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Music Performance & Production Level 3

male student playing on a drum kit
Getting Ahead

Music Performance & Production Rock/Pop UAL Level 3 Diploma/Extended Diploma at Alton Campus

This work will help give you a head start and get to grips with some of the key concepts involved in this course and the music industry and stand you in good stead when you begin your course in September.

close up of someone playing guitar

Start by selecting a band of your choosing. Watch a live performance of theirs. This course requires you to become very good at analysing and evaluating live performance, so start now. Whilst you are watching, in a notebook start jotting down using the following headings:

• Pitching during the performance
• Instrumental tuning
• Tightness
• Tempo
• Handling of section changes
• Beginnings and endings
• Technical proficiency
• Critical listening by the players to sensitivity, balance, and dynamics

Next, write a brief account (approx. 200 words) about how you got into music, what or who has inspired you, and where you would like to see yourself in the future.

Compile a 10-song playlist that best describes you.

• Rate the following skill sets/areas of understanding you have from 1 – 10, 1 being “I have very little experience/skill” and 10 being “This is a really strong skill/area for me”. Don’t worry about giving yourself a low score, it won’t affect your place on the course.
• How do you rate your Performance/Technical/Production skills?
• If any, how do you rate your understanding of music theory?
• How would you rate your composition skills?
• Problem solving – if you get stuck with something, how well do you cope with solving the problem?
• How do you rate your skill sets with technology such as music equipment and software? Do you create music at home on a DAW? If yes, please explain what software you use and the genres of music you create.

Take a look at the below:

• Electronic Sound music online magazine
• Sound on Sound online magazine
• Music Radar Blog Site
• BBC Music Introducing

Head over to some of the sites below and watch/listen to some documentaries/interviews:

  • BBC iPlayer music documentaries
  • Netflix is also another online resource
  • BBC Four Music – culture programming
  • BBC Introducing
  • BBC 6 Music
  • BBC Sounds
  • Spotify/Streaming platform

Resources

Your Learning Space

*This is a representation of your learning space and may not be the exact room you will be using

The teaching and support was really great, the quality was really great, all the teachers really care about your education as well as your wellbeing, they take everything into consideration and they’re great.

Katie Whittingham, A Level student

My experience at the college was enjoyable and productive, with thoroughly helpful people surrounding you, an excellent experience. I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was, with the work shop time and experience I had, it was a great two years preparing me for the next stage.

Edward Smith, BTEC student

My courses were all especially interesting, I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. All of my lecturers were extremely knowledgeable and I have learnt a lot from them.

Lottie Warren, A Level student