Candidates are required to choose, as a single focus for detailed study, a further body of music drawn from repertoire not represented in Paper 1. For example, if the focus is an aspect of Western music, it should not be drawn from the 18th or 19th century Viennese tradition, nor be associated with the Love and Loss topic.
The music studied may be drawn from any tradition. Candidates might choose to study aspects of the repertoire of an instrument, national characteristics, a genre, a composer or performer, or to compare interpretations of a single piece of music. Further details are given in Section 6. The primary mode of investigation must be listening, to one or more pieces of music of not less than 30 minutes’ duration. In most cases, a substantial amount of appropriate reading will also be essential.
The report should be equivalent in length to an essay of approximately 2500 words, but need not be entirely in connected prose, e.g. detailed listening notes may document a substantial portion of the candidate’s ndings. The core ndings of the candidate’s investigation must be supported by an accompanying cassette/CD of recorded examples, carefully chosen and explained. A full bibliography and discography must be appended.
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Component 1 equips candidates with some basic analytic tools and typical contextual frameworks which will be an adequate starting point for the study of most types of music. In the course of their investigation, candidates will be expected to extend these skills and their understanding, by applying them to music from a different repertoire or tradition from the ones studied in Component 1. There is no restriction on choice of music for study – it might be from other periods, genres or styles of Western music, from popular music or jazz, or from classical, folk or popular genres from any other tradition. It need not be music that is conventionally notated and, even if it is from such a tradition, candidates do not need to demonstrate an ability to use or read the notation.
The principal investigative tools should be aural ones. Close familiarity with all aspects of the sound of the chosen music must be demonstrated, and candidates are therefore advised to choose something which interests or excites them. The music for listening should be substantial – at least one long piece or a group of shorter pieces. In order to understand fully the place of the chosen music in the repertoire or tradition from which it comes, it may also be advisable to listen, less intensively, to a wider range of relevant examples.
It is important for candidates to ensure that adequate resources (particularly relevant CDs and suitable books) are available to support their investigation before they commit themselves to a particular topic.
This should be discussed with the supervising teacher when the focus of the investigation is being decided and a timetable for study is drawn up. Background reading to support and extend the listening should be chosen, not only to be appropriate to the topic, but with the candidate’s prior experience and aptitude in mind. It may be desirable to use a variety of texts, beginning with simple introductions and graduating
to more scholarly texts later in the course. Candidates will need to learn to discriminate in their reading between what is signi cant, and what is just relevant, or merely incidental to their line of enquiry. The internet can be a useful resource, but candidates need guidance in using it. At this level, candidates are unlikely to be in a position to judge the authority of a website, and there is a great deal of super uous, often erroneous, information available, particularly on the websites of ‘enthusiasts’ for a composer or an instrument.
Component 1 will have given candidates some initial practice in writing about what they hear. The report will demand more extended writing of this nature. It will be helpful if candidates set out to develop this in a structured way throughout the research period, writing notes and commentaries at the end of each session of listening. They will be expected to learn, and to be able to use correctly, the most common technical terms which are appropriate to the repertoire they are investigating.
The report should aim to demonstrate what the candidate has done and learned; it does not need to be a model essay or ‘dissertation’, or to give a comprehensive exposition of a subject. Candidates should express themselves clearly in their own words. When they wish to quote what other commentators say, this
should always be properly acknowledged in a footnote reference to their bibliography. Whenever possible, assertions about the music should be illustrated by precise reference to an example; it must be possible for the Examiner to recognise which particular moment or aspect of the music is being referred to. CD timings, while helpful as a study guide, should not be relied on (the Examiner may have a different recording) unless brief recorded examples accompany the candidate’s text. Wherever possible, candidates should aim to develop a con dent enough grasp of technical language to be able to describe and locate their references precisely.
Candidates must complete the Investigation and Report form to certify that their Report is their own work. This may be downloaded from www.cie.org.uk/samples. The database will ask you for the syllabus code (i.e. 8663) and your Centre number, after which it will take you to the correct form.
The music studied may be drawn from any tradition. Candidates might choose to study aspects of the repertoire of an instrument, national characteristics, a genre, a composer or performer, or to compare interpretations of a single piece of music. Further details are given in Section 6. The primary mode of investigation must be listening, to one or more pieces of music of not less than 30 minutes’ duration. In most cases, a substantial amount of appropriate reading will also be essential.
The report should be equivalent in length to an essay of approximately 2500 words, but need not be entirely in connected prose, e.g. detailed listening notes may document a substantial portion of the candidate’s ndings. The core ndings of the candidate’s investigation must be supported by an accompanying cassette/CD of recorded examples, carefully chosen and explained. A full bibliography and discography must be appended.
******************
Component 1 equips candidates with some basic analytic tools and typical contextual frameworks which will be an adequate starting point for the study of most types of music. In the course of their investigation, candidates will be expected to extend these skills and their understanding, by applying them to music from a different repertoire or tradition from the ones studied in Component 1. There is no restriction on choice of music for study – it might be from other periods, genres or styles of Western music, from popular music or jazz, or from classical, folk or popular genres from any other tradition. It need not be music that is conventionally notated and, even if it is from such a tradition, candidates do not need to demonstrate an ability to use or read the notation.
The principal investigative tools should be aural ones. Close familiarity with all aspects of the sound of the chosen music must be demonstrated, and candidates are therefore advised to choose something which interests or excites them. The music for listening should be substantial – at least one long piece or a group of shorter pieces. In order to understand fully the place of the chosen music in the repertoire or tradition from which it comes, it may also be advisable to listen, less intensively, to a wider range of relevant examples.
