If you are a drummer, a keyboard player or a bass player or have other musical talents such as guitar or vocals, UCOL's New Zealand Certificate in Music might be the qualification you need to give your career a boost.  

 

You will develop your individual and band performance across many popular music styles and you’ll gain skills in live sound and recording, theory, song writing/composition and music management. Gain professionalism and confidence for work in the music industry.

 

This programme consist of 120 credits. The courses includes:

Music Theory (30 Credits)
Learn to apply elementary music theory in a practical, written and aural environment. This may include:

• Complete circle of 5ths
• Notes on treble clef and bass clef
• All intervals up to an octave
• Scales – Major, chromatic, blues, minor pentatonic, major pentatonic, major arpeggio, including major modes, parent scales and natural, melodic minor and harmonic minor.
• Chords: Major, minor, sus4, dominant 7th, augmented, diminished, min7th, min7b5, augmented 7th, diminished 7th.
• Rhythm – 2 bar rhythms including whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes and corresponding rests. Including eighth and quarter note triplets.
• 12 bar blues
• Major diatonic chords
• Chord progressions up to 6 bars
• Melodic dictation up to 2 bars
• Harmonising a short melody
• Transpose a short melody

Performance and Technology 1a (15 Credits)
Perform and analyse a range of musical styles and performance technology in a range of performance environments. This may include:

• Sound theory
• Live sound technology, PA Set up, basic live band mixing
• Instrument development training from a specialised mentor
• Regular programme of practicing, and rehearsals is planned out and monitored
• Artistic and creative goal setting
• Improvisation, sight reading, technical fluency, agility and technical exercises for individual instrumentalists
• Composing music for band and solo performance
• Playing music in a range of styles in band or solo
• Research and analysis of a range of genres

Performance and Technology 1b (15 Credits)
Perform and analyse a range of musical styles and devise strategies for performance technology in a range of performance environments. This may include:

• Live Sound Technology, PA Set up, basic live band mixing
• Instrument development training from a specialised mentor
• Regular programme of practicing and rehearsals is planned out and monitored
• Improvisation, sight reading, technical fluency, agility and technical exercises for individual instrumentalists
• Composing music for band and solo performance
• Critiquing music for band and solo performance
• Playing music in a range of styles in band or solo
• Participation in planning an event or function

Composition and Technology 1a (15 Credits)
Compose and record music in the studio and Digital Audio Workstations (DAW). This may include:

• Introduction to DAW software and hardware
• Setting up a session in a DAW
• Recording audio, recording midi
• Applying sound theory to the production process
• Dynamic processing
• Effects processing
• Audio formats
• Rendering audio
• Electronic composition
• Music Fundamentals (Rhythm, form, timbre, dynamics, Harmony, Melody)

Composition and Technology 1b (15 Credits)
Compose and record music for a range of scenarios. This may include:

• Recording audio, recording midi
• Applying sound theory to the production process
• Dynamic processing
• Effects processing
• Mic placement
• Session management
• Headroom, Stereo Field, Dynamic range
• Project planning
• Working in the grid
• BPM’s and Quantising
• DAW short cuts
• Compositional techniques in a range of environments

Industry 1a (15 credits)
Develop the skills and knowledge to function in the music industry of New Zealand Aotearoa. This may include:

• Pepeha: genealogy and relationships
• Te Whare Tapa Wh?
• Te Whare Tapere: traditional M?ori performance types ( waiata, haka, poi etc)
• Influence of M?ori performing arts in the New Zealand music industry
• Small Business (tax requirements, budgets, basic record keeping, business structures, funding)
• Employment opportunities in the New Zealand music industry

Industry 1b (15credits)
Manage a basic project as an individual orgroup. This may include:

• Event planning
• Marketing
• Introduction to design concepts
• Communication
• Management
• Brand development