KS 4 - MUSIC
Students currently studying music at Key Stage 4 follow the Edexcel GCSE course. From September 2008 onwards students will study a BTEC First Diploma in music, again offered by Edexcel.
The current GCSE involves studying twelve different areas of music through composition, performance and listening tasks. These twelve areas are:
- Ground bass and variations
- Ternary form
- Rondo form
- Minimalism
- Serialism and Expressionism
- Experimental and Electronic music
- Britpop
- Songs from Musicals
- Club Dance and Remix
- African music
- Indian music
- Fusion
The course consists of 30% performance coursework, 30% composition coursework, and 40% listening exam.
The course offered from September 2008 onwards again encourages students to develop their listening, composing and performing skills. Unlike the GCSE course, this is entirely coursework based and learning will take place through a series of projects. This course contains a great deal of flexibility and as yet the modules for the following year have not been fixed. The course will provide the opportunity for students to develop their skills in the following areas:
- Planning and creating a musical product
- Exploring the music profession
- Musical composition
- Understanding music
- Music performance (solo and / or ensemble)
- Music technology
Students are encouraged to play a musical instrument. The Academy supports this by finding 50% of the cost of tuition if lessons are taken within the Academy. This is reviewed annually.
Course Books and Equipment
- A revision guide for the listening exam will be available to all students at the start of module 5
- Rhinegold publish a study guide. This is available from their website www.rhinegold.co.uk
- Planner, pen, pencils, metric ruler, eraser, calculator
Events and Visits
Key Dates
