Student Samples on MyIB (from 2024)
Latest Samples from the IB
On June 24, 2025, the IB have released a range of samples from the 2024 period on MyIB. These cover all four of the components for music - Exploring Music in Context, Experimenting with Music, Presenting Music and The Contemporary Music Maker. In each case, there is a range of samples representing Grade 1 or Grade 2 work through to the highest category of Grade 7. There are also comments provided on how these marks were awarded, persumably by a senior examiner. This page provides a summary of all on offer.
“The Highs and Lows” Photo by Simon Billy on Unsplash
Firstly, here are the grade boundaries for the two assessment periods (May and Nov) for 2024 for the component of Exploring Music in Context (for more details on all the subject reports you may visit HERE).
Exploring Music in Context (SL/HL) - May 2024 | |||||||
Grade | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Mark Range | 0-2 | 3-4 | 5-7 | 8-10 | 11-13 | 14-16 | 17-24 |
Exploring Music in Context (SL/HL) - Nov 2024 | |||||||
Grade | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Mark Range | 0-2 | 3-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-17 | 18-24 |
Here is a summary of the FIVE sample assessment pieces available on the site, in order from the lowest scoring to the highest. For all the details, please visit Music Assessed Student Work on MyIB (see HERE).
Sample 5:
Pieces Discussed:
- "Como quien pierde una estrella" by Alejandro Fernandez (AOI 2: Music for Listening and Performance)
- "Cowbell Warrior" by sxmpra (AOI 1: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression)
- "Alright" by Kendrick Lamar (AOI 1: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression)
- "Electric Zoo" by SpongeBob Squarepants (AOI 4: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age)
Grade Awarded:
Based on the mark of 4, a Grade 2 would be awarded in either May 2024 OR Nov 2024.
Sample 3:
Pieces Discussed:
"The Death Song" by Carlos Nakai (AOI 1: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression)
"Love You Like a Love Song" by Selena Gomez (not mentioned)
Minuet in G WoO 10, NR.2 by Ludwig Van Beethoven (AOI 2: Music for Listening and Performance)
Grade Awarded:
A mark of 8 would be awarded Grade 3 in the Nov 2024 assessment period, but Grade 4 in the May 2024 assessment period.
Sample 4:
Pieces Discussed:
Tárrega's "Lágrima" (AOI 2: Music for Listening and Performance)
Toshiro Masuda's "Sadness and Sorrow" (AOI 3: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement, and Entertainment)
"Where is the Love" by the Black Eyed Peas (AOI 1: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression)
Grade Awarded:
A mark of 14 would be awarded Grade 5 in the Nov 2024 assessment period, but Grade 6 in the May 2024 assessment period.
Sample 1:
Pieces Discussed:
"Lin Ling Fighting the Typhoon" (AOI 1: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression)
"The Preacher" (AOI 2: Music for Listening and Performance)
"Anitra's Dance" (AOI 3: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment)
"Concret PH" (AOI 4: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age)
Grade Awarded:
Based on the mark of 21, a Grade 7 would be awarded in either May 2024 OR Nov 2024.
Sample 2:
Pieces Discussed:
Haydn's Sonata in D major (AOI 2: Music for Listening and Performance)
Mozart's Sonata in Bb major (AOI 2: Music for Listening and Performance)
Josquin des Prez's Ave Maria (AOI 1: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression)
Thanh Ngoan's Lỡ Bước Sang Ngang (AOI 1: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression)
Grade Awarded:
Based on the mark of 23, a Grade 7 would be awarded in either May 2024 OR Nov 2024.
Here are the grade boundaries for the two assessment periods (May and Nov) for 2024 for the component of Experimenting with Music (for more details on all the subject reports you may visit HERE).
Experimenting with Music (SL/HL) - May and Nov 2024 | |||||||
Grade | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Mark Range | 0-2 | 3-4 | 5-10 | 11-14 | 15-17 | 18-21 | 22-28 |
Here is a summary of the SIX sample assessment pieces available on the site, in order from the lowest scoring to the highest. For all the details, please visit Music Assessed Student Work on MyIB (see HERE).
Sample 2:
Experimenting as a Creator:
Source Material: "Lovely" by Billie Eilish
Area of Inquiry: not mentioned
Context: not mentioned
Experimenting as a Performer:
Source Material: “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment)
Context: not mentioned
Based on a mark of 9, a Grade 3 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 5:
Experimenting as a Creator:
Source Material: "Baikal Lake" by Lijian
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
Context: Global
Experimenting as a Performer:
Source Material: "Memory" from the musical Cats
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment
Context: Global
Based on the mark of 12, a Grade 4 would be awarded in either May 2024 OR Nov 2024.
Sample 4:
Experimenting as a Creator:
Source Material: "The Last of Us" (Video Game Soundtrack) by Gustavo Santaolalla
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement, and Entertainment
Context: not mentioned
Experimenting as a Performer:
Source Material: "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
Context: not mentioned
Based on a mark of 14, a Grade 4 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 1:
Experimenting as a Creator:
Source Material: "Våraften" by Otto Hübertz Mortensen
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
Context: Local
Experimenting as a Performer:
Source Material: "So Danço Samba" by Antônio Carlos Jobim
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
Context: Global
Based on a mark of 19, a Grade 6 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 3:
Experimenting as a Creator:
Source Material: Ronda Alla Turka by Mozart
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
Context: Global
Experimenting as a Performer:
Source Material: “Minuet” from (Book 2) of Clavierbuchlein for Anna Magdalena by Bach
Area of Inquiry: not mentioned
Context: Local
Based on a mark of 24, a Grade 7 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 6:
Experimenting as a Creator:
Source Material: "Anything Goes" by Cole Porter
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment
Context: Local
Experimenting as a Performer:
Source Material: "Repton" by C. Hubert H. Parry
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
Context: Local
Based on a mark of 26, a Grade 7 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Here are the grade boundaries for the two assessment periods (May and Nov) for 2024 for the component of Presenting Music (for more details on all the subject reports you may visit HERE).
