Hey!
I'm choosing my GCSE's right now and I was just wondering if I should do GCSE music. I've been told that by playing an instrument on grade 6 and above automatically gets you university points I think so there's not really any need to do it. But it looks pretty good and I could do fast track, but I'm not quite sure what that is. But then I would have to replace Music with either History or Art. Please help me choose, sorry I'm kind of indeisive!
Thanks and sorry for waffling on,
CrazyDudette22

hey, im not sure about th uni points bit, but i do do gcse music, art and history. all i can recommend at this stage is do what u really really enjoy. music is a lot of fun i think, but so is art. not too sure about history, though that may just b my teacher, heh.
but yeah - really just stick to what u love and what ur good at. id recommend music if ur prepared to stick all th boring bits like listenin and stuff , but then all subjects have their bad bits.
well, this probably hasnt helped at all heh...sorry

Music GCSE is a breeze compared to art... well its a breeze anyway.

Do a search for gcse music because there are LOADS of threads like this!

Since you're already grade 7, I wouldn't bother with GCSE music unless you are really considering it as a uni option. It's just a big waste of time for me because there are people who are below grade 2 still in their 1st instrument, so the whole class has to go really slowly. We have a mix of...
1 post grade 8 (meeeeee)
1 grade 7
3 grade 6
2 grade 2
So got 2 of us it's stupidly boring, and 2 of them get left behind and have to go to extra lessons and still don't understand anything. So I reckon your main consideration should be whether you would be with competant musicians or not. Don't end up wasting 4 lessons a week like I do.

heyyy hunni lol!

music is easy really - quite fun as well if you know most of the stuff!

I find history fascinating. weve just finished America 1920's boom and Roosevelt, which was okay. Now we are doing the cold war and blacks, which is okay. But the fun stuff which is really amazing is China (hheyyyyy!) russia, and jack the ripper. its a really good course.

TBH, if you have a good theory knowledge and are a good performer (and composer ) you can skip GCSE music and go straight onto A level. I only did GCSE music as there were only 3 subjects I'd really want to do. I found it a cakewalk. Started the syllabus the January before the exam and the whole set got A*s

Music is ok, but it is easy at times (I find the composition hard). It take me hours to complete any Art coursework and there is a 8-10 hour exam depending what board you are on. I am not taking history, so I can't comment. I am glad I took GCSE music as our group gets to take part in lots of class proformances. But, as the others have said: pick what you will mostly enjoy.

Hey Lou, like Bohemian says (and i know) You are already amazing at music so don't really need to do GCSE though depending on which board you're doing I think it's something you'd find fun..and everyone needs at least on nice subject that they really enjoy as opposed to what I'm doing, all academic subjects eeekk....Then again you are also really good at art...and History is quite good too...what other subjects are you doing?
Like Ceri, I'm also quite glad I took it as I really enjoyed it...see if you're school does a fast couse like mine.

If you want to do music at uni/college I doubt you'd need GCSE music: as said above, could you take it up at A level? I have known people who did this.

I did GCSE and wish I hadn't as I didn't learn a thing - should have done history, or two languages. Ah well...

that's a point, i've been doing the course for nearly a year and havent actually learnt anything, but it is great fun, just make sure that your teacher would be a good one, the last thing you want is for her/him to put you off music altogether!!

come on lou take the advice of your fiance! woo!!!

i did music, art and history at GCSE - loved all of them - music was really helpful because i did it before my G5 theory, and i felt they were about the same standard, so if you're already beyond that you may already have covered everything (or most things) on the course and would do better taking music at A level instead as has been suggested!!.... art is a lot of work and long long exams!! and history is fascinating - make sure you look deeper into things to get the most from it.......
i actually took art and music as extra classes (couldn't choose between them and drama.....so did all 3!!) which was a lot of work but worth it so you could always check out if your school would let you do something like that??
and don't let other people make your decision for you.......you're the one who'll have to sit through the classes for the next 2 years!!!

OK

If you like writing essays...long essays, do history, if you love art and the chance to get messy and relax a bit then heck do it
Music, well....to be honest with you, Gcses aren't really important, i mean you dont have to do music, you can always take it at a-level without doing it at gcse.
Just take the subjects you enjoy the most...Remember, Gcses are basically pratices for a-levels, aren't important (unless u leave school at 16) and also they can be changed if you dont enjoy them

So you are'nt married yet? And there was me getting all worked up because I hadn't been invited to the wedding...

If you're even considering doing music at university then you should take the GCSE. I'd also recommend it if you're thinking of applying to music college.

Yes, the ABRSM exams do get you UCAS points: it's 75 points for a Grade 8 Distinction, 60 points for a Grade 8 Merit/Grade 7 Distinction, 50 points for a Grade 8 pass/Grade 7 merit/Grade 6 distinction, and so on and so forth, I believe. I can't remember exactly.

But if you only take music exams you're only really studying practical music.

You won't get any of the composition or music history which I believe are some of the best bits of study of music... and you'll only get a limited grasp of theory, even if you take it on to Grade 8.

Music GCSE is a good one to take, it's quite highly regarded. It's also really enjoyable, so I'd definitely recommend it.

The only reason you shouldn't take it is if you don't like the idea of doing composition or studying music history (and both are really good fun and very interesting)... or if there's something else that you really want to do that means you can't take music (e.g. if there's a timetable clash or something).

Fast-track, I believe, is when you take a GCSE in one year instead of two, and it frees you up to do other things in Year 11. I was fast-tracked for Maths and Latin, which was good because it meant I could do two Grade 8s the next year without getting too stressed... although you have to be careful, because I didn't get top grades in either of these subjects, and I think if I'd had another year I would have gotten the A*s I was predicted (then again, I might not have done!)

I'd recommend you discuss this with your teachers... then again I'd also recommend you do music. DO MUSIC! everyone should do music. it rawks.

Thanks for all the advice! It's helped loads! Well I don't want a career in music, but I think music sounds quite good so I might do fast track as well as my other subjects but I've got parents evening next Thursday (eek I have to be there with them!) so I'll decide then. But do people who do fast track find it harder because they get less time? And is the theory around grace 5 standard? Sorry with all the questions...

a lot of people say that gcse music is the equivalent to G5 theory yeah.

I don't really believe in fast tracking at school. If you did it over two years like everyone else, then surely when the class were doing something you understood, you could use some free music lessons for your coursework in other subjects?

An interesting theory, but one I'm going to have to disagree with .

Why waste the time of the brighter pupils, and make them bored, when they could be studying something else and getting more out of their education? Not necessarily depth, but breadth. So much has been cut from KS4 teaching nowadays: classics, for instance. It'd be great if the brighter pupils could branch out and study other subject areas as well .

I skipped year 6; later I also did my GCSE maths in year 10 rather than year 11, along with the rest of top set maths. I got an A*, so no harm done. Having the extra time allowed me to do an extra GCSE .

Precisely what I want to do with A levels, by sitting Module 4 in June (with Nat's assisstance) I can do Module 5 over the summer, then do Module 6 whenever, leaving me time to continue Biology Chemistry and Geography and gain an extra A level at the end of the 2nd A level year