Music and EPQ

 

Music and EPQ


In A Levels, some schools provide students with the opportunity to do an EPQ which is an Extended Project Qualification that is worth half an A Level. There’s many pros and cons of doing an EPQ so I thought I’d tell you all a bit about it, tell you what I chose to do and any tips for future EPQ projects.


What is an EPQ?


As mentioned, an EPQ is an Extended Project Qualification. It is completely separate to the subjects you study at A Level and a large majority of it is all independent work.

There are different types of EPQ such as writing a dissertation (that’s the one that I did), an artefact, a performance or a group project. I’ll be discussing the dissertation section of the EPQ as that’s what I did and so don’t know much about the others.


You can choose to base your EPQ on absolutely anything you want (music, witchcraft, theatre, sports - the list is endless) as long as there is relevant research already out there that you can use.


Pros and Cons of an EPQ:


✔️ Universities LOVE it - it shows you can work independently, have passion for a subject, stick to a deadlines and produce a high quality of work - an extra thing to put on your personal statement


✔️ Some Universities will choose to lower their entry requirements if you manage to get a certain grade in your EPQ (Cardiff, Normal Entry Requirements = AAB, Entry Requirements WITH EPQ = ABB)


✔️ It is on a topic of YOUR choice - you have full range on everything!


✖️ It is A LOT of work and can cause stress if you start to fall behind


✖️ It requires constant dedication and constant hours - some sections can be boring but vital in ensuring a good grade


Music and EPQ:


There are a lot of ways that you can incorporate Music into your EPQ, whether you do a dissertation, performance, artefact or group. I thought I’d list a couple of ideas that I had thought of before I chose my final topic to help provide future EPQ students with a list of possible options:


  • How Music affects a person’s well being

  • Music within a conflicted world

  • Is Music the most important aspect of a film?

  • Is Music or Maths more important in education?

  • How does Music develop a person’s brain?


There are many more possible options available to choose. These are only some options that I had thought of. 


My EPQ:


I chose to focus my EPQ on Music and Wellbeing with the overall focus question being “Does Music Therapy have a positive impact on patients in hospitals?” I focused the dissertation on 4 different patient types (Children with cancer, Stroke victims, Soldiers with PTSD and Degenerative Diseases).


Below is a link that you can use to access my EPQ:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15KRvshge8_XG5zts-lZhVSvyqbQdk9hu8Sr69t4vwuY/edit?usp=sharing


I have also attached here the video of the presentation section of the EPQ which is a quick summary of the whole dissertation, the skills I learnt and future projects: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QBgkdgjGCCCQdF6jrpzA2pI1aZY7pIeH/view?usp=sharing


I received 51/54 for my EPQ which equalled an A* so I hope you enjoy it. If you would like any more information or advice with EPQ, just drop a comment and I will try and help as much as I can :)

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