TBSHS A Level Music Technology Bridging Unit 2020 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the start of your journey in A Level Music. This Bridging Unit has been designed to help you make a smooth crossing from GCSE over to A Level, providing you with the structure and direction needed in order to hit the ground running in September. You have been provided with opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge across the three main aspects of the course (Performance, Composition, and Appraisal) along with a series of compulsory tasks. You will be expected to hand in all work in September, and also to demonstrate what you have learned, through further initial assessments. You should print this workbook off, but will also need it in electronic form in order to access the links. OVERVIEW OF WORK Skill Area Task When to complete 1. Listening o Suggested Listening o June-Sept o Analysis of Exemplar Compositions o June-July o Analysis of Exemplar Recordings o June-July 2. Reading o Suggested Reading o June-Sept 3. Research o Classic Albums Research Project o Late August* 4. Practical o Instrumental/Vocal Practise o June-Sept o Introduction to Synthesisers Course o June-July o Samples composition project o June-July *Should be completed between results day and returning to school 1 | P a g e Skill Area 1 Listening WHAT IS GOOD LISTENING? To succeed at A Level Music Technology, you will need to become an expert listener. You may already feel that you are a great listener, after all, you probably spend a significant amount of your time listening to a range of different music. However, A Level Music Technology demands more than just passive, ‘sat on the sofa with your feet up’ listening. You need to become a critical, analytical and curious listener, who can dissect a piece of music with their ears, working out how sounds have been created and how they have been processed. Curiosity is the beginning of becoming an expert in any field. High level Music Technologists always ask themselves the following types of question: • How was that achieved? • How could it be improved? • What effect would it have if I changed this aspect? • Why does that work? Why does that not work? Through critical questioning, you will develop high quality knowledge and understanding, moving you ever closer to the levels of expertise needed at A Level. TASK 1 – LISTENING; JUNE - SEPT Throughout the summer, you should challenge yourself to listen to an ever increasing range and variety of music. This means planning in time, finding good quality headphones/speakers and listening critically to the music. You should also read around the music that you listen to; gaining an understanding of the context of a piece and the technology that was utilised at the time can be vital in fully appreciating a composers’ intentions, and the extent to which you think they succeeded. Use the following range of resources as a starting point and get listening: RECOMMENDED ALBUMS ON SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / DEEZER ETC… Artist Album/s Information Matthew Herbert Plat Du Jour Be prepared for something very different… An album created entirely of samples of elements of the food and drink industry that Herbert finds abhorrent. Read more about his intentions here, and find a full list of the samples used here. Pierre Schaeffer Cinq Etudes De Not an easy listen, but essential content for all music Bruits (1948) technologists. Schaeffer is the father of electronic composition and one of if not the first to make music with magnetic tape. This deserves your attention. 2 | P a g e Kraftwerk Trans Europe Few bands have had as great an influence on electronic Express (1977) music in the popular sphere. Make time to sit and take in this epic on good quality speakers/headphones. The Beatles Please Please Me Not electronic music, but what better example of (1963) simple, 2-track, album-in-a-day, studio recording! De La Soul 3 Feet High and A fantastic example of how to create new and original Rising (1989) music using samples from existing work. Watch this video after listening to the album to understand in more detail. YOUTUBE How Music Technology Can Change Lives – Inspiring TED Talk How to Translate the Feeling Into Sound – Music Technology in Live Performance PODCASTS Song Exploder Unstoppable Recording Machine UBK Happy Funtime Hour Noise Creators The Home Recording Show Pensado’s Place TASK 2: ANALYSIS OF EXEMPLAR COMPOSITION WORK – JUNE/JULY A Level composition and mixing differs from basic song writing or completely free, experimental compositional styles. Although originality and creativity remain the thrust of this work at A Level, you must also show that you are capable of working within established structures and traditions, ensuring that you demonstrate enough skill to earn to achieve the very highest marks. It would be perfectly possible