Which Group 6 subject should I do?

[<3art]

Hi there! I'm considering taking the IB diploma next year but I'm not sure which group 6 subject I should do.

 

So the ones I'm considering are Visual art, music, Film or design technology.

I enjoy art but after reading through some of the other topics it looks time consuming. I play piano and violin and I have studied Media as one of my subjects this year.

 

Could you please outline the assessment types (oral presentations, profiles,etc) and what is offered in the subject?

Feel free to add your experiences with these subjects 

 

[Sandwich]

Well firstly remember you don't have to do a group 6 subject. The majority of people don't, they use that space to double up another group, so the diploma has some vague reflection of what their actual interests are. For instance I used mine so I could take Chemistry and Biology. As I didn't do one I can't help you with what you're asking, but just to let you know it's non-compulsory (in case you thought that).

[<3art]

Hi! I think the school I'm going to requires a group 6 subject. But thanks for your reply!

[yii yann]

Hi there! I'm considering taking the IB diploma next year but I'm not sure which group 6 subject I should do.

 

So the ones I'm considering are Visual art, music, Film or design technology.

I enjoy art but after reading through some of the other topics it looks time consuming. I play piano and violin and I have studied Media as one of my subjects this year.

 

Could you please outline the assessment types (oral presentations, profiles,etc) and what is offered in the subject?

Feel free to add your experiences with these subjects 

 

Hi there, 

 

Firstly, as Sandwich has mentioned, you don't really have to take a group 6 subject. Many (most) students do another science or humanities subject.

 

Next, are you considering it at HL or SL? There's a big difference in terms of arts subjects, because while in other groups you simply do more in HL, in group 6 your HL causes you to do more things that are also different. Case in point: SL music students generally do the exam paper, performance and a comparative essay. HL students do more questions in the exam paper, have to perform for longer and are more strictly marked, same comparative, and compose a few pieces. The composing is a pretty heavy burden on the standard IB workload. So be aware of these differences. 

 

Check out the syllabus outlines for each of the subjects. A simple google search will provide you with this information better than any IB forum. 

 

As a music HL student, I can tell you it's possibly the most scary subject I took. Mainly because its subjective, very work intensive and also incredibly tedious at times. I cannot tell you how many times I've stayed up late neatening up the score on my compositions because they actually look at that. If you're not absolutely on top of your time management, it'll basically take a steaming dump on your life, simply because of the coursework. 

 

Adding to that, the exam is ridiculous. You're supposed to listen to a piece of music and write an essay about it in ~20 mins. Seven (or six?) of those in a single three hour sitting, and you're not having very much fun. The marking of the essays is also questionable - what constitutes a "response which is highly sensitive to the music"?????

 

My friends doing Visual Art have had a fairly unfortunate time with the massive coursework (exhibition that they put up at the end of the IB). They also swear that the subjective nature of grading art is absolutely terrible for your university chances. Can you imagine your conditional offer depending on some old white guy deciding whether your art, once again, displays "sensitivity"?

 

I can't tell you much about the others, though I think those who did theatre had a good time overall. 

 

At the end of the day though, if you want to do it, just do it. Don't expect the education you receive in that course to be very enlightening however. My music course was essentially a music appreciation course, so yeah. If you're not really passionate about the art subject, just stick with doubling up a humanity or science. It'll make your life easier. 

 

If you absolutely have to do it, like if it's a school rule, just pick the one you currently are at least somewhat interested in. Music SL is a fairly safe bet to be honest.  

[<3art]

Hi yii yan! Thanks for replying.

You mentioned a performance bit for music, is that a performance in the instrument you specialise in? 

If so, do you just perform to the teacher or is it the whole class?

Do you possibly know if there is any composing in SL music?

And how many assessment tasks are there usually in each subject?

 

 

Just wondering, is it possible to have extra points if you pass a certain grade in an instrument? For example, in Australia if you pass grade 8 piano you can add an extra point towards your OP (overall position, tertiary entrance rank used in Australia for selection in University) score.

Edited August 23, 2014 by <3art

[Leaf]

Hi, to answer your questions in turn:

 

The performance may be in voice or instrument, or a combination of the two. It can be any instrument, but obviously you'll want to record pieces with whatever instrument you're best at. It is total fifteen minutes long in SL and twenty minutes long in HL. 

 

The performances must be in front of the teacher. The teacher may also choose to have classmates serve as an audience while you record, although this is not strictly required.

 

In SL Music, you may choose to do the composition instead of the performance. If you choose this route, you will not be required to record a performance, but instead must create two different compositions. These may be any combination of music technology pieces (i.e. made with a computer), traditional compositions, arrangements of a existing piece, or an improvisation. You may only do one arrangement or improvisation though. There's also a 'stylistic techniques' option, but I recommend against doing stylistic techniques. 

 

The assessement tasks in SL Music are: either the performance or the compositions, the musical links investigation, and the final exam. 

 

No, an extra grade in AMEB won't give you extra points in the music course.

[Tiffato3]

Hi there! I'm considering taking the IB diploma next year but I'm not sure which group 6 subject I should do.

 

So the ones I'm considering are Visual art, music, Film or design technology.

I enjoy art but after reading through some of the other topics it looks time consuming. I play piano and violin and I have studied Media as one of my subjects this year.

 

Could you please outline the assessment types (oral presentations, profiles,etc) and what is offered in the subject?

Feel free to add your experiences with these subjects 

 

 

I do visual arts right now and I enjoy it a lot but it is because I am very passionate about art. You have to do a subject you enjoy, this is your 'fun' subject. This subject is something you can't get sick of.