Music
At Newfield School we aim to ignite lifelong passion for the Performing Arts. We want students to be free to explore their creativity above and beyond their expectations and challenge their own ideas. Our aim is to promote interest in the arts whilst developing lasting skills to carry them through into their chosen futures. Students are given the opportunity to develop academically and culturally, through challenging lessons and ambitious performance opportunities.
The Performing Arts department offers a wide variety of extra-curricular programmes. All pupils will be given every opportunity to develop their skills and talents via the curriculum and extra-curricular courses.
Music
'Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.' Leonard Bernstein
Students' lessons are focused on learning about music through performance, composition and listening and appraising skills. There is an emphasis on understanding music, musical literacy; reading notation, being familiar with pieces of music from a broad range of musical styles, for example western classical, traditional music and popular musical styles.
Opportunities for students to be able to hone and develop the practical aspects of performance and composition are a key feature in music lessons at Newfield. Lessons also ensure that students have the ability to understand how the development of life skills, such as confidence, self-awareness, perseverance and discipline give them a holistic experience that they can take beyond their musical studies.
The department also have a number of visiting peripatetic teachers, whom offer individual lessons (cello, brass*, piano / keyboard, singing, electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and drum kit*). Lessons are available through both Sheffield Music Hub (*), as well as accredited instrumental teachers.
Performing Arts Principles
- Build confidence and creativity in every student.
- Foster a love of both performance art and dramatic literature, current and past, familiar and un-familiar, mainstream and avant-garde.
- Create a love of music, through a balance of performance, composition and listening and appraising, through sequenced lessons that build upon student’s musicianship and musical knowledge.
- Develop the skills of students in being able to create, perform and respond to drama through classroom activities that integrate these experiences and skills in a wide range of contexts and for a wide range of purposes.
- Develop the skills of students in being able to create, perform and respond to a wide variety musical styles.
- Improve students’ abilities to solve problems and make decisions within the context of their work, and to develop the ability to work together collaboratively.
- Enable students to acquire musical knowledge and skills on a variety of instruments, including voice, keyboards, drumming, guitars and ukuleles.
- Provide a wide range of performing opportunities for those of all abilities in and out of curriculum time.
- Provide opportunities for students to gain a nationally recognised qualification at the best standard possible.
- Every student to be the best creative practitioner they can be.
Extra-Curricular
There are regular weekly activates within the performing arts department each week. These include BTEC rehearsals, theatre company rehearsals as well rehearsals for productions, African drumming, choir, jazz band. There is also opportunity for students to use the department as a space to practice before, and after school time. This enables students to work independently or within small groups developing their knowledge of music further still.
In a nutshell:
- To build confidence and creativity in every student.
- Develop the skills of students in being able to create, perform and respond within the performing arts.
- Every students to be the best creative practitioner they can be.