A Level Music (EDUQAS)

Why study this subject?

A Level Music is an exciting, dynamic and challenging course that will develop your performance, composition and analytical skills to a new and exciting level. The course follows a relatively traditional path that you might be familiar with if you’ve studied Music at GCSE, focusing on performance, composition and analysis of works from the western classical tradition through to more contemporary twentieth century classical music.

At college, academic music teaching is combined with an intensive musical programme of high quality and consistently demanding public performances. The department’s ensembles have been recognised at The National Festival of Music for Youth as well as maintaining a high profile within the local community.

Students are expected to undertake 3-4 hours of independent work each week for this subject.

Which Music course should I choose?

Topics you will cover

A Level Music follows the EDUQAS specification which develops your skills in performance, harmony, composition and analysis. You study set works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Debussy and Poulenc along with a broad selection of pop and rock styles. Through intensive study you will improve your aural, theoretical and musicianship skills.

Department Facilities

Music is at the heart of college life at Greenhead and as a student, you have a huge range of opportunities available to you. You have a flexible choice of courses to choose from and we boast a wide range of opportunities to get involved with a variety of enrichment ensembles and performance opportunities. There are currently over 100 students studying on music courses at Greenhead and many more involved in music enrichment.

Students can take advantage of the purpose-built college recording studio along with our practice and rehearsal facilities on the top floor of the music department. We encourage students from all three of our courses and from our enrichment programme to play, record and socialise together to create a real Greenhead Music community based around the department.

You will be joining a vibrant department, supported by two full time members of experienced staff and a dedicated and specialist music technology technician. Most importantly, you will meet like-minded and enthusiastic students in an environment where you can continue to study something you’re passionate about. Music at Greenhead has something for everyone – whatever style you enjoy or instrument you play!

The Music Department maintains a high performance profile within college and prides itself on quality A Level Music teaching, resulting in a significantly high ‘high grade’ pass rate when compared with the national average. This is combined with an intensive musical programme of high quality and consistently demanding public performances. The department’s ensembles have been recognised at The National Festival of Music for Youth as well as maintaining a high profile within the local community. Music students are strongly encouraged to participate in the extensive musical enrichment programme, which encompasses a wide range of musical ensembles and a Grade V and Advanced (up to Grade VIII) theory class.

Trips and Visits

As a music student you will have the chance to regularly attend performances in the local area as well as further afield. Recent trips have included seminars at The University of Huddersfield, performances by Opera North, The Halle Orchestra and at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival as well as international concert tours open to all music students and students on music enrichment activities to Paris and Berlin.

Entry Guidelines

You do not need to have studied GCSE Music but you must be performing at Grade V practical level or above in your instrument. If you have studied GCSE Music, you should have achieved at least a grade 4. Grade V Theory is highly desirable but not essential and can be studied during the first year of the course.

It is possible for you to study a combination of BTEC Music, A Level Music and Music Technology at A Level. We would discuss this with you at interview to make sure it is the right choice for you.

Recent Student Destinations

Performance / conservatoire courses

RNCM

Royal College of Music

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Guildhall School

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Leeds Conservatoire

Academic music courses

University of Cambridge (organ scholarship)

University of Durham

University of Manchester

University of Surrey

What the students say

Watch the longer version of the video here.

Studying Music at Greenhead was a great decision. I learnt an incredible amount in both Music and Music Technology. There is a fantastic dynamic between staff and students which facilitates everyone becoming their best musical selves. The rich extracurricular aspect of the department also means that anyone with a love for making music can get involved and perform in numerous concerts – Jack

I think I really benefitted from how wide-ranging the course at Greenhead is; you get a solid grounding in a lot of music history and theory, but the department also encourages you to combine different disciplines and be inventive with your approaches to them. I think this dual ethos—of providing the opportunity to experiment with a composition, while also offering a technical basis for making that experimentation more fruitful—is what made the course so useful and so enjoyable – Kiran

The Greenhead music staff and facilities are top notch – there is a great relationship between students and staff that is really encouraging and productive. The opportunity to play or sing in the numerous ensembles and perform in the college concerts is also a great addition – George