In simple terms
A friendly intro before the formal notes — no formulas yet.
The Performer's Blueprint
The 'Presenting Music' task isn't just about playing the right notes. It's about being a musical communicator, showing the audience both your technical skill and your understanding of the music's story through a performance and accompanying written explanation.
Think of it like being a tour guide for a famous landmark. Simply pointing at things isn't enough (descriptive). A great guide explains the history, the architect's vision, and points out hidden details you wouldn't notice on your own (analytical). Your performance is the tour, and your programme notes are the expert commentary that reveals your deep understanding and makes the experience meaningful for your audience (the examiner).
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Choose two or more contrasting pieces that you can perform confidently as a soloist and/or in a group, totalling 5-15 minutes.
- 2
Practise and record your performance, focusing on technical security (Criterion B) and expressive interpretation (Criterion A).
- 3
Write programme notes (max 600 words) that analyse the music and justify your artistic intentions (Criterion C).
- 4
Submit your video recording and written programme notes as a single, cohesive presentation of your musical identity.
Explore the concept
Use the live diagram and synced steps — play it or tap a step card to walk through.
Full topic notes
Formal explanation with the rigour you need for the exam.
Deconstructing the Assessment Criteria
Success in this component hinges on a deep understanding of the three assessment criteria. They are not separate hurdles but interconnected aspects of a single, holistic presentation. Your goal is to demonstrate a seamless link between your intentions (Criterion C), your expression (Criterion A), and your execution (Criterion B).
Criterion A: Expression and technique (8 marks): This is about the 'how' and 'why' of your playing. Are your dynamics, phrasing, and articulation choices deliberate and effective? Do they serve the music's style and emotional content? A top-scoring performance is not just technically proficient; it is musically insightful and emotionally engaging.
Criterion B: Accuracy and fluency (6 marks): This is the foundation. Are the notes and rhythms correct? Is the tempo steady? Is there a sense of continuity, or is the performance hesitant and broken? While minor slips may be overlooked, a lack of fundamental security will prevent you from achieving the higher markbands in other criteria.
Criterion C: Communication and presentation (6 marks): This criterion assesses your 600-word programme notes and your overall presentation. The notes must justify your interpretative choices with specific musical evidence. They must demonstrate that you have engaged with the music on an analytical level. The examiner is looking for a 'convincing' link between what you say you will do in your notes and what you actually do in your performance.
Choosing Your Repertoire: The Strategic Selection
The pieces you choose are the canvas for your presentation. Your selection should be strategic, allowing you to demonstrate a range of skills. Do not choose pieces that are far beyond your technical ability, as this will compromise your accuracy and fluency (Criterion B). Conversely, pieces that are too simple may not provide enough substance for insightful analysis in your programme notes (Criterion C) or expressive depth (Criterion A).
Contrast is Key: Select at least two pieces that offer contrast. This could be in style (e.g., a Baroque fugue and a Romantic character piece), tempo (fast vs. slow), or context (e.g., a folk song arrangement and a piece of film music).
Solo and Group: Including both a solo and a group piece is highly recommended. It demonstrates different skill sets: individual interpretation and leadership in a solo context, and collaboration, listening, and interaction in a group context.
Authentic Engagement: Choose music you are genuinely passionate about. Your enthusiasm and personal connection will shine through in both your performance and your writing, which examiners reward.
Consider the 'Why': Before finalising a piece, ask yourself: 'What can I write about this piece?' If you cannot identify specific musical features (harmony, structure, texture) to analyse, it may not be a suitable choice for this assessment.
Crafting the Programme Notes: Your Musical Manifesto
Your 600-word programme notes are not a history essay or a biography of the composer. They are a focused, analytical document that justifies your performance choices. Every claim you make about your interpretation must be backed up with specific musical evidence from the score. Use precise terminology related to melody, harmony, rhythm, structure, and texture.
Structure your notes: A good structure might be: 1) Brief introduction to the piece and its context. 2) Your overall interpretative vision. 3) Section-by-section analysis, linking specific musical features to your performance decisions. 4) A concluding sentence that summarises your artistic goals.
Use the language of a musician: Refer to bar numbers, dynamics, articulation marks, and theoretical concepts (e.g., 'cadence', 'modulation', 'syncopation'). This demonstrates your musical literacy.
Connect intention to action: Use phrases that link your thoughts to your playing. For example: 'To emphasise the harmonic tension of the diminished seventh chord in bar 32, I will introduce a slight ritenuto before...' This explicitly connects theory to practice.
Revise and edit: Be ruthless with your word count. Every sentence should serve the purpose of explaining your musical interpretation. Cut biographical details or historical facts that do not directly inform your performance choices.
The Performance and Recording
Your final submission is a video recording. While the assessment is not of your video production skills, good quality audio and video are essential for the examiner to fairly assess your work. Ensure you are clearly visible and that the sound is not distorted. The performance should be continuous, without edits within a piece. Edits are permitted between pieces.
Framing and Audio: Frame the shot to show your hands, face, and instrument as much as possible. Use an external microphone if possible to capture a clear, balanced sound. Test your recording setup thoroughly.
