Music

Course summary

A level Music is a highly respected academic qualification. It pushes students to the limits of their creativity, practical skills, and musical knowledge. You need to really love the subject to take on the challenge of this A level, particularly Music Theory as this is the main focus of most lessons. Over the course of two years at Cronton you will visit prestigious concert halls to watch the best musicians in the world perform. We run several live performances each year, at which you will have the opportunity to perform. If you are looking to apply for prestigious universities, Music is a great choice to stand out from the crowd. Music A Level covers the three components of Performance, Composition and Listening and Analysing. You can choose to study more performance (35%) and less composition (25%) or vice versa. The Listening and Analysing component is worth 40% of your final grade. Performance is assessed by a visiting examiner during the second year of the course and you are expected to be playing at Grade 6 standard for 10 to 12 minutes. Composition requires a piece composed in the Western Classical Tradition (a brief for this is set by the exam board) and a second piece which can be a free composition. As part of the Listening and Analysing paper, you will study the Development of the Symphony, including set works by Haydn and Mendelssohn, Music of the Twentieth Century, including set works by Debussy and Poulenc and Jazz from 1920 to 1960.