String opportunities
Capel strings
- Saturday, 9–9.45am
- For key stage 2 children who have been learning between 1–2 terms and feel confident holding their bow, playing individual strings and bowing up and down
- This is a first ensemble experience and is an introduction to orchestral playing skills
- £52 per term (term time only)
Junior strings
- Saturday, 10–10.45am
- This orchestra follows on from Capel strings and is for players at grade 1–3 standard or equivalent.
- A wide range of repertoire is rehearsed and performed.
- As well as practising the Strings skills you have already learned, students will learn the elements of ensemble playing.
- £52 per term
String works
- Saturday, 11am–12noon
- Minimum grade 3
- Requires good sight-reading skills and some position shifting.
- As well as practising all the string skills that they have learned, the players learn formal aspects of orchestral playing and have a lot of fun.
- £48 per term
WSM Sinfonia
- Saturday, 12noon–1.15pm
- Minimum grade 5
- For string, woodwind and brass players with good sight-reading skills who wish to gain orchestral experience.
- Confident position shifting and some vibrato required
Senior strings
- Friday, 5.15–6.15pm
- Minimum standard of grade 7
- For experienced orchestral players who wish to tackle professional string orchestra repertoire and perform to a high level.
- A well rounded technique with confident shifting into all positions is needed and well developed vibrato skills
Watford School of Music youth orchestra
- Friday, 6.15–8.15pm
- Grade 7 and above. Entry by teacher recommendation or by informal audition.
- Standard full symphony orchestra repertoire is studied in full and in sectional rehearsals.
- This orchestra is for all students from the Watford, Three Rivers, Bushey and Radlett area. You don't need to study at Watford School of Music to join.
- £69 per term (term time only)
Wind and brass opportunities
Junior wind ensemble
- Tuesday, 5–5.45pm
- For beginner to grade 3, children in Key Stage 2 and above
- This is a great first experience for playing in a wind band
- £52 per term (term time only)
Concert band
- Tuesday, 5.55–6.55pm
- For players who are grade 3 standard and above
- We play a range of music from television and film music to traditional wind band repertoire
- £52 per term (term time only)
Senior wind ensemble
- Friday, 5.30–6.15pm
- Grade 6 and above.
- For advanced wind players who would like to enhance their ensemble playing skills
- Term time only
- £52 per term (free for members of the youth orchestra)
Brass Attack!
- Wednesday, 5.15–6pm
- For primary school players to develop their brass skills, have fun and make some new friends
- £52 per term (term time only)
Brass works
- Wednesday, 6–7pm
- For players at secondary school and of grade 3 standard and above
- WSM Brass Works plays a range of music from television and film music to traditional brass repertoire
- £52 per term (term time only)
Adult wind band
- Monday, 8–9pm (term time)
- We welcome all woodwind, brass and percussion players of grade 5 to 8 standard
- £62 per term (term time only)
Percussion opportunities
Junior percussion ensemble
- Tuesday, 4–4.30pm
- Ideally suited to year 5, 6 and 7 students who have some beat and rhythm experience and want to learn a wide variety of percussion instruments in an ensemble setting
Senior percussion ensemble
- Thursday, 6.15–7pm
- For year 7 and above students who are approximately grade 5 on their instruments.
- This ensemble is also the percussion section of our youth orchestra
WSM Sinfonia and WSM Youth Orchestra
- There are opportunities for orchestral percussionists in both these orchestras
Tabla drumming
Guitarist opportunities
Rock up
- Thursday, 5.30-6.15pm
- Students work as a whole class, in groups and by themselves to create their own music and work out how to perform pop and rock standards
- This will be open to all instrumentalists and vocalists in year 5 and above
Guitar works
- Thursday, 4.30–5pm, Guitar works 1 – group lessons for beginner guitarists year 4 and above.
- Thursday, 5–5.30pm, Guitar Works 2 – group lessons for students who can already play at least 5 chords and change with ease
Guitar project (for adults)
- Wednesday, 7.30–9pm.
- An ensemble for adults and older teens of grade 2 standard or above, although exams are not necessary.
- All styles from classical to world music to rock are covered.
- All guitar types are welcome: acoustic, classical, electric, bass.
- Music notation is used, but tab is available if required.
- £69 per term (term time only)
Singing
Watford junior singers
- Saturday, 11.30am–12.15pm
- This choir is for all children in year 3 and over
- Come and sing and have lots of fun exploring songs from all around the world in many different styles
- You don't need to be able to read music or be learning an instrument
- £43 per term. Free for Sing, Make, Play students
Watford chamber choir
- Monday, 5.30–6.15pm
- For keen singers to develop their singing skills. For ages 10-18
Watford community one voice choir
- Thursday, 7.30–9.15pm
- This is a community choir for adults.
Music for babies, toddlers, nursery, foundation and key stage 1
Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Eurhythmics offers a very good basis for children preparing to take up an instrument and complementing what they learn in music lessons and at Key Stage 1.
It's a method of learning about music by using the whole body: listening, starting and stopping, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, beat, pulse, phrasing, notation and composition.
These classes are designed to introduce children to the world of music through movement, singing, rhythms, untuned percussion, aural training and quick response games.
The benefits of these classes include improved listening and co-ordination skills, simple notation to help children prepare for reading music, and group / solo activities to build confidence.
0–3 years olds
- Wednesday, 10.30–11.15am
- Only this class is drop-in
- £5 per child per session. £8.50 for 2 siblings per session
Nursery/Reception
- Monday, 4–4.45pm
- £52 per term
- The children must be accompanied by an adult.
- All classes are in term time only and consist of 10 x 45 minute sessions
Year 1 and 2
- Monday, 4.45–5.30pm
- £52 per term.
- All classes are in term time only and consist of 10 x 45 minute sessions
Explore music reception/year 1
- Saturday, 10–10.30am
- Our music programme for reception and year 1
- Children sing, dance and play simple percussion instruments, as well as creating their own music
Explore music 2
- Saturday: 9–9.30am or 10–10.30am or 10.30-11am
- Our music programme for year 2
- Children do all the activities from Explore Music Reception/year 1, and begin to play the recorder
Opportunities for key stage 2
Sing, make, play
- Saturday, 9–11.30am
- For children aged 7 and above
- SING! – warm up session for all KS2 children
- MAKE! – children create and perform their own music in their year groups
- PLAY! – year 3 and 4 children learn to play recorder, ukulele and violin as a group. Year 5 and 6 children learn to play an instrument in a small group and explore music technology
- EXTRA PLAY! – Watford Junior Singers, 11.30am–12.15pm
- Tabla drumming 11.30am-12pm