Music

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GCSE Music is about making, listening to and understanding music. It covers performing, composing, listening to, and learning about a wide variety of musical styles and genres. There are opportunities to use music technology to help you compose and to record your performance work.

You will learn, in depth, about a range of contrasting set pieces of music including ‘Defying Gravity, ‘Killer Queen’ and a Beethoven piano sonata. Then at the end of the two year course you have one examination based upon those set works and other related pieces.

You will spend time improving your performance skills and further develop your composing skills through composing in different genres using the latest technology programmes.

Qualification: GCSE
Examination Board: Edexcel
Specification Code: 1MU0

Topics Covered

The course looks at the following subject areas:

Performing : Composing : Appraising

Assessment

Unit 1: Performing (30%)
One solo piece and One ensemble piece.

Unit 2 : Composing (30%)
30% of GCSE. Two compositions (one to a set brief).

Unit 3: Appraising (40%)
1hr 45 min Examination based on the 4 Areas of Study: Instrumental music, Music for stage and screen, Vocal music and Fusion.

Course Progression

GCSE Music is a good preparation for further musical study and a solid foundation for A level Music. It can also form a solid basis for BTEC National Diploma (in Music, Popular Music and Music Technology) and the vocational A level in performing arts.

Career Opportunities

The course offers a solid foundation that could lead into careers, in which, it may be useful to have had experience of music or where you will need to have some of the skills developed during the course.