GCSE music or computer science

[Jenkim]

My kid is struggling on picking 1subject from these two for GCSE.
Both of the subjects are okay, no preference and test results are very similar. Because my DS already picked 2 content heavy subjects and has some extra-curricular outside school, half of our weekend are away for doing sports and orchestra. I prefer to choose a subject that won’t take much time.
Can anyone tell me how long should ppl spends on these 2 subjects for achieving a higher grade? Which may be easier for a ‘lazy’ student?
Ds plays 3 instruments, current levels are from grade 5-6ish to diploma, forget most of theory knowledge as he took grade5 theory exam at year4. Always rush through works and doesn’t like to spend more time on doing works( every subjects not just music ,composing) or refining pieces.
TIA

It sounds like a no-brainer. My daughter is doing both. She loves music but is finding computer science a really dry and boring subject. She loved it at KS3. I think she would have preferred Art, but given that she had already chosen Drama, we advised her to go for a third creative subject.

Given your DS’ obvious interest in music, I would suggest this option would be better for him.

DD has after school piano lessons once per week. She is also a member of the school choir and chamber choir as well as the orchestra. Each have weekly sessions (in school). She practises in school at lunchtime. Her school does specialise in music, however.

If your ds is already doing lots of Music outside school, I would say that Music is the better option for now.
That's because the extra-curricular activities will support the GCSE work.
Computing type courses can be studied at a later date without having the GCSE and I understand that the project work involved can be very time-consuming and require close attention to detail.

DS is in Y11 and doing GCSE Music. He chose it as the "easy" option as he was already G4 classical guitar, a reasonable self taught pianist and played in several ensembles and bands. He has really enjoyed the course, really enjoyed the composition side of things. There is no advantage to be had to have a performance grade above 5, although passes can be achieved at G4 standard.

If your child already has G5 Theory and is diploma level, the. I imagine he'll find gcse music quite easy, but possibly also boring?

If your child is grade 5 or thereabouts in one instrument it’s a no brainer. GCSE music will be a bit of light relief and quite easy. I had to do a practical which I obviously practiced for but otherwise it came to me really easily.

Music will be a very easy option if he is already doing a lot outside and with those high grades already in hand.

I would only caution against for someone who had one instrument at a low grade and would be reluctant to do the practice needed to score high marks in the practical.

DD finds it pretty effortless, but she does 2-3 hours a day voluntarily and was G8 at 12... one of her friends is not enjoying slogging away at a G4 piece for the performance piece as they basically don't really enjoy music!

ds y11 is doing both - music has been much easier and less hassle than cs!

Music will be easier based on the amount he is already doing.

The lessons will probably also be more fun:)

DD had to choose 2 from music dance and drama. The advice we had was if you had grade 5 music theory and grade 5 in an instrument it was the equivalent to music GCSE.

If you are a decent musician (grade 7 or above), have grade 5 theory, read music on both main clefs fluently and can compose a bit gcse music is a doddle, my dd only dropped a handful of marks and that was on the composition part, she got full marks on the written exam and practical performance.

I have no knowledge of GCSE music but the GCSE computer science course is terrible and has totally killed all interest and enthusiasm in my teen who previously seemed to be on a pathway towards a career in IT and coding. The knowlege it imparts would be helpful if either you were catapulted back in time to a pre-computer age and needed to reinvent computers to save the world, or if you decided on a career spent in attempting to engineer new kinds of computers that work better and faster. The skills of coding and progranming which most IT professionals actually need are less than 10% of the course. Until the course gets completely reinvented I think the only people who should do it should be people planning to study Electronic & Computer Engineering to degree level, not people who just enjoy computing.

I did a Comp Sci degree, and at least 50% was hardware related.
The subject requires both.
Yes many professionals end up coding, but there are also plenty who work in networking, DBAs, chip designers (heard of ARM?) etc.
Admittedly I read the syllabus for GCSE and thought it was a bit dry for teens, but then have you seen the History syllabus lately?!

On the original subject OP, I'd go for music, they can always pick up CompSci later if they have Maths and Physics (and it's arguably more interesting at higher levels)

Does he know what he wants to do at A level?

Check the entry requirements of the likely schools colleges he would be applying to go to for Sixth Form.

If ge wants to do Compter Science he will need a GCSE.

If he wants to do music his current music experience would be enough for most schools.

It sounds like your DS is is already performing beyond the level required for GCSE music and his involvement in extra curricular up to this point will definitely support and underpin his learning.
Music sounds like the clear choice here if you're are looking for a subject he can do with fewer study hours.
Sounds like this is an opportunity for him to get a solid qualification from all the work and time he has already put into his music up to this point.
Best of luck to him!

It all depends on the exam board chosen by the school. Edexcel is 50% coding.