Sixth Form Subjects
Music
| Exam Board | Ask us a question | ||
| Course Duration | Two Year, Full-Time | Apply | |
| Intake Date | September |
Course Overview
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AS/A2 Music enables students to extend their knowledge and understanding of music, to create and develop their own musical ideas and to demonstrate technical, interpretative and communication skills through performing music
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The course helps students to develop aural, theoretical and appraisal skills and enables them to explore significant set works selected to suit their preferences. They will study compositional techniques, to create music which draws on their own experience and enthusiasm or to arrange a given piece of music. In their performances, students can present solo and/or ensemble pieces and can work with music technology.
Course Content and Assessment
A Level Music is split into three components: Performing, Composing and Listening & Appraising.
It is essential that students can already play a musical instrument and have a keen interest in creating and listening to different styles of music to appreciate how they are written and performed.
During both years of the course, students must put together a recital program which can be solo or ensemble based or a combination of both. The performing component is externally assessed but performance and recorded in school. Students are free to choose their own performance material and genres.
The Composing component is externally assessed and students must produce two compositions over the 2 years, a free composition and one set to a brief.
Learning Methods
Listening and Appraising:
‘The areas of study provide an appropriate focus you to appraise, develop and demonstrate and in-depth knowledge and understanding of musical elements, musical concepts and musical language.
Students will be required to study two large scale classical works as part of Area of Study A, then a choice of Popular Music, Music for Theatre or Jazz (Area of Study B, C or D) and finally a choice between late Romantic music or Contemporary Classical music (Areas of Study E or F).’
Performing :
Performing 35% or 25%, according to the student’s preferred weighting choice’
Composing :
Composition 35% or 25%, according to the student’s preferred weighting choice
Future Pathways
POSSIBLE Careeer Pathways
Music students progress to higher education courses in:
1. Composing/Performance
2. Arts Promotion
3. Professional Musician
4. Music Editing and Publishing
5. Conductor
6. Music Journalism
7. Music Therapy
8. Music Directorship
9. Session Musician, recording, Radio and TV)
10. Sound Production and Engineering
Entry Requirements
- Minimum Grade 6 in GCSE Music and/or an equivalent of Grade 4 on an instrument.
- A working knowledge of music theory to at least Grade 4 standard is preferred.
- Regular practice on your chosen instrument resulting in ...notable improvement in performance skills
- Participation in more than one musical activity in school.
- Critical listening to and familiarity with your instrument ...both in performance and composition
- To be taking music lessons on your first instrument
- A willingness to listen to a variety of genres and style
- Notation skills and score reading
Student Testimonial
Testimonial in the pipeline
Other courses of interest
- Art and Design
- Psychology
- English Language