Children need to be given the chance to show off their hard work! We have many opportunities for solo and ensemble performances throughout the year. Each week, class music lessons start with “show time” where children volunteer to perform polished pieces for their classmates. Our impressive instrumentalists also feature in weekly assemblies and entertain prospective parents during our Open Mornings. In addition to the parent/daughter music workshops, after-school recitals will take place in the Music Room on selected Thursdays throughout the year so you can come along and enjoy your child’s playing at pick-up time.

ABRSM Examinations

Each year we have approaching 90 girls taking ABRSM examinations achieving significantly higher than the national average.

The school is happy to accommodate requests from pupils who learn out of school to be entered for ABRSM examinations in school (with the exception of singing and percussion). Information for this is advertised in the Bulletin. Channing School music staff provide all accompanying services.

Please note:

• A small levy is added to the entry fee to cover administrative costs

• The certificate will read “Entered by Channing School”

Instruments

Year 1 String Group –Violin/Viola/Cello/Mini Bass

The Junior School is unique in that it offers a String Group experience. This is essentially a way of learning a string instrument in a sociable and group setting. The girls are able to choose from the Violin, Viola, Cello or Mini-bass. During the Summer Term of their Reception year, these instruments are introduced to the class in order for the girls to be able to see, hear and try them. We also assess each girl’s suitability for the instruments.

Whilst open to all it may not be the right decision at this point of your daughter’s development.

The lessons are structured as follows:

• Once a week during a break, lunchtime or early morning, there will be a large group lesson where all the string pupils in the year group will play and sing together.

• Additionally, during the week, they will have a small group session with their specialist instrumental teacher, to reinforce the work covered.

For the girls whoo began their string playing with the String Group in Year 1, it is generally expected that in Year 2 they will continue to have lessons on an individual basis, alongside the Year 2 String Group. When they are ready to join the Training String Orchestra, they will be warmly welcomed!

For those who wish to start the Violin/Viola/Cello/Mini-Bass in Year 3, a taster lesson can easily be arranged.

Year 3 onwards

The Music curriculum has been carefully designed to give your child an experience of the instruments offered in the tuition programme. Our Visiting Music Staff often pop into the Music Room to show off their instruments at appropriate moments in Music classes. At any point in the year, if your daughter expresses an interest in learning an instrument on offer, please do not hesitate to contact juniormusic@ channing.co.uk to start the ball rolling.

Our main “recruitment season” for the individual tuition programme is early in the Summer Term. Visiting Music Staff who have vacancies for the following academic year come into class Music lessons and demonstrate their instruments. If your daughter expresses an interest in learning, a time will be set up for her to have a “first experience” of her chosen instrument in a small group. This will allow her to get to know the instrument and the teacher before making an informed decision about taking up formal lessons in September. Please understand that our Visiting Music Staff are a precious resource and are often oversubscribed. To that end, it is our practice for children to study one instrument during school hours.

Instruments

Instruments Available:

• Piano

• Harp

• Classical Guitar

• Violin

• Viola

• Cello

• Mini Bass

• Flute

• Clarinet

• Saxophone

• Oboe

• Bassoon

• Trumpet/Cornet

• French Horn

• Trombone

With such a list of instruments on offer, this choice might be a little daunting! There are many fabulous interactive websites for you to learn more about the instruments together. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has a particularly impressive set of resources to explore.

Naturally, the very best way for your daughter to discover a love for an instrument is to listen to it being played live! In addition to their regular concert series, the London Symphony Orchestra frequently puts on concerts for families to enjoy together.

Practice

Regular and consistent practice is extremely important. For your daughter to make the most of her Music lessons, we recommend a minimum of 10-15 minutes five times a week. Please feel free to get in touch with the Music Department: we are always happy to help with strategies for practising success! We also advise against having more than one teacher on the same instrument - in our experience, this can lead to confusion and conflict between teaching styles and pedagogies.

Communicating and Reporting

Our Visiting Music Staff have a range of methods for communicating practice plans and progress with parents, depending on the girls’ age and the instrument they play. Some teachers favour a practice booklet whilst others use online platforms (Firefly or Google Classroom).

You will also receive a written report at the end of the Academic Year.

Should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact juniormusic@channing.co.uk

Channing

The Bank, Highgate London N6 5HF

T: 020 8340 2328

Channing Junior School

1 Highgate High Street, Highgate London N6 5JR

admissions@channing.co.uk www.channing.co.uk

INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AGED 4-18