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Year 12 Content
Unit 23: (Core Unit) Music Performance Techniques
In this unit the focus is on developing music techniques on your chosen instrument. The unit consists of three assignments. You will be maintaining rehearsal logs throughout the course to show your development of your techniques. Throughout you will also be setting SMART targets that you will monitor through audits to show your progress over time. You will also be required to perform as a soloist as well as an ensemble consisting of contrasting pieces to show your versatility as a performer.
Unit 40: Working and Developing as a Musical Ensemble
This unit interrelates with unit 23, however focuses more on how you work and develop as a group to prepare for a final performance at the end of the course. Throughout you will monitor rehearsals and the impact one person may have on the development of a rehearsal. You will be responsible for leading a song each that includes gathering all the sheet music for rehearsals, ensuring that everyone attends and having creative control over the arrangement. This will develop key musicianship skills as well as further your understanding of the range of instruments in the ensemble.
Unit 39: The Sound and the Music Industry
This unit is a detailed exploration of the music industry. It looks at four key areas and the different companies and job roles that there are. If you have studied BTEC Music at Level 2, then this course will be an extension of your knowledge. However if you have no prior knowledge this unit will give you a deep understanding of the way that the music industry is structured and the impact that has on the commercial side that we know all too well as the audience. This is a theoretical unit and over the course you will develop your writing styles to a higher standard to meet the Level 3 criteria.
Year 13 Content
Unit 17: Marketing and Promotion in the Music Industry
In this unit you will continue to have a deeper understanding of the processes within the music industry, this time a more hands-on approach to getting to grips with the theory. You will be using your new skills and knowledge to promote and run the administrative side of the yearly performance of Musical Mayhem. You will create the promotional material, market your ideas to the target audience, sell tickets and run the show from a back stage point of view.
Unit 30: Pop Music in Practice
This is a practical unit and you will be working once again as an ensemble. You will take a detailed journey into the history of music and how it has changed over the years. Once you have explored the different eras in detail you will then perform a selection of songs to show your understanding of that time. You will then as a group compose your very own pop song taking influence from a range of the different time periods to create your own style, which you will also be performing.
Unit 43: Special Subject Investigation
This is a completely independent unit. You will pick a topic of your own interest in music and you will complete a detailed research log and use a range or different research techniques to investigate your chosen topic in detail. You will then put it all together and present your findings in the form of an essay to consolidate everything that you have learnt over the course of the topic.
Entry Requirements
Students need to be able to play an instrument to grade 3+ or equivalent. Level 2 BTEC Music or GCSE Music qualifications will be desirable.
Career Progression
This will open many doors for you to take to Further Education as well as volunteering at different jobs in the music industry. This qualification will show that you have a deeper understanding of the music industry as well as the ability to perform to a higher standard. This subject will help develop your confidence, self-esteem, team building, communication, listening and leadership skills. You will be able to develop as a musician and find the areas of music that you prefer the most and that will help you make decisions about your future choices.
