Rationale
Music, from earliest times, has been an important expression of human creativity. Today it is a valued social and cultural art form that transcends language and religious and racial barriers. In modern life, music serves many functions:
• Music is a worthwhile accomplishment for its own sake - an education for life
• Socially shared musical activities help develop personality skills and co-operative effort
• Music education engages actively and imaginatively the affective, cognitive and psychomotor aspects of human development
• Musical creativity, linked with competence and enterprise, provides life and employment opportunities
• Music has an important role to play in the economy, both nationally and internationally Today, individual differences in musical values and experiences are an indication of the diversity and vitality of the nation's musical life. In accommodating these differences, this syllabus also accommodates divergence in students' musical needs, interests, and ambitions.
In Leaving Certificate Music (traditional), you will be examined in three areas –
- Practical performance – this exam takes place in March / April of your final year and is worth 25% of your total grade.
- Composition – composing is examined in a written paper which takes place in June as part of State exams. It is also worth 25% of your total grade.
- Listening and analysis – also examined in a written paper and held on the same day as the composition paper. It too is valued at 25% of your total grade.
- For the final 25% of the awarded grade, the student chooses the element of the course that is their area of strength (performing, composing or listening) and takes an extra component in that element to bring the available grade in that element up to 50%. This allows the student to achieve well in the area that they consider to be their strongest.
Music in Leaving Certificate Applied:
This course promotes an awareness of music through the development of listening, performing and composing skills. It is designed so that several music areas can be selected to suit the strengths and interests of the students. School and community resources are used to facilitate the exploration of music in a manner both meaningful and relevant to students