PSP Music by Playful Scholarship Portfolio - Curriculum

PSP Music

Playful Scholarship Portfolio - Curriculum

Only available to students of Wimbledon High School GDST.

The Advanced PSP Music pathway develops confident, expressive musicians who combine technical mastery with critical and creative insight. Grounded in the A Level curriculum, this pathway fosters depth in performance, composition, and musicological analysis, while encouraging students to lead, collaborate, and innovate across the school’s cultural life.

In performance, students work to a high technical standard — typically ABRSM Grade 8 or beyond — on an instrument or voice of their choice. They refine expressive control, stage presence, and interpretative understanding through solo and ensemble work, often contributing to the school’s most ambitious concerts and productions. Many take on leadership roles in rehearsals, sectionals, or co-curricular ensembles, and engage with external opportunities such as national youth orchestras or chamber competitions.

Composition forms a core strand of the pathway. Students develop two substantial original works, one in response to a set brief and one free. These pieces demonstrate command of musical structure, instrumentation, harmonic language, and stylistic idiom. Students frequently explore personal musical voices — incorporating folk influences, extended techniques, digital media, or innovative forms — and refine their work through multiple drafting cycles, supported by individual tutorials and peer critique.

In appraising, students explore a wide range of set works and unfamiliar listening examples. These span genres and periods — from Baroque concerto and Classical opera to 20th-century jazz, experimental music, and film scores. Students analyse musical elements, form, and context with increasing precision, developing a scholarly voice in extended written responses and timed essays. Wider reading, score study, and contextual research support their growing fluency in musicological writing.

Throughout, students are expected to take ownership of their musical development. They reflect critically on their progress, contribute visibly to the musical culture of the school, and often leave a legacy of leadership — whether through original compositions, directorial roles, or mentoring younger musicians. Many continue to study Music or related disciplines at university, supported by the school’s specialist provision for Oxbridge or conservatoire preparation.

This pathway fosters the confidence, discipline, and creativity essential not only to artistic futures but to any field that values expression, collaboration, innovation, and resilience.