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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

What could DD use a music GCSE for?

72 replies

starfish4 · 19/01/2015 11:05

Options are out this week. DD is adamant her first choice will be music. It's good she'll be doing something she'll enjoy and might do her good , with the pressures of school, but I can't really see it being of much use when she leaves school. Just wondering what she could use it for, or when it might be handy? She currently plays the violin (Grade 4 and teacher reckons she could get her up to Grade 7 in Year 11). We haven't got the money for music tuition in another instrument which I know would be good.

She wants to do Textiles. She's considering whether she wants the pressure of triple science as her marks are towards the bottom of those that qualify to do it. She being fast tracked for French when this is done has to do Spanish - these subjects are compulsory for her and they are being taught as one option.

OP posts:

AgnesGrey · 19/01/2015 11:36

My DS did not do music GCSE but does play the piano and has lessons. He enjoys it and whilst he is never ever going to be giving solo performances in Carnegie Hall it's a lovely skill to have

TBH I wouldn't worry too much about what she could use it for at GCSE level.
If she wanted to continue down a musical route then obviously she would need it but my view would be

If she enjoys it and is good then it is a GCSE ,and nice to have one she really enjoys doing.

If she can play an instrument then this could potentially give her years of enjoyment and the opportunity to join in things later on in life at university or college or beyond.

My son did a fair few GCSEs which I am not sure he will use again.

Not sure that's particularly helpful

lljkk · 19/01/2015 11:57

She's likely to get a good mark if she is enthusiastic & music is a respectable subject to get a GCSE in.
DS wants to design computer games; audio design is a big part of modern games so he put music down as one of his choices.

titchy · 19/01/2015 12:11

Well she probably won't 'use' it per se. same as she probably won't use the simultaneous equations she'll be taught in maths, or the photosynthesis she'll be taught in Science.

But if she wants to do it, and is likely to get a reasonably good mark, then it will help paint a picture of her overall academic abilities which will be useful.

penguinplease · 19/01/2015 12:19

I got an A in music GCSE, when I was done I never picked up an instrument again, it was the most boring subject ever and I wasted hours when I wish I had taken something practical! However my friend who did it went on to do a music degree and now teaches.. So it may be useful and it may not. Happiness is probably key!

LetticeKnollys · 19/01/2015 12:21

It's a traditional subject which adds variety to her choices, which is what a university would be looking for rather than all of her choices being 'aimed' at something (if she applies to a competitive university which bothers about GCSE grades at all that is, many don't).

Also if she enjoys it and is good at it then a higher grade in music is better than a worse grade in a different subject.

BertieBotts · 19/01/2015 12:23

I haven't used any of my GCSEs to be fair! The subject related ones were useful when I did further study in those subjects, but GCSEs are really not about "will she ever use this?" - you get a lot of options, let her pick a couple that she's really interested in or finds fun.

BertieBotts · 19/01/2015 12:27

But OK thinking tactically for a moment - learning an instrument is valuable in itself, it's a good sounding hobby to put on CV and university applications, learning instruments shows discipline and persistence and control, some instruments can be quite physical too, if she gets involved in orchestras etc she'll meet people and gain experience of being part of a team, a sense of rhythm is good for other disciplines too, being able to read music is a skill, she could of course pursue a career in music, teach/tutor music as a side job, perform as a side job. She could become the next Lindsay Stirling, a youtube star turned well known popular musician.

morethanpotatoprints · 19/01/2015 12:28

Hello OP

I think music GCSE would show she was clever to choose subjects she was interested in and part of a broad education.
I don't think its important what it goes with at this stage tbh.
Even if she wanted to take music further or even as a career it isn't necessary to have the GCSE, so I would look at it as a savvy maybe easier choice for her with not too much pressure.

QueenTilly · 19/01/2015 13:13

She'll be studying a subject she enjoys, which also has the benefit of being respected.

Post-school, music examinations are actually worth UCAS points, and I presume GCSE Music will help, rather than hinder, her progress with the violin?

Essexmum69 · 19/01/2015 16:26

Some schools offer free or subsidised instrument tuition for students taking GCSE music. If this is the case she may be able to take up another instrument.
DS1 took music gcse and loved it. He is taking sciences at A level and hoping to do engineering at uni, so it is unlikely to be "useful", but it is a well respected subject.

