Year 9
All Year 9 students receive a weekly timetabled class music lesson. Lessons are creative and practical. Listening, knowledge and understanding of music are developed through the interrelated skills of performing, composing and appraising.
By the end of their Year 9 curriculum students will be able to:
- Perform, compose and improvise music in a variety of musical styles. They will be able to recognise musical signs, symbols and instructions.
- Perform as soloists and take part in ensembles.
- Develop and revise their ideas both in performance and in composition.
- Use a variety of musical instruments and resources including electronic instruments, percussive instruments and ICT.
- Listen with understanding to a variety of music, identifying and discriminating within musical elements.
- Relate music to its social, historical and cultural context.
- Show an understanding of individual musical work.
- Critically appraise both live and recorded performances.
Supporting and extending students’ work and achievement in the classroom is an extensive range of extra-curricular and instrumental lesson provision. All students at Gordonstoun School are challenged and encouraged to take an active, enjoyable and fulfilling role in the musical life of the school.
Year 10
GCSE Music is about making and listening to music. It covers performing, composing and listening in a wide variety of musical styles – popular music, world music and classical music. There are opportunities to use music technology such as sequencing and recording. The course aims to encourage students to be inspired, moved and changed by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study.
There are three main areas of study:
Unit 1: Performing Music
Requires one solo performance and one ensemble performance.
Unit 2: Composing Music
Requires two compositions or two arrangements or one composition and one arrangement.
Unit 3: Listening and Appraising
Knowledge and study of set-works in the Areas of Study:
Western Classical Music 1600-1899
Music in the 20th Century
Popular Music in Context
World Music
Students will enjoy this course if they want to study a subject that involves performing, listening to all kinds of music, composing and arranging music, and which gives students the opportunity to perform music with others and to learn more about music technology.
GCSE Music is a good preparation for further musical study and a solid foundation for the AS/A Levels in Music and Music Technology. You may wish to take a GCSE in Music for its own sake, perhaps to form the basis of a future interest. Alternatively, you may wish to go into a job where it is useful to have had experience of music or where you will need to use some of the skills developed during this course. These might include careers in the music industry, publishing, entertainment and teaching or any job which involves communication and expressive skills.
Sixth Form
It is useful to have studied Music at GCSE before taking an AS or Advanced GCE in Music. This is not essential as long as the student is able to play a musical instrument and is able to read music. A performing standard equivalent to a Grade V/VI Associated Board is sufficient. A working knowledge of Grade V theory would also be a considerable asset.
The music course demands performing, composing, listening and analytical skills in almost equal measure. Throughout the course the student will improve skills in performing and composing in a range of styles. He or she will listen to a wide variety of music and develop a more informed appreciation of how and why it was written and/or performed.
Music at AS and Advanced GCE is highly suitable for anyone who has a keen interest in creating and listening to different styles of music and who wishes to broaden their experience and deepen their understanding of both live and recorded music. According to which areas of study are chosen, the student could follow a route which focuses mainly on classical music or popular music, for example. There are areas of study in ‘Keyboard music', ‘Popular music and jazz', ‘Music for film and television', ‘World music', ‘Secular vocal music', ‘Music for large ensemble', ‘Music for small ensemble' and ‘20th and 21st century art music'.
AS Music
The AS qualification consists of the following three units:
Unit 1 Performing
In this unit the student must perform on his or her main musical instrument of study and take part in a variety of ensemble performances. As part of performing during the course the student will be expected to perform one of his or her own compositions.
Unit 2 Developing Music Ideas
In this unit the student will learn the craft of composing, developing musical ideas in the form of original compositions and exercises. One free composition and two compositional exercises must be submitted. Any musical style is acceptable.
Unit 3 Listening and Understanding
This focuses on development and improvement of listening skills through the study of music chosen from two of the above areas of study.
Advanced GCE
The following advanced GCE qualification is made of the AS units plus three more units studied at a higher level:
Unit 4 Specialist Options
In this unit the student will either complete a composition portfolio or perform a recital :
Composition portfolio - two free compositions must be submitted
Recital - perform a public recital lasting no longer than 20 minutes
Unit 5 Performing and Composing
The student will take part in a range of solo and ensemble performance activities. Two of these must be solo performances. The student will also extend compositional work undertaken in AS Unit 2, Developing music ideas.
Unit 6 Analysing Music
This unit tests all the knowledge and understanding skills the student has developed across the whole course. It takes the form of a listening test based on areas of study.