Education

Rugby School

Rugby School (in Warwickshire) has a reputation for academic excellence throughout the United Kingdom and the world. Students from all over the United Kingdom and overseas are attracted by the school's academic results, the facilities, and a way of life; the school offers opportunities for personal growth and development that most students can only imagine. According to Michael Martin, the music teacher in charge of music technology, the department presents over 70 performances each year, which have included television appearances and overseas tours.

'We have numerous musical groups, including five choirs, a symphony orchestra, a jazz orchestra, a concert band, senior and junior strings ensembles, and chamber groups.'

Michael Martin

The school maintains its standards of excellence by embracing programs like Auralia 4 and Musition 4. Martin reports that they are easy to use, they engage students, and that he's definitely noticed an improvement in students' musical skills.

A School That Finds Each Student's Talent

Rugby School, initially established to educate the boys of Rugby, now caters for boys and girls from 11 to 18 years of age, offering day and boarding facilities. It is synonymous with the sport that bears its name, but the school certainly prides itself on encouraging each student to develop their own skills and talents.

The music program caters for students of all ages. Students in Years 7 to 9 take class music. Year 10 and 11 students can select music for their General Certificate in Secondary Education (GCSE), while students in Years 12 and 13 can continue with A level music and/or AS Music Technology. Lessons cover a broad range of topics: basic skills (chords, keys, notation and dictation), listening, composing, performing and music technology. They also cover a broad range of musical styles: baroque, classical, romantic, jazz and contemporary styles.

Auralia 4 and Musition 4 - with 75 topics covering all aspects of intervals and scales, chords, rhythm, harmony and form, pitch and melody, terms and symbols, and instruments - are a useful tool for teachers like Michael Martin:

'The program is very comprehensive; I use it to target intervals, scales, chords and rhythmic notation.'

A School That Innovates

Rugby School may be almost 450 years old, but it is a school that loves to innovate and try new things. Martin has been using Auralia for 10 years, but introduced Musition a year ago. 'I'm delighted that we can now have Musition for the Mac,' he says. Around 50 students use the software in the school's state of the art music classrooms.

For Martin, one of the best things about Auralia 4 and Musition 4 is how accessible they are to the students:

'The students often use Auralia and Musition to prepare for exams, especially theory exams,' he says. They can select, tap, play or even sing their answers to thousands of exercises and drills and can work at their own pace, using the custom levels to practice problem areas.