Music

Liverpool College offers a wide range of specialist and recreational opportunities in music for talented and enthusiastic students aiming to make music a career and for those who wish to take part in music making as a hobby. All students follow a complete course at KS3, and the GCSE and Advanced Level courses in Music and in Music Technology are well supported.

The College Orchestra is recruited from suitably accomplished performers, while a range of smaller ensembles encourages participation in folk music, pop and rock groups, samba band, the CCF Corps of Drums, and various chamber ensembles. Senior and Junior Choirs are open to all who wish to take part. A fully equipped Music Technology studio plays an important part in practical music making.

Opportunities for public performance include the annual Founders' Service, and the Christmas Carol Concert, both held in Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral; a series of recitals given by students throughout the year in the attractive surroundings of the newly refurbished Palm House in Sefton Park; concerts in local churches and art centres as well as regular informal evenings in the College for parents and friends. The College Chapel houses a three-manual organ, and is also used for concerts and recitals.

The department is run by two full time staff and one part time teacher, alongside a team of twelve visiting teachers who offer specialist tuition in all the usual orchestral instruments as well as in piano (including jazz piano), organ, classical and electric guitar, drum kit and percussion, and singing. A recent innovation has been the setting up of 'Myriad Jazz', a College and community-based project to train and develop a range of jazz performing skills on Merseyside. A steadily increasing number of students are taking instrumental lessons, and results in Associated Board examinations as well as in local festivals are very encouraging.

A Level Music

At both Advanced Subsidiary Levels (AS) and A2, pupils experience all three main musical disciplines of performing, composing and listening and understanding. Pupils will develop performance skills (solo and/or ensemble), compose music and learn about harmony (the basics at AS and stylistic studies at A2). They will build up their aural and analytical skills by studying selections from the New Anthology of Music.

EDEXCEL Advanced Subsidiary GCE in Music (8MU01)

http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/music/music/Pages/default.aspx


AS UNIT 1 Performing (30%)

This unit gives pupils the opportunities to perform as soloists and/or as part of an ensemble. Teachers and pupils can choose music in any style. Any instrument(s) and/or voice(s) are acceptable as part of a five-six minute assessed performance. Notated and/or improvised performances may be submitted.

AS UNIT 2 Composing (30%)

This unit encourages pupils to develop their composition skills leading to the creation of a three-minute piece in response to a chosen brief. Pupils also write a CD sleeve note to describe aspects of their final composition and explain how other pieces of music have influenced it.

AS UNIT 3 Developing Musical Understanding (40%)

This unit focuses on listening to familiar music and understanding how it works. Set works from the anthology provide the focus for the first two sections, through listening and studying scores. It is recommended that pupils familiarise themselves with each work as a whole, before learning how to identify important musical features and social and historical context. In the third section, pupils use a score to identify harmonic and tonal features and then apply this knowledge in the completion of a short and simple passage for SATB.

EDEXCEL Advanced GCE in Music (9MU01)

A2 UNIT 4 Extended Performance (30%)

This unit gives pupils with opportunities to extend their performance skills as soloists and/or as part of an ensemble. Teachers and pupils can choose music in any style. Any instrument(s) and/or voice(s) are acceptable as part of a 12-15 minute assessed performance of a balanced programme of music. Notated and/or improvised performances may be submitted.

A2 UNIT 5 Composition and Technical Study (30%)

This unit has two sections: composition and technical study. The composition section further develops pupils' composition skills, leading to the creation of a final three-minute piece in response to a chosen brief. The technical study section builds on the knowledge and awareness of harmony gained in Unit 3 section C through the medium of pastiche studies. Pupils must complete two tasks in this unit choosing from either one composition and one technical study or two compositions or two technical studies.

A2 UNIT 6 Further Musical Understanding (40%)

Set works from the anthology provide the focus for much of the unit. It is recommended that pupils familiarise themselves with each work as a whole, before concentrating on important musical features, context and/or elements of continuity and change. Between works pupils should also listen to a wide range of unfamiliar music which relates to the two compulsory areas of study. They should learn how to compare and contrast pairs of excerpts, contextualise music and identify harmonic and tonal features.

A Level Music Technology

A passion for the subject and being able to play a musical instrument is essential for this course, as pupils tend to play for each other's recordings. The ability read music will help a great deal.

The Music Technology department occupies a suite of rooms in Beechlands which consist of two computer rooms and a fully operational recording studio. A mixture of practical work in the studio and using computer-based sequencing software is combined with a programme of listening and theory. PowerPoint presentations and DVDs are also included when relevant. Independent listening and research is essential at both AS and A2. Music Technology at 'A' Level will equip pupils going on to study subjects involving audio processing and Music Technology at University.

http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/music/tech/Pages/default.aspx

AS Music Technology 8MT1

Unit 1 Music Technology Portfolio 1
*Unit code: 6MT01
70% of the total AS marks
35% of the total GCE marks

Pupils will learn and use a variety of music and music technology skills in order to complete this unit. MIDI sequencing and multi-track recording as well as arranging skills are all key components assessed through the practical work carried out.
Pupils must complete three tasks which together make the Music Technology Portfolio 1:

Task 1A: Sequenced Realised Performance
Task 1B: Multi-track Recording
Task 1C: Creative Sequenced Arrangement


Unit 2 Listening and Analysing
*Unit code: 6MT02
30% of the total AS marks
15% of the total GCE marks

This unit provides pupils with an opportunity to study the styles most common in popular music. Pupils will have the opportunity to demonstrate this knowledge using aural discrimination skills.
Pupils are required to study the development of popular music styles from 1910 through to the present day. This is not intended to be a comprehensive and in-depth study of every popular, jazz or rock music style, but an overview of the main styles and trends during the development of popular music.


A2 Music Technology 9MT01

Unit 3 Music Technology Portfolio 2
*Unit code: 6MT01
60% of the total A2 marks
30% of the total GCE marks

Unit 3 builds on skills acquired in Unit 1, and extends these to include a composition task. It involves detailed study of Area of Study 3: The Development of Technology based Music.
Pupils must complete three tasks which together make the Music Technology Portfolio 2:

Task 3A: Sequenced Integrated Performance
Task 3B: Multi-track Recording
Task 3C: Composing using Music Technology.

Unit 4 Analysing and Producing

*Unit code: 6MT04
40% of the total A2 marks
20% of the total GCE marks
Pupils will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge of music and the principles of music technology through a series of written commentaries, manipulations and production tasks using material provided on an examination paper and recorded on an audio CD.

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