Music & Music Technology

Music is offered to GCSE whilst Music and Music Technology are taught to A-level.

Our Year 9 Music course is part of a ‘carousel’ group of subjects and runs for an 8 week cycle. It is delivered in one lesson per week and is weighted towards practical work and thus, we include elements of experimentation and improvisation. We vary the course from year to year and at present is structured as follows:

Term 1 Exploring the element of RHYTHM through games, rhythm names and the use of the African Djembe drums. Composition work is developed, performances recorded and the role of music in African culture is touched upon. General listening is also included.

Term 2 Creative music workshops explore mood and character through the elements of music. Class improvisation; creation of pieces and the development of listening and appraising skills.

Term 3 Music and the Media, Music for Film, Virtual Gamelan. Exploring the relationship between music and advertising, Analysis of film music through the study of at least two genres.

GCSE MUSIC AQA 4272

The fundamental elements of the syllabus are:

  1. Listening to and Appraising Music 20% of total marks Written paper lasting 1 hour. Respond to questions based on short, recorded musical excerpts from the 5 Areas of Study. Questions will be: objective tests; structured responses & extended responses.

  2. Composing & Appraising Music – 20% of total marks One composition, incorporating two or more elements from the five Areas of Studies AoS1 Rhythm & Metre

AoS 2 Harmony & Tonality

AoS 3 Texture & Melody

AoS 4 Timbre & Dynamics

AoS 5 Structure & Form

There must also be a link to one of the 3 Strands of Learning, namely: Music of the Western Classical Tradition Popular Music of the 20th & 21st centuries World Music (Caribbean, Africa, India) The examining board will determine which Strand of Learning applies to a particular examining period. The submission can be by either recording, wherever possible, with score, or recording with detailed annotation; Candidates appraise the process and the outcome of the composition through a 2 hour controlled assessment

  1. Performing Music – 40% of total marks

  2. Perform two different pieces: One solo and one ensemble performance

  3. Composing Music – 20% of total marks

  4. One composition which explores two or more of the five Areas of Study. The composition can be in any style or genre and must be submitted as a score and/or annotation, but must also be different from that submitted in Unit 2.

A-Level Music - Edexcel

For those students wishing to progress to degree level qualifications in music, this course offers ideal opportunities. For those who want to complete the AS course, the experience of interacting with music from a wide range of time and place, through the Areas of Study, will provide them with a broad and satisfying musical experience with valuable new insights. Others may wish to study both AS and A2 but without proceeding further. The aims of the AS-level Music course are:

  • encourage students to extend the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to communicate through music and take part in music making;

  • encourage students to engage in, and extend their appreciation of, the diverse and dynamic heritage of music, promoting spiritual and cultural development;

  • encourage students to develop particular strengths and interests, encouraging lifelong learning and providing access to music-related careers;

  • provide a worthwhile, satisfying and complete course of study, which broadens experience, develops imagination, fosters creativity and promotes personal and social development;

The full A-level then seeks

  • to extend the knowledge, skills and understanding developed in the AS and provide a basis for further study. Students develop aural perception skills and the ability to make expressive use of musical elements, structures and resources through:

  • interpreting musical ideas (eg presenting performances, performing with others, realizing own compositions, directing ensembles)

  • creating and developing musical ideas using innovative and/or established musical technique (eg improvising, arranging, composing)

  • making critical judgements about the use of musical elements, structures and resources by analysing, evaluating, and reflecting on, their own and others’ work (eg refining own performances and compositions, reviewing written/published, live and recorded music, comparing different interpretations)

Students are required to:

  • gain a depth of understanding of two contrasting Areas of Study across time and/or place at east one of which should be taken from the Western classical tradition

  • gain a breadth of understanding by being able to place the selected Areas of Study within a broader musical perspective.

AS Course Outline

Unit 1: Performing Music

This unit accounts for 30% of the marks for AS Music

Gives students an opportunity to perform as a soloist and / or as part of an ensemble in any musical style. The performance will be centre-assessed and moderated by Edexcel

Unit 2: Composing

This unit accounts for 30% of the marks for AS Music Compose a 3-minute piece in response to a chosen brief selected from a bank of 4 compositional briefs issued by Edexcel. Candidates will also be asked to write a CD sleeve note to describe aspects of the composition and explain how other pieces have influenced it. The composition will be externally assessed.

Unit 3: Developing Musical Understanding

This unit accounts for 40% of the marks for AS Music This unit focuses on listening to music and understanding how it works. Set works ( Instrumental & Vocal music) from an Anthology will provide the focus for the first two sections, through Listening and Studying scores.

