GCSE Music Online Tuition (1 hour) Please check I have availability.

£37.50

Class of 2022: 82% level 7-9 grades (22 entries)

Class of 2021: 85% level 7-9 grades (13 entries)

Class of 2020: 72% level 9 grades

Class of 2019: 43% level 9 grades

NB. The data includes students who attended my courses

 

 

The Edexcel specification is followed and the qualification will be attained through Faregos Home Education Exam Centre. Currently lessons are delivered by Skype or face-to-face. It is usual to have at least an hour Skype lesson a week (currently £36 per hour) and this tuition would cover components 2 (composition start-up) and 3 (listening exam). 

Tutor

The music tutor is Debbie Adamson. She has a Master’s Degree in Music, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Qualified Teacher Status), an Honours Degree in Music and other performing and teaching diplomas. She is an Edexcel GCSE music examiner as well as an ABRSM music examiner (theory). She is the approved music tutor and assessor of Non-Examined-Assessment components for Faregos Home Education Exam Centre. Debbie has held Director of Music positions in both state and private schools.  Her A level lessons were graded ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED (2016). In addition to this she has her own private teaching business where she teaches piano, classical guitar, music theory and provides GCSE and A level music support.  

1 or 2 years?

Able musicians (approximately Grade 5 upwards) may wish to take GCSE music privately in one year (starting in June). Good pre-existing music skills are required alongside a commitment to completing coursework and tasks set to help prepare for a written examination. Musicians of approximately Grade 3 standard may wish to take GCSE music privately over two years. This will allow students to work on basic music theory, composition techniques and gain a slightly higher level of performance (i.e. standard level of difficulty for GCSE music is grade 4). A commitment to completing coursework and tasks set to help prepare for a written examination is required.

Assessment

GCSE music involves non-examined assessments (NEA) which need to be under-taken under controlled conditions. These assessments are taken in the year of entry.  

NEA Protocol  

Performance

Students will be required to attend a recording session where both the solo and ensemble performances (solo and ensemble) will be recorded live. This is so the teacher can authenticate that the student performing their pieces is the correct student. The performances are captured on a CD/MP3, marked by the tutor and then sent to the examining board for external moderation. This is not a public performance or an exam. The tutor will provide guidance and communicate directly with instrumental and vocal teachers regarding the exact requirements and marking criteria to be followed. 

Composition

The exam board specifies students must complete a minimum of five hours composition development, including the final write up and recording, in the centre under teacher supervision. Therefore once the composition is underway, students will be required to attend two composition workshops. Each workshop will last 2.5 hours.  In addition students will submit to the tutor their work in progress to deadlines. This is so the preparatory work can be monitored and authenticated.  

It would be very helpful to have Sibelius music software. They have a free version  and also have other options for monthly subscriptions if you want a more advanced version (http://www.avid.com/sibelius). The time spent on this coursework at home is unlimited. 

The Appraising Exam

The written exam will be sat at Faregos Home Education Centre, Titchfield, Hampshire. (Provisional date for 2020 is Tuesday 2nd June 2020)

The Edexcel specification includes four Areas of Study, each containing two Set Works. The focus is very much on musical elements (i.e. DR SMITH – Dynamics …Rhythm, Metre and Tempo…Structure…Melody…Instrumentation…Texture…Harmony and Tonality) alongside context and musical language (i.e. terminology). The paper consists of short answer questions (52 marks), music dictation (6 marks), unfamiliar listening related to set works (10 marks) and an extended response (12 marks).

It is not necessary to purchase any books or recordings as comprehensive study guides are included in the cost of the Skype lessons. Sample listening papers will eventually be required. 

2 reviews for GCSE Music Online Tuition (1 hour) Please check I have availability.

  1. Sophie Dale

    My son had these gcse lessons with Debbie over yr10/11 and it worked incredibly well being a home education student, he really enjoyed the well structured format and Debbie’s friendly, lively and positive interactions. She has a wonderful ability to encourage confidence and gently guides students in their weaker areas. Debbie has excellent knowledge of her subject area and all her resources are so helpful, the composer study guides in particular where music sections can be played individually alongside detailed analytical information. She makes careful records of student’s progress with the tracker, mock exams and exam practice questions. This has been invaluable this year as the exam board requires teachers to assign the gcse grade based upon evidence. She is highly organised and has good computer skills needed to offer a computer based course the skype lessons ran very smoothly and it is very easy for students and teacher to pass work back and to. Work can be immediately marked on the screen and it is very easy to share on screen work especially their compositions from Sibelius which she gives expert feedback on. Debbie recorded my son’s performance at her house and this proved very successful too as did her witnessing the ensemble performance piece. Debbie has worked tirelessly particularly in response to working around problems caused this year with the virus, she organised a zoom mock exam which worked very well. I would highly recommend her services to anyone considering their child studying gcse music she will try her hardest to make sure they achieve the grades they deserve. A big thank you to you Debbie.

  2. Claire Johnson

    We simply cannot believe our luck in finding Debbie. She is a truly inspiring, thorough, gifted and dedicated teacher. Our daughter took her first lesson with Debbie less than a year ago. Being dyslexic she was struggling to read music notation and wanting to take GCSE music in a year, and since that first lesson she has never looked back. She now reads music confidently which has given her great pleasure and a massive sense of achievement. She has completed the GCSE music course in under a year, and even with the huge challenges that have come along the way, Debbie has never faltered in keeping things moving. Debbie has taught via a combination of face-to-face and Skype lessons, and they have all been supportive and totally engaging. She has helped all her 2020 exam candidates in preparing to submit the evidence required by the exam boards for this years grading. She doesn’t leave a stone unturned, and is the most fun incredible teacher you could ever wish to find. Our daughter is now embarking on a Grade 8 piano piece, and music A’ level course with Debbie, and we know it will be a fabulous journey.

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