AQA Music A2

I just thought I'd set up a thread to discuss the course and how people are finding it and perhaps we could share and recommend resourse etc too. There may already be a thread like this, so if so let me know!

Would love to hear people's thoughts and opinions about it and how it's feeling at the moment :smile:

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Reply 1

benneta

Hi, I doing aqa music a level and I haven't yet found another thread like this!
I am finding the course okay, my main concern is the performance!
Last year we had two girls who both got merit at grade 8 singing and they sang very well and both ended up with awful marks, an e and a u! I know they are more harsh on singers but I'm worried about even the instrumental! Has anyone had any good experience or advice on the performance? Aside from that the course is fine! The history is a lot to learn but it should be fine! How is everyone else finding it? :smile:

Reply 2

EdenOfHogwarts

Same at our school! A girl you was grade eight piano aged thirteen got an e! And the composition mks were fotolife unexpected too. My friend who did technique got a U and she had already got G8 theory! So I am quite worried about unpredictable marking. What do you play and compose?

Reply 3

EdenOfHogwarts

I think Fotolife was an autocorrect... Probably meant quite?

Reply 4

Miller693

Hey there, nice to have a thread for us musicians. We're getting on fairly well with our Vaughan Williams, after our teacher had us study Elgar for no reason in the first couple of terms. Agree with the suspect marking; one of our best students got an e in the written exam, whereas I got close to full marks, whereas it's almost always the other way around in class. Hmmm...
How are the compositions coming along? :smile:

Reply 5

InketyDink

I'm doing a resit but it's the only course I'm doing so I'm doing all the studying at home and going in for the exam as an external candidate. The compositional marking was appalling last year, but this is the only thing I really need to resit in my opinion, I'm only doing the listening again to please my parents u_u;

Reply 6

EdenOfHogwarts

I had the same experience with compositions. Makes me anxious for this year!

Reply 7

EdenOfHogwarts

Original post by InketyDink

Are you hoping to do music at uni and did you have to re-apply? I am not confident I will get the A I need At the mo!

Reply 8

InketyDink

Original post by EdenOfHogwarts

Are you hoping to do music at uni and did you have to re-apply? I am not confident I will get the A I need At the mo!

I didn't apply last year - I'd already planned taking a year out because I want to study music and more specifically singing at a conservatoire and have been told by several singing teachers that my audition is more important than my grade and I needed more time to get my technique solid before applying. I got a C overall last year, which is enough for what I want to do, but I'd like a better grade behind me as extra security anyway.

Reply 9

EdenOfHogwarts

Very much understand!

Reply 10

benneta

I have never heard of problems with the composition, I currently doing the strong quartet and I have finished the bach chorale. I play the piano, double bass and sing. I'm not sure if aqa have something against students who are younger because the two girls entered at my school were not in the a level year, but nevertheless I feel sure that if a student was grade 8 level they would not get an E! I have decided to Play my grade 7/8 piano pieces because I think it is best to play something you know and have a good interpretation of that will come across well. I think they are harsh on singers so I'm avoiding that! Did your school ever get feedback about why the compositions/performances were so low? :smile:

Reply 11

InketyDink

We asked for a copy of the marked papers but they got lost in the post or something because they never turned up even after chasing it several times =/
I got a U in it, I would have graded myself as a high D or low C (and I tend to be harsh with self grading) - it wasn't amazing but it followed all harmonic rules e.g. no doubled leading notes, and it was in the correct style. Even if my string quartet wasn't up to scratch the Bach should have made up for it with SOME marks.
Asides from my own experience, I attend a private weekend music school (that doesn't do A-levels, I go there for ABRSM exams and general musicianship skills) and my Aural teacher said that the students at his school had a similar experience and that some of his best students who were incorporating more complex harmonies such as chromatic passages and neapolitan 6ths and the like were being marked down because of "confused harmony", even when pointing out what they had done in their report whereas those who had been doing very basic and just passable harmonies had been scored highly. I remember him mentioning that he was appealing against the exam board or something to that effect because of how widespread it seems to have been but I don't know if anything came of that.

(p.s. this is all referring to the Bach/String quartet section, I have no personal experience with the other sections)

Reply 12

InketyDink

So who is doing what for MUSC5?
I'm doing chamber music since I still have all my annotated scores from last year, but I'm struggling to find example essay questions - only got 5 compared to the 11 titles that I've managed to find for Mahler questions.

edit: Whoops, meant MUSC6!

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 13

Ravondo666

I'm doing the free composition for MUSC5, and i'm really really struggling with the review/appraisal you have to write to accompany it. The teacher has given us no help with it and it has to be in for tuesday! So i have no idea what I need to put in it and where the marks come from - can anyone help?

Reply 14

InketyDink

Original post by Ravondo666

I don't know if you've seen this, but this is what AQA provides for guidance: http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2270-W-TRB-MUSC5UWR.PDF
I wouldn't personally be able to give much help since it's different talking about bach chorale than free composition but I hope that's at least some use!

Reply 15

Ravondo666

Original post by InketyDink

yeah iv got a copy, but i dont think its great help.. it still isnt 100% clear exactly what to write about!

Reply 16

Harrimusic

YAY! a thread for music :biggrin:

completely struggling with mahler 4 and chamber music.
anyone else studying them....?

I totes have to write the review for tuesday for my free too. so much stress!! :eek:

Reply 17

Ravondo666

Original post by Harrimusic

YAY! a thread for music :biggrin:

completely struggling with mahler 4 and chamber music.
anyone else studying them....?

I totes have to write the review for tuesday for my free too. so much stress!! :eek:

what sorta stuff are you putting in the review? iv had no guidance so im sort of guessing what needs to go in..

Reply 18

Harrimusic

Original post by Ravondo666

what sorta stuff are you putting in the review? iv had no guidance so im sort of guessing what needs to go in..

I've put what genre/style I've chosen, and how I've used the characteristics of that genre in my piece. Then I've discussed how Ive used harmony, modulation, texture, timbre, expression, melody, rhythm etc throughout the piece. I've then said what preperation i did outside of the controlled time and how it's helped me and general inspirations and that kinda stuff.

I hope that helps :smile:

Reply 19

Miller693