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Music Elective Programme for junior college

The Music Elective Programme (MEP) is a 2-year programme offered in selected junior colleges that allows students with music potential, aptitude and passion to pursue an in-depth study of music.

Overview

The pre-university-level MEP is a 2-year programme which allows students with musical potential, aptitude and passion to pursue an in-depth study of music.

MEP students can expect:

  • An extended and balanced Music curriculum comprising the development of skills in Listening, Creating, Performing and Research.
  • An in-depth study in a spread of genres (for example, Asian, Classical Jazz, Popular and Multimedia genres).
  • Access to specialised facilities such as practice studios, music technology equipment and other resources (for example, scores, audio-visual materials).
  • Opportunities to learn from arts industry professionals, and staff and students from Institutes of Higher Learning.
  • Opportunities to learn and collaborate with MEP students from other schools.
  • H2 and H3 Music syllabuses to be offered at A-Level (except for Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) students who will take IBDP Higher Level Music).

Learn more about the MEP:

Who can take it

Students who have passed any of these:

  • O-Level Music or Higher Music
  • MEP Selection Exercise conducted by the school
MEP Selection Exercise

All MEP applicants who did not take up Music or Higher Music at O-Level must go through a selection exercise.

Selection exercise requires some experience and competence in:

  • Instrumental performance or singing (for example, learning an instrument in school CCA or school-based Music programme). Student must be able to display basic fluency and sound fundamental techniques.
  • Composing music.
Listening Test

The listening test consists of short musical extracts taken from both Western and non-Western musical traditions. After which, applicants will respond through a series of short-answer questions.

The questions asked will require applicants to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following:

  • Melody (for example, articulation; contour; intervals; motif, theme, decoration, voice-leading, melodic devices and decorations, transposition)
  • Harmony (for example, tonality, modulation, cadences, chord progressions, harmonic devices)
  • Key signature, accidentals and scales (including diatonic, chromatic, pentatonic and blues scale)
  • Time signature, tempo, rhythm and rhythmic devices
  • Instruments of the western orchestra, instrumentation, tone colour and musical textures (including monophony, homophony, polyphony, unison and doubling)
  • Form and structure (for example, binary, ternary, rondo, theme and variations, 12-bar blues, popular song structures, sonata form)
  • General music characteristics of Western (for example, Baroque through 20th Century) and Asian music (such as Chinese, Malay, Indian)

Learn more about the O-Level Music Teaching and Learning Syllabus (Refer to PDF, page 13 to 26).

Audition

Applicants will be required to perform 2 contrasting solo pieces on an instrument (for example, piano, trumpet, rebab, erhu, sitar) or voice, lasting no longer than 10 minutes in total.

Creation

Submission of a 30-second music composition in any chosen musical style and medium based on a given pitch or rhythmic stimulus.

Where to take it

Junior colleges that offer the MEP:

How to join

Interested students are encouraged to seek admission into MEP junior colleges. Upon admission, indicate interest in joining the programme to the MEP teachers.

Students who did not take up Music or Higher Music at O-Level must attend and pass the selection exercise conducted by the school at the beginning of JC1.

Fees, subsidy and scholarship
  • MEP students do not need to pay any additional school fees.
  • Students enrolled in Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) or Raffles Institution are eligible for a school fee subsidy with a cap of $2,400 per student yearly.
  • Singapore citizens may be eligible for the Music Elective Scholarship.

Note:

If you have any questions about MEP, contact us.