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GCSE Music


The new OCR GCSE Music qualification provides a contemporary, accessible and creative education in Music with an integrated approach to the three main elements - Performing, Composing and Appraising.

Learners are encouraged to be creative and to broaden their musical horizons and understanding with Areas of Study that inspire and challenge.

Component Title

Component Overview

Integrated Portfolio
  1. Performance on the learner's chosen instrument.
  2. Composition to a brief set by the learner.
  3. They will explore the skills and capabilities of their instrument and produce a performance  to  demonstrate their interpretation and technical control, and a composition written to a brief of their own to demonstrate their ability to develop musical ideas.
  4. This is an internally assessed, externally moderated component.
Practical Component
  1. Ensemble performance and composition to a board set brief.  A selection of briefs will be released in September of the year of certification linked to the Areas of Study.
  2. The ensemble performance can be on any instrument and any genre.
  3. This is an internally assessed, externally moderated component.
Listening Exam
  1. Listening, appraisal and notation skills are assessed in an examination at the end of the course.  This is externally assessed.

 

Areas of Study

Area of Study 1

My Music

Learners should study their instrument, which can be any of the following:
 

  1. any instrument
  2. voice - this can include styles such as rapping or beatboxing
  3. DJ-ing
  4. sequencing - realisation using ICT.

Area of Study 2

The Concerto Through Time

 Learners should study The Concerto and its development from 1650 to 1910 through:

  1. the Baroque Solo Concerto
  2. the Baroque Concerto Grosso
  3. the Classical Concerto
  4. the Romantic Concerto.

Area of Study 3

Rhythms of the World

Learners should study the traditional rhythmic roots from four geographical regions of the world:

  1. Indian and Punjab
  2. Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East
  3. Africa
  4. Central and South America.

Area of Study 4

Film Music

Learners should study a range of music used for films including:

  1. music that has been composed specifically for a film
  2. music from the Western Classical tradition that has been used with a film
  3. music that has been composed as a soundtrack for a video game.

Area of Study 5

Conventions of POP

Learners should study a range of popular music from the 1950s to the present day, focussing on:

  1. Rock 'n' Roll of the 1950s and 1960s
  2. Rock Anthems of the 1970s and 1980s
  3. Pop Ballads of the 1970s, 1908s and 1990s
  4. Solo Artists from 1990 to the present day.

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