Hello Deb - 1) The BTEC Extended Certificate in Music Level 2 is equivalent to two GCSE grades CC, BB or AA (pass, merit and distinction). 2) I'm not in a position to recommend either Edexcel or Keynotes - I attended the Edexcel course in Birmingham for teachers new to the BTEC course and found it invaluable as I was able to network with other Music teachers.
Hope the course goes well

There can be no doubt that BTEC is an important area for many of our colleagues – and the way they are using the site to share and discuss ideas is impressive.

In my travels round the country, interviewing for our forthcoming We are Teaching Music Report, Liz_ suggested that we could support BTEC sharing/discussions in the virtual community by hosting a face to face “think-tank”. And that is exactly what we intend to do.

We would like to host a think-tank day at teachingmusic HQ in Leeds on a mutually convenient day in late October/early November. If you feel that you have something to contribute to such an event, please get in touch with me on this site. We are looking to bring about 6 – 8 people to this meeting.

Great forum! I am moving the department towards btec levels 2 & 3 as I feel this is most appropriate to our students, and I now need to get in touch with parents, particularly the current yr11s. I know btec extended cert is equivalent to 2 gcse's, but does anyone have any info as to what grade? Also, if I was to go on a training course, would you recommend keynotes or the ones run by Edexcel themselves? Sorry to hijack your post, but I really need some advice from more experienced people!! I have now got the 50 btec assignments book and am looking at the musiceducationresourses.org site & am looking foward to being able to post some of my own resources on here soon!
Thank you in advance, Debbie.

sorry I thought I added the link DOH! here it is www.musiceducationresources.org

Sounds good, as I am looking for resources too for the new BTEC. Do you have the link? Thanks,

Hi guys, I emailed edexcel for advice on resources and got an e mail back with this link. Look like really good resource packs I'm going to buy 7 units I'll let you know what they're like. They are emailed to you as well as the hard copy so makes life a little easier for us all!

Hi Sharon - With the ensemble unit and a mixed ability class remember that singing is an instrument and if the students struggle to sing 'in-tune' then they can beat-box or repeat words rhythmically - 'Wim-o-weh' springs to mind along with a youtube clip of 'The Choir' with Gareth Malone where he takes a group of boys to perform at the Royal Albert Hall to sing Stand by Me mixed with Beautiful Girl by Sean Kingston (I think). I used this clip last year to inspire a group of boys to keep the vocal rhythm moving whilst other students sang over the top.

I find that mixed ability groups are more fun with the ensemble unit - I have a group consisting of 28 students from Years 9, 10 and 11 ranging from statemented students to more able musicians. As a starting point I would always use youtube to inspire and motivate the students - start with getting the students to evaluate some performances and discuss whether they could achieve the standard of performance - there are some great clips for Britains got Talent and X-Factor that can start by inspiring students that do not feel they can contribute to an ensemble. Spend time convincing your students that they are working as a team and if any of them do not try their best then it lets the whole performance down. I find that my hardest battle with this unit is getting the students to believe in themselves! For this unit I am going to arrange Boom Boom Pow (haven't done this yet!) and organise it as a vocal arrangement - I envisage quite a lot of the boys 'grouping together' to keep the bass line going with the words Boom Boom Pow and then burst in for the 'rap' parts - I'm really excited and will post this when I have written it out.

If you have drummers in your group you could choreograph a performance based on 'Stomp' - just by turning your chairs upsidedown you have many sounds that can be put together. Some of my students also tried percussive rhythms with beakers!!! If you go onto youtube and type in Lulu and the Lampshades cups there is a fantstic 'cup rhythm' which lasts for 8 beats and is quite good fun to learn. (It took me a week to get the movements for beats 5-8! but it had to be done as the students were quickly working it out!)

