Shelley College: Music
Head of Department: Mr J Platt
Year 9
All students study Music in year 9. The emphasis is very much on practical work with lots of opportunities to create and perform music using conventional instruments and Music Technology. Modules currently offered include Reggae Music where all students learn to play guitar, Steel pan playing and Film Music, among others.
GCSE Music – Year 10 and 11
Students who choose to study GCSE Music will work under the following component headings.
Performing – Playing your instrument or singing Music in any style of your choosing. (30%)
Composing – Making up two musical pieces in varying styles. (30%)
Listening and Appraising – Learning how to listen to and understand Music by studying some set musical works. Assessed by a Listening exam at the end of the course. (40%).
AS Music – Year 12
Unit 1: Performing Music *Unit code 6MU01 (30% of total AS, 15% of total A2)
Content summary:
This unit gives students the opportunities to perform as soloists and/or as part of an ensemble. Teachers and students can choose music in any style. Any instrument(s) and/or voice(s) are acceptable as part of a five-six minute assessed performance. Notated and/or improvised performances may be submitted.
Assessment:
The music performed is chosen and assessed by the centre and moderated by Edexcel.
Unit 2: Composing *Unit code 6MU02l A (30% of total AS, 15% of total A2)
Content summary:
This unit encourages students to develop their composition skills leading to the creation of a three-minute piece in response to a chosen brief. Students also write a CD sleeve note to describe aspects of their final composition and explain how other pieces of music have influenced it.
Assessment:
In September of each year Edexcel will publish on its website (www.edexcel.org.uk) a document entitled Unit 2: Composing. Section A will contain four composition briefs fromwhich students will select one as the basis for a three minute composition. In Section B students will answer three questions to provide information that could be used for a CD sleeve note to accompany their composition.
Both sections of the examination must be completed under controlled conditions. The composition and CD sleeve note will be externally assessed.
Unit 3: Developing Musical Understanding *Unit code 6MU03 (40% of total AS, 20% of total A2)
Content summary:
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, through listening and studying scores. It is recommended that students familiarise themselves with each work as a whole, before learning how to identify important musical features and social and historical context. In the third section, students use a score to identify harmonic and tonal features and then apply this knowledge in the completion of a short and simple passage for SATB.
Assessment:
Assessment is through a 2-hour examination paper set and marked by Edexcel. There are three sections:
Section A: Listening
Section B: Investigating musical styles
Section C: Understanding Chords and lines
Section A requires students to listen to extracts of music: and one CD per examination centre will be provided by Edexcel. In Section C, students may use a keyboard with headphones. A skeleton score is provided for Section A. Students are given five minutes’ reading time at the start of the examination. Students will not have access to copy of the anthology during the examination nor to any musical software for Section C.
A2 MUSIC – Year 13
Unit 4: Extended Performance *Unit code 6MU04ks (30% of total AS, 15% of total A2)
Content summary:
This unit gives students with opportunities to extend their performance skills as
soloists and/or as part of an ensemble. Teachers and students can choose music in
any style. Any instrument(s) and/or voice(s) are acceptable as part of a 12-15 minute assessed performance of a balanced programme of music. Notated and/or improvised performances may be submitted.
Assessment:
The music performed is chosen and assessed by the centre and moderated by Edexcel.
Unit 5: Composition and Technical Study *Unit code 6MU05 (30% of total AS, 15% of total A2)
Content summary:
This unit has two sections: composition and technical study. The composition section further develops students’ composition skills, leading to the creation of a final three minute piece in response to a chosen brief. The technical study section builds on the knowledge and awareness of harmony gained in Unit 3 section C through the medium of pastiche studies. Students must complete two tasks in this unit choosing from either one composition and one technical study or two compositions or two technical studies.
Assessment:
Unit 5: Composition and Technical Study document.
Section A contains four composition briefs from which students will select one as the basis for a three-minute composition.
Section B will contain the opening bars of four pieces of music. Students will complete these openings in a specified style.
Both sections of the examination must be completed under controlled conditions. The composition and technical study will be externally assessed.
Unit 6: Further Musical Understanding *Unit code 6MU06 (40% of total AS, 20% of total A2)
Content summary:
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. It is recommended that students familiarise themselves with each work as a whole, before concentrating on important musical features, context and/or elements of continuity and change. Between works students should also listen to a wide range of unfamiliar music which relates to the two compulsory areas of study. They should learn how to compare and contrast pairs of excerpts, contextualise music and identify harmonic and tonal features.
Assessment:
Assessment is through a 2 hour examination paper set and marked by Edexcel. There are three sections:
Section A: Aural analysis.
Section B: Music in context.
Section C: Continuity and change in instrumental music.
Section A requires students to listen to extract of music and one CD per examination centre will be provided by Edexcel. A skeleton score is provided for Section A. Students are given five minutes’ reading time at the start of the examination. Each student must have access to an unmarked copy of the anthology during the examination.
Extra Curricular Music
A wide range of activities is offered including Jazz bands, Steel bands, Vocal group, 6th form Music Enrichment and string group.
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