Music

A Level Music

About A Level Music

Entry requirements: Minimum of grade 6 at GCSE. Minimum performance standard is grade 5 or equivalent.

Course Content:

Component 1 – Appraising Music

Listening, analysis and contextual understanding.

Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes. Exam paper includes listening and written questions using excerpts of music. 40% of the A Level.

Component 2 - Performance

Musical performance.

Solo and/or ensemble performing as an instrumentalist or singer. Performance must last a minimum of 10 minutes. Maximum marks for difficulty of pieces = grade 8 so ideal performance standard is grade 7/8. 35% of the A Level.

Component 3 - Composition

Each student must compose 2 compositions, one to a brief set by the Board and one free composition. Combined composition time must last a minimum of 4 ½ minutes. 25% of the A Level.

Evening concert/theatre trips will be arranged throughout the course as appropriate.

Higher Educations and Careers:  

A Level Music is highly regarded by university admissions tutors, as it covers a wealth of academic and practical disciplines. A Music degree can obviously lead to a career as a professional in that field, but can also be used, just like any degree, as a qualification that does not relate directly to the career choice, e.g. Public Relations, Personnel Management, the Armed Forces etc.

Having completed A Level Music, our leavers recently went to university to study a diverse range of subjects including Music, Medicine, Law, Biomedical Sciences, Nursing, English and Engineering.