Assessment 1 – Practical (80%)
Two 30 minute band sets performed multiple times at selected venues to a professional standard.
[Learning Outcomes 1 and 2]

Assessment 2 – Evaluation (20%)
A critical evaluation of your experience of the rehearsal, development and refinement process leading to becoming ready to perform as a band, with findings expressed through a range of communication methods.
[Learning Outcome 3]

Final Assessment: Assessment 1

Formative Assessment
Observation of participation in in workshops, rehearsals and team discussions

This module is designed to develop your understanding of the principles of working professionally within a band and to enable you to practise instrumentally and/or vocally, monitoring your own progress in order to develop as a performer within a group setting.

Musicians, whether they intend to be solo artists, session musicians or work within a band or ensemble environment, will have to collaborate during the process of recording, playing live, touring and also in a business and management context. Therefore, when working with others, skills to effectively communicate, express opinions and arguments, listen, liaise and negotiate are essential in the musician’s armoury. This module will generate opportunities to develop these skills.

An understanding of how to structure and monitor practice as a musician within a group or band ensures focus, allows progression as a musician and enables deadlines to be met; all of which are vital for releasing material, delivering performances and completing tours. As a performer, developing your skills towards targets, through hard work, practice and the experience of being on stage and performing to an audience gives mileage and scope to reflect and ultimately improve. Good musicianship, musical ability and overall performance skills are developed when exploring and discovering a varied repertoire within a group. It is essential to develop good working practices, ear and eye contact, groove, dynamic level, audience awareness and stage presence in order that the music not only has audible entertainment values but also visual appeal. It is important to perform your own instrument and/or vocal well when working with fellow musicians, in order that your collective performance rises to audience expectations.

It is also in the rehearsal process that your valuable musical skills and commodities increase. The rehearsal process encompasses techniques of memory, communication, control of tension, improvisation and critical listening, building on growing instrumental or vocal ability. Performances will vastly improve and develop when effective practice is evaluated and analysed. The ability to self-evaluate and critically comment during rehearsal only helps build up musical expertise and prepare you for the music industry.

For these reasons this module and its assessments place great emphasis on practical work underpinned by theoretical and contextual understanding and companied by ongoing critical reflection. Through this you will be encouraged to share ideas and interpretations with fellow group members. You will learn and apply core knowledge and skills in the areas of performance through a combination of exercises, hands-on workshops, self-directed learning and visits from practitioners. An evaluative, ongoing process will support your practical work where you should demonstrate evidence of experimentation across the rehearsal, development and refinement stages. It impact upon reflect on how the band has communicated, selected or discarded material, and worked towards getting the band material ready for performance both technically and creatively.

On completion of this unit you will have improved your ability to practice and rehearse in a disciplined manner, having improved your confidence and stage presence and subsequent capabilities as a performer.

Practical, hands-on workshops
Theory to practice workshops
Presentation skills and workshops
Audience interaction exercises
Performance exercises and skills workshop
Performance opportunities with peer analysis
Analysis of musicians in terms of performance, charisma and personality
Opportunities to interact with visiting practitioners
Performance critiques with formative feedback
Individual tutorials
Performance screenings
Performance reviews

Practice/rehearsal rooms
Keyboards/pianos
Guitars
Amplifiers
Listening facilities
Microphones and recording equipment when necessary.
A large room will be needed for group performances.
Access to a variety of rehearsal and performance areas.
Specialist performance and rehearsal spaces appropriate to musical direction
PA equipment
Whiteboard
Projector
Mac computers

Curran M. (2004) Getting Gigs: The Musician’s & Singer’s Survival Guide to Booking Better Paying Jobs: NMD Books
Henderson W. (2001) Running your Rock Band: Rehearsing, Financing, Touring, Succeeding: Schirmer Books
Mitchel B. (2001) Gigging Musician: How to Get, Keep, and Play the Gig: Backbeat Books
Popyk B (2003) The Business Of Getting More Gigs as a Professional Musician: Hal Leonard
Wilkins T. (2007) Access All Areas: A Real World Guide to Gigging and Touring: Focal Press

1. UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF WORKING PROFESSIONALLY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND EMPLOY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH BASIC THEORIES AND CONCEPTS WHEN WORKING PROFESSIONALLY AS A MUSIC PERFORMER IN A BAND.
[Knowledge and Understanding]
[Application]

2. WORK AS A TEAM TO REHEARSE, DEVELOP AND REFINE MUSIC PERFORMANCE MATERIAL, COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY IN ORDER TO NEGOTIATE CREATIVE INTENTIONS AND TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVE A REPERTOIRE SUITABLE FOR PERFORMANCE TO AUDIENCE.
[Working with others]
[Problem solving]

3. CRITICALLY EVALUATE YOUR OWN PROGRESS AS A PERFORMER THROUGH THE COLLABORATIVE PRODUCTION JOURNEY AND HOW IT HAS BEEN INFORMED BY THEORY AND CURRENT PRACTICE. [Reflection]