Music (Level 2 BTEC)

INTENT

Music is a powerful force in the world. It is a unique mode of communication, capable of expressing emotions and conveying inspiring and universal messages. It can be used to convey complex concepts and ideas, as well as serving to bridge gaps between people from different backgrounds. Music can bring communities together, inspire creativity, and create a feeling of joy.

Music offer a diverse range of career paths in areas such as performance, composition, sound production, arts and venue management, conducting, and education, as well as the opportunity to deepen and enrich your relationship with this fundamental form of human expression.

How the Music curriculum fits into our Whole School Vision:

Adventurous - Students have opportunities to access and explore venues for performance and visit a studio to learn from professionals’ face to face, as part of a group or as a soloist. They have opportunities to perform at different venues for a variety of situations and build their confidence as a professional with a real audience. They also support school events and form part of several musical groups in the school. 

Resilience – Learning an instrument or being able to write and red music requires a strong sense of discipline and resilience. Learning to play a musical instrument is one of the most tangible ways to learn the importance of discipline, as our musical skills will only progress is you are willing to practice. In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possible. Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work. Being able to learn from mistakes and challenges whilst being supported and encouraged will build self-confidence, self-belief and resilience.

Independence – Students are encouraged and supported to develop their own compositions by considering their own preferences and to meet the requirements of the scenario given. Their skills are nurtured in a safe environment where they can explore new ideas safely and extend these through practise and progression.

Challenge - Learning music can be a challenge. Becoming proficient in any musical instrument or style takes dedication and hard work, from learning the fundamentals of their chosen instrument and its theory and performance techniques. Learning an instrument requires patience, as it may take months or even years before the student can progress to more difficult levels. Our curriculum provides a comprehensive learning experience encompassing music history, theory and performance.

Curiosity – Studying music can have a significant impact on students and their ability to memorize, to increase creativity, to improve discipline, mental capacity, and their opportunity for collaboration through thought provoking and creative pathways.

Community - Music education enhances teamwork skills and discipline. In order for an orchestra to sound good, all players must work together harmoniously towards a single goal, the performance, and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing. Studying music enables the learner to be part of an ensemble.

IMPLEMENTATION

The music curriculum has been designed to provide students with the skills required to complete the internally assessed units across years 10 and 11 and the formally assessed exam unit, over a 2-year course.

Subject content will be presented and delivered clearly, allowing opportunities for discussion and exploration of ideas, supporting each other’s progress and development of performance, written records of practical activities and to identify misconceptions accurately; providing direct feedback.

Students will have opportunities to develop their techniques both practically and though written work. Guidance will be offered to promote understanding to answer exam questions effectively and concisely.

IMPACT

Good progress can be made which will lead students to higher attainment and achievement overall for all areas of music. They will develop their knowledge and understanding of musical styles, preferences and the role music plays in all our lives.

Their progress will be monitored to ensure that they are able to achieve their goals and target grades. The future outcomes model will be used to focus on gaps identified through assessments and students will be provided with support to complete their learning.

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BTEC Level 1 / Level 2 First Award

The Music Industry is an invaluable, broad and varied industry that employs at least 300,000 in the UK alone. The BTEC First award in Music offers students a broad, stimulating and enjoyable curriculum. It offers opportunities to learn new skills and develop students’ knowledge, understanding and experience of music from performance to composition and learning all the techniques and elements for success on the journey. The curriculum is engaging and designed to develop existing skills, knowledge and understanding that students can bring to the school or improve along the way. It is absorbing, motivating and challenging for all students, whatever their ability and at whatever level music is part of their lives now and leading into the future.

Students studying BTEC Level 1 / Level 2 First Award in Music will receive 3 timetabled lessons per week in years 10 and 11. There are additional opportunities for students to participate in musical activities through the range of extra-curricular activities available and they are expected to attend at least one of these per week. They are all free of charge and support and develop the practical elements of the BTEC course.

Students will study 4 units in total over the 2 year course.

