Higher National Certificate in Music (General)

This Programme Specification provides useful information about your course being delivered at Shrewsbury Colleges Group, how it will be delivered and how you will be assessed - it should be read in conjunction with the Programme Specification you were provided with during recruitment and the Edexcel/BTEC Higher National Specification for this award. 

We hope you choose to come and study with us at Shrewsbury Colleges Group and take advantage of the opportunity to access Higher Education locally in Shropshire. 

Welcome from Curriculum Leader:

Gill Cox

I would like to offer a warm welcome to you if you have or are about to enrol to the Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Music.

The HNC qualification is an ideal opportunity to gain a higher-level qualification that will develop practical skills and knowledge in a number of specialist areas. As well as gaining vital experience to prepare you for a range of pathways, it offers the potential for you to continue your studies on the Higher National Diploma, subject to grade profile.

The Music teaching team have a wealth of experience in both teaching and industry and this adds to what is already a very stimulating and interesting course.

I do hope you have an enjoyable experience and achieve your goals whilst studying with us.

Gill Cox

At Shrewsbury Colleges Group we are committed to providing vocationally relevant arts education for the creative industries and enabling our students to both enjoy a creative journey and gain crucial employability skills within their chosen area. We strive with our students to make the creative journey from student to working professional achievable and enjoyable. All creative courses provide challenge and enable our students to both express themselves and understand their work in a wider context through research and analysis of the work of others. We are building our visiting lecturer and study visits programme, to provide a programme of both personal and professional development for all of our students. In this area we do recognise that not all of our learners will be involved in career-changing and perhaps have come to Music Technology after a full working life, for these students we involve them fully in the working life of our faculty and they provide a great sounding board for some of younger students. A cultural mix of age’s abilities and outlooks provide for a healthy and dynamic creative atmosphere that benefits all our learners. We welcome you and look forward to working with you throughout your course here at Shrewsbury Colleges Group.

Staff Profiles

Overview of the Award – what does the course involve?

BTEC is one of the world’s most recognised applied learning brands, engaging students in practical, interpersonal and thinking skills, for more than thirty years.

BTECs are work-related qualifications for students taking their first steps into employment, or for those already in employment and seeking career development opportunities. BTECs provide progression into the workplace either directly or via study at university and are also designed to meet employer’s needs. Therefore, Pearson BTEC Higher National qualifications are widely recognised by industry and higher education as the principal vocational qualification at Levels 4 and 5.

When developing the Pearson BTEC Higher National qualifications in Music, we collaborated with a wide range of students, employers, higher education providers, colleges and subject experts to ensure that the new qualifications meet their needs and expectations. We also worked closely with the relevant Professional Bodies, to ensure alignment with recognised professional standards.
There is now a greater emphasis on employer engagement and work readiness. The new BTEC Higher National qualifications in Music are designed to reflect this increasing need for high-quality professional and technical education pathways at Levels 4 and 5, thereby providing students with a clear line of sight to employment and to progression to a degree at Level 6.

The qualification provides a thorough grounding in the key concepts and practical skills required in their sector and their national recognition by employers allows direct progression to employment. A key progression path for Edexcel BTEC HND is to an honours degree programme, this depending on the match of the Edexcel BTEC Higher National units to the degree programme in question. 

This course is the ideal place to begin your higher-level studies in Music Technology. If you have qualifications in Music Technology and a passion for production this is the course for you. Study locally at a fraction of the cost of studying at University. Work in one of our purpose-built recording studios or production suites on Pro Tools or Logic and develop an understanding of Music Production. You will have access to Pro Tool 12 and Logic Pro X alongside numerous outboard effects and audio processing equipment. You will develop a deep understanding of acoustics, advanced recording techniques, creative software techniques and audio post-production as well as music business, marketing and professional development. Once you have completed the HNC course you can progress onto the HND Music Production here or onto the 2nd year of a degree at University.

To ensure that this programme complies with the Colleges internal monitoring processes an External Verifier ensures that we assess learner performance in accordance with national standards and evidence requirements. At the last annual visit the External Verifier for this award identified the following areas of good practice:

"The internal verification process is robust, with the marked work being second marked by another member of the course team in a timely fashion."

"The students were complimentary of the staff expertise and knowledge and said that they had learnt a lot whilst studying on the course."

Programme Aims

Aims of the programme:

The Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Music offers students a broad introduction to the subject area via a mandatory core of learning, while allowing for the acquisition of skills and experience through the selection of optional units across a range of occupational sectors at Level 4. This effectively builds underpinning core skills, while preparing the student for further subject specialisation at Level 5. Students will gain a wide range of sector knowledge tied to practical skills gained in research, self-study, directed study and workplace scenarios.