Also, remember that to 'communicate with an audience' you can focus on teaching your students to keep their heads up during a performance and set them the challenge of looking at two people in the audience in the eyes. Some of my students (low self-esteem and confidence) really thrived on this challenge last year and to get them to lift their heads was a big challenge - but they did it! Before recording a final performance you might want some of your students to announce the song - again 'communicating with the audience' and setting the scene for the final performance.

Hope this has helped a little bit xx

Hi folks! I will be teaching the BTEC First Certificate in september and need some advice on what i'm doing. I was hoping to run the Solo Performance and Ensemble Units but after reading up on them i'm not so sure. I recieved my class lists in the post last week and my BTEC group contains SEN, school refusers and kids that didn't fit anywhere else!! Only 2 play instruments (drums). The solo performance units seem to insinuate the pupils have an instrument, skill, flair or interest. I dont think i can get the random unmusical kids to "communicate with an audience" or "play 6 contrasting pieces"
Help! .....
Any help really appreciated.
Shaz

Thanks for that Mark xx

Hi guys,

I'm in my third cohort of BTEC Music and have found the following book really useful.

50 Music Assignments for the BTEC First Diplomas ISBN 1-84367-025-9

In the first year I normally teach the Rehearsal Techniques and Solo Performance unit as one project and this has worked well so far.

Cheers
Mark

Thanks David and Perez! Really helpful!

Hi Perez.
I would be interested in sharing/co-working etc....
I am teaching BTEC Firsts at Nunthorpe as well as A - Level Music etc....
I am just deciding on the units at the mo, probs will be Unit 7 (exploring Computer systems used by Musicians) and
Unit 9 (Recording)....
would be cool to share some ideas etc......
Andy Power

I would also recommend Jenny Farn's Unit 1 resource - it's great! xx

Gavin

Have a look at Jenny Farn's page. She has produced a resource on this

Hi everyone...

My school has recently this year just started with the Btec first certificate and we are trying to attempt Unit 1 - Planning and creating a music product... Was wondering if anyone had any resources or examples as I am struggling how to approach the unit...

Thanks

Thanks Axeman. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching the course this year and have built up a little bank of resources. Thanks.
Perez

We have been running BTEC First in Music (Certificate and Diploma) since 2007 - please get in touch if there's anything you need.

I was completely confused with the new spec and need to re-read it again! I won't be of any use to your question at the moment Liz - sorry!

Hi

It does seem confusing!

I’m not sure but it seems as if you can combine some success at level 1 with your level 2 credits and still be awarded the level 2 qualification.

I think the reason the credit value is different at the end of the book might be down to the fact they are just generic examples rather than specific to the Btec in music.

My EV is visiting tomorrow so I can check with him and let you know!

Has anyone else read the new spec for (currently known as) BTEC First Cert/Dip in Music? BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate in Music seems to be First Cert equivalent - search for product BF021882 on Edexcel website.

Not too sure on the credit breakdown (see page 6, for instance). It states 'qualification credit value: a minimum of 30 credits' but then says the minimum level to be achieved at or above the level of qualification is 16 credits – doesn't that mean a learner with 16 credits can't be awarded the extended certificate?

Plus if you skip to page 216/7, how come units which seem to be worth 10 credits at the front of the book are worth 5 in this section?

Sorry if I am being abundantly idiotic... I cannot figure this out!!

Hi all

It seems as though there are lots of teachers who are relatively new to the BTEC First courses, and this is something that Classroom Music magazine has started to address this year, with lesson materials for different units in the form of specific assignment briefs and supplementary teaching ideas.

I won't try to hide the fact that this is in part an advert for the magazine - but it's also a call for any of you who do have at least a year or two's experience teaching BTEC Firsts to get in touch with us. We're looking for new contributors of BTEC lesson materials to the magazine, to help those of our subscribers who are starting to teach BTECs get to grips with it and deliver it with confidence.

Please contact us via our teaching music page if you are interested.

Sorry to interrupt, and good luck with the partnerships - a great idea!

www.rhinegold.co.uk/classroommusic

Hi all

I know I am slightly behind the game being as most of you commented weeks ago but I am teaching the Btec first units 1,3,4 and 9 I plan on uploading assignment briefs to the site but have a lack of general resourses! I am also very willing to share ideas!!!

