Performing Arts

Advanced Higher Music

Course Description

There are three main components of the Advanced Higher Music course: Performing, Understanding Music and Composing & Analysing Music.

Performing:

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

● Perform on 2 instruments or 1 instrument and voice

● Perform a minimum of 2 pieces per instrument/voice

● Perform for 18 minutes with a minimum of 6 minutes on each instrument

● Perform pieces of a minimum of Grade 5 standard

Understanding Music:

Candidates will learn about a range of musical styles and composition techniques and are required to:

● identify level specific concepts through listening to excerpts of music

● demonstrate an understanding of music literacy

Composing & Analysing Music:

The assignment allows candidates to explore and develop musical ideas to create music and apply their knowledge of music through analysis in 3 parts:

Composing or arranging one piece of music. Candidates must:

● plan their composition

● explore and develop musical ideas using all the musical elements from: melody, harmony, rhythm, structure and timbre

● create one complete piece of music - this must be 1 minute - 4 minutes in length.

Reviewing the creative process of their composition or arrangement. Candidates must produce a document:

● explaining the main musical decisions made

● describing how they explored and developed their ideas

● identifying strengths and/or areas which may be improved

Analyse a chosen piece of music. Candidates must:

● choose a piece of music by a composer and analyse the key features with reference to compositional methods and music concepts. Candidates must not analyse their own music in this part of the assignment.

● The analysis must contain reference to at least five of the musical elements from: style, melody, harmony, rhythm/tempo, texture, structure and/or form and, timbre & dynamics.

● Candidates must provide an audio recording and can include sections of a score.

Assessment

Performance (50%):

Performance exams take place in February/March, marked by a visiting examiner.

Understanding Music (35%):

A listening paper will be completed under exam conditions, testing their knowledge and analysis of music. The exam paper lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, and is marked out of 40. This exam will take place in April or May.

Composing & Analysing Music (15%):

An original composition/arrangement, review for this composition and analysis of a chosen piece will be submitted to the SQA for assessment. Internal school deadlines vary each year, however this will be before the Easter holidays.

Entry Requirement

Students must have a pass at Higher Music and play two instruments or one instrument and sing at Grade 5 standard, to enrol in Advanced Higher Music.

Higher Drama 

Description

The higher Drama course provides an opportunity to develop practical skills such as acting and design. The students will study a range of plays throughout the year, some of which they will perform and others which they will analyse for their final written exam. 

Production Skills include:

• Set Design

• Costume Design

• Props Design

• Theatrical Hair & Makeup Design 

• Directing 

• Sound Design 

Assessment

The course is split into 2  key components:

 Component 1: Written exam which consists of 2 essays and a variety of questions. 

Students will study and read through a set text at the beginning of the year, act out scenes from this text and then write an essay explaining how they would act or direct the play based on themes, plot and character development.  This will take place during the National Exam diet. 

Component 2: A practical performance. Actors will perform two 10-15  minute scenes from two separate plays. Designers will create and present two production skills from the same play. Students will also write a Preparation for Performance which is worth 10 marks of their final grade. The performance exam will take place between March and April.