GCSE Music
Head of Department: Mr P Dodds
Examining Board: AQA
Subject code: 8271
The department currently teaches the AQA specification. The various components will allow us to develop pupils’ musical strengths and introduce them to new aspects of musical styles and techniques.
Component 1: Understanding music (40%)
Pupils will study and investigate a wide variety of music, including Western classical tradition 1650-1910; Popular Music; Traditional and World Music; Western music since 1910. Pupils will take a listening paper (AQA 8271) at the end of the course in which they have to respond to questions of extracts played on a CD. There will also be questions on a variety of set works which include Haydn Symphony No.101; extracts from Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; extracts from Santana’s album Supernatural; and Copland’s Rodeo.
Component 2: Performing music (30%)
Pupils will be required to perform a solo piece and an ensemble piece (minimum of two players). These are assessed internally at any time during the course. Pupils may repeat a piece for assessment should they wish to do so. A minimum of four minutes and a maximum of seven minutes of performance in total is required, of which a minimum of one minute must be the ensemble performance. The performances are marked internally and moderated by AQA.
Component 3: Composing music (30%)
Pupils will be required to submit two compositions, one of which will be a response to a brief set by the board in September of the Upper 5. The second piece is a free composition of the pupils choosing. Compositions can be in variety of styles using either notation (Sibelius) or sequencing (LogicPro) software. The compositions are marked internally and moderated by AQA.