As Director of Music, students often ask me, ‘Mr. Woolley, what sort of music do you enjoy listening to when you get home?’
My answer to this question has changed many, many times over the years. In the past, it might have ranged from ‘Anything by Chopin’ or ‘Shostakovich’ to ‘Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel’, ‘Talking Heads’, ‘T.Rex’ or ‘The Stranglers’.
We live in a world where there is music all around us – and to a practising musician and music analyst, that can often trigger feelings not unlike claustrophobia: the two-tone school bell rings in one room – it’s a major 3rd; in another, it’s a perfect 4th; the microwave at home pings 6 times – it’s a high G played at 60bpm. Oh, to be able to switch off my ears!
At Sidcot, music and silence play intertwined roles in fostering personal growth and community cohesion. Music, vibrant and expressive, is a language that resonates across our diverse student body, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries. From choir performances in the Meeting House to instrumental solos in the Concert Hall, these moments create shared experiences that amplify our unity. In alignment with Quaker values, music at Sidcot is less about competition and more about self-expression, cooperation, and the joy of shared creation. Every note reflects a commitment to simplicity, integrity, and respect for one another, allowing students to communicate emotions and stories that words often cannot capture.
Music encourages self-expression and collaboration, offering students a unique language for conveying emotions. Research shows that music education enhances memory, language, and even mathematical skills, boosting students’ cognitive growth. But music’s benefits extend further, fostering empathy, cultural awareness, and resilience. In Sidcot’s Quaker-inspired approach, music plays a key role in helping students connect with their inner selves and with others, aligning with Quaker values of community and emotional reflection.
Yet, equally vital is the presence of silence, woven into the fabric of our community through our Meetings for Worship. These moments of quiet are not simply the absence of sound but a space for reflection, offering students and staff a chance to pause, breathe, and reconnect with their inner selves. Quaker tradition holds that “there is that of God in everyone,” and silence encourages us to listen to that inner light, fostering mindfulness, clarity, and compassion. In our bustling world, such reflective silence is increasingly rare, yet at Sidcot, it is celebrated as an essential practice for self-discovery and moral grounding.
So, as an answer to my students, when I get home, nothing pleases me more than a moment of silence… until it is destroyed by the microwave’s six-beat fanfare, of course!
Paul Woolley
Director of Music