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Does anyone do music A2? (pearson edexcel)

I'm literally the only person in my sixth form who does it.
If anyone else does it here, let me know you exist :,)

There aren't enough people around to be able to lament the difficulty of this A Level to ;-;

Reply 1

Davros 2

I did AQA rather than Pearson Edexcel, but I was also in a class of one. (Got a B, along with Maths A* and Physics A)
The way they mark the composition and performance makes no sense (the teachers don't understand it either) and the resources are terrible.
And it's really unclear what you have to learn for the exam, but there's too much of it to learn all of it.
And the essays.
The essays
I can't stand music essays.
Make them go away.
Music A level exists to be lamented doesn't it
My advice would be Get out while you still can

Reply 2

LucyLuBarnes

Original post by Davros 2

:') I feel this.
I'm in second year and I should have changed course whilst I still could.
A Level music is. a. nightmare.

Reply 3

bluemuffin

Yes I do!! How are you finding the course?

Reply 4

Lottie2182

Yes and it’s a lot harder than people think! How do you revise for the analysis because there is so much information?

Reply 5

Davros 2

If your doing AQA, just learn a bit about what happens in each piece/song - Bartolo wants revenge on Figaro, Susanna and Marcellina insult each other while trying to get out the door last, etc. They say you need an in depth understanding and knowledge of the musical features, but they give you the score and an extract in the exam so you don't need to bother memorising much.

Reply 6

nzy

18 set works....
..... 18 set works........

Reply 7

NStrickland

I remember my A Level music. Most people on the course thought that music was the easy option, were sorely disappointed, and only a couple stayed for A2 :tongue:

Reply 8

Davros 2

Original post by nzy

18 set works....
..... 18 set works........

18 set works?
You're lucky.
We had some set works, then the exam board just says 'study the works of these 6 jazz musicians and these 4 contemporary classical musicians' (depending on which options you pick) and gives you an essay on it. No guidance about how much they want you to learn, in what way, wether to learn about the musicians life as well...

Reply 9

LucyLuBarnes

Original post by bluemuffin

Yes I do!! How are you finding the course?

I have literally had a mental breakdown about music at least once a week :smile:

Whenever I think I've understood something, the questions always seem to phase me.
Progress is so slow and I'm falling off the proverbial ledge.
So, it's going as well as it can, I guess -

Reply 10

LucyLuBarnes

Original post by Davros 2

Tbh I don't think anything about music is lucky :,)
We have to learn about each musician and piece of the 18 set works, the historical context, related works and a list of (I think) about 30 wider listenings.

Reply 11

bluemuffin

Original post by LucyLuBarnes

I have literally had a mental breakdown about music at least once a week :smile:

Whenever I think I've understood something, the questions always seem to phase me.
Progress is so slow and I'm falling off the proverbial ledge.
So, it's going as well as it can, I guess -