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BTEC National Diploma In Music Practice

Course Code [FDLPAM1]
Level 3
Course Length 2 Years
Students

What qualifications/experience do I need?

Four GCSEs at grade C or above. Music GCSE desirable. A good standard of ability on guitar, keyboards, drums, bass, vocals or another pop music instrument.

What will I study?

A career in professional music can be demanding and exciting. This course will provide you with the broad range of skills you will need. The course will give you a range of indispensable skills to work in music. This is a highly practical course, in which you will learn about arranging, composing and performing a wide range of different styles of music. Central to the course is developing your skills on your instrument(s) and using these in all the different settings available, from live performance to studio and computer production.

The course focuses heavily on live performance and covers:

  • Session Styles - from disco to rock - R&B to heavy metal; world music; instrument tuition - from musicians working in the industry in West End shows, TV/Radio and touring
  • The Language of Music - listening skills; music theory & sight reading; music arranging and composing.
  • Music Technology – computer music; recording sessions.
  • Contextual Studies - history of pop music; music industry
  • Study Skills - including KeySkills qualifications in Communication, IT and Application of Number.

How will I be assessed?

Music performance needs a diverse set of skills: Practical (playing an instrument, playing in a group), academic (understanding, analysing and writing about music) and organisational (finding and planning a gig/performance). The types of assessment used are designed to address all these and include observations of practical performances, portfolios of songs/compositions and arrangements, audio recordings of your playing, presentations, essays and group projects.

What can I do afterwards?

At Northbrook, you can continue your studies through to Honours Degree in either Performance Studies, Composition for Media (film/TV etc) or Music Production. Achieving a merit in your National Diploma gives automatic entry to the Foundation Degree in Music.