Years 1 to 3
Two points of balance are important in the running of the Department: academic study and performance.
Classroom music is taught to all pupils up to year 3 (S2.) In class Music, pupils are involved in a wide range of activities which are designed around the core elements of performing, listening and inventing, around which the GCSE syllabus is devised.
Performing: making music on tuned percussion instruments and keyboards (introduced in the Geits), guitars (introduced in 2nds) and drum kit (introduced in 3rds); singing. Pupils in the Choir in the Geits and Seconds have Choir rehearsals in some of their music lessons.
Listening: A variety of music is listened to (often with worksheet exercises to focus listening) and discussed; sometimes in topics such as Scottish Music, or Latin-American/Caribbean Music.
Inventing: Some improvisation exercises are introduced from Geits onwards, often involving the use of guidelines such as the blues chord sequence and scale, the pentatonic scale, and ostinato, or a creative stimulus. Individual and group work is included.
Music Lessons
Over 250 individual music lessons are given each week by a team of four full-time and twenty-two visiting teachers. Click for information on instrumental lessons and orchestras/bands.
GCSE
The OCR GCSE Music emphasises creativity with its composing component, but does not in itself demand outstanding practical or academic gifts.
The three components are designed to be interlinked, and are:
1 Coursework: Performing and Composition
Composing: Basic composing techniques are explored in the fi rst year of the course. For assessment pupils submit two coursework pieces of their own, at the start of the summer term in the 5ths. One should be linked to a performed piece in some way, and the other to one of the prescribed areas of study (see Component 3). |
2 Terminal Task
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3 Listening and Appraising
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Requirements
Keyboard players are at a slight advantage in composition work, but electronic keyboard facilities and music technology (we have Sibelius software) can greatly assist other musicians. Success at GCSE is a good basis for continuing music to A-Level. |
On to A-LevelAS and A-Level courses are offered in the final two years. A number of pupils go on to read Music at university. |
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Performing: for assessment, at the start of the summer term in the 5ths, pupils perform two pieces of their.jpg)
Candidates are given half-an-hour to compose a short melodic composition based on one of a choice of stimuli; instruments may be used. This takes place towards the end of the course. 
The aim is to enable pupils to respond constructively to music through three specific and wide-ranging prescribed areas of study; one takes us from the waltz to disco music, for example. Basic musical knowledge is tested in a practical way, through a one-and-a-half hour exam using audio excerpts..jpg)
It is necessary to have some experience of learning an instrument before beginning the course. This page is: Edinburgh Academy / curriculum / music / gcse.htm
