Music combines creative, practical and academic skills. This is an inspiring and diverse course. If you love making and listening to music , this is undoubtedly the course for you.
The A-level qualification in Music can be studied with a significant proportion of the course involving the use of Music Technology should a student wish to do so.
Subject Information
Music is a highly regarded academic subject and sits well with choices from a range of other subject areas. It is a creative subject which can be tailored to meet the interests of all musicians. There is a large coursework element, giving you the real chance to explore areas of music you particularly enjoy, while the listening and appraising paper gives you a solid grounding in musical analysis and listening and appraising skills. Practical music-making will run throughout the course: exploring music through doing. Those who study Music are respected as well-rounded musicians. Universities and employers also value musicians for their wider skill set, including self-motivation, performance and presentation skills, analytical skills, organisational skills and the ability to work as a team.
Throughout the Music course, there will be regular concert and performance visits within Cambridgeshire and London. There will also be opportunities to take part in a wide range of extracurricular musical activities, including weekly rehearsals of high-quality ensembles and choirs across a huge range of styles. There will be regular performance opportunities in prestigious local venues such as West Road Concert Hall and St John’s College Chapel. Music students will be given particular opportunities to regularly showcase their performance and composition work. We intend to also offer a residential visit.
Course Details
40% Listening and Appraising exam in the summer of Year 13, to include:
- Compulsory Area of Study: Western Classical Tradition 1650-1910 (The Baroque Solo Concerto, The Operas of Mozart, The Romantic Piano)
- Optional Areas of Study: two from Music for Theatre, Music for Media (film and video game music), Jazz, Pop, Contemporary Traditional, Art Music since 1910.
35% Performance, to include:
- Solo and/or ensemble performing as an instrumentalist and/or vocalist, and/or via music production (technology). A minimum of ten minutes of music is required.
Students must perform a balanced own-choice programme, and are expected to be taking instrumental/vocal lessons during the course from a specialist teacher (funding may be available for this). This coursework will be worked on throughout the course and recorded after 1st March in Year 13.
25% Composition, to include:
- Composition 1 (to a brief) begun in Year 13.
- Composition 2 (free composition) begun in Year 12.
- A minimum of four and a half minutes of composition in total.
- Students are able to tailor this aspect of the course to their own musical interests and compositions in any musical style are welcomed.
Course Details - Technology Pathway
40% Listening and Appraising exam in the summer of Year 13, to include:
- Compulsory Area of Study: Western Classical Tradition 1650-1910 (The Baroque Solo Concerto, The Operas of Mozart, The Romantic Piano)
- Optional Areas of Study: two from Music for Theatre, Music for Media (film and video game music), Jazz, Pop, Contemporary Traditional, Art Music since 1910.
35% Performance, to include:
Production using music technology. The production project should include the use of at least one musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) sequenced track and at least one audio track.
25% Composition, to include:
- Two compositions using a DAW e.g. Logic Pro
- One free composition, one to a brief given by the exam board.
These two pathways can be combined e.g. a student could do a ‘traditional’ performance with a tech composition, and vice versa. Both pathways will result in an A-level in Music.
Music Technology Enrichment
In addition we offer a substantial music technology enrichment programme. This involes:
- Tuition to gain RSL Graded Examinations in Music Production. These additional qualifications will give students knowledge and skills that they can apply to real life scenarios in audio production, electronic music production, mixing, editing, mastering and sound for media. They also attract UCAS points.
- Regular masterclasses in recording and production techniques.
- Experience of carrying out recording projects and acting as sound crew for live performances.
- Visits to studios in order that students gain experience of how music technology is used in industry
Subject Specific Entry Requirements
- Grade 6 in GCSE Music or Grade 5 in an instrument/voice and music theory if GCSE Music not taken.
- At least Grade 5 standard on an instrument/voice at the start of the course.
Where could Music take me?
This course is excellent preparation for degree level study in Music, either at university or conservatoire. It allows students to specialise in a particular area of interest while still giving them a broad musical grounding. Music at degree level is a highly-regarded option by many employers. Oxford University say about their music degree “teaching, performance and arts administration are among the popular destinations for Music graduates, but others include broadcasting, publishing, law, politics and the Civil Service. Many students undertake further study in performance, often at conservatoires in the UK and abroad. Rather than limiting your career prospects, a music degree opens doors to a wide range of careers both within and outside the arts.”
For students who do not wish to study music post A-level, music A-level is extremely highly regarded by universities and employers as both an academic subject and one which demonstrates a variety of facilitating skills. Students find that the strong academic and practical skills gained stand them in good stead for degrees as varied as medicine, law, accountancy, languages, sciences and more. A-level Music sits very well alongside a varied combination of other A-level choices.
