ABOUT
SCO Connect worked with staff and S5 and S6 pupils in Firrhill High School and Forrester High School in Edinburgh. Everyone’s a Critic takes a look at what it means to write about music and examines the ideas underpinning critical writing about the arts.
Over 3 months, students worked with a professional music critic and were given opportunities to attend concerts and write their own reviews with professional advice and feedback.
The project looked at the following ideas:
- – critical analysis of the experience of attending a concert, not the music
- – developing critical skills – listening and writing
- – experience of live concerts
- – engaging with the expressive arts and literacy experiences and outcomes
Everyone’s a Critic was not seeking to work through a deep and detailed musical analysis, rather, the project was about exploring the skills of writing about the experience of attending a live music concert.
Students attended an SCO concerts and wrote practice reviews. These reviews were read by a journalist who then provided each student with suggestions for improvement before they wrote a final review of a different concert.
The project introduced students to a specialist type of journalism, stressing the importance of working to tight deadlines. This gave students an opportunity to access the expertise of professional journalists and learn from the experience.
Click here to read Firrhill High School Students’ reviews
Click here to read Forrester High School students’ reviews
PURPOSE
The project was developed to encourage Higher Music and English students to listen critically to music, and develop the skills to write about a specialised subject. The design of the project was intended that the critical writing skills developed in response to listening to music and attending live concerts should be transferrable to other artforms and situations. The project also brought students to a series of concerts around Edinburgh featuring different repertoire and in different venues.
The project involved:
- – 20 Higher Music and English students
- – 3 teachers (2 x music and 1 x English)
- – 1 workshop leader and full orchestra
- – 1 professional journalist
Everyone’s A Critic was designed to link to the following Experiences and Outcomes:
- – EXA 3-91a, EXA 4-19a
- – LIT 3-02a, LIT 4-02a, LIT 3-05a/LIT 4-05a
- – ENG 3-27a/ENG 4-27a
- – LIT 3-28a, LIT 4-28a
NEXT STEPS
Scottish Chamber Orchestra plans to develop a resource for teachers on how to write critically about music. This resource will be available from the SCO Connect website. The resource should enable a wider audience to benefit from the aims of Everyone’s A Critic, not just those in the Edinburgh area.
SCO Connect is also investigating the possibility of any school in Scotland entering reviews of concerts to be submitted on the SCO website with possible feedback from a journalist giving suggestions for improvement.
SCO Connect is also exploring the possibility of offering Everyone’s A Critic through Glow.
OTHER
Partners:
- – SCO Connect
- – City of Edinburgh Council
Levels and stages:
- – Senior Phase
- – S5 and S6
Funding:
- – SCO Connect Core budget
- – City of Edinburgh Council
For more information contact:
Lucy Lowe, SCO Connect Director on 0131 478 8355 or email lucy.lowe@sco.org.uk
Links:
