IGCSE

Why study the subject?

Taking Music at IGCSE will benefit anyone with a keen interest in Music. 

This course will not only help you develop your musical skills but also help you in many other ways.

• Developing confidence in performing in front of others.

• Developing creativity through composition work.

• Developing communication skills through both performance and composition and also within group work.

• Organisation and self-discipline to be properly prepared for your performances.

• Developing a sense of history through the study of musical eras

• Developing an understanding of world cultures through studying music from different parts of the world.

• Developing your brain - playing an instrument activates and connects more areas of your brain than any other known activity to date.

How is the subject taught?

As 60% of the exam is coursework, there is a large practical element where you will be working on developing your playing or singing skills. You will perform both as a soloist and as part of a group.

Composition is taught in class and you will be helped to develop these skills through numerous short exercises. This will allow both you and the teacher to see which genre of composition best suits you before embarking on your 2 final compositions.

The listening exam, not surprisingly, requires a lot of listening to a wide variety of music from around the world and from different periods of history as well as more popular modern genres. You will learn musical technical terms which help describe how music is constructed. Being able to read music certainly helps but is only required for certain questions in the exam.

It is expected that IGCSE music students will contribute to the musical life of the school through CCAs and other musical events.  This helps to broaden experience and strengthen performance skills.

What topics are taught in Music?

There are three basic parts to this course

Performing, Composing & Listening

Performing – 30%

One solo performance

One group performance

(Both performances to be recorded in Term 1 and 2 in Year 11. The best version will then be used for assessment)

Composing – 30%

One composition using traditional notation and harmony

One contrasting composition linked to one of the listening exam topics

(Compositions to be completed, notated and recorded by the end of Term 2 in Year 11)

Listening – 40%

Extracts will be played from a wide range of musical styles and traditions. 

(This part of the course is assessed in an exam lasting approximately 1 hour 15 minutes)

The following topics will be taught as part of the examined and composition content:

• Western Classical Music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century)

• Music and Words (Art Song, Choir Music, Pop Songs, Musical Theatre)

• Music for Dance (Tango, Salsa, EDM [Electronic Dance Music] )

• Music for Small Ensemble (Traditional Chinese Ensembles, Hindustani Classical Music, Arab Takht Ensembles)

• Music for Stage and Screen (Ballet Music, Film Music, Computer Game Music)