Moominmammacat · 19/01/2015 16:50

Wouldn't worry about learning a second instrument, better to be good at one. And a lot of schools do offer free tuition for GCSE/A level students. If you're a decent performer, it's quite an easy GCSE as you have a third of the course done before you start.

cricketballs · 19/01/2015 18:34

GCSEs are not about 'using them in the future', but more about getting an education. Apart from Maths, English (and for some careers Science, MFL), it's usually the grade rather than subject that matters

ReallyTired · 19/01/2015 18:41

I would have thought that going from grade 4 to grade 7 standard in two years is a little ambitious unless she is really gifted. Its a big jump. For GCSE there is no grade advantage to being anything more than grade 5 at the end of year 11.

Grades 5,6, and 7 in music provide UCAS points which would help her get into a good university. If your daughter enjoys music then it sounds like she will have a lot of fun. Singing is a relatively cheap instrument if you want her to learn a second instrument. Ds has belonged to a Royal School of church music choir and it has got him to a standard to consider entering in for grade 5 singing.

We only use 5% of what we learn at school. We never know which 5% we need.

Hakluyt · 19/01/2015 19:38

What you need is good GCSE grades. Frankly it doesn't hugely matter what they're in- provided obviously you do the ones you need for hour a levels or whatever. But As open more doors than Cs.

MillyMollyMama · 19/01/2015 20:30

You could ask this question of a great many GCSEs that you never study again! Studying something you are good at is worthwhile. Not everyone who does Drama is an actor for example. GCSEs are about a breadth of subjects and ideally she should have a Humanity in the mix too.

Opopanax · 19/01/2015 20:35

I'm not convinced any GCSE is actually useful in and of itself. The amount of actual knowledge you take away is relatively small. What you learn is (hopefully) a way of using particular types of information - so the skills you learn in science are rather different from those you learn in history. Music is a good subject for showing that your daughter has breadth, application and an artistic/creative side and, as she enjoys it, she is likely to do her best. That's all you can ask really!

motherinferior · 19/01/2015 20:37

It's a creative subject. Doing it well takes both talent and work. Important to have at least one creative subject in the mix, IMO.

I have an O-level (it was that long ago) in music with an A. I cannot say I use it for my work; I do find it useful for singing (I sing in a fairly demanding chamber choir); and I have a degree from the sort of university you could only apply to with A grades.

DD2 will almost certainly do music. DD1 won't as she is utterly unmusical.

motherinferior · 19/01/2015 20:38

Oh and I'd pay a damn sight more attention to a GSCE in music than I do too one in media studies.

I am a journalist, by the way.

LongHardStare · 19/01/2015 20:46

A lot of people give up their instruments (never to return) when the pressure of exams starts kicking in. By choosing music GCSE your DD definitely won't do that. And there are loads of benefits for her social life and her general quality of life of having music be a part of it in the long term.

My DS is thinking of music GCSE for one of his options also, so thanks for the tip re potentially subsidised tuition Essexmum69 - I hadn't thought of that.

honeysucklejasmine · 19/01/2015 20:46

I did it as a bit of light relief from my other subjects. Plus, my school paid for weekly 30 minute lessons for one instrument if you did GCSE. An hour a week for A level! Bargain! It was fun, its worth doing.

ItsAKindOfRabbit · 19/01/2015 20:51

I did music GCSE, it was the hardest of all of my GCSEs! Haven't done anything much with it.

I like having a random music GCSE, though, and I am a Special Needs teacher now and like being able to teach a bit of music :)

thejoysofboys · 19/01/2015 20:59

I have music GCSE. I chose it because I was good at it (and would therefore get a good grade) and because it would be something pleasurable for me to do in amongst some of the tougher subjects. It's nice for your DD to have chance to enjoy her lessons whilst she might have to strive harder in some of the other subjects.
I have never used it but I know others in my class who have - one is a primary school teacher in charge of the music curriculum, another is some kind of speech and language therapist and they use music as part of that.

avocadogreen · 19/01/2015 21:05

I did music GCSE, I haven't exactly gone on to have a musical career, but I've always enjoyed listening to music, going to gigs/concerts and it's nice to have a little background knowledge.... I can also bang out a fairly decent tune on the piano I'd say it certainly has enriched my life more than the useless RE gcse I was forced to do fecking catholic school

VenusRising · 20/01/2015 10:23

Does she have to study it in school to do the exam at the end?
I did lots of exams in subjects I had never studied in school.

motherinferior · 20/01/2015 10:26

It's a pretty demanding academic course, how could you do it without being taught?

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