BTEC Music - Course Information

GENERAL INFORMATION (USEFUL INFORMATION FOR PARENTS)

Students studying Level 1/2 Music First Award will receive 3 timetabled lessons a week, in Year 10 and 11. Over the course of the 2 years students will study 4 units.

• Unit 1: External exam papers, revision is undertaken from September in year 11. Exam can be taken in January. Students will have the opportunity to re sit this exam in the summer of Year 11. The final 3 terms of year 11 will be spent on completing Unit 5.
• Unit 2: 3 Learning Aims (start towards the end of year 10 and complete in year 11)
• Unit 4: 3 Learning Aims to be completed in year 10.
• Unit 5: 2 Learning Aims to be completed in year 11.

A revision/intervention timetable will be added in Term 2 and the revision / intervention sessions will be arranged to meet the needs of the students.

Firstly – students will be invited to attend sessions to develop technique for structuring answers to exam questions and for specific questions. These will follow formal assessment when staff have identified individual students and their areas of strength and weakness and GAP analysis. 1-1 tutorials will be offered to focus on improving exam performance.

Secondly - the focus will be for those students who are not achieving their predicted / target grade within the coursework (internally assessed units)

(Pupils must log in with their username as their usual computer login followed by @st-georgescofe-thanet.kent.sch.uk (e.g. JSmith123@st-georgescofe-thanet.kent.sch.uk) and their usual password they use to log on to school laptops)

Music is able to offer a vast array of career possibilities, job opportunities are wide ranging and diverse. Skills learnt in music are transferable to other areas of industry in addition to speciality career options. Below are some of the speciality roles for careers in music with a definition and a brief description of the requirements and the nature of the work.  

A and R

The A and R (Artist and Repertoire) works for a record company and involves talent scouting plus the artistic and commercial development of the recording artist. The A and R also liaises between the record company and the artist. This role has three main areas of responsibility:-

• Finding talent
• Overseeing the recording process
• Assisting with marketing and promotion

A & R can sign new or established talent to the company’s register. They then continue to work closely with the artist, acting as their liaison to the label’s business affairs department and as an advisor who will help nurture a certain sound and image to meet the current trends. The duties they have include listening to demos, associating artists with the right producer, and offering creative input. A and R can be the way into the industry for new or unsigned artists. It is the A and R’s job to find the right sort of music for their company.      A and R representatives liaise between the musicians’ and the label during contract negotiations; they also play an important role in the development of the artist –marketing, sometimes helping with song choices, (if they don’t write their own material) and building a basic promotional foundation for the album and the artist / band.

Artist / Performer

A music artist / performer could involve one or all of the following and more; creating, performing, releasing music either as a solo artist or as a band and either independently or through a record label!

You will need to be completely committed as it is an extremely hard life style – constantly travelling around all different places, long days and nights recording in a studio, performing to small and large audiences in a variety of venues and persevering no matter what happens! All to expand your fan base. Being a music artist requires a lot of talent, skill and knowledge. Talent alone is not enough, you must also be prepared to study continuously, continue learning and practising your music so that you are always the best you can be. The rewards can be huge – after all Elvis, Madonna, Adele and Ed Sheeran all had to start somewhere!

backing singers

‘Backing singer’ is a common but you could also be referred to as backup singers, backing vocalists, background singers, backing group, harmony vocalists or session singer.  

The roles are very much the same but session singers more usually work in a studio and are paid by the session whereas a backing singer is more likely to work consistently with a particular artist and have a salary. But a backing singer can just work casually not be contracted.  

Composer

Every piece of music you have ever heard, from a jingle on the radio to the music that accompanies Star Wars films, all started as a music composer’s idea. All the music you have ever heard was someone’s creation and as entertainment has developed so have the opportunities to use music and therefore composition. Music composers write music for any number of needs, including movies, television shows, commercials, video games, orchestral concerts, and musical theatre performances. They also frequently write song lyrics, play instruments, give music lessons and assist other musicians and artists to create or record music. There are countless possibilities and styles limited only by imagination.