Programme Learning Outcomes

The objectives of the BTEC Higher Nationals in Music are as follows:

• To equip students with music skills, knowledge and the understanding necessary to achieve high performance in the global music environment
• To provide education and training for a range of careers in music, including technology, composition, business and performance
• To provide insight and understanding into the diversity of roles within the music industry, recognising the importance of collaboration at all levels
• To equip students with knowledge and understanding of culturally diverse organisations, cross-cultural issues, diversity and values
• To provide opportunities for students to enter or progress in employment in the music industry or progress to higher education qualifications such as an Honours degree in music or a related area
• To provide opportunities for students to develop the skills, techniques and personal attributes essential for successful working lives
• To support students to understand the local, regional and global context of music and, for those students with a global outlook, to aspire to international career pathways
• To provide students with opportunities to address contemporary issues facing the industry and society at large; with particular emphasis on sustainability and the environment, recognising the role that music plays in addressing these issues
• To provide opportunities for students to achieve a nationally recognised professional qualification within their chosen area of specialisation
• To provide opportunities for students to achieve vendor accredited certifications
• To offer students the chance of career progression in their chosen field, with particular emphasis on achieving management-level positions, professional recognition and beyond
• To allow flexibility of study and to meet local or specialist needs
• To offer a balance between employability skills and the knowledge essential for students with entrepreneurial, employment or academic aspirations
• To provide students with opportunities to engage in an industry-recognised apprenticeship scheme that aligns with their employer’s needs and their own career aspirations
• To provide students with the context in which to consider professional ethics and their relation to personal, professional and statutory responsibilities within the industry.

We meet these objectives by:

• Providing a thorough grounding in music principles at Level 4, which leads the student to a range of specialist progression pathways at Level 5, relating to individual professions within the music industry.
• Equipping individuals with commercial acumen, understanding and musical skills for success in a range of roles within the music industry.
• Enabling progression to a university degree by supporting the development of appropriate academic study skills.
• Enabling progression to further professional qualifications in specific music areas by mapping to units in a range of professional music qualifications.

This programme is distinctive because:

Students are given the opportunity to design projects and assignment work. Teaching staff all have industry-relevant experience and use this to generate ‘real world’ opportunities for study and practice. The teaching staff still work in the industry and often provide students with the opportunity to communicate and interact with other professionals in the field. Students wishing to pursue a career in community-based work, teaching or workshop delivery are given the opportunity to gain experience and make professional connections which have in previous years led to paid work. All students are encouraged and supported to develop entrepreneurial skills, to seek out work opportunities suitable for their skills and career aspirations.

On successful completion students should be able to:

• Enter employment or continue with existing employment
• Commit to Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Progress to university.

Employability

The majority of our students progress to study Music Technology or Music Business at a higher level at university. Many of them have started careers as professional musicians, technicians and sound engineers either straight after completing this course or after completing their degree at university.

Here are some potential careers:
Studio session musician, live session musician, performer, composer for film, TV, games/apps, media, topline songwriter, arranger, songwriter, transcriber, solo artist, performer, sound designer/assistant sound designer, sound engineer, music producer, artist manager, tour manager, music promoter, record label manager, record label owner, event manager, music education.

Programme Structure, Modules and Credits

Award title: Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Music (General)

 You would also complete two other specialist units.

13 Recording Technology 15 unit credits at Level 4
15 Sound Design Fundamentals 15 unit credits at Level 4
18 Media Composition 15 unit credits at Level 4
23 Performance 15 unit credits at Level 4
24 Instrumental Technique 15 unit credits at Level 4

40 Mixing and Mastering 15 unit credits at level 5
43 Creative Portfolio 15 unit credits at level 5
47 Advanced Performance Skills 15 unit credits at level 5
52 Advanced Composing Using Technology 15 unit credits at level 5
56 Music Synchronisation 15 unit credits at level 5

Teaching and Assessment

How will I be taught?

Your time will be split between tutor-led skills-based classwork and autonomous self-study. You will attend a tutor-led session for two days a week with the expectation that you will do a comparable amount of time working on your own projects autonomously or with fellow students as required. There will be times during the year when you will be required to attend college for rehearsal/production sessions or professional workshops that are extra to your normal required attendance. You will be given prior notice of any alterations. The course will features units which directly relate to work experience where you will be taught to manage the recording studios and run the process from start to finish, from arranging bookings to recording, mixing and mastering projects.

How will I be assessed?

BTEC Higher Nationals in Music are assessed using a combination of internally assessed centre-devised internal assignments (which are set and marked by centres) and internally assessed Pearson-set assignments (which are set by Pearson and marked by centres). Pearson-set assignments are mandatory and target particular industry-specific skills. The number and value of these units are dependent on qualification size:

• For the HNC, one core, 15 credit, unit at Level 4 will be assessed by a mandatory Pearson-set assignment targeted at particular skills
• All other units are assessed by centre-devised internal assignments.

You will be required to complete an assessment for each module of your course.

Your work will be assessed in each unit through the completion of project-based assignments. The work you will be required to complete will be a mixture of theoretical and practical projects, always with an emphasis on relevance to the Music industry. Alongside the development of practical skills across the disciplines of recording, production and performance-based work you will be encouraged to explore an entrepreneurial approach to the music industry.

Students are required to be reflective and critical in developing evidence-based solutions to questions founded on both theory and referenced opinion from other sources. This will allow them to actively demonstrate their understanding, interpretation and judgement. These are all skills needed to be a successful employee. Assessment can take a number of forms including logs, group work, presentations, exams and assignments.

There are no formal timed examinations for this Award.