Head of Department: Mrs L Doogan MA BMus LTCL ALCM PGCE
Peripatetic Staff:
EA Southern Region Music Service
Private
The Music Department aims to help students to:
Examination Board: CCEA
GCSE Music is a subject suited to the student who has a passion for Music, for understanding how it works and an open mind to exploring new styles. It is also a subject that requires students to already have a practical experience of Music. Students will continue to develop instrumental or vocal performing skills through their private or EA tutors, striving for a minimum of grade 4. Ensemble skills will be introduced at this stage and students will learn how to perform in a group situation and appraise their work. In the classroom students will learn the theory of music which will ultimately develop their composing and listening skills, allowing them to create and understand how music works. Set pieces drawn across 400 years of musical history gives students a broad overview of Classical and popular musical styles, leading to an appreciation of music and laying the foundation for further study. The study of GCSE Music develops useful skills such as creativity, analysis, confidence, discipline, problem solving and communication.
| Content | Assessment | % |
| Unit 1: Composing
| Controlled Assessment 2 compositions over 25 hours | 30% |
| Unit 2: Performing | 1 solo, 1 ensemble, viva voce – visiting examiner | 35% |
| Unit 3: Listening | External Examination 1.5 hour listening paper | 35% |
GCSE Music is a pre-requisite for the study of Advanced Level Music. The study of Music strengthens one’s ability to listen critically, evaluate, research, appreciate the value of context, analyse, apply technology, compose, present and perform. All these skills are transferable to many careers not specifically related to Music (e.g. research based careers, administration). Specific music related careers include performing, composing, arranging, arts administration, concert hall management, promotion of the arts, recording industry, music therapy, classroom teaching, peripatetic teaching, television and radio presenting and researching.
For details of peripatetic tuition available see Extra Curricular Music.
Examination Board: CCEA
AS and A2 Music develop essential knowledge and understanding of the many aspects of Music. Pupils have opportunities to develop composition and performance skills to a higher level and study several music topics in more depth, looking at the social and cultural context to works and composers. Set pieces are studied for the aural perception paper alongside a more in depth appreciation of the various periods of music. Works not specifically studied will also be assessed in the examination.
| AS Content | Assessment | Weighting |
Unit 1 Performing:
| External Examination assessed by visiting examiner | 35% of AS 14% of A level |
Unit 2 Composing:
| Coursework, externally marked | 35% of AS 14% of A level |
Unit 3 Responding to Music:
| Two External Examinations:
| 30% of AS 12% of A level |
| A2 Content | Assessment | Weighting |
Unit 1 Performing:
| External Examination assessed by visiting examiner | 21% of A level |
Unit 2 Composing:
| Coursework, externally marked | 21% of A level |
Unit 3 Responding to Music:
| Two External Examinations:
| 18% of A level |
To study A level Music a student must have studied GCSE Music, ideally achieving an A or A* grade and be able to perform on their instrument or sing at grade 6 level or above for AS and grade 7 or above for A2 level. Fluent reading of staff notation is essential.
Career opportunities with music are wide-ranging. Specific music related careers include classroom teaching, composing, arranging, performing, music therapy, recording industry, arts administration, concert hall management, promotion of the arts, peripatetic teaching, television presenting and researching. The study of Music strengthens one’s ability to listen critically, evaluate, research, appreciate the value of context, write, analyse, apply technology, compose, present and perform. These transferable skills are highly valued in most non-musical careers.
For details of peripatetic tuition available see Extra Curricular Music.
Many former A-level Music students take their studies further and choose to read Music at various Universities across the country; the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Durham and Queen’s in Belfast are just some of the higher education schools that offer Music at an Undergraduate level. The curriculum at Undergraduate level is wide-ranging across the many Universities, with most offering study in Performance, Composition, Theory, Musicology, Historical topics, and Ethnomusicology. A BA degree in Music or BMus degree gives this broad sweep of the subject, allowing students to focus in on particular areas in their final years.
Conservatoires, such as The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, or the London College of Music, offer intense instruction in performance, with pupils being able to study with local professionals, take master classes with touring soloists and have opportunities to play with influential orchestras. Taking this path means students focus almost entirely on performing, and less on the other elements of Music such as composing or Music history.
Studying Music at GCSE and A-Level gives students a range of versatile, transferable skills which they will take with them later in their careers. Aural, appraising, performing, literary, time management and organisation skills are all developed through the study of Music as well as quick thinking when things don’t go to plan (e.g. in a concert setting).
General skills
Specific skills and attributes
Whilst many students who study A level Music will continue to study Music to degree level not all choose to do so. Here is a selection of careers that students with an AS or A level in Music have gone on to:
Students who have studied Music at degree level have also gone to a variety of careers:
