Hi people, I know I'm only in Y8 but I would like to know who has taken music GCSE because I definately want to. What grades have people got and what do you actually have to do?

i've got an A* for Edexl GCSE music....and you have to do a performance, composing and a listening paper (written)

I haven't taken it yet, but I have my exam on 24th May (OCR) I am predicted an A*, and have an A* so far for coursework.

i did AQA 3 , 2 years ago. i got a B ...b.ut i go an A at AS level!!!!

I did - but it was back in 1989 (the second year ever of GCSEs) so my experiences probably aren't valid any more.

I got a C

Im doing it now (yr10) and im g5. you have to do a performance, composition and a writewn exam (listening). I did badly on my composition. i got 13/30 so im redoing it. it could be worse though, there is a boy in my group who got 1/30......

don't worry, one of my comps at GCSE only got 18/30 lol. im so rubbish at composing!

QUOTE (Saxophonist @ May 6 2005, 08:01 PM)

there is a boy in my group who got 1/30......

what was the one mark for I wonder..?

handing something in

QUOTE (uberzoldat @ May 6 2005, 08:36 PM)

QUOTE (Saxophonist @ May 6 2005, 08:01 PM) there is a boy in my group who got 1/30...... what was the one mark for I wonder..?

Probably writing his name.

I never sat O level music and in fact dropped music at school aged 13, as I acquired the Guildhall ( my first teacher used this board) equivalent before then. I took Drama instead that was a doodle and great fun!

QUOTE (Semele @ May 6 2005, 09:43 PM)

QUOTE (uberzoldat @ May 6 2005, 08:36 PM) QUOTE (Saxophonist @ May 6 2005, 08:01 PM) there is a boy in my group who got 1/30...... what was the one mark for I wonder..? Probably writing his name.

I imagine if you took some manuscript paper, and sneezed over a bottle of ink, you could get more than one mark!??

Does your friend care, Saxophonist?

I think that even the least able in our group could get more than 1 mark!
Do they play an instrument/sing?

And I thought some of the compositions in this years year 11 were pretty bad!

I did it 2 years ago and got A*. Now am doing it for A-level, well finishing I guess and enjoying it.......except for the aural part!

QUOTE (uberzoldat @ May 6 2005, 08:45 PM)

QUOTE (Semele @ May 6 2005, 09:43 PM) QUOTE (uberzoldat @ May 6 2005, 08:36 PM) QUOTE (Saxophonist @ May 6 2005, 08:01 PM) there is a boy in my group who got 1/30...... what was the one mark for I wonder..? Probably writing his name. I imagine if you took some manuscript paper, and sneezed over a bottle of ink, you could get more than one mark!?? Does your friend care, Saxophonist?

he saysn he doesnt. but we all know he does.
he only got 1 mark because:
he used the same chord all the way through
the melody had no notes in that chord
his piano part only lasted 2 bars (and even they were wrong)
he had no modulation to the dominant
no flat side modulation
no cadences
the list goes on...................

I did and really enjoyed it!

take it but make sure you get in the musical class with musical people in it - not the group of dossers me and oddball ended up in -

QUOTE (jonscott14 @ May 7 2005, 09:29 PM)

take it but make sure you get in the musical class with musical people in it - not the group of dossers me and oddball ended up in -

I take GCSE music there a a few in the group who do not enjoy it but just get on with your work. There's a grade 8 singer in our group and he keeps getting told off.

I don't think you have much choice? We had a good class, most of us could play an instrument, even if we hadn't done any exams. This year though, the majority of people in the class can't play an instrument. In fact, my next door neighbour took it for GCSE, then came round and asked me if I could teacher to play keyboard so she could pass it!

Then she got bored, and put the keybpard back in the attic!

Yes, in our Group there are about 4 of us who are Grade 7. Then there is the od Grade 4/5 person, but most haven't done exams. My friend doesn't even play an instrument, so her voice is her instrument (last resort type thing) .

QUOTE (nicki_flute @ May 8 2005, 07:25 AM)

My friend doesn't even play an instrument, so her voice is her instrument (last resort type thing) .

Yep, most of ours who sing at our school do it coz they think it's going to be a doss. Two girls spent most of their time swearing at the teacher, and tried to hand in their final final version of composition in with the teacher's writing on!
Is it the same elsewhere?!

*sigh* I did an ensemble piece with this girl. I hated doing it because I knew it wasn't going to be that good. But, I have tried to help her a lot, she only got the music book in March, and didn't even know the titles which she was going to play. She is one of these people who is really laid back, and almost expects people to give her extensions if she hasn't done her work.

I am doing A Level, hopefully the teacher will be better, but I don't know anyone else who is doing it, and it is a twilight course.

A twilght course? What's one of those?

QUOTE (elmo @ May 8 2005, 10:35 AM)

A twilght course? What's one of those?

Is it a after college lesson type thing?? If it is I will have them on mondays and thursdays next year

I did it in a year and got an A. The aural part let me down . My friend who could barely play piano and was not that musical even managed a C. I don't think it's that hard. Nearly got full marks in my compositions!! I had to compose a piano piece that modulated several times, a duet (I chose clarinet) in a modal key and a string quartet in the style of Phillip Glass.