Concert Promoter

If you love live music, have excellent communication skills and get on well with people this could be the career for you. It would be your job to spread the word about live music events and make sure that this leads to a high level of ticket sales. You would liaise with agents/artist managers, recording artists and club/concert venues to book shows, publicise events to media and set up advertising campaigns. You may need to speak to people face to face, over the phone, email or a computer platform so you will need to have knowledge and understanding of how these work and be confident in using them.  

Conductor

Conductor’s direct musical groups for the presentation and playing of a musical piece; this could be a local wind band or the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra but they all need a leader. At a minimum, a conductor will use hand and other gestures to control a group of instrumentalists or vocalists and ensure everyone is playing in the correct tempo, rhythm and style. The majority of conductors also spend time before a rehearsals and performance studying a piece to be played so they know the best way to conduct it, from either a technical or interpretive point of view – or both! A good way to start and learn about conducting is to become involved in a local group and develop your skills and confidence with a smaller group. 

Event Manager

An event manager has many responsibilities which include liaising with clients to find out their requirements and producing detailed proposals for the event which should include timings, venues, suppliers, legalities, staffing and budgets. Therefore an event manager will need to research these areas and negotiate prices and hire arrangements. They will need to be able to manage and coordinate these requirements whilst liaising with sales and marketing teams to publicise and promote the events if necessary. It is the event manager’s job to organise all the pre-event planning, equipment, musicians etc…and to ensure that the event runs smoothly and professionally on the day. They will need to have good communication skills as they will need to work with a range of people in many different roles. The role is vast and varied and very interesting!

instrumentalist

The title ‘instrumentalist’ is an inclusive term for a musician who plays one or more musical instruments. Where do they play? Possible venues are almost limitless. What type of groups do they play with? They can play in orchestras, bands, or as solo artists, theatre orchestra pits or local wind bands (depending on the instruments). They can also be found touring and performing across the country and throughout the world, or they may be located in a primary location, such as a major city’s symphony. Instrumentalists can be part of the armed forces or may include teaching roles.

Music arranger

An arranger considers an existing composition and how it could be adapted through the instruments, voices, rhythms, or tempo to create a new sound for a piece of music. An arranger takes music that has already been written by a composer and interprets it in a new way.

Musical Director

The music director is responsible for working with the stage director in preparing a theatre production for public performance, including casting, rehearsing the vocalists and orchestra, and conducting (and sometimes selecting) the orchestra.

Music Journalist

A journalist who specialises in reporting on music events and news from the music industry. You would need to interview artists and musicians, review albums, concerts, recordings and be able to liaise with online and original print publications both specialist and music sections of general news publications. You may need to travel and meet deadlines, so be able to work under pressure as well be creative and have exceptional writing skills!

Music Manager

Music Managers represent people in other roles in the music industry – eg Artists, Bands, Producers, Songwriters…and should nurture their business and creative interests. 

Managers are often investors and developers of a new artist early in their career taking on a fully development role of that artist.

Music Managers jobs are incredibly broad and varied and can be structured differently depending on the artist, the company, their responsibilities and contracts. The role is huge and purely dependent on who they are managing.

Music Producer

Music producers are responsible for the overall production of commercially recorded music. They work closely with recording artists and audio recording engineers to ensure everything runs smoothly and according to plan during a recording session. The role includes monitoring and controlling the technical aspects of a recording session; for example, microphone placement, tracks used, sound and effects and anything that influences the quality of the recorded music. They also review prospective new artists whilst maintaining contact with existing contracted artists. The music producer may also have to negotiate contract and recording arrangements and work on the final mixing and editing of the recording.

Music Teacher

The role of the music teacher is vast and varied depending on the age range of the pupils and the type of school that you teach in. For example, with younger pupils you may teach music once a week with a particular class or age group or all age groups across the school. With older age ranges, you may be teaching instruments and / or theory of music at varying levels of ability dependent upon the primary education and the pupil’s individual experience and ability. Planning schemes of work that meet the pupil’s needs whilst challenging and developing existing skills, knowledge and understanding. You will also have opportunities to explore and develop individuals outside of the classroom in extra-curricular activities such as bands and chorus groups and develop links with the wider community; also to develop links with other professional musicians and organisations, for example, peripatetic music teachers who come into school to teach pupils specific instruments.

