Exam Board: AQA
Music is a new, vibrant and exciting GCSE affording students the opportunity to gain a deeper practical, intellectual and creative understanding of how this hugely influential art form works. Becoming an accomplished, all-round musician is such a rewarding experience. The course offers the opportunity for students to perform music individually and collaboratively either as an instrumentalist, vocalist or both. Students will have opportunities to compose music in a wealth of given and free styles, both formally and via leading music software. Analysis and listening to all genres, from Medieval through to the 20th Century, also occupies a significant part of the course. Our GCSE Music option welcomes both the experienced or developing instrumentalists and vocalists to actively develop and nurture musicality. Everyone, young and old often has opinions about music. It says who we are, represents how we think and expresses our feelings more clearly than words ever could. It is a collaborative experience that seeks to unite us.
A young life enriched by music in its many forms will be a huge part of defining the adult.
GCSE Music can create career pathways and further opportunities such as:
• Performance
• Composition
• Music Technology
• Teaching
• Publishing/Marketing
• Music Therapy
Understanding Music & Contextual Understanding (40%) (96 marks)
a. Section A: Listening – unfamiliar music (68 marks)
b. Section B: Study pieces (28 marks)
Music performance* (30%) (72 marks).
a. Performance 1: Solo performance (36 marks)
b. Performance 2: Ensemble performance (36 marks).
Composition* (30%) (72 Marks)
a. Composition 1: Composition to a brief (36 marks)
b. Composition 2: Free composition (36 marks)
Non-exam assessment (NEA)* will be internally marked by teachers and externally moderated by AQA.