to write a hugely interesting and enjoyable composition/mix yet only achieve half marks. You need to learn how to direct your creativity around the fine details of the mark scheme so that your work can be rewarded with the highest possible grade. You need to then learn to think like Music Technology examiners. Below, you will find the following documents: • The Edexcel Music Technology Composition Mark Scheme • Composition 1 • Logbook for Composition 1 • Composition 2 • Logbook for Composition 2 • Examiner feedback on Composition 1 • Examiner feedback on Composition 2 3 | P a g e You will need to do the following: • Listen to Composition 1 twice, following through the logbook as you do so. • Listen again whilst studying the mark scheme. Decide what you would award the composition for each of the three main areas and complete the table below with your marks. • On a different day, complete the same cycle of activities for Composition 2. • Finally, read through the examiner’s feedback in order to gain an understanding of what the candidates did well/not so well. Synthesis (creating Sampling (reusing Creative Effects Total Edexcel A original sounds) existing sounds) (reverb, echo, Level Music /8 /8 distortion etc…) /50 Technology /8 Composition 1 Composition 2 Composition 3 TASK 3: ANALYSIS OF EXEMPLAR RECORDING WORK – JUNE/JULY On this course, you will learn how to record, mix and master a pop song in its entirety. This project is hugely exciting if a little daunting. To help prepare you, here are some examples of successful projects and the feedback from the examiner as to why they did well. I have not asked you to mark them as interpreting the mark scheme at this point will be difficult, however, please do look at the mark scheme and see how the examiner refers to it. • The Edexcel Music Technology Mixing Mark Scheme • Mix 1 • Logbook for Mix 1 • Mix 2 • Logbook for Mix 2 • Examiner feedback for Mix 1 • Examiner feedback for Mix 2 4 | P a g e Skill Area 2 Reading TASK 2 – SUGGESTED READING; JUNE-SEPT Just as crucial in developing your ability as a technologist is extending your frames of reference through extensive reading. There is no specific required reading for this course, however I have included some highly recommended books below, which will certainly help to increase your knowledge base in advance of the A Level course starting in September. Music Technology from Scratch – Rhind-Tutt How Music Works – John Powell Yeah Yeah Yeah – Bob Stanley Sound on Sound – Magazine The Story of Electronic Music - Stubbs A Level Music Technology Study Guide – Hallas 5 | P a g e Skill Area 3 Research TASK 1: CLASSIC ALBUMS RESEARCH PROJECT; JUNE-JULY One of the joys of the Music Technology course is discovering a much deeper understanding of the history of modern recorded music. In preparation for this, your next task is to complete a research project based on a “classic album” from the past 60 years. Some suggestions have been given to you, and although you may have your own ideas, I recommend choosing something that you are not so familiar with yet. Your project can be completed in any medium, but must be ready to present during the first week back in September. To be a success, your research project should, amongst other things, explore: • The band/artist that recorded it • The context of the album within their wider body of work • The instruments and technology used • Specific recording techniques • Who produced/engineered/mixed/mastered the record • The studio used for recording • How this album impacted the wider industry as a whole Good examples of “classic albums”: Artist Album Year Paul Simon Graceland 1986 Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life 1976 Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1977 Bob Marley and the Wailers Catch a Fire 1973 Steely Dan Aja 1977 Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast 1982 Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973 Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon 1973 Nirvana Nevermind 1991 Queen A Night at the Opera 1975 Jay Z Reasonable Doubt 1996 The Beach Boys Pet Sounds 1966 Amy Winehouse Back to Black 2006 Phil Collins Face Value 1981 Elvis Presley Elvis Presley 1956 The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1985 6 | P a g e Skill Area 4 Practical TASK 1: INSTRUMENTAL / VOCAL PRACTISE – JUNE-SEPT Even as a music technologist, you should still be aiming to maintain your instrumental/vocal skills as a musician. This should mean that you are completing 30 minutes per day, 3-5 times per week. This is further to getting warmed up properly for each practise session. It can be very easy to confuse “completing a piece” with purposeful practise. There follows ‘Ten Top Tips’ to help ensure that your practise is always purposeful, designed to ensure you make genuine musical progress rather than simply learning more pieces.