The Specialist Music Programme is set up to provide the best possible standard of education, training and musical opportunities for students of high musical talent. It offers a seamless and co-ordinated progression of learning from junior primary school, through secondary school to university. It offers students the stimulus of working with others of similar high musical calibre.

Three institutions situated in close proximity within Christchurch are cooperating to provide this unique opportunity for musically talented students.

- Westburn Primary School
- Burnside High School
- The University of Canterbury

A joint Board of Studies oversees the professional functioning of the Programme, but on a day to day level, students work under the direction of staff in either Westburn School or Burnside High School.

Application forms

Please note: Applications for music programmes should be accompanied by a Burnside High School enrolment form.

 SMP FAQs

What does a typical SMP student’s school timetable look like?

In the classroom:
A Year nine SMP student will have a subject timetable much the same as other year nine students. All Year nine students spend the same amount of time on each subject. However, SMP students will be placed in a class where all students are selected on the basis of a strong musical background. These classes are of above-average ability, and will be re-streamed for mathematics. The classroom music programme will be of a more advanced level than optional music classes. From Year 10, SMP students must select Music as an option. Timetabled lessons are three hours per week at Year 10 and four hours per week for Years 11-12-13. At Year 12 and 13 two music courses are offered - academic music and performance music. SMP students are required to take the academic course and are encouraged to take the performance course.

After school:
SMP students will have an individual range of activities. Some will be associated specifically with SMP and some that are part of the wider music department.
All SMP students will attend a weekly workshop: Piano, Wind, Voice, Violin/Viola, Cello or Jazz. These workshops are for SMP students only.
Instrumental students are expected to play in one of the larger ensembles, such as orchestra, concert band or big band. Singers are expected to be in one of the choirs, such as Male Voice Chorus, Aurora Voices or Bel Canto.
From Year 10, instrumentalists all take part in chamber music. This will be timetabled as convenient to the members of the group and the tutor. Most groups operate only for the first half of the year and will have the schools’ chamber music contest as their performance goal. Chamber music is guaranteed only for SMP students. Some groups will have invited players from the performance music classes.

It is important that SMP students allow sufficient time for their own practice at home.

Do SMP students spend time out of classes that they then have to catch up on?

No, not as a regular thing. Some SMP students choose to study a second instrument through the itinerant music scheme. This music lesson would take place across the school day, and work missed from that class would need to be caught up on. If SMP students are on a school trip such as the Nelson Music Exchange or the Music Roadshow, they would need to catch up on the work missed.

What are the after school activities for SMP that are compulsory?

Private lesson
SMP workshop and all associated concerts, masterclasses and activities as arranged by the director
One large ensemble
Chamber music for instrumentalists

How long would an SMP student be expected to practise each day?

All SMP students should allow at least two hours per day for practice on their first (SMP) instrument. String players and pianists generally will have to spend more than this amount of time. Students learning a second instrument will also have to allow more practice time. Singers tend to spend less time on the actual voice, but will need to allow time for learning languages and words as there is an expectation that all songs will be performed from memory.

Do students have to play 1 or 2 instruments (including voice) to be a member of SMP?

No. SMP is about specialising in one instrument.

What competitions are students likely to have to compete in?

There is no policy stating that SMP students will have to take part in competitions. However, many performance opportunities are linked to competitions.

Instrumentalists most years will take part in the chamber music competition.
Singers most years will take part in the choral competition.
Singers may also take part in the barbershop competition.
Instrumentalists or singers may take part in the Rockquest competition.
Jazz students may take part in the schools’ competition run by the CPIT Christchurch Jazz School.

Are students able to belong to non-music groups, eg. sports, at the school as well as being in SMP?

Yes. All Burnside High School students are encouraged to take part in a sport.  SMP students and parents are given the general advice that activities should not impinge on individual practice time.

What is the difference between being a member of SMP and a member of Performance Music at Burnside High School?

SMP students will see music as their first-focus throughout high school.
SMP students will be developing their skills as a soloist as a priority. SMP students will perform most weeks as a soloist at the SMP workshop. SMP students will also appear as soloists in concerts arranged by parents or the workshop director.

Performance Music students may see music as being part of a range of interests they have. Performance Music students will be regarded primarily as ensemble musicians within the department.

SMP and Performance Music students will gain credits in NCEA solo performance. These examinations will be the only solo performance opportunity for Performance Music students arranged by the school in the year.