Hi all

I know I am slightly behind the game being as most of you commented weeks ago but I am teaching the Btec first units 1,3,4 and 9 I plan on uploading assignment briefs to the site but have a lack of general resourses! I am also very willing to share ideas!!!

Hi all

I know I am slightly behind the game being as most of you commented weeks ago but I am teaching the Btec first units 1,3,4 and 9 I plan on uploading assignment briefs to the site but have a lack of general resourses! I am also very willing to share ideas!!!

This is my first year of delivering the BTEC First Certificate and am finding it really difficult. I work in a special needs secondary school in Salford (although I am primary trained) and its challenging at the best of times. I am a single teacher department which is also hard when you need to bounce around ideas! I would really benefit from seeing the qualification being run in another school, preferably locally. There was mention of someone in Bolton? Any idea how I could contact this person? Many thanks!

Just uploaded the resources I have made so far for Unit 9: Recording.
Quite a musical Y10 class, have done 3 weeks 'getting to know you' performance based tasks which will feed into recording each other for a promotional EP.

Hi all,
I'm so glad I found this site!! I have been trawling the web looking for resources for the Btec First Cert in Music and not come up with much so far.
I'm looking at doing Unit 1 then Solo performance, Composition and Ensemble performance.
Does anybody have any Assignment Briefs I could look at to get an idea of how to start? It would be much appreciated!
I love the idea of sharing, supporting and planning as a group - nice to know we're not alone in the vague world of Btec!
Ali
alisonhickey_25@hotmail.com

HI

We run cert and dip at our place and with Cert students we offer Unit 1, 3, 7, 9, 13 and 14.
With Dips we offer the extra 2 and 4 and basically macth the units with the students ability... if youwould like some assignment briefs to go with any of these then just e mail - ok?
Cheers
Reece

Hi, am in my second year of teaching the BTEC FIrst Diploma. Any help you need, let me know. Am based in South Birmingham.

Phil

No problem. If you let me know your email addy I could send you some documents to get you started.

hi Perez ive just started teaching Btec music and as im based in N.Ireland i am unable to find anyone else doing the 1st certificate course i would be very grateful if you could give me help.....

Hi Susie, I won't be teaching those units next year but I do have some resources that may be of use to you.

I will be teaching Understanding Music and probably Working as Musical Ensemble as part of BTEC Performing Arts from September and would welcome any ideas/help and the chance to share things.

Thanks for that David and yes I will enjoy the rest of the summer!

Hi Perez

It might be worth using the GOOgle Custom Search box on this site and put in 'BTEC'. It should provide you with some info on who else on the site is involved with BTEC - you could then invite them to contribute to this discussion area.....

I know of a teacher in Bolton who is doing some great work with BTEC - I'll get him involved after the sumer break.....

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

It would be great to join up etc. In the first instance I am running the Certificate this academic year and 2010-2011 I will be completing the Diploma with the students. Fot the Certificate we will be focusing on Unit 1 or 2 (Still undecided at this stage!) Unit 3 - Solo Musical Performance and Unit 7 - An Introduction to DJ Technology. They do not seem to coincide with the Units that you are offering at the moment, however, I do have some resources collected along the way that could be of use to you for the Units that you are offering. If you let me know your e-mail addy - I do not mind forwarding some of the resources to you (If this is any use to you).

Hi - good timing! I'm just about to starting teaching this in September for the first time. Although I have a part time colleague in the department, I'll be teaching this single handed so doing a link up to share materials/ideas/survival techniques would be great. We're at opposite ends of the country (I'm in Hampshire)... were you looking for someone to work with in person, or by email etc? If the latter then I'd be really interested. We're doing units 1, 2, 4, 6, 11 & 14 (for the full First Diploma - six units - God knows how I got talked into that!)... do any of those match up with yours?