SACS JUNIOR SCHOOL

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

SACS boasts a well-resourced and extremely busy music department with four full-time, one freelance and four part-time teachers. Music plays a major role in the life of the school with more than 200 boys learning to play an instrument - nearly one third of the school enrolment!

We have a Junior, Senior and Chamber Choir and a Junior, Concert and Jazz Band.

Members of the music staff are as follows:

• Reon Jacobs: Head of Department, Piano, Keyboard, Senior Choir
• Charles Howell: Clarinet, Saxophone, Junior Band
• Myles McDonald: Tuba, Euphonium, Trombone, Trumpet, French Horn, Bass Guitar, Concert and Jazz Bands
• Bev Bownes: Class Music Grade 1 -3, Recorder, Guitar, Junior and Chamber Choirs
• Lyn Eastman: Class Music Grade 4 – 7
• Derek Fennell: Flute
• Morgan King: Saxophone
• Rob Ogilvie: Drums

The Foundation Phase Music Development Programme runs for Grade 1 -3. It comprises one Class Music lesson per week and one extra lesson for Grade 1 's every four weeks. During this time, boys are observed and those that show an aptitude are tested individually. Boys who have applied for lessons are also tested. Those who have been accepted are put into groups of four or five and have a lesson once a week. Grade 1’s who are accepted start in the second term when they learn to read and play rhythms on various percussion instruments. In the fourth term, they learn to play the recorder and read pitched notes. They continue in groups until the end of Grade 3.

Individual piano lessons are offered to suitable applicants from Grade 3.

This experience will have given the boys an opportunity to discover if playing an instrument is something they would like to invest time and effort in. At the end of their Grade 3 year, we encourage the boys who have shown diligent application and progress to move on to another instrument.

From Grade 4 onwards, the pupils who are accepted into the brass and wind programmes will have individual lessons once a week. Within a term they will play in the Junior Band that practises on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings in the Auditorium. Thereafter they will be promoted to the Senior Concert Band rehearses in the Band Room on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and musicians chosen for the Jazz Band rehearse on Thursdays and Fridays. All rehearsals are from 07:35 – 08:10.

Application forms are available from Reception.