What could DD use a music GCSE for?

[starfish4]

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.

[Hakluyt]

Music GCSE's tough. As many people find who think it'll be a bit of light relief.

My dad did Art for the same reason.

[motherinferior]

DD1 is currently doing art . I will probably yield to her requests to do drama as well, given how rigorous the art is.

[Hakluyt]

Drama is differently challenging. It's all about groups working together and falling out and bickering about who's doing what, and rehearsal space and.....

Art is just hell. There is a night when everyone, all the candidates and their parents, are up til 3 preparing portfolios..............

[Bramshott]

Setting aside the very valid points that many PPs have made about about the main point of GCSEs not being their "use", a music GCSE could help your DD with:

• a basic part of the curriculum if she becomes a primary teacher
  
• music choice if she becomes an advertiser or copywriter
  
• pursuing any number of careers in arts management/the cultural sector
  
• managing a music list if she becomes a publisher
  
• understanding and empathising with clients if she becomes a copyright lawyer
  
• maintaining a life-long love of music as an enjoyable hobby
  
• helping her own DC if they choose to learn an instrument
  
• probably loads of other stuff I haven't thought of!

[GentlyBenevolent]

Hak - DD2 wants to do music and drama (she's a year off having to chose her options though). I hope her school let her do them both but fear that it may not.

Incidentally - have you seen the thread about girls' comics? Suspect it might be of interest... :)

[DayLillie]

Drama is differently challenging. It's all about groups working together and falling out and bickering about who's doing what, and rehearsal space and.....

Don't get me started about GCSE Dance

My DDs did GCSE Expressive Arts - the choice in that group was Music (didn't want to do it) Drama (teacher said they would be better doing Expressive Arts) and EA. It was probably a waste of time as an academic subject, required no exam (was the much maligned Modular type) but they had a ball, got A* and lots of other more useful GCSEs.

[invisiblecrown]

Oh Christ, no ones GCSEs are actually useful. They are just the key to the next steps.

As long are her subjects are rounded overall, and won't limit her options, let the poor girl do what will make her happy. Rather a happy child enjoying school, than one that loses enthusiasm.

[Lilymaid]

Grades 5,6, and 7 in music provide UCAS points which would help her get into a good university
No they wouldn't as good universities are interested in A2 grades and what three or four of those add up to. They'll ask for AAA, ABB or similar, not just points.
Nothing wrong with Music GCSE, my DSs have several GCSEs/AS Levels that are not in the least relevant to what they do now. As long as you have all the core GCSEs it doesn't much matter.

[GentlyBenevolent]

Interesting that nobody asks, for example, what use is a science GCSE for someone who has no intention of doing anything in a science related field.

[ReallyTired]

Lilymaid, I think a lot depends on what you want to study whether they are interested in someone having grade 7 piano. I imagine that grade 7 piano could be useful for someone applying to do a BEd in primary school teaching or wanting to do a media/arts related degree. Its a bit like doing 4 A-levels when offically universities only require 3 A-levels. It doesn't surprise me if they ignore the fact that a candidate has grade 7 piano if they are applying for something vocationally foccussed like medicine. I can't seen grade 7 piano harming anyone applying to study something non musical. It shows that person has application, can be sucessful in a range of areas and is a rounded individual.

As an aside, I have found that employers have never shown any interest in my GCSE results. Its desperately sad that no one is interested in my excellent GCSE results as I have a degree.

[starfish4]

Thanks for your replies everyone, they are making me feel a lot more positive. She gets her homework done, but will spends a couple of hours at a time playing her violin and trying to create her own music, so I've no doubt she will put the effort into a music GCSE. She's already talked to her violin teacher who has offered to do an ensemble with her as part of the exam (they often do it with a friend, but an experienced violin teacher is less likely to do wrong so this is a great offer).

[HSMMaCM]

I have an o'level pottery design technology which I have never used, but it looked good as an A grade on my list of subjects. DD is doing drama, which is much more demanding than playing with clay at lunchtimes.

