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 recently opened Russell Music Centre is a state-of-the-art music facility, offering high quality and versatile learning and performance spaces for classical, rock, pop and jazz. The building houses a recital room with cutting-edge audio-visual and production lighting, specialist band rooms, chamber ensemble and rehearsal rooms, acoustically treated teaching and practice rooms and classrooms, and two recording studios equipped to the highest possible industry standard. 
• Our students get excellent 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 – you are warmly invited to attend one of our concerts – 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.
• We are proud to announce that Peter Symonds College has been officially designated an All-Steinway School.  All teaching is on Steinway pianos, including our exciting new Spirio piano.
• 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

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. Many PSC Music alumni are in leading positions in these professions. 

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 (cost £45)  or second hand. Students pay a £10 contribution towards photocopying and approximately £20 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.