Music Technology is a creative and innovative subject which arms the student with the skills needed to arrange, compose, produce and record music. Students will gain an understanding of a wide range of popular musical styles, and will learn how to use technology successfully in the field of contemporary popular music.
Entry with:
GCSE grade B in Music and confident keyboard skills. Some experience of music software, e.g. Cubase/Logic/Reason, would be beneficial. If GCSE Music is not studied, students with grade five Theory of Music will be considered. All applicants will have a keyboard skills assessment as part of their interview.
- • Very practical, hands-on course.
- • Half-termly projects with large pieces of work undertaken over a longer period of time.
- • Opportunities to learn to operate a wide variety of music software & hardware.
- • AS Studio: 32 track Apple iMac powered Pro Tools 7.4 studio
- • A2 Studio: 32 track Apple iMac powered Pro Tools 7.4 studio with Tascam DM-3200 desk
Awarding body:
Edexcel
AS Level Units
Unit 1: Music Technology Portfolio 1 (coursework: 70%) – students will have three tasks to complete: Sequenced Realised Performance, Multi-track Recording, Creative Sequenced Arrangement.
Unit 2: Listening & Analysing (exam: 30%) – students will be tested on knowledge of the historical development of popular music styles and production techniques
Advanced (A2) Level Units
Unit 3: Music Technology Portfolio 2 (coursework: 60%) – students will have three tasks to complete: Sequenced Integrated Performance, Multi-track Recording, Composing using Music Technology.
Unit 4: Analysing & Producing (exam: 40%) Unit 4: Analysing & Producing. (exam: 40%) – students will be tested on their synoptic knowledge of the subject in written responses, software manipulation and production tasks.
| | Year | Qual | A* | A | B | C | D | E | U | A-C | A-E |
| Music Technology | 08/09 | A | 0 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
94.4%
|
100.0%
|
| Music Technology | 07/08 | A | 0 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
83.3%
|
100.0%
|
| Music Technology | 06/07 | A | 0 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
95.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Music Technology | 05/06 | A | 0 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Music Technology | 08/09 | AS | 0 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Music Technology | 07/08 | AS | 0 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
87.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Music Technology | 06/07 | AS | 0 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
89.3%
|
100.0%
|
| Music Technology | 05/06 | AS | 0 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
91.7%
|
100.0%
|
- • Music Technology Teaching Room (12 Apple iMac workstations with Logic Pro 8, Reason 4, Soundtrack Pro, Waveburner, Mainstage, Pro Tools 7.4 vocal booth)
- • AS Recording Studio (32 track Apple iMac powered Pro Tools 7.4 studio + high end McDSP post production plugins, acoustically treated control room)
- • A2 Recording Studio (32 track Apple iMac powered Pro Tools 7.4 studio with Tascam DM-3200 desk, TL Audio 5060 valve compressor, Kaos Pad 3, Pod pro Mk2, high end McDSP post production plugins, acoustically proofed recording booth & control room)
“It’s fun, creative and varied. We get to move around a lot, not just stuck in one classroom. You also get to know your class really well and mix with people from the other classes because you see them in the Music department. There’s plenty of help for you if you need it - the teachers are great - and plenty of trips and concerts. I like that we listen to lots of different types of music all the time, have the freedom to use the facilities outside of lessons to work on our coursework or just simply compose and rearrange songs as we like using the software here.”
Harriet Riley
“The best thing about Music Technology is the scope available for creativity. Whether it’s during composition, recording or producing, the impressive array of equipment available and expert knowledge of the staff enables you to ‘think outside the box’ and experiment with both software and hardware to achieve both high quality and original work.”
Aaron May