BBC Young Musician of the Year Finals - BBC Four

[Ariosto]

It's like they advertise on the back of some music "Bach's organ works ..."

[Flosshilde]

He did have quite a big family. All musical.

[BBMmk2]

The great JSB, now there's a composer!

[Mr Pee]

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/philip-hensher/philip-hensher-will-nobody-mourn-the-death-of-classical-music-7766906.html?fb_action_ids=3663632842612&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_source=other_multiline#access_token=AAADWQ6323IoBAORu32dkXlMKne5sWxYTSkDBHhRvxZBGPQxWHX5xh0uYu8kUdQjkwZCzSZACDpV50k9Q1JtlpSV7Qp5zL2O8r0xxpHj1gZDZD&expires_in=5494

[MrGongGong]

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion...xpires_in=5494

I was waiting for someone to mention this
what a load of badly written nonsense
based on what ?

This made me chuckle

"Even 20 or 30 years ago, the great history of art music was something of general interest and respect." ....... yeah right

and he also likes to repeat this urban myth

". Music in school hasn't been focused on understanding the classics for years."

to which I would say ............... thank god (or God for scotty and his mates !).......... Musicology was always a dull subject when I did O level (you can't really call it "Music" as you didn't have to make any sounds !)

the idea that "Classical" music isn't part of GCSE and A level music is just a myth (zzzzzzzzzzz why do I have to spend so much of my time trying to dispel this ? )

[teamsaint]

myth making seems to be very easy in the digital, multi media age Mr GG
Like the myth that labour governments spent more than tory.

[french frank]

the idea that "Classical" music isn't part of GCSE and A level music is just a myth (zzzzzzzzzzz why do I have to spend so much of my time trying to dispel this ? )

What percentage of students follow exam courses in music?

[MrGongGong]

What percentage of students follow exam courses in music?

Fewer this year
I can find out for you if you like ?

Notated music in "mainstream" traditions is about 2/3 of the edexcell A level course

[teamsaint]

Fewer this year
I can find out for you if you like ?

Notated music in "mainstream" traditions is about 2/3 of the edexcell A level course

and the proportion of A *s is very low compared to some subjects .

[french frank]

Fewer this year
I can find out for you if you like ?

I only enquired because it seemed as if you more or less equated 'music in schools' with GCSE and A level. I'm sure a lot more do take exam courses than was once the case. At my school only those who had private music lessons and were already marked out as being very gifted took music exams. The rest of us just has 'singing'.

[MrGongGong]

I only enquired because it seemed as if you more or less equated 'music in schools' with GCSE and A level. I'm sure a lot more do take exam courses than was once the case. At my school only those who had private music lessons and were already marked out as being very gifted took music exams. The rest of us just has 'singing'.

I wouldn't equate music in schools with the exams
but you are right that many more DO take music now
But,sadly this year there is a massive decline partly due to the ebacc thing

what is very worrying IMV is that the national plan for music education (lower case intentional !!!!) seems to regard music only consisting of performance, which is very worrying as it will marginalise the activities of composing and thinking about music........

Music still is a subject that in order to do well one has to be involved outside of the lessons. Imagine if that were true for Maths or English

[french frank]

what is very worrying IMV is that the national plan for music education (lower case intentional !!!!) seems to regard music only consisting of performance, which is very worrying as it will marginalise the activities of composing and thinking about music........

And listening/appreciation? I imagine that's what P. Hensher had in mind in his article

[Suffolkcoastal]

My 14 year old niece brought her GCSE/BTECH options over a few weeks ago. She was briefly thinking of doing music as she knew I'd help her. I took a look at the music prospectus and it was appalling. Unless you were already a performer then the whole course was pointless. She of course didn't take the music option on my advice, which will probably result that any musical leaning she did have, have been destroyed by such a pathetic course. I am now seriously worried about her younger sister who is quite musical, if faced with the same course.

[MrGongGong]

My 14 year old niece brought her GCSE/BTECH options over a few weeks ago. She was briefly thinking of doing music as she knew I'd help her. I took a look at the music prospectus and it was appalling. Unless you were already a performer then the whole course was pointless. She of course didn't take the music option on my advice, which will probably result that any musical leaning she did have, have been destroyed by such a pathetic course. I am now seriously worried about her younger sister who is quite musical, if faced with the same course.

"Pointless" ? in what way ?

(not that music GCSE is perfect , don't get me wrong about that !)

I always worry when people complain that something is "pointless" as some of the most interesting and life changing things seem at first to be "pointless".

What I often try to communicate to teachers when I do projects with them and their students is that a genre based approach to music education is IMV fundamentally flawed as it misses the essential things about music as a sonic art and in many ways just ends up as a course in "practical musicology" (not that there's anything wrong with musicologists ) rather than being about music both note based and sound based.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I think the course was actually a sort of BTECH, why this sort of thing is being offered to 14/15 years olds I've no idea, as it wasn't an actual GSCE. There was nothing about reading music, basic harmony, music history or anything like that. It was basically a bit of music technology combined with an emphasis on the modern popular recording industry, with some practical performance element. There was no option for them to even do the GSCE if they wanted.