National 5 Music Technology
Music Technology
Music Technology is another name for Sound Engineering or Sound Production. It has become clear over the past few years that the ability to use technology to support your work is a skill that is highly desired by employers. This course is for anyone who enjoys using technology in creative and exciting ways. Most of the time in class will be spent doing practical activities, taking advantage of the range of technology, and recording equipment available in the Music Department. This course allows learners the change to experience a subject that is relevant to many areas of their everyday lives. If you create your own online content, this course can help you to ensure that your audio is good quality and edited well. You do not need to be able to play an instrument to be successful in this course. The aim of this course is to develop your skills as a sound engineer, not as a musician.
COURSE OUTLINE
Throughout S3 you will develop skills in audio capture and learn how to edit audio from a range of sources. You will apply your newly developed skills to a variety of contexts, using your creativity to fulfil the briefs given. You will also investigate how Popular Music has evolved over the past century and discover how the technology used for recording music has developed.
Music Technology Skills:
You will learn how to capture sound in a variety of ways using microphones, handheld digital recorders, direct injection recording and MIDI. You will then learn how to edit, add effects to and mix your recordings to create a professional sounding audio master.
Music Technology in Context:
You will apply the skills you have learned in the Music Technology Skills unit to a variety of contexts such as audiobooks, multitrack recordings, music for gaming and film foley. You will work within assignment briefs to create and carry out your own sound designs.
Understanding 20th and 21st Century Music:
You will study the development of Popular Music from Early Jazz and Blues right though to Hip Hop and Electronic Dance Music. In addition to this, you will learn about key innovators in the Music Industry, technological development that have shaped how we record and listen to music as well as investigating Intellectual Property and Copyright issues within Music.
Added Value Unit:
You will use the skills you have developed in the other units to plan, implement, and evaluate a short sound production based on a chosen brief.
Transferrable Skills
- analytical and listening skills
- the ability to reflect on personal work and on the work of others
- imaginative, creative and technical problem-solving skills
- applying skills developed in real-life contexts
- skills in planning, organising, researching and communicating
The Future
Successful completion of this course will lead to opportunities to continue study in the Senior Phase at National Qualification level.
Possible college and university courses might be:
- NC Sound Production
- NC Technical Theatre
- BMus Music Technology
Possible occupations include: Sound Engineer, Producer, Sound Designer for theatre, film/TV and gaming, DJ, Teacher, Content Creator.
National 5 Music Technology
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Component |
Requirements |
Assessment |
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ASSIGNMENT
(100 marks)
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You are required to draw on and apply the technological skills, musical skills and knowledge that you have developed throughout the course to plan, implement and evaluate two sound productions. |
Your completed assignments will be sent to the SQA to be marked at the end of March.
This assignment accounts for 70% of your course award.
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QUESTION PAPER
(40 marks) |
You will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of all music and technological concepts from the National 3, National 4 and National 5 concept lists.
This will be a listening paper where you will comment on musical excerpts, identify concepts and use your knowledge of the recording and editing processes to answer questions relating to 20th and 21st century music. |
This will be examined by an external SQA paper in May.
This exam accounts for the remaining 30% of your course award. |