BTEC Music Practice
The BTEC Award in Music is for students passionate about performance and creation. You'll master key skills in production, composition, and performance, gaining practical music industry knowledge. This hands-on course emphasizes creativity, technical ability, and teamwork, preparing you for a music career.
If you love making music, this course is for you. It offers a practical introduction to the music industry and demands active participation: you will perform, produce, and compose music throughout.
Component One – Exploring Music Products and Styles
You will:
- Demonstrate an understanding of different styles of music
- Apply understanding of the techniques to create music
- Talk about musical elements, stylistic features and music theory
- Perform and compose in a range of different styles.
Component Two – Music Skills Development
You will:
- Demonstrate professional and commercial skills for the music industry
- Apply development processes for music skills and techniques.
Component Three – Responding to a Music Brief
You will:
- Demonstrate professional and commercial skills for the music industry
- Apply development processes for music skills and techniques
- Plan and communicate music skills development
- Respond to a brief
- Compose in different styles of music.
Component One:
Assessment will be through a Pearson-set assignment where students should create a portfolio and with musical extracts of four musical styles, relevant musical theory and the social and historical background of genres.
You will then create longer musical extracts for two of the styles.
This is internally assessed and externally moderated.
Component Two:
Assessment will be through a Pearson-set assignment where you should create a portfolio of target setting and documenting your improvement in your chosen music skill (performing or producing and composing).
This will include written and video evidence.
Internally assessed and externally moderated.
Component Three:
Assessment will be through an externally-set assignment completed under controlled conditions and marked externally.
It will feature a plan, a piece of music (either performance or composition) and an evaluation.
You will be assessed on instrumental technique, compositional skills and use of DAW (GarageBand/Logic) which has been present throughout KS3.
The skills from Y10 Component One and Two are further re-tested and developed in Component Three.
The BTEC Award in Music Practice equips students with versatile skills that open doors to a variety of careers both within the music industry and in related creative fields.
With the core skills in performance, production, and composition being at the forefront of the award, it could lead directly into the following roles:
- Performer/Musician: Session musician, solo artist, band member, or orchestral player.
- Music Producer: Recording engineer, mixing engineer, or studio manager
- Songwriter/Composer: Creating music for artists, film, TV, video games, or advertising.
- Live Sound Technician: Setting up and managing sound systems for concerts and events.
- Artist Management/A&R (Artists and Repertoire): Working to discover, develop, and promote musical talent.
The focus on teamwork, technical proficiency, and project management makes graduates suitable for careers outside of performance:
- Music Educator/Tutor: Teaching instrument lessons, music theory, or music technology in schools or privately.
- Post-Production Audio: Working on sound design, Foley, and audio editing for film and television.
- Media/Marketing: Using digital production and communication skills in roles like social media management or digital content creation for businesses.
- Arts Administration: Managing events, marketing, and logistics for arts venues, theatres, or record labels.
- Music Retail/Instrument Technician: Selling musical equipment or repairing and maintaining instruments.
Useful websites:
Musical Futures: https://www.musicalfuturesonline.org/ - A useful website with a range of resources to allow you to rehearse and perform a variety of styles of music. See your teacher for the logon information.
BBC Documentaries: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/categories/music/ - contains a list of all currently available BBC documentaries about music history, styles & techniques.
Produce Like A Pro: www.youtube.com/user/WarrenHuartRecording - contains videos on mixing & recording techniques
Music Theory For Musicians: http://tobyrush.com/theorypages/index.html - a series of visually appealing free pdfs on Music Theory which cover all the essentials.
