Pearson GCSE Music Student Conference

ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE

This revised conference for 2024 will provide students with a motivational informative and valuable revision day Pearson GCSE Music. This interactive and refreshed day is specially designed by current senior examiners, who will give expert advice, guidance and examples to help focus on the key points to maximise students’ exam achievements.

This conference is targeted at Pearson GCSE Music students, but there is much overlap with other.

The conference is fast-paced, interactive and is an opportunity for students to have their questions answered by the examiners themselves.

KEY FOCUS POINTS

• An enriching, interactive and highly valuable day for students in preparation for 2024 exams
• Expert guidance from GCSE Pearson current examiners on improving performance in all three components – Performing, Composing and Appraising
• Learn about the common pitfalls and how to avoid these.
• Take away a comprehensive set of notes which give excellent revision advice and demonstrate the levels required for success
• Teachers will receive the full conference presentations and follow-on materials after the conference as electronic resources

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PROGRAMME

What the examiners want to see

10.25 – 10.35am

• The examiners’ perspective: what examiners are looking for in each component – an overview
• ACTIVITY Quick fire questions

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Achieving a Top Band Mark in The Listening Paper: Section A

10.35 – 11.20am

• How to focus on the demands of each question to hit the top band for Section A
• Expert advice on using technical vocabulary correctly
• Dictation – a no-nonsense approach to achieving full marks on the dictation question
• Unfamiliar pieces – examiner guidance on successful analysis
• ACTIVITY: unfamiliar pieces how to score a Grade 7 – 9 in unfamiliar pieces

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Morning Break submit your questions to the experts

11.20 - 11.40am

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Smashing the Extended Response Question

11.40 – 12.15pm

• What are the examiners expecting to see in a top quality response?
• ACTIVITY - Dissecting a response that gets the grade 8/9
• Examples of excellent appropriate musical vocabulary which makes precise and relevant musical observations
• What kind of evaluative comments, stylistic awareness and features comments secures the top marks?
• Skeleton scores – top techniques and tips

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Composing to a Brief – Achieving Highest Marks

12.15 – 1.00pm

• Examining top level grades 8 – 9 compositions – what counts as an imaginative, top level response to a brief?
• ACTIVITY – examining top grade 8 – 9 compositions which imaginatively develop and extend musical ideas
• How to demonstrate technical control to the examiner in your composition
• The refining process – making your composition outstanding

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Lunch

1.00 - 1.30pm

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Question Box

1.30 – 1.50pm A chance to ask direct questions to the keynote speakers, with a prize awarded for the best question.

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Free Composition: how to score the highest marks

1.50 – 2.30pm

• What are examiners looking for in the Free Composition? Highlighting typical differences between grade 5/6 and grades 8/9.
• Demonstrating individuality, creativity and flair in your Free Compositions
• Demonstrating fully developed and extended ideas and maintaining them consistently – ways to ensure this to access the higher grades
• Identifying top band textural variety – expert examiner hints and tips
• ACTIVITY – Be the examiner! Mark two compositions and assess why they got the marks they did
• Refining your free compositions

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Performance: Solo & Ensemble

2.30 – 3.00pm

• What constitutes a top band performance? Where are the marks gained and lost?
• Top tips form the examiners, advice no how best to prepare to perform and not to just ‘play’.
• ACTIVITY – assessing two performances – strategies to achieve highly in the exam
• Ensemble performance – good ensemble choices, good piece choices – Assessing two top band ensembles

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Final Top Tips

3.00 – 3.10pm

• KEY POINTS from each of the presenters on how to improve your final grades

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