Music

Course summary

A highly regarded, exciting and rewarding A level, music is a varied and interesting course, combining both academic study and creativity, based around learning and developing three key skills: performing, composing and listening, and appraising. Building upon knowledge of musical theory, students will obtain a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of performance, refine practical skills, study and practice composition and the expand their knowledge of music history through listening and appraisal. The course offers the development of a plethora of music skills, from performance, composition, harmony and aural, to analytical skills and essay writing techniques. Appealing to naturally creative students that enjoy a variety of activities and disciplines, the subject is taught holistically with several disciplines being exercised within one lesson to ensure development of the whole musician; the course encourages high-end thinking, making connections between learning. Students taking A level music will be given the opportunity to develop the use of musical devices. However, while there is a good level of practical activity in the course, through performance and composition, students will also learn to analyse the music and gain a deeper insight into the social and historical context of its creation as well as the mechanics behind the harmony. This in turn will deepen overall understanding and enhancement of performance and creative skills.