Music (HL and SL)

Music is for everyone, it is creative, it enriches lives and it combines well with other subjects… The Open University

Course content

Music is a wide-ranging creative subject with a focus on performing, composing, listening and research.

IB Music

Exploring Music in Context (SL 30% HL 20%)
Students research and present varied musical examples from different styles as written work, performed adaptations and compositions. Areas of inquiry will include protest music and classical instrumental music.

Experimenting with Music (SL 30% HL 20%)
Students perform and compose in a variety of genres and write a short, written report. Areas of inquiry include music technology, music for film and musical theatre.

Presenting Music (SL 40% HL 30%)
Students perform and compose pieces of their own choice from all areas of inquiry above.

Contemporary Music Maker (HL only 30%)
A collaborative musical project with music and other art subjects. Students submit a narrated multi-media presentation containing evidence of the process, planning and outcome with written, audio and video content.

Assessment

Standard Level

Higher Level

Internal assessment

Performance or composition (50%)

Performance and composition (50%)

External assessment

Listening (30%)

Musical links investigation (20%)

Listening (30%)

Musical links investigation (20%)

Enrichment

Perform (for example: Senior Choir, Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Swing Band), lead groups (such as Ukulele Orchestra, Guitar Club and Music Theatre Club) or mentor other students, learn with TGS specialist private music tutors.

Further study

Many of our students have continued their Music studies at university including: King's College London, Cambridge, Royal Holloway or Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Others continue their music whilst studying for other courses including Economics (Durham) and Marketing (Bradford).

Studying the IB at TGS gave me the opportunity to study a diverse range of musical styles and genres, and exposed me to music that I've grown to love and that has influenced me significantly in my continuing study of music. Daniel