Music

The BTEC First Award in Music is a course that enables learners to develop their individual talents while learning about the music industry as a whole.

The course is divided into 4 units and each is worth 25% of the final grade. The first is an exam unit which pupils sit up to twice in year 11 and focuses on the music industry – the job roles within it, how music venues work, what royalties are and how copyright is protected.

75% of the course’s assessment is made up of practical coursework. There is a unit on recording where learners explore the recording studio, creating a recording project by setting up appropriate equipment, engineering a recording and mixing it into a final product. Confident performers can also use this unit as an opportunity to create high quality recordings of their performances. Then there is a unit on sequencing, where learners use software to create music electronically. The final unit sees learners using all of the skills that they have developed over the
course to create their own podcast in small teams. They can showcase the work from their other units and/or create new work.

The course not only develops learners’ talents and passions, but provides them with a good foundation for further study, giving them the potential to enter the billion pound UK music industry in a variety of roles such as a performer, engineer, producer or promoter.

Studying music has also been shown to develop many transferrable skills such as time management, determination and independence and it has been demonstrated that those who study music often achieve better overall.

Learners should have a passion for the subject and be prepared to work as part of a team as well as independently. Proficiency on an instrument or as a singer can be beneficial, but because the focus throughout the course is on music technology this is not essential.

For further information see Mr Sanford-Casey.