Singing for GCSE music

[AChickenCalledDaal]

Anyone got a child who has done the new 9-1 GCSE music using their singing voice? What kind of thing did they sing and did they have private lessons?

DD2 has just started the course and is enjoying everything except one-to-one singing lessons. She started the lessons to support the GCSE, because we thought it would be a good idea. But there's something about the experience of singing to a teacher in a small room that she really hates. She can't really articulate why. She's certain it's not the teacher, but something about the dynamics of a private lesson.

She's got a good, strong voice and sings in key. She can get really nervous but they record their performances and I think she'll get to grips with that. She also sings in the choir and they do ensemble work in class.

She does also have drumming lessons, which she loves. But she's only just doing grade 1 drumming and I'm unclear how useful it will be for the GCSE.

We're having a conversation with her class teacher as well but I'd be interested in anyone's experience.

Hi OP, yes my son just did music GCSE and his instrument was singing. He has been singing for some time though and he performs.
I think for GCSE they have to be at least Grade 5 when they do the performance, which is Easter of Year 11. They also need to have taken Grade 5 theory.
There are loads of options for what they can sing. Anything from the ARBRSM books Grade 6 and above. They also need to do a duet at this level and do two original compositions using computer software.
I think your DD probably needs to just see the singing lessons as a means to an end? Singing lessons are hard work and some days are obviously better than others! Maybe talk to the teacher if you can and ask her to give lots of positive feedback at this time?

Sorry ABRSM books. The teacher should make suggestions based on her voice type.

Children do NOT need to have taken grade 5 theory to do GCSE, music and they do not have to be at least grade 5 standard on their instrument, though they will get better marks for the performance element if they are . No need to sing anything from the grade 6 book. Children should sing something that suits and shows their voice, which might not be anything that would feature in an ABRSM exam. The singing teacher will be best placed to advise nearer the time.

Mine didn't, but lots of children sing for their GCSE performance and it sounds like the OP's daughter would do better singing than playing the drums.

Really Fifth? In order to take GCSE music as an option, DS’ school said they had to be at least Grade 5 on the instrument they would be examined on. They had a teacher in to do the theory with them over a couple of terms for the Grade 5 in that as they said it was a pre-requisite??

They don't have to have taken grade 5 theory to do GCSE.
Also, they can sing what they want. The more advanced the piece the higher grade they can achieve.
If you chose a grade one relative easy piece you'll only be able to gain the lower marks.
Mine is on track for a level 9 she's singing Handel's Messiah. and extended counterpoint harmony in the ensembles.

No wonder so few children do music GCSE if this is the sort of rubbish schools are telling them!

Also, it is not necessarily the case that you should perform as difficult a piece as you can. You get no credit for performing a grade 8 piece for GCSE, for example. It used to be the case, if I remember rightly, that grade 4 was the expected standard but you got extra credit for grade 5 standard. However, it was better to perform a grade 4 piece very well, than struggle with a grade 5 piece. For those above the standard expected, the advice used to be to perform a grade 5 piece perfectly rather than risk a less polished performance of a grade 8 piece.

That's what my daughters did (both had grade 8 before taking their GCSE). The details might have changed a bit (my daughters did old style GCSEs), but the principle hasn't.

DS is a baritone / bass so he did “Maria” Westside Story and for the duet he did “The Magic Flute” with a girl from his group.

Can confirm the Grade 5 thing is a myth (DS is probably grade 5 standard in performance, but doesn't have Grade 5 theory, and there's a couple of students in his class that are only about Grade 3 standard).

But, on the other hand, they can't sing for GCSE music at his school. I think possibly because singers are encouraged to take Performing Arts.

Cos1ma - just wondering if your DS goes to a selective school? That might be why the school is imposing higher than necessary entry criteria?

Grade 4 standard is what we were told in terms of the difficulty of performance. And in fact DD1 has already done the GCSE and got a grade 9 with her performance pieces being around Grade 4 standard. She did have Grade 5 piano at that point, but was taking the "play an easier piece well" approach.

I guess I can take a look at ABRSM grade 4 singing books and see whether DD2 is likely to do a decent job of them. I sing myself, but have never had formal lessons, so getting my head round the standard required is tricky.

I suppose my basic question is ... can a child with a really good natural singing voice make a decent fist of a grade 4 piece without taking private lessons?

Yes it is a selective school, also I should have said it was the IGCSE if that makes any difference? About 25 did it and I think Tje majority got a 9. Some had the Grade 5 theory beforehand, but for those that didn’t, there was a compulsory extra lesson a week for about a term to get them there, which was why I thought this was a requirement of the GCSE. Obviously not though - my apologies.

You have plenty of time anyway OP for your DD to work out what she’s comfortable singing. Her teacher will no doubt guide her.

I would keep up with the lessons if at all possible OP. For instance, when my DS found out was he was singing, of course he went on YouTube etc to see Carreras or whoever doing famous performances of Maria. Until his teacher said, “Noooo!” Apparently, you have to sing it to the requirements of the board. This can be quite specific, so getting influenced elsewhere can be confusing.

Again, this might just be this singing teacher, so sorry if I’m being OTT, but that’s my impression of how it goes fwiw.

