MUSIC LESSONS
INTRODUCTION Music is at the heart of Repton and resounds throughout the School. The Department is housed in an impressive building which features a purpose-built concert and rehearsal hall, a fully-equipped recording studio, 18 practice rooms, a DJ-ing and composition suite and a variety of academic and instrumental teaching spaces. In 2022 the school will invest in a model B Steinway Piano which will supplement the model C purchased in 2016. The chapel houses a refurbished Harrison & Harrison organ. The Department’s five full-time members of music staff are joined a team of 25 specialist Visiting Music Teachers who bring much energy and expertise to the pupils’ musical lives. We present a huge variety of concerts and musical events throughout the year and aim - above all else - to ensure that musicians of all levels can perform to the best of their ability, having fun in the process. The Music Department is a real community, and participation is a great way for pupils to meet like-minded people from other houses. Whether your child is a passionate musician, or simply enjoys listening to music, it is my ambition to make music a memorable part of their time in this wonderful school. Mr Oliver Walker Director of Music
1:1 MUSIC LESSONS All pupils at Repton are actively encouraged to have lessons on an instrument or voice. It may be that this is a continuation of lessons taken at a previous school, or as a total beginner; both are very welcome. Music staff at Repton are always happy to speak to pupils or parents to discuss this. All enquiries about music lessons should be addressed in the first instance to music@repton.org.uk. Lessons are available on the following instruments: Acoustic Guitar (metal strings), Electric Guitar/Pop Guitar, Organ, Bass Guitar, Euphonium, Piano, Bassoon, Flute, Piccolo, Cello, French Horn, Recorder, Clarinet, Harp, Saxophone, Classical Guitar, Harpsichord, Singing, Cornet, Jazz Piano, Trombone, Double Bass, Oboe, Trumpet, Drum Kit, Orchestral Percussion, Tuba, Viola, Violin. In some cases, the school is able to loan instruments to pupils on a trial basis. Please ask music staff for information.
MUSIC EXAMINATIONS While plenty of pupils who learn instruments will work through music exam grades, it is absolutely not a requirement that they should do so. While the department’s preference is for pupils to use the ABRSM exam board – and we host an examiner each term - we are also able to facilitate Trinity College exams where required. Pupils also regularly sit Rock School and LAMDA exams. These exams are organised through the school, and added to the end-of-term bill.
THEORY, AURAL & ACCOMPANIMENT SESSIONS These are readily available with full-time music staff, with clinics running on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. These are at no extra cost to parents.
TIMETABLING Music lessons take place weekly, and last for 40 minutes. Lessons are provided by specialist Visiting Music Teachers (VMTs), except for some piano, drum kit and guitar lessons which are provided by full time music staff. Lesson times are arranged through discussion with the pupil in question, and each VMT places their timetable on the noticeboards in the Music School Foyer. VMTs also email reminders to their pupils in the days preceding the lesson. It is the pupils’ responsibility to check their lesson times, and to communicate any clashes with at least 48 hours’ notice so that the lesson time can be changed. Lessons missed without this notice may be charged despite non-attendance (see Absences From Music Lessons).
B BLOCK & A BLOCK Pupils in B Block and A Block usually have lessons on a rotational basis through academic lesson time. To ensure that pupils do not miss too much of a particular academic subject, no more than 80 minutes of each subject is missed in any half term. As music lessons are 40 minutes long, and academic lessons are 55 minutes long, no pupils should ever miss the entirety of any academic lesson. On occasion, however, a pupil might need to leave a lesson part-way through and might like to set a reminder on their computer to help them. Where pupils have a lesson during academic time, they are asked to contact their academic teacher with 48 hours’ notice to ask permission. On the very rare occasion that permission is not given, perhaps due to an assessment or science practical, this 48 hours will give enough time for the music lesson to be rescheduled. It is usually possible for pupils to rotate two sets of music lessons through academic time without it having an impact on their studies. In some cases, and if more than two instruments are taken, lessons for these year groups can be fixed at a different time.
O BLOCK & SIXTH FORM Pupils in these exam years do not miss academic lessons for music lessons, and they will be given times at other points in the week. This might include activity afternoons, before school or during study periods.
PRACTISING Pupils who have music lessons are encouraged to organise regular practice in their own free time. The Music School is open every weekday from 7am until 7.30pm, and there are a large number of practice rooms available during that time. On Saturdays the building is open through until lunch (or later, by request) and on a Sunday is routinely available from 2pm-4pm. It is recommended that pupils make good use of activity times during the afternoons too. For award holders in B Block, we organise a central rota for supervised practice – these slots generally happen before school. Anybody is able to be placed on this rota, by request.
REPORTING Pupils will receive a written report from their VMTs at the end of each term as part of their academic reports. The Head of Instrumental Music or Director of Music are aways happy to meet or arrange a call with parents to discuss progress or any other issues as they arise.
FEES Individual instrumental and singing lessons are charged per 40 minute lesson, and parents are charged for these in blocks of ten on their termly bill. At the end of each academic year, in the event that the full number of lessons (30) are not received (other than for lessons for which a pupil is absent - see below), a credit will be given on the bill. If more than 30 lessons are to be delivered during an academic year, the parents’ permission will be sought in advance with the final total being charged accordingly.
ABSENCES Once pupils are timetabled, their teachers rightly expect to be remunerated regardless of the reason for a pupil’s absence. If a pupil does not attend a previously timetabled music lesson (or if less than 48 hours’ notice is given), in most cases the lesson still has to be paid for and will be charged as if they had attended – this includes cases of illness or injury. We will then follow our absence procedure (see below). From time to time it may be that a pupil is unable to attend an arranged lesson because of a clash that has occurred at the last minute through no fault of their own, for example if they are a last-minute addition to a sports team for a fixture. In this scenario the lesson will not be credited to the account so long as it can be proven that the pupil was not able to give the required 48 hours’ notice to the VMT.
NOTICE REQUIREMENTS If a pupil is to stop receiving instrumental or vocal tuition at Repton, a full term’s notice in writing to the Director of Music is required, or a term’s fees are payable in lieu of such notice. For example, notice must be given by the start of the Summer Term for lessons to stop in the Michaelmas Term. For this reason, it is recommended that pupils in exam years consider well in advance whether they wish to stop lessons during the exam season – they may well need to give notice by the start of the Lent Term to do so.
ABSENCE PROCEDURE Time-permitting, full-time staff will make every effort to communicate with the pupil during their missed lesson to establish whether they can attend. When a pupil is absent from a lesson without notice, the following procedure is employed: In the first instance, the Director of Music will informally speak with the pupil to ascertain the reason and advise on how this might be avoided in the future. In the second instance the Director of Music will arrange a meeting with the pupil, and the House Parent will be informed. In the third instance the Director of Music will speak formally with the pupil, inform the pupils’ parents (and House Parents) and the pupil will be placed in an Early Morning Call.
MUSICAL OPPORTUNITIES Beyond the teaching room, there are plenty of opportunities for pupils to perform either as a soloist or within an ensemble. For soloists (at any level) these range from friendly informal concerts to - for the most able - concerto concerts with a professional orchestra. Throughout the Lent Term the school runs a competition for all singers and instrumentalists. This begins with a preliminary round for everybody, leading to a sectional final (junior and senior) and then a Repton Young Musician of the Year showcase. Pupils are encouraged to join our various musical ensembles and bands, and these groups will be advertised at the start of the new academic year. There really is something for everyone.
repton.org.uk