Music

Abbey Sanders

Technology has allowed music to continue to thrive this year at Knole Academy. From online teaching and learning, to livestream concerts and zoom instrumental lessons, the music department has not slowed down. The teaching staff, as well as the large team of peripatetic instrumental teachers have embraced the chance to explore these new opportunities.

During online learning, students from Year 7 through to Year 13 have developed and honed their aural listening and analysis skills. Online teaching has allowed time to focus on listening to music more closely and to evaluate music in more complex detail. Students have also developed their music technology skills by using programmes such as BandLab and GarageBand from home. It has been reassuring to see that despite the strange first year at secondary school, the new Year 7 cohort have been fully engaged with joining musical extracurricular clubs and have been eager to be involved in all performance opportunities, demonstrating a new wealth of musical talent joining the school. At KS4, Year 11 Music GCSE students produced excellent composition coursework. The final portfolio included an eclectic mix of compositions ranging from a string quintet to club dance tracks, and from pop songs to flute trios.

The current Year 13 students have been the first cohort to sit the BTEC Level 3 Music Performance course, and their hard work and dedication means that they will finish with Merits and Distinctions. In October we trialled a new idea, the livestream concert. This was a huge success for our students, allowing them to put on music performance for one hour on Instagram, meaning that in the absence of a live audience people could watch them from their own homes instead.

In December the students recorded a Christmas concert video, and in June we repeated this with our summer concert video, in the Oaks Theatre. The programme for these included performance from the Choir, Chamber Choir, Orchestra, Woodwind Group, soloists and bands.

Despite not having a live audience, the students still used the opportunity to develop their performance and musicianship skills and to support one another.

These videos were edited by our music technician, Mr Wait, and then distributed on a Knole Academy USB, for parents, family members and friends to enjoy watching the student performances at home. The video filming was a fantastic team effort between music students and staff, with students helping to man cameras and set up audio recording equipment.

In order to maintain links between the Music department and the local community this year, instead of going to sing Christmas carols at local care homes, the students recorded a video of Christmas musical entertainment for the residents at Alpine, Lavender Fields and Rivermere to watch. The video included traditional carols from the school Chamber Choir as well as festive favourites performed by soloists, both vocal and instrumental.

In February the Music department hosted another successful livestream concert, with many family members and friends joining us online to support the students for another evening of entertainment.

We are concluding the academic year by preparing for an outdoor performance on the Sevenoaks Bandstand, where we hope parents will be able to come along and watch our students perform live for the first time in over a year.

KNOLE SPORT