AS/A2 Music

AS/A2 Music

Why study Music?
If you enjoy playing and composing music, and have a desire to learn more about how it actually works, then Music can be a very rewarding choice at AS or A2 Level. Music is a versatile subject and can easily be combined with other subjects from the Arts, Languages, Sciences, Humanities and Maths. Music at AS and A2 Level is an incredibly diverse subject and allows you to develop a variety of skills that will be of use in other subjects, as well as in Higher Education and eventual employment. An appreciation and understanding of music is also something, of course, that you can keep with you and enjoy for a lifetime!

Facilities
The Music Department is housed in a lovely self-contained building the Music Chapel. This consists of a large teaching/recital room complete with a Yamaha baby grand piano; a fully equipped computer room; two recording studios; and practice facilities. There are pianos or clavinovas in most rooms, and a selection of College instruments for use.

What will I study and how will it be assessed?
The A Level course, over two years, consists of six modules which, like GCSE, seek to enhance your performance and composition skills, and develop your understanding of a number of specific musical styles and genres.

The AS Level course simply consists of the first three modules, and can be taken in one year.

Unit One: Performing Music
(30% AS, 15% A2)
You will be expected to perform, both as a soloist and within ensembles, on a number of occasions during the course. Your performance work will be assessed through a 5-6 minute recording. You can perform as a soloist or ensemble player/singer, and the music can be in any style. Notated or improvised performances may be submitted, and the set standard for the AS performance is Associated Board/Rock School grade 5, or equivalent.

Unit Two:
Composing (30% AS, 15% A2)
Composition, such an important area at GCSE, is continued at AS Level where you will be encouraged to develop your own individual style of composition, learning how to critically appraise, refine, redraft, score and finally arrange performances of your work. Students will be assessed through a three minute composition and accompanying CD sleeve note, composed to a brief set by the board.

Unit Three:
Developing Musical Understanding
(40% AS, 20% A2) This unit focuses on listening to familiar music and understanding how it works. Set works from the Anthology provide the focus for the first two sections, while in the third section students will acquire a working understanding of harmony, (keys, chords and cadences). This is the only module in the Lower Sixth to be assessed by an examination in May/June.

A2
Unit Four:
Extended Performance
(15% A2) An opportunity to extend the performance skills from Unit One, as a soloist and/or as part of an ensemble. Students will present a 12-15 minute performance of a balanced programme of music, which will be recorded and assessed.

Unit Five:
Composition and technical study
(15% A2) The composition section further develops students composition skills from Unit Two, leading to another 3 minute composition in response to a chosen brief. The technical study builds on the knowledge of harmony gained in Unit Three through the medium of pastiche studies. Students will complete two tasks in this unit: one composition and one technical study.

Unit Six:
Further Musical Understanding
(20% A2) This unit focuses on listening to music, familiar and unfamiliar, and understanding how it works. Set works from the Anthology provide the focus for much of the unit. Like for Unit Three, assessment is through an examination in three sections, in June.

How is it taught?
Classroom activities in A Level music are necessarily varied. It is very important that wherever possible, new concepts and ideas are explored practically as well as theoretically, in order to enhance understanding. Students will be set smaller weekly homework tasks designed to build on the knowledge and understanding developed in the formal sessions. In addition, larger projects, such as compositions or performance preparation, will be ongoing assignments, assessed at regular intervals. Materials and resources exist on the College VLE, and in both the library and the Music Chapel for independent study, and students are encouraged from an early stage to utilise these regularly.

Does music link particularly well with any other subjects?
Music links very well with a wide variety of other subjects, and indeed students usually choose to take it either as part of an overall arts/social science programme, or as an extra complementary subject in a science or maths-based programme of study. It sits very well with other performing arts/media based subjects, and of course with music technology! Extra curricular music The Concert Band, Singing Group, Jazz Combo and SJD Singers all rehearse weekly and perform regularly. There are also opportunities for smaller chamber ensembles to rehearse together. It is hoped that music students will contribute fully towards the extra-curricular musical activities available, both as performers and even possibly, as directors!