Study at PSC

Symonds is the place for musical ambition!

The A Level Music course will allow you to develop a range of skills in performing, composing, listening and writing about set works. Students can choose their favourite style in performing and free composition, and the written paper includes set works from selected film scores, classical, pop, jazz and world music.

• Our students get brilliant results, and progression to top universities, conservatoires and contemporary colleges is outstanding.
• We provide free instrumental/vocal tuition, brilliant weekly music activities and concerts in some great venues. 
• We have a highly-regarded team of professional teachers covering A level and instrumental/vocal lessons.
• We have one of the busiest music diaries in the country – come to one of our concerts and hear for yourself – plus weekly lunchtime concerts in college – Classical and Contemporary.
• Your recitals/auditions/ABRSM exams are accompanied by a professional accompanist and recorded by a professional recording engineer.
• In 2021 we joined the Steinway Initiative, and the department now has three Steinway grand pianos, including the recent addition of a new Steinway model B grand, and four new Steinway upright pianos.
• Our annual Festival invites famous musicians to lead workshops and give you feedback on your performance skills.
• All music students receive detailed guidance on applying for music-related higher education courses, including preparation for conservatoire auditions and workshops for Oxbridge/Russell Group entry requirements.

A level Music takes our students to careers in performing, composing, conducting or teaching. You develop a skill-set which is highly regarded by universities and employers, whether you want to work in music or enter another profession:

• Employers are looking for candidates who are creative, with imagination and flexibility
• Musicians are good at working in a team
• Musicians have superb independent study skills and are good at time-keeping
• Skilled performers have also developed confidence in presentation skills
• Live music can never be replaced by computers!

You can find out more on our website: www.psc.ac.uk/life/music or on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SymondsMusic

Performance: weekly one-to-one instrumental or vocal lessons, recital preparation in small groups, solo performing opportunities to increase your confidence, piano accompaniment from our Head of Keyboard.

Composition: writing to detailed briefs set by the board, free composition or stylistic composition, using Sibelius software. One or two lessons per week.

Analytical study of set works from the anthology, including a wider historical context and developing listening skills. Two lessons per week.

Class teaching for set work analysis, listening, harmony and composition, with individual 1-2-1 support in regular workshops. 1-2-1 instrumental/vocal lessons and recital preparation. 

A level Music is a two-year course. At the end of the first year students take assessments in performance and composition, plus a written paper, which are all marked internally. At the end of the second year students perform a solo, recorded recital and complete two compositions, both assessed by the board, and take a two-hour written exam in June.

Going on to study music at university or at a conservatoire can lead to a career in performing, composing, conducting or teaching. Music can also lead to careers in the recording industry, publishing, arts management and the media.

Students wanting to study music beyond Peter Symonds receive specialist higher education guidance, and progression to competitive institutions is outstanding. This guidance includes preparation for conservatoire auditions and workshops for Oxbridge/Russell Group entry requirements. Employers across many fields value the wide and varied skill-set cultivated by Music graduates, so as well as pursuing careers in the music industry, music graduates can be found in numerous other walks of professional life, including accountancy, law and academia.

Students need to buy one textbook – the Edexcel A level Anthology of Music – either new from the department at a subsidised price of £40 or second hand. Students pay a £10 contribution towards photocopying and approximately £15 for a concert trip in the Autumn Term (other music trips are optional). The College has a Student Support Fund for those students who have difficulty meeting these costs. Students can also apply for annual awards to help with costs such as ABRSM exams, instruments and courses.