A Level Music Technology
The music technology course involves much practical work and encourages the cultivation of a wide range of skills with opportunities to sequence midi, sequence audio, record live instruments, produce CD’s and compose using music technology. Careers available to those who take the course include work as a sound engineer, record producer or many other aspects of the recording/broadcasting industry.
Summary Of Content
Unit 1:
Music Technology Portfolio 1 – AS
Students will learn and use a variety of music and music technology skills in order to completer this unit. MIDI sequencing and multi-track recording as well as arranging skills are all key components assessed through the practical work carried out.
Students must complete three tasks which together make the Music Technology Portfolio 1:
• Task 1A: Sequenced Realised Performance
• Task 1B: Multi-track Recording
• Task 1C: Creative Sequenced Arrangement
Assessment
Students will produce an audio CD entitled ‘Music Technology Portfolio 1’, containing three tracks of work as specified in the three tasks above. They will also present a logbook.
The work is to be done under coursework conditions between the issue of the stimulus material in September and the submission date.
The logbook will detail equipment used and be used to answer two assessed questions on their creative sequenced arrangement.
Unit 2:
Listening and Analysing
This unit provides students with an opportunity to study the styles most common in popular music. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate this knowledge using aural discrimination skills.
Students are required to study the development of popular music styles from 1910 through to the present day. This is not intended to be a comprehensive and in-depth study of every popular, jazz or rock music style, but an overview of the main styles and trends during the development of popular music.
Two special focus styles will be selected each year for more in depth study. For the special focus styles, in addition to the main fingerprints of the style, students will be expected to have an extended knowledge and understand of context.
Assessment
1 hour4 45 minute listening examination, externally assessed, in the summer of the year of entry.
Each student will have a copy of an audio CD supplied by Edexcel, containing recorded excerpts.
Unit 3:
Music Technology Portfolio 2
Unit 3 builds on skills acquired in Unit 1, and extends these to include a composition task. It involves detailed study of Area of Study 3: The Development of Technology- based Music.
Students must complete three tasks which together make the Music Technology Portfolio 2:
• Task 3A: Sequenced Integrated Performance
• Task 3B: Multi-track Recording
• Task 3C: Composing using Music Technology
Students will also submit a logbook which will provide information on the resources used in each task.
Assessment
Students will produce an audio CD entitles ‘Music Technology Portfolio 2’, containing three tracks of work as specified in the three tasks above. They will also present a logbook, detailing equipment used.
The work is to be done under coursework conditions between the issue of the stimulus material in November and the submission date.
Unit 4:
Analysing and Producing
Students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge of music and the principles of music technology through a series of written commentaries, manipulations and productions tasks using material provided on an examination paper and recorded on an audio CD.
The examination will test students’ musical understanding, their ability to manipulate and correct recorded music and their ability to write commentaries on technological processes. They will also be tested on their ability to produce a balanced stereo mix.
Assessment
This assessment will take the form of a 2-hour examination.
Each student will have an audio CD, which will contain a series of music files to be imported into music production software. Each student will also have an examination paper in which some or all to the CD tracks will be notated as conventional staff notation, editing grids or numerical data