It is important for candidates to ensure that adequate resources (particularly relevant CDs and suitable books) are available to support their investigation before they commit themselves to a particular topic.
This should be discussed with the supervising teacher when the focus of the investigation is being decided and a timetable for study is drawn up. Background reading to support and extend the listening should be chosen, not only to be appropriate to the topic, but with the candidate’s prior experience and aptitude in mind. It may be desirable to use a variety of texts, beginning with simple introductions and graduating
to more scholarly texts later in the course. Candidates will need to learn to discriminate in their reading between what is signi cant, and what is just relevant, or merely incidental to their line of enquiry. The internet can be a useful resource, but candidates need guidance in using it. At this level, candidates are unlikely to be in a position to judge the authority of a website, and there is a great deal of super uous, often erroneous, information available, particularly on the websites of ‘enthusiasts’ for a composer or an instrument.
Component 1 will have given candidates some initial practice in writing about what they hear. The report will demand more extended writing of this nature. It will be helpful if candidates set out to develop this in a structured way throughout the research period, writing notes and commentaries at the end of each session of listening. They will be expected to learn, and to be able to use correctly, the most common technical terms which are appropriate to the repertoire they are investigating.
The report should aim to demonstrate what the candidate has done and learned; it does not need to be a model essay or ‘dissertation’, or to give a comprehensive exposition of a subject. Candidates should express themselves clearly in their own words. When they wish to quote what other commentators say, this
should always be properly acknowledged in a footnote reference to their bibliography. Whenever possible, assertions about the music should be illustrated by precise reference to an example; it must be possible for the Examiner to recognise which particular moment or aspect of the music is being referred to. CD timings, while helpful as a study guide, should not be relied on (the Examiner may have a different recording) unless brief recorded examples accompany the candidate’s text. Wherever possible, candidates should aim to develop a con dent enough grasp of technical language to be able to describe and locate their references precisely.
Candidates must complete the Investigation and Report form to certify that their Report is their own work. This may be downloaded from www.cie.org.uk/samples. The database will ask you for the syllabus code (i.e. 8663) and your Centre number, after which it will take you to the correct form.
Assessment criteria for Component 6
The report forms the examination document, but assessment covers both the report and the investigation. It is important that the report should re ect accurately the nature and extent of the investigation. The work of most candidates will be judged by the following assessment criteria:
The report forms the examination document, but assessment covers both the report and the investigation. It is important that the report should re ect accurately the nature and extent of the investigation. The work of most candidates will be judged by the following assessment criteria:
- aural perceptiveness and an ability to recognise and select what is signi cant
- an ability to use reference material and an understanding of relevant context
- an ability to use appropriate analytic and/or investigative techniques and use appropriate technical vocabulary
- an ability to support judgements by reference to apt examples
- an ability to communicate methods and ndings cogently and to use scholarly conventions regarding the acknowledgment of all sources.
Aural Perception
|
POINTS
17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4 0 |
DESCRIPTION:
Keen aural perception and a sharp focus on significant features. Good aural perception and a consistent focus on significant features. An adequate level of aural awareness and ability to recognise what is significant. Some evidence of aural awareness and ability to recognise what is significant. A weak aural response with little awareness of significant features. No evidence of any listening at all. |
Contextual Understanding
|
POINTS
17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4 0 |
DESCRIPTION:
A wide range of scholarly reading/research informs a secure understanding of significant contextual matters. An appropriate range of mostly scholarly reading/research informs knowledgeable references to relevant contextual matters. A limited amount of appropriate reading/research, of variable scholarly standard, is drawn on to sketch a relevant context. A very limited amount of reading/research undertaken, including some scholarly sources, showing some understanding of relevant background. Some evidence of reading/research, at a mainly low level of scholarship, and some attempt to establish background, but of only partial relevance. No evidence of any relevant background knowledge. |
Analytic/investigative techniques and technical vocabulary
|
POINTS
17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4 0 |
DESCRIPTION:
Confident use of appropriate analytic/investigative techniques precisely explained, using correct technical vocabulary. Mostly confident application of appropriate analytic/investigative techniques explained, clearly using technical vocabulary. Fairly confident application of appropriate analytic/investigative techniques explained, using some technical vocabulary. A sensible attempt to investigate relevant aspects of the music, partly supported by necessary terminology. Some attempt to investigate the music, hampered by an insecure grasp of technical vocabulary. No attempt at analytic/investigative exploration of the music. |
Substantiation of judgements
|
POINTS
17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4 0 |
DESCRIPTION:
All judgements substantiated by wholly apt examples chosen independently of other commentators, securely identified and flawlessly referenced. Nearly all judgements substantiated by entirely appropriate, clearly-located and correctly-referenced examples. Most judgements supported by appropriate examples, some derived with acknowledgement from other commentators. Some judgements illustrated by examples, leaning heavily on other commentators. A few judgements illustrated by derivative examples. No examples or illustrative material of any kind offered to support the text. |
Communication of findings and acknowledgements
|
POINTS
17-20 13-16 9-12 5-8 1-4 0 |
DESCRIPTION:
A thoroughly convincing, coherent presentation, meticulously documented. A convincing presentation, carefully documented. A mostly convincing presentation, adequately documented. A patchy presentation, incompletely documented. A weak presentation, poorly documented. Incoherent and undocumented. |