Music at Ferndown Upper School

Our mission in the Music Department is to inspire, educate and develop students to achieve their full musical potential. We are an inclusive department and aim to make music at the highest quality.

Music plays a significant part in the life of the school and in the local community. With regular concerts in and out of school, a Christmas service, informal workshops, competitions and productions. We encourage all students to flourish perseverance, resilience and camaraderie as musicians, developing their music making to the highest level while having fun in the process.

Roberto Gallo

BMus, MMus, QTLS

The Music Department

Our department has a large central classroom where most lessons take place and is equipped with a number of hi tech, music technology stations. We also have 5 practice rooms with pianos, drum kits and guitar amplifiers available for students and visiting instrument and voice teachers.

Instrumental and Singing lessons

At Ferndown Upper School, we offer a wide range of individual instrumental and singing lessons. We have seasoned, professional musicians with vast experience in the music industry working with us, who deliver inspiring and engaging lessons available to all our students.

Our offer of instrumental lessons include:

• Voice (popular and lyrical)
• Guitar (acoustic folk, classical and electric)
• Bass guitar
• Drums and percussion
• Piano
• Keyboard
• Orchestral strings (violin, viola, cello and double bass)
• Woodwind (single reeds: flute, clarinet, saxophone; double reeds: oboe and bassoon)
• Brass (trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba)

Please contact the school office for more information.

Music ensembles and clubs

Our thriving music department offers a variety of extra-curricular activities and performance opportunities under the direction and guidance of our Head of Music.

FUS Chamber Choir

Stable group directed by the Head of Music, meeting once a week.

FUS Ensemble

Stable group of woodwind, brass and strings, directed by the Head of Music, meeting once every two weeks. There is an opportunity for an able student to be appointed as Assistant Director to learn the art of conducting and occasionally directing rehearsals and concerts.

FUS Pop and Rock Project

Student led under teacher supervision, meeting 6 weeks before performances. Also for students interested in music technology and audio recording techniques.

Guitar and Ukulele Club

Student led under teacher supervision, meeting once a week at lunch time.

Key Stage 5 – A-Level Music

In this course we endeavour to inspire students to pursue further studies in music, which will bring them a deeper overall understanding and experience of music making. Similar to GCSE, there are 3 components; composition, performance and appraisal. At A-Level however, students will develop those skills even further to achieve this qualification.

They will show their creativity and resourcefulness in compositions which require planning and experimentation, whereas in performance they are required to be dedicated in developing their technique and interpretative skills, with high attention to detail. Private one to one music tuition is strongly recommended in order to successfully complete the performance component in this course.

In the appraisal component, students analyse a series of set works using their scores, and studying their context. By understanding music in historical and cultural contexts, and how it evolves in the present, we develop even further our critical thinking and awareness of music as an art form and entertainment.

Why study A-Level Music?

This course caters to those musicians who want a balanced and rounded curriculum, who enjoyed GCSE music making and want to learn more. It also caters to those who have much higher ambitions, who aspire to develop a career in the music industry. By the end of this course, students will be fully prepared to take their music studies to university or conservatory level if they wish to do so.

Entry requirements:

Candidates who completed GCSE Music must have achieved GCSE grade 5 to be accepted in the course. However, a candidate who achieved less than a GCSE grade 5 or did not study music GCSE can also apply for A-Level Music with a performance audition and interview with the Head of Music. Video recording of the candidate is accepted for the audition.

Beyond A-Level

Our Head of Music offers mentoring for the ACLM Diploma in Composition to high achieving, dedicated and committed composers and musicians who wish to acquire this qualification. This mentoring is offered only to those who studied A-Level Music at Ferndown Upper School.

The GCSE course specification is available for download in the files section.