Colchester Royal Grammar School: Music

Music

GCSE Course (edexcel 1425)

GCSE MUSIC is an ideal course for students who wish to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of music further through a wide range of activities related to performing, composing, listening and appraising.

Key features of the course are:

The opportunity to participate in ensemble work
The continued development of individual instrumental and/or vocal performance skills
Extending composition work from Key Stage 3
Good preparation for further, advanced musical study
Use of ICT in the composing and performing elements

The course has three core elements:

Performing (30%): All students perform as a soloist and in ensembles throughout the two years of the course.
Composing (30%): Two compositions lasting at least three minutes in total are chosen from a portfolio of work and submitted for final assessment. They are performed, recorded and notated.
Listening & Appraising (40%): In a written paper candidates answer questions on music from western traditions, from pop culture and from non-western music, demonstrating an awareness of style, musical vocabulary, musical elements, staff notation, resources, conventions and the evolution of music.

The course provides for a wide spectrum of musical interests and strengths. However, it is expected that all students will receive individual tuition on their main instrument or voice throughout the course and that a performance level of at least grade V (ABRSM) will be aimed for by the end of the course. The course gives all performing musicians the opportunity to develop a high level of skill, both as a soloist and within ensembles. Commitment to a wide range of ensemble work is essential to fulfil the performance criteria; school orchestras, choirs and bands etc offer ideal opportunities for this, as well as any performance groups students themselves may develop.

The course is comprehensive and balanced, giving all musicians the opportunity to develop fully a range of musical skills which will form a suitable preparation for further study, a musical career or in the use of music as a rewarding and lasting leisure activity.

A-Level Course (OCR AS 3872, A 7872)

Full specification

In this course students will develop their skills in performing, composing and listening. They will encounter a great variety of music, particularly from the western classical traditions and from jazz but, in their own performing and composing, they will have considerable freedom to choose their own repertoire. If they are interested in Music Technology, they will have ample opportunity to use it and develop their skills. It would be helpful if they have studied GCSE Music or have appropriate grounding either via the National Curriculum KS1 to 3 or through performing and listening at home and in the community.

The course is organised around three areas of study: AS is concerned with ways in which composers use instruments to express their musical ideas and learning to create music using the common classical or popular musical language of 'western tonality' (as well as development of style and technique). For A2, students will develop their understanding of tonality by studying a wider range of more recent styles and there will also be a strong focus on the relationship between words and music.

AS-Level Course

Unit 1: Performing
Students will give a short solo recital and also perform either on a second instrument, in an ensemble, or perform their own composition.

Unit 2: Composing 1
Students will compose or arrange one piece of music and learn about western tonal harmony through short exercise to develop their understanding of basic harmony.

Unit 3: Introduction to Historical Study
There is a 2 hour examination for this unit, divided into three sections; i) listening to an extract ii) answering questions on two set works iii) a choice of questions on a variety of music.

A2-Level Course

Unit 4: Performing: Interpretation
For this unit, students will be able to choose for themselves what music to study and perform. They will give a recital as a soloist or accompanist, or in an ensemble.

Unit 5: Composing 2
Students will be asked to set to music one of two sets of words. For the rest of the course they may choose whether to study closely one style of composition or whether to compose music for a film storyboard.

Unit 6: History and Analytical Studies
This will consist of a timed examination paper (2½ hours) with three main sections: aural extracts, prescribed historical topic (one from four) and a synoptic essay.

Beyond A-level

Many other subjects would go well with Music, from a wide range of Humanities and Languages, as well as Mathematics and Science. With a qualification in Music, students can go on to higher education and job possibilities include work in the music industry, teaching or other related areas.