GCSE Music

Core content:

1.Understanding Music 2.Performing Music 3.Composing Music

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Component 1: Understanding Music (40%)

•What's assessed? Listening & Contextual understanding

•How is it assessed? Exam paper with listening exercises using excerpts of music.

•Section A: Listening (68 marks) • Section B: Contextual understanding (28 marks)

•The exam is 1 hour and 30 minutes.

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Component 2: Performing Music (30%)

•What's assessed? Music performance

•How is it assessed? As an instrumentalist and/or vocalist and/or via technology

•Performance 1: Solo performance (36 marks) • Performance 2: Ensemble performance (36 marks)

•A minimum of four minutes and a maximum of seven minutes of performance in total is required, of which a minimum of one minute must be the ensemble performance.

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Component 3: Composing Music (30%)

•What's assessed? Composition

•How is it assessed? Composition 1: Composition to a brief • Composition 2: Free composition

•A minimum of three minutes and a maximum of four and a half minutes of music in total is required.

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What sort of student does well in this subject?

Any student with a keen interest in music should do well on this course. You need to be able to play a musical instrument and the ability to read and write music is an advantage. You will need to organised and be able to meet deadlines.

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The work you would do

The course has high coursework content (60%) so for much of the time you will be working individually or in groups practising your performance skills, or composing music. Preparation for the final exam (40%) is done in theory lessons which happen once a week.

Staff contact: Mr B Postlethwaite Curriculum Leader for Music