Unit Content for HNC Units

Not all of the content needs to be covered, but use this as a guide.

Unit 15 Research content 1. 1 Be able to select effective methods and techniques for undertaking research activities

Research methods: type of research eg qualitative, quantitative, systematic, original; use of libraries and archives; internet and digital resources; conducting/interpreting market research eg questionnaires, polls; undertaking interviews; critical review eg performance/production or score analysis Academic framework: identifying previous research eg literature review; selecting suitable methodologies eg musicological frameworks, reception, critical analysis, praxis; contextualising the area of research eg acknowledging issues of gender, race, sexuality, politics; applying appropriate referencing techniques

2. 2 Understand the validity of appropriate research material from primary and secondary information sources Organisation: standards eg thematic, chronological, biographical, comparative viewpoints, informed awareness of different perspectives, specific issues Primary sources: evidence eg first editions, autographed scores, live performance, studio recordings, audio-visual presentations, internet resources, online polls, social networking research, interviews, personal accounts, notes and annotations, correspondence, statistical data Secondary sources: evidence eg publications, referenced texts, archives, reviews, recordings/photographs/videos of live performance, historical/social/cultural documentation

3. 3 Be able to formulate critical opinions on a selected research subject Formulation: critical evaluation of sources; synthesis/interpretation of data; critical thinking; objectivity; identification of target audience; presentation of viewpoint Methodology: context eg critical review of material, links to practice, balance between text and other forms

4. 4 Be able to present outcomes based on research using a recognised format Format: suitability eg essays, dissertations, journal entries, bibliographies, reading lists, live practice, audio recordings, audio-visual presentations, production notes, presentations, seminar, forum, PC-based (PowerPoint etc), websites, digital journals, social networking, prototype designs, saleable projects, scores, texts, production design Presentation methods: context eg written texts, verbal presentations, recordings, performances, demonstrations and workshops Referencing systems: citation eg Harvard, American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Languages Association (MLA)

Unit 25 Business content

1. 1 Understand the structures of small businesses in the arts sector Structures: business structures; sole traders; partnerships; concept of unlimited and limited liability; limited companies Role of small business: small businesses in the arts and their inter-relationships in the industry; niche; expertise Personal structures: role and responsibilities of sole traders; partners; directors of small limited liability companies Personal skills: time management; financial and market awareness; commitment; assertiveness; communication; planning; target setting; problem solving and decision- making

2. 2 Understand sources of funding and the support available to small businesses Start-up funding: loans; overdrafts; government grants and loan schemes; start-up schemes; local and regional variations Ongoing sources: special project funding; lottery funding; Arts Councils; European sources; other specialist sources; employment subsidies Supporting relevant organisations: RABs; local, regional and governmental departments; Arts Councils; local authorities; unitary authorities; public organisations; sponsorship Role of relevant organisations: services offered; clients; aims and objectives

3. 3 Be able to apply financial administration techniques important to small business enterprises Recording financial transactions: simple systems for recording financial transactions in a small business environment Income tax, national insurance (NI) and VAT: liabilities in respect of tax, NI and VAT; calculating likely contributions/demands; documentation relating to tax, NI and VAT; implications of self-assessment Credit control: recognising the importance of credit control; simple credit control techniques relevant to small business; cash flow forecast

4. 4 Understand management issues relevant to small business enterprises Use of time: time management; demands Limits to growth: availability of personnel; implications for employing personnel; limitations of market; budgetary constraints; complying with legislation Financial forecasts: role; cash-flow forecasts; the value of targets and associated strategies; business planning; marketing; business development; target markets/audiences

Unit Content for HNC Units

Not all of the content needs to be covered, but use this as a guide.

Unit 48 Songwriting content

1. 1 Be able to use advanced techniques in relation to the setting of song lyrics Lyrics: eg word setting using both original words and/or existing text, humour and pathos, prosody and rhyme, literary devices, versification and word setting, musical ‘pulse’ and word scan, suitable melodic use, melismatic phrasing Form and structure: eg free and established forms, introduction, verse, chorus, instrumental, middle eight and coda, lead sheet layout and structure

2. 2 Understand advanced techniques in relation to the use of melody, harmony and instrumentation Harmony: structures eg chord sequences, melodic writing, the ‘hook’, rhythm, modulation, tonality and chromaticism Style and instrumentation: eg writing in a wide variety of free, established and contemporary art forms, stylistic writing and arrangement for voices with instruments (keyboard/piano, orchestral instruments, ‘pop group’, jazz ensembles and big band, other free combinations)

3. 3 Be able to develop songwriting skills through workshop and rehearsal techniques Experimentation: eg jamming, changing style and structure, using instrumental resources, effective use of techniques and games (cut-ups, rhyming games etc), word play and improvisation, using technology Inspiration: eg literary sources, social commentary, personal experiences, historical sources, analysis of other songwriters’ techniques, ballads, love songs, films, incidental music, drama, comedy, books and poems Songwriters’ tools: eg lyric books, note books, sketch books, technological tools (hardware sequencers, portable recording equipment, MIDI workstations, DAW etc), rhyming dictionary, auto-accompaniment software, musical games (singing different lyrics to a given melody and vice versa etc)

4. 4 Be able to compile a showreel of original compositions Audience: eg audience feedback, showcasing, agents, demo, theme, concept, marketing Showreel: eg personal publicity package, professional implications, Musicians’ Union, singer, song delivery, targeting, copyright, publishing

Unit 55 World Music content 1. 1 Understand the musical elements of the selected genre using correct terminology

Musical elements: rhythmic eg tempos, time signatures, simplicity/complexity, polyrhythms, grooves, rhythmic interplay between instruments; melodic eg scales, modes, ranges, call- and-response, repetition, improvisation, phrases, motifs; harmonic eg chords and structures, relationship to other content (melody/bass), complexity, drones, suspensions, extended chords, dissonance Terminology: use of musical language; explanation of terms specific to the culture/language of genre

2. 2 Understand how instrumentation, arrangement and performance characteristics are used within the selected genre Instrumentation: specific instruments and their family groups; Hornbostel-Sachs classification; sections; tunings; combinations; typical ensembles; developments and variations; historical and modern comparisons Arrangement: structure; complexity; dynamics; how instruments are employed; influences from other cultures; range and depth, development Performance characteristics: improvisation; discipline; virtuosity; specific instrumental technique eg vibrato, ornamentation; historical development; how skills are acquired eg training, education, aural traditions

3. 3 Understand how contextual factors have influenced the development of the selected genre Context: factors eg colonialism, occupation, invasion, diaspora, historical, geographical, cultural, social, religion, other art forms (eg music developed from accompanying other media), purpose (eg dance, meditation, story telling), geographical, political, suppression and rebellion

4. 4 Be able to present findings in a negotiated format using selected examples Negotiated format: methods eg essays, radio/recorded format, presentations, audio-visual, portfolio, internet/webpage, workshop, seminar Selected work: types eg recordings, music technology, notation, demonstration, performance, film