One Take: Each piece should be performed in a single, unedited take. This demonstrates fluency and stamina. You can, of course, do multiple takes and submit the best one.
Presentation: Dress appropriately, as you would for a real concert. Announce the title and composer of each piece clearly before you begin, or use on-screen titles. This contributes to a 'highly effective presentation' (Criterion C).
Mindset: On the day of recording, treat it like a live performance. Warm up properly and get into a focused mindset. Nerves are normal, but preparation is the best way to manage them. Remember, the goal is a convincing musical communication, not note-perfect robotics.
Worked examples
See the formulas applied — reveal one step at a time, like the exam.
A student performs Debussy's 'Clair de lune' on the piano as a solo piece. Write an excerpt from their programme notes (approx. 250 words) that would meet the criteria for a high-scoring submission.
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In my interpretation of Claude Debussy’s 'Clair de lune', I aim to capture the essence of the Symbolist poetry that inspired him, focusing on suggestion and atmosphere over clear-cut emotional statements. My primary challenge is to balance the piece's famous lyricism with its underlying harmonic ambiguity. For instance, in the opening section (bars 1-14), I use a very subtle and flexible rubato, resisting the urge to shape the melody with overt romantic gestures. My goal is to create a sense of timelessness, allowing the non-functional dominant ninth chords to float without a strong pull towards resolution. I achieve this through a delicate, 'una corda' piano tone and careful voicing to bring out the inner moving lines, particularly the chromatic descent in the left hand (bars 5-8), which adds a layer of melancholy beneath the serene surface. In the more animated piu mosso section (from bar 27), my interpretation shifts. Here, I use a fuller tone and more directional phrasing to articulate the arpeggiated figures, conveying a sense of shimmering light. However, I deliberately avoid a harsh fortissimo, ensuring the climax at bar 42 feels ecstatic rather than aggressive, maintaining the dreamlike quality that is central to Debussy's impressionistic language and my overall artistic vision.
A student is the vocalist in a jazz trio (voice, piano, bass) performing 'Autumn Leaves'. Write an excerpt from their programme notes (approx. 250 words) that explains their role and the group's arrangement.
- 1
Our arrangement of Joseph Kosma’s 'Autumn Leaves' reinterprets the standard through the lens of a cool jazz aesthetic, prioritising sparse textures and interactive improvisation. As the vocalist, my role extends beyond simply delivering the melody; I function as a fourth instrumentalist. In the first chorus, I sing the melody with minimal embellishment, focusing on a clear, melancholic tone to establish the song's narrative of loss. My phrasing intentionally lags slightly behind the beat, a technique known as back-phrasing, to create a relaxed, conversational feel against the bassist's steady walking line. The arrangement departs from the standard AABC form by inserting an 8-bar bass solo after the first A section, creating space and anticipation. During the piano solo, I provide subtle vocal fills, or 'comping', using wordless scat syllables on the guide tones (3rds and 7ths) of the chords. This interactive approach, inspired by singers like Anita O'Day, ensures that my role is not passive during instrumental sections. My own vocal improvisation in the final chorus will be built on motifs from the original melody, deconstructing and reassembling them to demonstrate a cohesive, rather than purely decorative, approach to improvisation within our collaborative framework.
How it all connects
The big idea sits in the middle — tap a linked idea to explore the link.
Tap a linked idea to see how it connects back to the main topic — that connection is what examiners reward.
Glossary
Try to recall each definition before you reveal it.
Quick check
Answer in your head first — then tap to check. No pressure.
Revision flashcards
Flip the card. Test yourself before the exam.
Criterion A: Expression and technique
Assesses the demonstration of expressive qualities and the technical skills needed to realise them. This includes dynamics, phrasing, articulation, and stylistic appropriateness.
Key takeaways
Review these before you close the topic — retrieval beats re-reading.
- ✓
Criterion A: Expression and technique (8 marks): This is about the 'how' and 'why' of your playing. Are your dynamics, phrasing, and articulation choices deliberate and effective? Do they serve the music's style and emotional content? A top-scoring performance is not just technically proficient; it is musically insightful and emotionally engaging.
- ✓
Criterion B: Accuracy and fluency (6 marks): This is the foundation. Are the notes and rhythms correct? Is the tempo steady? Is there a sense of continuity, or is the performance hesitant and broken? While minor slips may be overlooked, a lack of fundamental security will prevent you from achieving the higher markbands in other criteria.
- ✓
Criterion C: Communication and presentation (6 marks): This criterion assesses your 600-word programme notes and your overall presentation. The notes must justify your interpretative choices with specific musical evidence. They must demonstrate that you have engaged with the music on an analytical level. The examiner is looking for a 'convincing' link between what you say you will do in your notes and what you actually do in your performance.
Practice — then mark it
The whole point: a real Cambridge question, marked mark-by-mark.
Test Your Understanding
Test Your Understanding
Extra simulations & links
PhET, GeoGebra and other curated tools — open in a new tab.
Frequently asked
Checkpoint
One marked question is worth ten re-reads — close the loop before you move on.
Reading it isn’t knowing it — prove it.
Before you move on: do Test Your Understanding on paper, snap a photo, and get examiner-style feedback on exactly where you win and lose marks.