Garth Hill CollegeBTEC Extended Certificate in Music Performance
Who is this qualification for?
The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Music Performance is intended to be an Applied General qualification. It is for post-16 learners who want to continue their education through applied learning and who aim to progress to higher education and ultimately to employment, possibly in the music sector or the creative sector as a whole. The qualification is equivalent in size to one A Level and aims to provide a coherent course of study covering both performance and the music industry. It is designed to be taken alongside other Level 3 qualifications. No prior study of the sector is needed, but learners should normally have a range of achievement at level 2, in GCSEs or equivalent qualifications.
What does this qualification cover? The content of this qualification has been developed in consultation with academics to ensure that it supports progression to higher education. Employers and professional bodies have also been involved and consulted to confirm that the content is appropriate and consistent with current practice for learners planning to enter employment directly in the music sector. Learners taking this qualification will study three mandatory units:
- Unit 1: Practical Music Theory and Harmony
- Unit 2: Professional Practice in the Music Industry
- Unit 3: Ensemble Music Performance.
Learners choose one optional unit. These have been designed to support progression to more specialist music courses in higher education and to link with relevant occupational areas, such as:
- composing music
- improvising music
- solo performance.
What could this qualification lead to? In addition to the music sector-specific content outlined above, this qualification gives learners transferable and higher-order skills that are valued by higher education providers and employers, for example performance techniques, communication skills, team working. It also gives learners an opportunity to focus on their personal vocal/instrumental technique. The qualification is intended to carry UCAS points and is recognised by higher education providers as contributing to meeting admission requirements for many courses, if it is taken alongside other qualifications as part of a two-year programme of learning, and it combines well with a large number of subjects. It will support entry to higher education courses in a wide range of disciplines, depending on the subjects taken alongside it. For learners who wish to study an aspect of music in higher education, opportunities include:
- BA (Hons) in Performing Arts, if taken alongside an A Level in English Literature and a Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Performing Arts
- BA (Hons) in Music Industry Management, if taken alongside a Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Business
- BA (Hons) in Music Business and Arts Management, if taken alongside a Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Business and an A Level in Art.
