Year 13 – Music technology

Head of Subject: Mr O Alcorn


Intended Outcomes

In their final year, pupils will consider their future options in the music industry, developing the ability to analyse a variety of roles and introspectively evaluate their suitability, identifying strengths and gaps that can be worked on to bring them closer to their desired career path (in tandem with their UCAS applications). Live sound is then the main focus of this year; pupils will take part in workshops and given lots of opportunities to develop their knowledge and confidence in setting up and running a PA system whilst also capturing multitrack recordings of performers. 

  • Course Implementation

    349 Careers in the Music Industry 

    The aim of this unit is to familiarise pupils with the processes associated with effective career planning and to align/link career aims with study for this qualification. For any music professional, the ability to manage a career through careful planning, combined with a thorough knowledge of the professional landscape and the opportunities available within it, will substantially increase the potential for pupils to have a range of robust career options available to them. Pupils must submit an essay and videoed presentation. All unit submissions count towards pupils’ final grades. Pupils receive two opportunities to submit work to be marked; the first can be used as a formative opportunity to improve and the second is summative. This unit is marked internally. 

    388 Live Sound Recording and Sound Reinforcement (Mock) 

    Pupils will plan, prepare and act as the sound engineer for a live music event with a set theme, capturing and mixing (pre and post) a multitrack recording of a band. They must justify how their plan meets the requirements of the brief whilst considering health and safety implications, documenting a meticulous PA set up. After the event, they must consider how future projects/recordings can be improved, evaluating strengths and areas for improvement. Pupils must submit an essay, video evidence and a stereo .mp3 mix of the live recording. This is a ‘mock’ run of the external unit and not formally assessed; feedback will be given to be fed forward into their external assessment in the next unit. 

    388 Live Sound Recording and Sound Reinforcement 

    Pupils will plan, prepare and act as the sound engineer for a live music event with a set theme, capturing and mixing (pre and post) a multitrack recording of a band. They must justify how their plan meets the requirements of the brief whilst considering health and safety implications, documenting a meticulous PA set up. After the event, they must consider how future projects/recordings can be improved, evaluating strengths and areas for improvement. Pupils must submit an essay, video evidence and a stereo .mp3 mix of the live recording. Pupils DO NOT get an opportunity to resubmit and improve marks on a task unless it is graded as ‘unclassified’; if it is, the resubmitted task is capped at a ‘pass’. This unit is marked externally by the exam board. 

    Personal Development 

    Pupils will have the opportunity to choose a personal music technology project to work on during the summer term after their external assessments are completed. 

Learning Impact

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