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. Students will study the following topics:
- 20th century music
- Electronic music
- Music from Africa and India
- Repetition and contrast in classical music
- Britpop of the 1990s
- The music of Oasis and Blur
- A history of the musical
- Club dance re-mixing and hip hop
There are opportunities to use music technology such as sequencing and recording.
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.
There are three main areas of study:
- Composition – one composition for the student's own instrument and one composition in any style and for any instrumental combination
- Performing – one solo lasting no longer than five minutes, and an active role in ensemble performances during the course or performance on a second instrument
- Listening – respond to listening questions provided on CD. Questions will be based around topics listed above.
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.