A Level Music

[Loxley72]

Any suggestions? My DD'S sixth form have just dropped A Level Music - not enough interest. We live rurally so are looking at online school for this. Has anyone used an online school for Music? Which one? Will it be difficult studying on her own? She has ABRSM Grade 8 in Piano and Classical singing. Should I try and find online private tutors to help? Really stuck as she started Sixth Form today

Oof. That's rough for her - are there any other colleges locally offering it? Could her college make an arrangement with them for her to travel over and take music there? (Not sure how rural you are).
It's not an easy independent study - it's a massive step up from gcse and not a soft subject at all.

Tell me about it! All 3 schools locally have dropped it. Nearest offering it is an hours drive away. Haven'g got the pennies for the local ptivate school. So online really is only option. Waiting for callback from Oxbridge Home Learning.

Laban offers A level music by distance learning. It might offer a better experience than OHL as its specialism is music.https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/courses/a-level-music-distance-learning/

is she wanting to pursue music beyond A levels? You could consider grade 6+ theory, you could also look at open university the music diploma counts as a substitute for grade 6 theory for the teaching diplomas.

If she’s considering continuing music beyond 6th form these might be good substitutions

The trickiest part will be the composition element if you don't have access to a DAW and MIDI keyboard at home.

You could probably get a decent set-up for a couple of hundred pounds. What DAW did she use for GCSE?

Agree to look at Trinity Laban for distance learning option.

If music is her absolute passion she could try calling the specialist music schools and seeing if they have space for her to board and MDS funding for the year? Big step though, and you'd need to take it quickly.

Trinity Laban has a good rep for this otherwise

If the school used to offer music: could they offer her access to equipment/ a music room in her free periods so she could pursue music as an independent A level?

At my school we had small practice rooms and they always had a keyboard in. School might help given they’ve created this problem. Worth asking!

Lovely ideas. She didn't take Music GCSE, as she already has Grade 8 in piano and voice, alongside Grade 5 Theory. Spoke to Trinity, looks great but fees nearly £5k fees ( incl 2 exam fees). Not in our price range. She has already started her ABRSM Diploma, so I am considering ABRSM Grade 8 Theory as an alternative to the A Level as some Unis will accept it instead.

Maybe look into having some composition lessons?

That would be the main section that is missing, especially if she didn't take GCSE.

Great, will definitely look into that. Thank you

I'm sorry the school have dropped the music A level - that must be hugely disappointing for your DD.

Does she want to study music at uni? I asked DH who teaches music at a Russell Group uni, and while most entrants do have A level music, they would accept ABRSM practical grades instead. Some universities look for Grade 8 Theory, but most don't - possibly just Oxbridge? So worth checking with different universities before embarking on this.

He suggested that if she didn't do A level by another route she should look at getting as much exposure to different types of music as possible, to play or sing with others, and generally just be able to enthuse about her passion!

It’s probably too late now, but is it worth approaching the local private school to see if she’d be able to enrol just for music lessons?

A few years ago a friend’s son wasn’t able to take A level music at his school. The school had come to an arrangement with the local private school so that their pupils could do it there. Friend’s son didn’t take it up in the end.

Otherwise, I’d definitely agree with composition/harmony/music theory lessons, especially if your daughter didn’t study music at GCSE. Theory grades 6-8 are nothing like grade 5. Her piano teacher would probably be able to help

I think just about all universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, now accept theory grades as an alternative to music A level (7 for Oxford, 8 for Cambridge).

Great, will definitely look into that. Thank you

Does your DD know what she wants to study at university, and if music, what kind of music course?

Mine is looking at BMus, but wants a very performance and practical composition focused course - and has zero interest in old, dead composers, studying other people's compositions in depth or anything that is a more analytic, academic style degree (Oxbridge type courses would make her run for the hills!)

She's very much looking at the conservatoire routes but for popular music. For these, G5 theory is more than enough, they really do not care about academics (normal offer is EE) and it's all about the audition.

If your DD is mainly interested in the more academic courses, then practical comp lessons are probably less important.

DD does want to also go with the Conservatoire route. She has started her ABRSM Diploma in Classical singing. Just trying to keep her options open as alot can change in 2 years. DD is also taking Drama and Eng Lit (proper creative type!) We've got until Friday until final decision made. It's so difficult financially as she is not our only child. Yet we earn too much to qualify for any funding.

Just to add - theory grades 6, 7 & 8 all cover different topics. It's worth doing each of them, as opposed to just jumping to grade 8.

Maybe give Guildhall and/or RCM a call and have a chat with them. Both have really nice admissions teams and helpful departments who don't mind weird questions.

Then you could get it from the horse's mouth what they would like.

My guess is that if she wants conservatoire for classical voice then you should be fine with grades and no music A level.

More problematic if she wanted the kinds of courses that mine is after that are production and comp heavy alongside performance.