Music Therapist

Music therapists utilise music as a form of treatment to help clients with psychological, developmental or emotional issues. The work is very varied and involves a wide range of skills, knowledge and understanding of individual needs as well as musical techniques. The work may include, for example, working with a client to explore using sounds to communicate, playing music to engage the client in activities, composing songs to help with memory or other therapeutic activities. Due to the universal nature of music, this type of therapy is often used with clients who have trouble communicating in a conventional way, such as young children or those with learning disabilities.

Promoter

A music promoter works in the music industry to market and promote live, on-line, download and similar, events, such as concerts and gigs, festivals, raves and nightclub performances. If they are not employed by a specific venue, their role could include collaborating with bands and agents to agree arrangements for performances, negotiating deals with bands and agents including fees, booking venues, promoting the event or artist through local press, social media, TV, radio, advertising using posters or emails. They may also have to arrange support bands and make technical checks.

Record Producer

This high profile role is also an extremely popular, admired and popular position in the music industry. Record producers work with their artists to pick the best songs, find the right studio for recording, and identify the most suitable and appropriate musical support, to create the album or record. This support team includes a music arranger, sound engineer and background singers or instrumentalists to contribute to the overall sound. Even after the recording is done, the record producer oversees the sound editing and makes decisions as to how the final product will be marketed.

Roadie

A roadie helps musicians while they are on tour by setting up and dismantling equipment, loading the van and perhaps driving it from gig to gig. They may also be called back stage crew or road crew. Also, they may have to act as security for equipment or band members. Further expectations could be tuning instruments, setting up / taking down firework displays and video screens / equipment.

Sound Engineer

The role of the sound engineer depends largely on whether they are working in live or recorded sound. Generally you will be expected to communicate with the performers, director or producer to understand their artistic vision and contribute your own creative ideas and designs. You will need to be able to set up and test audio equipment including microphones, speaker systems. Possible you will need to record instruments / voices individually in a studio and to work in front of house performing sound checks and ensuring there is no feedback. Sound engineers also need to liaise with lighting departments, wardrobe and other departments within a venue / performance to ensure that the sound is balanced and to resolve any issues which arise. You may need to add sound effects to live performances or during filming and resolve any faults. All the while realising the artist’s intent and vision. 

Sound Technician

As a sound technician, your responsibilities will vary depending on whether you work in:

• production - the recording of all sound on set or on location
• post-production - the balancing, mixing, editing and enhancing of pre-recorded audio.

If you are working in production, you will need to be able to assess the acoustic of the venue and performance area, assemble and operate the necessary sound equipment. The role requires you to consult with producers and performers to define the sound requirements and then to select, position, adjust and operate the equipment used to amplify and record the music. In production the sound technician needs to have knowledge of the sound recording equipment to achieve what is expected by the artist. They will need to be able to record sound onto digital and hard disk recorders, monitoring audio signals to avoid sound quality deviations or malfunctions. In addition they will need to be able to foresee possible problems and correct them.

For post-production, you'll need to be able to synchronise pre-recorded audio with visual content. To be able to rerecord and synchronise audio recordings resolving any problems with speech, sound effects and music. Post production sound technicians also create and alter sound effects used in films and television.

Stylist

An established style, musically and otherwise, defines you as an artist. A great stylist and / or creative team is what makes a musician's brand before the music.   A great stylist's work will boost your confidence and translate into a stronger stage presence. Just look at those artists that are most memorable or eye catching!

Useful Websites

Useful Websites for further information on careers and apprenticeships:

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/creative-arts-and-design/careers-in-music

https://www.learnhowtobecome.org/arts-humanities-careers/music/

https://online.berklee.edu/takenote/top-10-careers-in-the-music-business-and-how-much-money-you-can-make/

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/music

https://www.ekcgroup.ac.uk/canterbury-college/apply-college?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv_Sl6M366wIVSM3tCh0FCQf5EAAYASAAEgKpZPD_BwE

https://www.ekcgroup.ac.uk/