The study of Harmonic and Tonal features will be examined through the completion of a short passage for SATB

A 2 – hour examination comprises three sections: Section A: Listening Section B: Investigating musical styles Section C: Understanding chords and lines.

Students will not have access to NAM (The Anthology) during the examination.

A2 Music

Course Outline:

Unit 4: Extended Performance

  • This unit accounts for 30% of the marks for A2 Music.
  • A balanced programme of pieces lasting between 12 and 15 minutes will be performed – as a single performance – with you as a soloist and/or with a small ensemble.
  • The performance will be marked in school, then the marks sent to an External Moderator.

Unit 5: Composition and Technical Study

  • This unit accounts for 30% of the marks for A2 Music.
  • You will have a choice of briefs set by Edexcel at the beginning of the year.
  • There are two tasks to be completed under controlled conditions:
  • Two Compositions, two technical studies or one of each.
  • Each work is recorded then the score and recording will be marked by an External Examiner.

Unit 6: Further Musical Understanding

  • This unit accounts for 40% of the marks for A2 Music.
  • There are two sets of group works and a section about answering questions on unfamiliar music.
  • This section is examined with a two hour paper in three sections:
  • Section A: Answer questions based on unfamiliar music, although the excerpts will be related to the set works that you have studied.
  • Section B: Answer two questions about one of the groups of set works.
  • Sections C: Answer an essay question about three pieces from the other group of set works.
  • Unmarked copies of NAM (The Anthology).will be allowed in the examination room
  • The paper will be marked by an External Examiner.
Marking Procedures

Unit 4: Extended Performance (Total Mark: 50)

Each piece (or movement) that is performed can be awarded up to eight marks in each of the following categories:

  1. Quality of outcome: security and effectiveness; interpretation and communication; reaction to other parts in an ensemble; sufficient minimum length.

  2. Accuracy of pitch and rhythm.

  3. Continuity: fluency and control of tempo.

  4. Tone and technique, including any specific matters that are appropriate, such as bowing, intonation and pedalling.

  5. Phrasing, articulation and dynamics.

The mark out of 40 for each piece is balanced against an overall mark for its total impression, and the total is adjusted if the piece is above the standard Grade 6 difficulty level.

Each piece is marked in the same way, and then an average mark out of 40 for the entire group of pieces is calculated. Finally, a mark out of 10 is added to reflect the quality of the performance as a whole.

Unit 5: Composition and Technical Study

  • Composition
  • The mark scheme is very similar to that used at AS Level, although expectations will be much higher. If two compositions are submitted then they will be marked in a similar way.

The examiner will give a mark for overall impression, then will balance this against marks for five of the six categories below – the first three, plus whichever two of the last three are most appropriate for the composition concerned:

  1. Quality of ideas and outcome: To do well, your composition needs to sound convincing and complete, with some exciting musical ideas. If it is less than three minutes in length, there is a risk of receiving a low mark in this category.

  2. Coherence. To do well, your composition needs to have a well thought-out structure, with a balance of unity and diversity, so that work is neither over-repetitive nor so full of unrelated ideas that it fails to hang together.

  3. Forces and textures. To do well, you need to write effectively and sympathetically for the resources you have chosen and you need to include a good variety of texture.

  4. Harmony. To do well, your work should show a good grasp of harmonic progressions and treatment of dissonance (including a wider range of chords and perhaps more sophisticated uses of modulation).

  5. Melody. To do well, your melodies should be distinctive and have a good shape, with real sense of direction, and your part-writing should flow well.

  6. Rhythm. To do well, your rhythms need to be imaginative and well controlled in all parts of the texture. Aim for good balance between repetition to help unify the piece, and variety to help differentiate contrasting sections.

  7. Technical Study

The examiner will give a mark for an overall impression of the work, and will balance this against marks for the following five elements:

  1. Chords and keys. To do well, you need convincing harmonic progressions and a good understanding of modulation and the appropriate treatment of dissonance.

  2. Realisation of, and adding, a figured bass (topic 1) or chord symbols (topic 3). To do well, this must be done accurately.

  3. Sense of line. To do well, your melodic writing needs to have a good shape and a sense of purpose.

  4. Part-writing. To do well, the individual lines in your work need to flow convincingly and without technical errors.

  5. Style. To do well, you need to capture the characteristics of the specified style securely and creatively.

Unit 6: Further Musical Understanding

This paper is 2 hours plus 5 minutes reading time, and is an externally marked paper.