Music V PE GCSE, Help Please!
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:06 pm
My DDYear 9 is choosing her options for GCSE, after the core subjects of; Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and French, has so far chosen, Drama, EPR (Religious Studies), Art and History. She has one choice left and is still undecided between, (in order of preference) PE, Music, Latin, Textiles, Geography, Home Economics, Mandarin and ICT.
After a one to one options interview with her Headteacher, she has been advised to take GCSE Music as one of her options. We are not a particularly musical family, although both my DH and DS's play guitar and piano for pleasure and DD plays piano (grade 2) has played flute to grade 2 and sings for pleasure, but do not feel we know enough about this subject to offer her any advice.
We have been given some information about the content of the course, but are really unsure as to, how difficult the composition part of the course is? It sounds scary to me!
Also DD is worried about the performance part, the information we have, says that you really need to play a piece of music at grade 4 level to achieve a good mark? DD is just starting grade 3, having taken up the piano 18 months ago, and really has to be reminded to practice Is it possible to reach grade 4 in two years with this attitude? I am just not sure that her heart is in it enough to reach this level in the time given, and without constant reminders to practice from us. She enjoys music lessons and has done very well in all music exams in school, however, they certainly are not her most favourite and Music didn't jump out at her straight away to be one of her 'firm' choices either.
Her other choice is PE, which she did consider straight away, mainly because dance and fitness can be two of the four practical elements. (dance is her life out of school and she is as fit as a butchers dog ). She has been in school sport teams which she enjoyed (Hockey, Athletics), but found that she could not fit these in with her vast out of school, dance/theatre activities/shows. She knows that if she takes PE she will be expected to take these up again and somehow squeeze them into her already tight timetable
Again, we do not have much knowledge about this subject to be able to offer her any advice! Does anyone know how much theory/course work is involved in this subject?
Our thoughts so far are, that she should do the subject she most enjoys with the least amount of time consuming course work, as she will have a lot of course work in the dreaded.... Art (another love of her life), and Drama, both 60% If anyone has any information or advice on any of the above, we would be very gratefull! Forgot to mention, DD would like to be a Doctor, or a.....Dancer
Ooops sorry for the long post
After a one to one options interview with her Headteacher, she has been advised to take GCSE Music as one of her options. We are not a particularly musical family, although both my DH and DS's play guitar and piano for pleasure and DD plays piano (grade 2) has played flute to grade 2 and sings for pleasure, but do not feel we know enough about this subject to offer her any advice.
We have been given some information about the content of the course, but are really unsure as to, how difficult the composition part of the course is? It sounds scary to me!
Also DD is worried about the performance part, the information we have, says that you really need to play a piece of music at grade 4 level to achieve a good mark? DD is just starting grade 3, having taken up the piano 18 months ago, and really has to be reminded to practice Is it possible to reach grade 4 in two years with this attitude? I am just not sure that her heart is in it enough to reach this level in the time given, and without constant reminders to practice from us. She enjoys music lessons and has done very well in all music exams in school, however, they certainly are not her most favourite and Music didn't jump out at her straight away to be one of her 'firm' choices either.
Her other choice is PE, which she did consider straight away, mainly because dance and fitness can be two of the four practical elements. (dance is her life out of school and she is as fit as a butchers dog ). She has been in school sport teams which she enjoyed (Hockey, Athletics), but found that she could not fit these in with her vast out of school, dance/theatre activities/shows. She knows that if she takes PE she will be expected to take these up again and somehow squeeze them into her already tight timetable
Again, we do not have much knowledge about this subject to be able to offer her any advice! Does anyone know how much theory/course work is involved in this subject?
Our thoughts so far are, that she should do the subject she most enjoys with the least amount of time consuming course work, as she will have a lot of course work in the dreaded.... Art (another love of her life), and Drama, both 60% If anyone has any information or advice on any of the above, we would be very gratefull! Forgot to mention, DD would like to be a Doctor, or a.....Dancer
Ooops sorry for the long post