Yes, apparently there isn't enough time in lessons to get it all done or something. But I don't think there is going to be many people doing it, I don't know anyone else who is.

In Scotland we have Standard Grade, Higher, and then Advanced Higher, could someone tell me the equivalents in the English school system?

Is it GCSE is the equivalent to Standard Grade? I have no idea about all of the A levels, AS levels etc. Can someone explain it to me?

I did it in 2000 when I was in year 10. When I did it I was Grade 6 on recorder and Grade 4 on Piano, as well as post Grade 5 theory. I got an A*. At the same time my boyfriend did it (We both did it in a year) and he was Grade 5 Flute and played guitar and sang and he got an A. As long as you know your stuff then it wil be no problem. I remember the first question being about The Beatles!

when i did my GCSE music...there's only 3 people (including me)....as i'm doing my AS now....there's only me left in the group..... i often forget basic stuff..even though i got a performer's certificate and a grade 8..... grades doesn't mean everything...

GCSEs come in the 4th/5th years of secondary school. (start in 4th, finish in 5th)
AS come in the 6th year if secondary school, and are like half an A-level
A2 (a-level) come at the end of the 7 year of secondary school

QUOTE (Saxophonist @ May 6 2005, 07:01 PM)

Im doing it now (yr10) and im g5. you have to do a performance, composition and a writewn exam (listening). I did badly on my composition. i got 13/30 so im redoing it. it could be worse though, there is a boy in my group who got 1/30......

If you are doing music THIS year, are we meant to have had marks for composition back? Because i haven't...

its not a formal mar. our teacher just went through them and said if you sub mitted them you would get this mark...... etc. just a warning basiclly

The coursework has to be sent to be externally moderated, I don't know whether you ever find out what you officially get for it.

I've chosen Music as an option for next year.

QUOTE (nicki_flute @ May 17 2005, 09:01 PM)

I don't know whether you ever find out what you officially get for it.

You do on results day. Your results slip will have the breakdown of marks for your exams, for music, it ois broken down into performance, composition, and listening paper (well, depending on exam boards... didnt you take an 'integrated assignment'.?) so that will be in there too.

QUOTE (Subatomic_Star @ May 18 2005, 07:27 AM)

You do on results day. Your results slip will have the breakdown of marks for your exams, for music, it ois broken down into performance, composition, and listening paper (well, depending on exam boards... didnt you take an 'integrated assignment'.?) so that will be in there too.

I never got one of those for GCSE. I did for AS level though, so maybe it's changed?

Or maybe it depends on the board?

Ah right that is handy, I hope it is the same from French - e.g each component is broken down.

I'd rather not know! Imagine if you were 1 mark off getting a better grade! Not happened to me, but one of my friends was 0.4% getting an A*. They sent everything back for a remark hoping that she could get one more mark to push her grade up, but it didn't go up.

i have jsut chosen music for one of my options an looking forward to doing it

QUOTE (elmo @ May 18 2005, 07:19 PM)

I'd rather not know! Imagine if you were 1 mark off getting a better grade! Not happened to me, but one of my friends was 0.4% getting an A*. They sent everything back for a remark hoping that she could get one more mark to push her grade up, but it didn't go up.

Eeep!! How close is that? At the moment my coursework and module results are 0.3% into an A*!!

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ May 6 2005, 07:40 PM)

don't worry, one of my comps at GCSE only got  18/30 lol. im so rubbish at composing!

Yeah I thought I was good, at GCSE as I got full marks , but then I got to AS level and got a low C. But I dont have a teacher.
I got an A* at Gcse. But I'm about to fail A2, anyone want to explain how to harmonise Bach chorales, I think i can do it, but I don't have anyone to mark it for me. My school dont want anything to do with me any more.(in music terms)

No worries- I got an A* at GCSE in 1998, then ended up with a C at A Level after the class size dropped to 2 and I had some hopeless, uninspirational teaching. Went on to do Music at Uni, loved every minute and came out with a high 2:1. I detested Bach chorales at school but with a bit of helpful teaching it's amazing what you can do! I would suggest you find someone that can look at them as it's a bit tricky to explain in writing!

there are only 7 of us in our music class at the mo and the teacher doesnt take us seriously and didnt even teach us half the stuff. we complained but she found out who we were (not hard considering the size of the class) and now its really hard to have a lesson because we cower in our seats and she gives us evil looks every two seconds...whoops

That is really bad. I would complain about our teacher, but there isn't much anyone can do, and she is going through a rough time at the moment.

Does anyone know...what does an equivalent actually do?i heard that its when you get grade 5 or 6 or something so now ive supposidly got one in music and drama but what can you actually do with it?

An equivalent what?

like when you get a grade 5 or something and they say that its an equivalent to a gcse.

It isn't like Grade 5 is a GCSE equivalent qualification, but Grade 5 standard is about the level you have to be for GCSE.

You used to be able to use GCSE music instead of grade 5 theory to reach the higher grades, but you can't any more.

im doing edexcel music as an option next year. My school dont really tell us much in detail, just that we compose perform and do some exams. Can someone please enlighten me??

PEACE