Higher Music Technology

Brief Course Outline

This course consists of three units:

Music Technology Skills

• Using appropriate hardware and software to capture and manipulate audio.
• Develop knowledge of Music Technology hardware and sound recording techniques.
• Demonstrate practical skills in mixing, editing and sound recording techniques through using appropriate software and hardware.

Understanding 20th and 21st century Music

• Develop listening skills, and knowledge of the music industry, within the context of 20th and 21st century styles and genres.
• Listen to music from a variety of 20th and 21st century musical styles and genres and understand how this relates to developments in Music Technology.
• Demonstrate a broad understanding of the music industry, including intellectual property rights.

Music Technology in context

• Demonstrate skills and abilities to capture and manipulate audio in a variety of contexts (spoken word, live performances, film foley, multi-track recording).
• Create Audio projects using developed music technology skills creatively to combine skills from a range of contexts.
• Completing planning and evaluation tasks to fully document progress and show understanding of all skills used to complete the project.

 The final mark results from:

• Music Technology Assignment (80 marks scaled to 70%)
  *Planning (20 marks) *Implementing (50 marks) *Evaluating (10 marks)
  The project must demonstrate:
  1. Audio project using music technology and sound production creatively.
  2. At least two contexts combined using Music Technology creatively in a choice of contexts (one of which must demonstrate a multi-track recording of sound/music).
  3. Project must also include a demonstration of multi-tracked sound/music which is electronically produced.
•  Music Technology Listening Paper (40 marks scaled to 30%)
  Question paper based on recorded excerpts of music linking to the Understanding 20th and 21st Century Music.

Entry requirements
National 5 Music Technology or demonstrable experience in Music Technology

Assessments

• Unit 1 – Music Technology Skills is internally assessed.
• Unit 2 – Understanding 20th and 21st century Music is internally assessed.
• Unit 3 – Music Technology in context is internally assessed.
• Final Assignment is externally assessed on the basis of a submitted assignment (out of 80 marks)
• Listening Exam consists of a written question paper (out of 40 marks)

Higher is assessed externally and graded A-D.