Music

Course summary

A-Level Music is a varied, creative and enjoyable course that combines the practical and academic study of music. It is designed to be accessible to musicians with a wide range of different interests and performing specialisms. Performance: You prepare a performance of 8-12 minutes of music on your chosen instrument or voice. This is recorded and examined externally. In order to achieve the highest grades, students should be performing music of grade 7 standard or above. All styles of music are acceptable, and students are likely to do best performing the type of music they enjoy most. The assessment takes place towards the end of Upper Sixth. Composition: You learn to structure and develop creative ideas in various styles and genres. You submit a portfolio consisting of one free composition, and one technical exercise. The free composition is a piece lasting four minutes or more, which may be in response to a brief set by the exam board, with a wide choice of instruments and genres. The technical exercise will demonstrate your ability to use harmonic or contrapuntal procedures from a specific musical genre with control and stylistic understanding; these skills are taught during the A-Level course. Students submit a score and a recording of their compositions. Work for examination will be completed during the Upper Sixth, and is marked by an external examiner. Appraising: You learn about a wide range of set works in different musical styles. You develop your skills of analysis and evaluation, and learn how to relate music to its historical and cultural context. About half the music studied comes broadly from the western Classical tradition; the syllabus also covers music for film and television, popular music and Jazz, and music influenced by non-European cultures.