Cos1ma my other daughter (i.e not the one this thread is about!) definitely feels her grade 5 theory gave her a big advantage in the GCSE. So I can see why a school would make it an internal requirement if they have a high-achieving music dept. But it's not an official prerequisite for the 9-1 GCSE.

I suspect that schools who insist on such high requirements are preventing some perfectly capable students from doing music GCSE, which is a shame.

Well you could be right OP. Also, they required anyone doing GCSE in whatever instrument to perform it in front of an audience at one of the school recitals, so when they came to do it in front of just two people for the exam it was far scary than doing it in front of about 50-100 peers and teachers!

less scary!

Mine did GCSE not iGCSE but from memory the latter is much more theoretical than the GCSE, which might be why the school wants them to take the theory exam if they don't already have it.

@AChickenCalledDaal : I think the answer to your latest question is yes, but private lessons will help!

Dd did her GCSe music using singing but she goe to a specialist performing arts school so is perhaps not representative. There were plenty of ballet dancers however who were not so confident in singing who did it although they mostly all did private lessons. I don;tknow what dd sang, she was preparing for college auditions at the time so may have use one of those pieces (In My Own Little Corner, Watch What Happens and Wait a Bit)

Ds is taking his GCSE music in May. He too will sing, he doesn;t have weekly lessons but he does go to a singing class, a musicakl theatre groups and have the odd singing private masterclass.

It is NOT necessary to be Grade 5. Grade 5 is about the right sort of standar to get the best marks for the performance side and it's what ds will aim at. He's currently learning If the World Turned Upside Down and Giants in the Sky. For his Year 10 exam he sang Purpose.

If you sing a Grade 5 standard song well you get more credit than if you sanf a Grade 3 song but it's better to perform something well than a more difficult piece badly. In AQA there are 6 marks available out of 36 for difficulty (per performnce you do two solo and ensemble).

If you perform a Grade 5 standard piece you get all 6 marks, Grade 4 is 5 marks, Grade 3 is 4 marks, Grade 2 is 3 marks, Grade 1 is 2 marks & any piece below Grade 1 standard gets 1 mark.

INcidentally dd got a Grade 8 for her music. Her composition was apparently excellent as was her performance and she felt the set works went well but listening and theory is not her strong point.

Ds is taking his Grade 5 theory alongside GCSE becasue he thinks it will be useful for college applications. He has found that most of what he needs to know has been covered in class but there are some bits for the ABRSM exam he has had to specifically learn.

I think schools set their own guidelines -DA2's says they expect pupils to be grade 7 by the end of the course (and then add that "beginners will find this a challenging course" which made me laugh).

I do think that singing lessons would be useful, if only to help select and prepare the pieces

Thanks everyone. It's really interesting to see the variation between schools. And I feel more equipped to discuss things with the class teacher, who we're meeting next week.

It's a tricky one, because the way DD2 feels right now I can foresee the private lessons actually holding her back because she's building up a huge level of anxiety about them. And anxiety is not conducive to a decent vocal performance!

But it still feels risky to trust that they'll be able to support her performance sufficiently through class work.

they expect pupils to be grade 7 by the end of the course (and then add that "beginners will find this a challenging course" which made me laugh).

Considering several leading universities (in the music league tables) only expect Grade 7/8 on entry with lower standards sometimes accepted if they have a composition/musicology focus that’s laughable.

Dh went to a leading conservatoire and only started piano aged 14 and voice aged 16 and he now teaches intending professional performers at university.

Goodness me, there's a lot of nonsense here.

I teach Music in a secondary school, so feel qualified to dispel some myths. Firstly, whilst useful, grade 5 theory is NOT compulsory for GCSE. It enhances their learning, but lots of my students passed their theory years ago and seem incapable of remembering lots of it (not taught by me). It is for undergraduate study, just to put things into perspective.

Secondly, the standard of pieces depends on the exam board. Grade 4 is standard, but for Eduqas it's grade 3 and grade 4 is more difficult. Where appropriate, I encourage all mine to perform grade 4 repertoire. There is absolutely no point in playing anything harder. In the first year of the course a lad who passed grade 8 in year 7 played a grade 7 piece. I showed him the mark scheme and told him what he would get, which was not full marks as there were slips and he did not realise all the performance directions. He listened, went back to his old pieces and came back a couple of weeks later with a grade 4 piece which he absolutely nailed. He got full marks in performance and came out with a 9 overall.

The OP's DD should look really carefully at the mark schemes for performance. She should record some of her pieces and ask her teacher for an honest assessment of where she is now. If she's getting high marks, it might be worth ditching the lessons.

Performances now have to be recorded in the school year of the exam, which in most settings is year 11. To the person who said they record at Easter, it's not the case in my school. We have some performances already recorded for people who want it out of the way. Some will no doubt leave it until much later. We have a deadline of the start of March so we can get everything marked and uploaded. Easter is cutting it too fine. Equally, the so-called requirement to perform at a concert is another myth. The teacher/assessor has to be present at the recording but nobody else needs to be there. We often record just the candidate if it's a pianist playing a solo.

The Eduqas specification insists on an ensemble performance and this cannot be someone singing/playing the main tune. The OP may find her DD would benefit from drumming if she is not a confident harmony singer, but I am not as up to speed on the other exam specs.

This is the board the music schools seem to follow.

qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Music/2016/specification/Specification_GCSE_L1-L2_in_Music.pdf