Presenting Music (SL/HL) - May and Nov 2024 | |||||||
Grade | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Mark Range | 0-5 | 6-10 | 11-16 | 17-21 | 22-27 | 28-32 | 33-38 |
Here is a summary of the SIX sample assessment pieces available on the site, in order from the lowest scoring to the highest. For all the details, please visit Music Assessed Student Work on MyIB (see HERE).
Sample 4:
Presenting as a Creator:
- “Dance Groove” EDM Creation
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
Presenting as a Performer:
- “Für Elise” by Ludwig van Beethoven (Adaptation for Cello)
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
- “Engines of Resistance” by Larry Clark (Cello Solo)
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment
- “Oleander” by Mother Mother (Voice)
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
Based on a mark of 10, a Grade 2 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 5:
Presenting as a Creator:
- “Wake Me Up”
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
Presenting as a Performer:
- "In Flight" by Samuel R. Hazo
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
- "October" by Eric Whitacre
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
- "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment
Based on a mark of 10, a Grade 2 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 6:
Presenting as a Creator:
- “Freedom Noise”
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
- “Organum for Voices”
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
Presenting as a Performer:
- "La Marseillaise" by Jean Claude Rouget
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
- Caprice Variations for Unaccompanied Violin by George Rochberg
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
- Winter-Largo by Vivaldi
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment
Based on a mark of 20, a Grade 4 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 3:
Presenting as a Creator:
- "Military Anthem"
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
- “IKUSA”
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment
- “WINNERS”
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
Presenting as a Performer:
- "The People United Will Never Be Defeated!" by Frederic Rzewski
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
- "Rêverie" by Claude Debussy
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
- "Les Cyclopes" by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
Based on a mark of 26, a Grade 5 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 1:
Presenting as a Creator:
- “Waves”
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
Presenting as a Performer:
- “Semi-Improvised Set” (Music Technology Performance)
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
- “March” from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment
- “USA National Anthem” by John Stafford Smith, arranged by Metallica
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
- Mirage, composed by William Gillock
Based on a mark of 32, a Grade 6 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 2:
Presenting as a Creator:
- “Album Leaf” (two movements) I. Etude II. Reflection
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
- "Primis"
Area of Inquiry IV: Music Technology in the Electronic and Digital Age
Presenting as a Performer:
- “Sonatine”, 3rd movement by M. Ravel
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
- “Intermezzo-Serenata”, from Sei Pezzi per Pianoforte by O. Respighi
Area of Inquiry III: Music for Dramatic Impact, Movement and Entertainment
- “Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon” by W. Jianzhong
Area of Inquiry I: Music for Sociocultural and Political Expression
- “Etude in D# Minor”, Op. 8, No. 12 by A. Scriabin
Area of Inquiry II: Music for Listening and Performance
Based on a mark of 34, a Grade 7 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Here are the grade boundaries for the two assessment periods (May and Nov) for 2024 for the component of The Contemporary Music Maker (for more details on all the subject reports you may visit HERE).
The Contemporary Music Maker (HL only) - May and Nov 2024 | |||||||
Grade | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Mark Range | 0-5 | 6-10 | 11-16 | 17-21 | 22-27 | 28-32 | 33-38 |
Here is a summary of the SIX sample assessment pieces available on the site, in order from the lowest scoring to the highest. For all the details, please visit Music Assessed Student Work on MyIB (see HERE).
Sample 6:
Vision: To create a soundtrack for a film about rockets.
Musical Goals: The main musical goal is to study how music impacts videos by experimenting with various styles.
Collaborator/s: A classmate by providing the outdoor video footage needed.
Based on a mark of 10, a Grade 2 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 3:
Vision: To create a musical piece for full orchestra inspired by a montage of travel videos collected from international students.
Musical Goals: To understand the influence music has on film and how specific scenes are viewed.
Collaborator/s: One student assisted with video editing and researching emotions in music, and several other students submitted their travel videos.
Based on a mark of 13, a Grade 3 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 1:
Vision: To compose a Baroque-style string quartet piece.
Musical Goals: To create a finished piece for a string quartet, ensuring it is playable for all members.
Collaborator/s: The main collaborators include a violinist, and the other three members of her string quartet, who will provide input.
Based on a mark of 24, a Grade 5 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 4:
Vision: To explore more performance opportunities and present challenges by exploring the piece thoroughly.
Musical Goals: To prepare something well and continue to re-visit it in the future.
Collaborator/s: Wanted to collaborate on a high level with other musicians.
Based on a mark of 25, a Grade 5 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 2:
Vision: To create a dynamic and dissonant horror soundtrack for a 20-minute short film.
Musical Goals: To use music to represent schizophrenia and the psychological horror of trauma through film and music.
Collaborator/s: An IT specialist was the primary collaborator, providing instrumental expertise for the operation of the film set.
Based on a mark of 31, a Grade 6 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
Sample 5:
Vision: To write a soundtrack for a "film noir" short film.
Musical Goals: To compose music for a jazz quartet using specific leitmotifs representing the main characters and to write atmospherically given unfinalized scene lengths, while also incorporating space for improvisation.
Collaborator/s: The collaborators include the film's director, a drummer (for recording and mixing assistance), a saxophonist, and a bassist.
Based on a mark of 32, a Grade 6 would be awarded in either May 2024 or Nov 2024.
To view further samples in each of the four components, as well as comprehensive analysis and justification of marks, you can visit these places in the site (click on the titles below to be re-directed):
“Samples” Photo by Adrian Lange on Unsplash