There are four areas of study in the GCSE Music syllabus:

Exploiting the Resource (All about your instrumen
Techniques of Melodic Composition
Dance Music
Traditions and Innovations
Integration of listening, appraising, composing and performing skills is a high priority – therefore these are all linked into the areas of study.
Coursework – Performance
Pupils must study three pieces for their instrument. These three pieces must be linked in some such as style, range of notes, when written etc.  Students must perform one of those three pieces, this can be solo or ensemble. They must also perform another piece which can be anything.  Of the two performances one must be solo and one ensemble.
Coursework – Composition
Two compositions are required. One will be a piece of dance music such as Disco, Waltz, Pavan or Galliard.  The other must be a piece written for their own instrument and must include the specific performance techniques found in the three pieces studied above.
Further Composing – Terminal task
This is a half hour exam undertaken in the March/April time of examination year.  Students are given by the exam board a range of stimuli from which they can choose one to be the starting point for a melody composition.  Students will be expected to show all the skills studied in Area of Study 2

Listening and Appraising – Examination Paper
The Examination Paper concentrates on the four Areas of Study, plus the use of Musical Language and Musical Vocabulary.
The weighting for these four parts of the Music Syllabus is as follows:
35% Coursework – Performance  1 and Composition 1 (For your instrument)    
25% Coursework – Performance  2  and Composition 2 ( Dance )                   
25% Listening and Appraising Paper -                                                        
15% Terminal task -

At Longfield we try to encourage every child to develop an appreciation of different musical styles and cultures.

Students will be helped to develop the confidence to play keyboards and various specialist percussion instruments and use a range of music specific IT systems.

Those who show interest and/or the aptitude may wish to learn to play Brass, Woodwind or String instruments to a higher level.