BTEC Level 1 & 2 First Award in Music

Assignment title / Planning for “Now That’s What I Call Swindon Academy! Volume 1”
Assignment number / 1 of 3
Assessor / L.Matthews & D.Jones
Date issued
Final deadline
Qualification / BTEC Level 1 & Level 2First Award inMusic
Units covered / Unit 2 Managing a Music Product
Learning aims covered / On completion of this unit a learner should:
A: Plan, develop and deliver a music product
Scenario / The ‘Now That’s…’ series of compilation CDs has been going for 21 years now, and this year we would like to make Swindon Academy’s very own version of this popular album.
The album will feature songs composed using Sibelius, recording studio
& Garageband by the BTEC Music class, and it will be made available on the popular Sound Cloud music sharing website so all will be able to easily listen to the compositions produced by the pupils in the class.
Task 1.1
(1A.1, 1A.2, 2A.P1,
2A.M1, 2A.D1, 2A.P2,
2A.M2, 2A.D2)
“The Production Team” / You shouldform a Production Team with others chosen from your class, with the aim of planning, developing and delivering your CD.
  • At your production meetings you should consider your target audience, the content/material for your CD and how you propose to record it taking into account the availability of the studio and musicians/performers including time constraints relating to recording and mixing. Remember also to take into account any copyright issues if you are including ‘cover versions’ of existing songs, and/or ‘loops’ of existing riffs in your compositions and to include rehearsal time in your plans.
Your development activities as part of the Production Team creating the CD will include:
  • Contribution to scheduled recording sessions and meetings
  • Considering suggestions such as alternative/additional material and changes to the sound or balance of individual tracks
  • Reviewing the progress of the work making any changes necessary to meet deadlines and achieve your aims.
  • Goodtimekeeping and preparation, listening and responding to direction from others, working safely at all times and demonstrating good production skills.
You will need to think about:
  • Format, size and scope of the final album
  • Timescales involved and milestones
  • Status of the product – it is full-scale product, trial, experiment, informal, finished product, demo, master?
  • Success criteria e.g. how will we know if it was a success or failure?
The final product will benefit from effective teamwork and the strengths of the individual team members involved. This will include good timekeeping and preparation, listening and responding to direction from others, working safely at all times and demonstrating good production skills.
Evidence / ● a unit log which may contain:
  • rough outline ideas, either in the form of written notes ordiagrams
  • notes from discussions and meetings
  • schedules/timetables
  • lists of required resources and equipment
  • set lists
  • annotated sheet music
  • drafts of compositions or arrangements
  • notes or recordings from rehearsals and/or other preparations
  • equipment diagrams and floor plans
  • room/ resource booking sheets
  • teacher observation and/or interim assessment records.
  • What does the final delivery look like e.g. presentation to peers, press launch for album
  • the final copy of your CD recording

Criteria covered by this task:
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to: / Unit / Criterion reference
Make a positive contribution to the planning of a music product. / 2 / 2A.P1
Make a positive and consistent contribution to the planning of a music product, making considered decisions in relation to the demands of the work. / 2 / 2A.M1
Make a significant and imaginative contribution to the planning of a music product, making considered and insightful decisions in relation to the demands of the work. / 2 / 2A.D1
Demonstrate a positive input into the development and delivery of a music product. / 2 / 2A.P2
Demonstrate a positive and consistent input into the development and delivery of a music product that is integral to the success of the work. / 2 / 2A.M2
Demonstrate a sustained and effective input into the development and delivery of a music product, making a significant contribution to the success of the work. / 2 / 2A.D2
If you have not achieved the Level 2 criteria, your work will be assessed to determine if the following Level 1 criteria have been met.
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to: / Unit / Criterion reference
Make a limited contribution to the planning of a music product. / 2 / 1A.1
Demonstrate a limited input into the development and delivery of a music product. / 2 / 1A.2

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