Advanced Higher Music

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Looking for some advice. DD is in fourth year and has just picked her fifth year options, one of which is music. She’s very able and is predicted to get As in all her Nat 5s. I would be surprised if she doesn’t get As in all her highers as well. Not a boast and, obviously, we can’t know for sure but that’s what I’m being told. Her music teacher has now advised her to go straight for an advanced higher in fifth year. At first I thought, go for it if your teacher thinks you can, but I’m having second thoughts. I don’t want to add too much pressure to her and she does put a lot of pressure on herself. I also know that there is a big jump between higher and advanced higher and an A is very difficult so would not getting 5As at higher disadvantage her for university applications? I know she could nail the practical because she was playing at advanced higher level in third year - she’s had private lessons for years. She doesn’t want to pursue music as a career and sees it very much as a hobby. She had no plans to take advanced higher music in sixth year. Does anyone have any experience of higher and advanced higher music and could advise?

Looking forward to university applications I would bank them A at higher and take the AH in 6th year.

Just to add, she’s not in a high achieving school where they push them into exams. It’s very unusual for her school to suggest this.

I'm not an expert but I think the thing with music is that if you play pieces above the required level you can get marked down so maybe they are trying to avoid this?

Thanks for your thoughts. The idea of “banking” the A is a good way to put it. That’s what I’m not sure of - would university prefer an A than higher compared to a C at advanced higher. We are seeing school qualifications as a stepping stone to university so it’s about doing what’s best for getting in. I don’t think that’s what education should be about but, sadly, I think it is.
My understanding of playing a more advanced piece for the practical is that you don’t get extra credit so it’s better to play an easier piece really well than a harder piece less well but I’ll check that out with her teacher.

My DC was in the same situation - is your DC planning on applying to university in Scotland?? If yes then the aim for the best set of highers you can get in one sitting in 5th year. I’m still saying take higher music. You don’t get extra credit for playing harder pieces you get marked on how well you play the pieces you have chosen so if you choose a grade 8 piece then you will get market for that piece. Your DC is allowed to choose pieces at a lower standard than her capability.

Dd was given this option but she's going for Higher instead, like pp have said better to get an A at Higher than risk a lower grade at Advanced Higher.

AH music isn’t that much harder that H music. And it’s not that hard to get an A - who told you that ?

I’m assuming your D already has Grade 8 practical and grade 5 theory ?

If she’s planning to do a 6th year then AH Music will be a relatively easy subject for her and give more time for other AH and / or crash highers.

This thread is very relevant for my two DCs.

My elder DS took higher music in S4. He plays two instruments to a high standard (around grade 7 at the time). He was in a composite class of N5, Higher, AH. He got 100% in the music practical and 92% overall. Around 60% of pupils get a grade A for music cos if you are good at music and playing instruments it's a relatively easy 'A'.

He was told (by admissions departments) that the top Unis in Scotland do not double count highers/advanced highers taken during or before fifth year. I.e as regards to Higher music in S4 and AH music in S5 they would only count the AH (not the H taken early in S4). He then went on to achieve 6 highers by end of S5 and then went on to take AH music in S6 for this reason. AH standard is at least grade 5+.

My younger son is in S4 currently and is also taking higher music early. He's likely to get an easy A as he has already got 100% in his provisional practical which is 60% of the final mark. The pieces only have to be grade 4+ standard and he is grade 8 so it was a no brainier.

Personally I would strongly recommend higher/AH music early for anyone who can play at a good level as so many kids get top grades and the course itself doesn't seem to be too content heavy. However if she needs top grades for sixth year for uni entry she may want to hold back on AH as it would be an easier option for her then.

Hope all goes well for your DC

If Music is her best 5th subject option then I would agree with banking the Higher. However if there is another subject in competition I would do that instead and go straight to Advanced Higher in S6. That's what my DD1 did in addition to 2 other AH and a crash Higher - so not a massive undertaking for a Grade 8 standard. My DD is a Maths / Science type so adding Music was a great way of keeping a bit of just for fun recreation in her schoolwork.

Be aware that the course requirements and marking have changed for AH and (I think?) Higher as well. There is now more emphasis on written work.

I agree on picking pieces. My DD actually scored lower on her 1st instrument than her 2nd. It can be harder to convey character in technically more challenging pieces and she found it hard to commit to something easier.

It really depends on whether she might decide to take it further. I went to an English university to do a music degree with Higher Music and felt at a disadvantage to those who had done A- Level music as it seemed like they had a better/wider knowledge under that system than I had received under the Higher qualification. I felt like I had to catch up very quickly to get to the same level. Looking back, having done Advanced Higher (or CSYS) as it was then, would have put me on a better footing from the start.

It depends a lot on the uni course she wants to apply for.

Some want AAAAA at one sitting. In that case she’d be better to keep H music for 5th year, so she can have one easy ( for her ) subject.

Bank the higher
Aim as close to AAAAA after 5th year as is achievable, as that's what Scottish universities use to determine entry into most courses.

There's more freedom in 6th year, particularly with good 5th results in the bag