Music Why study this subject? Studying A Level Music is an opportunity to share and expand your musical passion and enthusiasm. It will offer you opportunities to meet other people, to build relationships and to develop and improve your personal wellbeing both independently and as part of a wider community. This subject is not only suitable for students who intend to continue their musical studies at university or conservatoire, but also for those who wish to extend their understanding of music for its intrinsic value and interest or for the pleasure they derive from it. Universities value music immensely as a subject which requires both artistic and scientific skills, and therefore acts well as a foil to the subjects found in many other ‘traditional’ combinations. You should have an inherent curiosity about music in all its various forms, and the why as opposed to simply the what. You must have an open mind to all genres, and a desire to delve into music in the highest detail as a composer, listener and performer. What skills will you develop? • An ability to understand and explain in prose why a composer is making a particular choice as well as analysing its intended effect on the listener. • An ability to understand and explain the decisions a performer has made, as well as questioning those decisions in your own performances. • An understanding of the composer's craft and an ability to put this into practice What are the key elements to the course? The components of study include: •
Appraising Music o Study of three historical topics, e.g. Western Classical Tradition 1650-1910, Art Music since 1910, Development of the Symphony 1750 - 1900, Into the Twentieth Century, Rock/Pop Music, Jazz or Musical Theatre
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Performance o Solo and/or ensemble performing
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Composition o Composition 1: Composition to a brief – Chorale Harmonisation or Western Classical Tradition o Composition 2: Free Composition o Possibly a third composition, reflecting musical characteristics of a different Area of Study
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