About

As school life moves back to normal, we are making up for the creative opportunities students have missed out on. With this in mind, the Music department is looking to create a large, sound-proofed room especially for ensembles, orchestras and choirs. The existing space only allows room for up to eight musicians at a time, which is extremely limiting. The new plans to convert the studio, practice rooms and corridor into an open space, with the existing studio attached, would increase this number to 40. This new studio would mean that far more students could participate in our rich music programme and enable more exciting, creative and ambitious projects with a much greater scope. Students will be able to use the new space to perform and rehearse, practice the steel pans and record larger groups. The Music Department offers an impressive range of options to inspire and engage students with making music including string, woodwind, brass, saxophone and guitar ensembles, the chamber and main choir, a senior orchestra, the big band, steel pans. It is also working with students to set up a not-for-profit music business and an in-school record label, releasing music to streaming sites like Spotify. Ms Tidbrook, Head of Music says: “Promoting and fostering a love of music and high standards in this environment has been extremely challenging. “The new studio will create an area in which the students feel they are a part of something and allow the department to motivate and engage a far wider group of students – particularly those who are disadvantaged – and significantly increase the scope, ambitions and capability of our teaching so that talented students can shine.” The Friends of The Charter North Dulwich are looking to raise £8,500 towards the cost of the project and the school has promised to match fund the other half.