Music

Course Outline

Key Stage 3

In Year 8 to 10, pupils explore a wide range of musical styles and build on musical skills through the components of listening and appraising, performance and composition.  In addition to regular class assessments, pupils are encouraged to take ABRSM theory exams to equip them for the demands of GCSE and A Level study.

Course Outline

Key Stage 4

CCEA GCSE in Music is a linear qualification: students take all the assessment at the end of the course.  The specification has three components:

• Component 1: Performing and Appraising
• Component 2: Composing
• Component 3: Listening and Appraising.

Key features

• It offers opportunities to build on the skills and capabilities developed through the delivery of the Northern Ireland Curriculum at Key Stage 3.
• Composing is delivered with the use of music technology
• It includes two externally assessed components and one internally assessed component (composition).
• It promotes knowledge, understanding and appreciation of past and contemporary musical styles, traditions and contexts.
• It accommodates the needs and interests of a wide variety of students.

www.ccea.org.uk/music

Course Outline

Key Stage 5

Year 13 and 14 pupils study the CCEA GCE syllabus. 

Through the GCE Music specification students can create and perform music that allows them to express their own interests and style.  Students have the option of studying composition with music technology allowing them to build skills in the areas of production, mixing, editing and recording in the school’s fully equipped music studio.

In the AS units, they study music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods right through to popular musicals and sacred vocal styles. Students who continue to A2 explore in more depth orchestral music of the twentieth century alongside secular and sacred vocal music spanning over 400 years.

Objectives

This specification has four assessment objectives. Students must:

• interpret musical ideas with technical and expressive control and an understanding of style and context
• create, develop and refine musical ideas with technical control and expressive understanding, making creative and coherent use of musical devices, conventions and resources
• use analytical, evaluative and reflective skills to make critical judgements about music
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of musical elements, musical contexts and musical language

www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/microsites/music/revised_gce/

Senior pupils attend talks about A Level set works, information days on studying music at Queen’s University and Ulster University, conferences held at the Oh Yeah Centre about careers in the music industry and are actively encouraged to take a keen interest in the local music scene.