High Street, Tonbridge,
Kent, TN9 1JP
Music
Music at Tonbridge thrives as an academic subject, as a major extra curricular activity and as an integral part of Chapel services.
Music is taught as a timetabled curriculum subject once a week in the Novi year, with the course closely linked to the fortnightly First Year Music Assembly programme. Emphasis during this initial year is upon the presentation of a wide variety of musical subjects, as well as composition sessions using Sibelius software. This gives boys an insight into how music works, as well as the valuable opportunity to create music of their own.
After the first year, Music becomes a GCSE option choice, with generally 20-25 boys choosing the subject in 2 or 3 sets. The choice of the OCR specification at GCSE, AS and A Levels reflects a desire to encourage genuine balance between Performing, Composing and the study of Music History and Analysis right through the School, enabling boys to develop in parallel each of these core musical skills.
The GCSE course covers such diverse topics as the Classical concerto, the great choral classics, dance music (such as waltz, disco, tango and even American Line Dance), symphonic music from 1820 onwards and music for films. Students are encouraged to compose in some of these styles as a way to understand them more fully.
In the Sixth Form there are usually between 5 and 10 boys in each year opting to take Music A Level. Here small set sizes and teaching by a range of staff means that boys are able particularly to develop and pursue their own individual musical enthusiasms, within the structured framework of a flexible course, especially in the Performing and the Composing modules.
The Facilities
The original Music School has undergone complete refurbishment, giving modern practice facilities within an older building, and the department also occupies a substantial portion of the Arts and Technology building, with many purpose-built areas and resources. The seven resident members of the Music Staff each have their own “homebase” room in which to teach, there is also a Classroom, Music Library, “Octagon” concert room in addition to the main Recital Room, a suite of teaching studios and practice rooms. There is also a state-of-the-art recording studio and a purpose-built percussion studio.
The Staff
The Department has 7 full time members of staff and a range of visiting staff who provide instrumental lessons.
Beyond the Classroom
Beyond A Level
Each year some of our A level musicians continue musical studies beyond Tonbridge, either at University or at Music College. Amongst their number have been Choral and Organ Scholars from Oxbridge and other University Colleges, as well as performers and composers who have gone on to work in a wide range of musical styles and genres.