[motherinferior]

Someone who'll do a couple of hours' violin on their own definitely ought to do a music GCSE .

[Opopanax]

Yes, what motherinferior said!

[SonorousBip]

My DS is 13 and seems to spend quite a lot of time loitering around on his guitar and looking moodily into the middle distance. The thought that this actually helps towards his GCSEs (actually confirmed by his music teacher) is a source of great comfort to me. Its like I had found out back in the early 80's that smoking and applying make up gave you UCAS points or something

[mummytime]

Music is a well thought of subject.
Music is a useful subject for some careers, including some Medical related ones.
Being able to play an instrument in an orchestra, band or sing in a choir are good ways of meeting people throughout life.

If she didn't like it then I wouldn't force it. If she likes Music, does lots of it but can't fit it in as an option, then I wouldn't stress (doing the Grades can be enough).
But if she wants to do it, then its a good choice.

[saoirse31]

Am always of the opinion that you should do subjects you like as far as possible. and that parents should not within reason choose kids subjects.

[BackforGood]

As others have said - most of us rarely use the vast majority of stuff we learned for our O-Levels GCSEs
If she enjoys it and is good at it then she's likely to get a higher grade than if pushed to doing something she doesn't want to, and X GCSEs at grades A* - C is what people will want to know. As long as they include maths, English, science and a language, nobody is going to mind what her 9th or 10th subject is (although personally I think music is an academic and respected subject).

[starfish4]

Thanks again for your replies. They were told yesterday that the Head of Music would choose out of those who opt for music, who actually gets to do it - they will be looking at ability, whether they attend school music clubs and williness in class - they are obviously looking for those who are committed and won't get fed up of playing an instrument in the meantime. Fingers crossed!

BackforGood, she is actually do Fast Track French higher level already. She has to do this and will then concentrate on her second language totally, so she will have a language. They haven't been told it's compulsory to do a humanity, but it sounds like she will choose geography or history. She wants to do textiles as well, so maybe she does have a good mix.

[bachsingingmum]

I did O and A levels and loved it. Went on to do a science degree and then embarked on an unrelated professional career. Music has never been my day job but it has always been my passion, helping provide a lovely balance to life.

[saintlyjimjams]

Having the head of year choose sounds quite a good idea tbh.

Ds2 handed in his options form today - he's chosen music and drama as two of his options. I'm expecting him to really enjoy music. He is learning the piano so that will help with the theory side and he'll go for voice for performance. Music certainly always used to be academic, theory was always quite hard. I think it's pretty respected.

[YokoUhOh]

Hi OP, I'm a secondary school music teacher and would love to have your daughter in my GCSE class!

My current Yesr 11s all say it's their favourite subject; lots of camaraderie, ensemble performing, comparing their compositions/gleaning ideas from each other and they even like the listening exam.

Lots of my contemporaries at Oxford had Music GCSE - studying music is all about perseverance, self-motivation and commitment.

[BackforGood]

I'm amazed there are enough people choosing to do music, to need the HoD to 'select' from those who apply

There are 12 (out of 150) doing it in dd's year.
At ds's school, the music teacher was virtually going round with a big net on options evening trying to round up anyone who she'd either ever heard play an instrument badly or hold a not through a song! We had to weedle ds out from her clutches.

[30somethingm]

Music develops the logical and creative parts of the brain equally, it develops ones ability to work as part of a team, it develops ones ability to work towards goals, and to self-discipline. This is perhaps why music graduates do such a wide range of jobs, from banking and accountancy, medicine to teaching, journalism to law, and of course sound engineering to performing. I lived in a house of 7 music graduates and they are all really successful in different fields.

I think this is a great opportunity for your daughter, even at GCSE level.

[Billingsgatedoxy]

My ds is considering the music gcse. He's currently working on his grade 3 pieces and I'm concerned he will find it too difficult. Any thoughts from music teachers on whether that's correct?

Ta