Pop rock guitar course – Level II

Educational objectives

At the end of their studies for the Level II Academic Diploma Course in Popular Music, students must have acquired the advanced level knowledge of techniques and specific skills that enable them to concretely bring to life their own artistic idea and autonomous musical personality within the broad spectrum of different performance contexts.

To this end, particular emphasis will be placed on the study of the instrument’s most representative repertoire – including ensembles – and related performance practices, also with the aim of developing the student’s ability to interact within differently composed musical groups. These objectives are to be achieved also by favouring the development of the perceptive capacity of hearing and memorisation and with the acquisition of specific knowledge of the organisational, compositional and analytical models of music and their interaction.

Specific care must be devoted to the acquisition of appropriate postural and emotional control techniques. By the end of the Two-year course, students must have acquired an in-depth knowledge of the stylistic, historical and general aesthetic aspects related to their specific address as well as a competence to interact with other members of ensembles.

It is also an educational objective of the course to acquire adequate skills in the field of computer music as well as those related to a second European Community language.

Employment prospects

  • Professional concert activity oriented towards solo performance
  • Cultural operator in the field of music
  • Organiser of events and musical seasons
  • Consultant and music organiser at public or private institutions
  • Pop/rock instrumentalist/singer/soloist
  • Instrumentalist/singer/chorister in pop/rock groups and in pop/rock orchestral ensembles
  • Recording activity for record companies and radio and television broadcasters

Two-year school system

Characterising programmes

Admission Level II

Reserved to students in possession of a first level academic diploma, or a degree, or a diploma from a system previously in force combined with an upper secondary school diploma. Students in possession of another equivalent qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable may also be admitted. The above-mentioned qualifications must be consistent with the chosen course.

Admission for candidates coming from Level I Pop Rock Guitar

The test tends to ascertain the candidate’s instrumental skills and musical maturitỳ acquired during the three-year course of the same subject at the same Conservatoire.

  1. Band performance of a programme lasting approximately 20 min. The programme must compulsorily include:
  2. a) at least one instrumental piece for solo guitar
  3. b) at least one sung piece with featured rhythm guitar
  4. c) one composition arranged for solo guitar
  5. d) at least one piece played with acoustic guitar and voice

The candidates must̀ provide the commission with 3 copies of the scores of the pieces they intends to perform in their programme. For the choice of pieces, it is recommended to range from pop, rock, funk and blues genres.

  1. Improvisation at first sight on harmonic structure and base provided by the commission.
  2. Performance at first sight of a guitar score provided by the commission
  3. General and motivational interview.
  4. USB presentation of a piece (cover or original) recorded by the candidate
  5. Submission of Curriculum Vitae and short written statement concerning one’s aesthetic and expressive research.

The commission reserves the right to interrupt the test at any time.

Admission for candidates from other three-year courses of musical disciplines

The first test tends to ascertain the candidate’s instrumental skills and musical maturity, while the second test assesses the candidate’s theoretical knowledge of basic culture.

FIRST TEST

  1. Band performance of a programme lasting approximately 20 min. The programme must compulsorily include:
  2. a) at least one instrumental piece for solo guitar
  3. b) at least one sung piece with featured rhythm guitar
  4. c) one composition arranged for solo guitar
  5. d) at least one piece played with acoustic guitar and voice

The candidates shall̀ provide the commission with 3 copies of the scores of the pieces they intend to perform in their programme. For the choice of pieces, it is recommended to range between the genres pop, rock, funk and blues

  1. Improvisation at first sight on harmonic structure and basis provided by the commission
  2. Performance at first sight of a guitar score provided by the commission
  3. General and motivational interview
  4. USB presentation of a piece (cover or original) recorded by the candidate
  5. Submission of Curriculum Vitae and short written statement concerning one’s aesthetic and expressive research
  6. The candidate must prove knowledge of:
  7. all techniques related to the modern pop rock guitar such as: bending, vibrato, legato, alternate plectrum, sweep picking, tapping
  8. The pronunciation and phrasing of the rock and blues guitar: use of slide, rake, vibrato leverage, articulation of phrasing, language and sound.
  9. All about effects and instrumentation

The commission reserves the right to interrupt the test at any time.

SECOND TEST

Popular music competence programme

For information on enrolment, please visit the “Registration” page

The detailed timetable for the admission examinations will be published in a separate notice.

Enrolment

For information on enrolment, please visit the “Registration” page

For information on enrolment, please visit “International > Foreign Students”.

For information on enrolment, please visit the “Enrolment” page

For information on enrolment, please visit the “Fees” page

Enrolment in years following the first

For information on enrolment renewal, please visit the “Registration” page

The suspension and reactivation of studies is provided for Level I and II courses only, no later than 31 July of each calendar year. Students who have not exceeded 5 academic years of suspension may request the reactivation of their career. Career reactivation cannot be requested for students who have exceeded the aforementioned number of years (the academic credits obtained will be declared obsolete and no longer valid). Career reactivation is only possible if a place is available for the current academic year.

With regard to academic career reactivation fees, please refer to the Fees and Contributions Regulations for the current academic year.

For information on enrolment renewal, please visit the “Enrolment” page

For information on enrolment, please visit the “Fees” page

Lessons

The Academic Year begins on 1 November of each year and ends on 31 October of the following year. The academic calendar is issued by the Director, by resolution of the Academic Council, normally by 31 May.

Each training activity may entail different methods of conduct and interaction between students and lecturers. In particular, there may be individual face-to-face lessons, collective face-to-face lessons, practice lectures, laboratories, practical, distance and intensive activities, training courses, seminars, projects, artistic productions, reports and production of texts and hypertexts, including multimedia, guided or autonomous individual study activities, tutoring, self-assessment and other activities.

Examinations

There are three sessions per academic year: summer, autumn and extraordinary.

Students are obliged to book by the deadlines indicated by the Registrar’s Office.

Final Examinations

In order to obtain the qualification for Level I and Level II courses, students who have acquired the required credits must pass the final examination consisting in the writing of the dissertation (Thesis) and the practical test useful to ascertain the achievement of the qualifying educational objectives of the course of study.
Booking the final examination must be made compulsorily on one’s ISIDATA profile under the heading ‘Examinations’.
At the same time, it will be compulsory to pay the ‘Graduation fee’ (by means of Pagopa service) of €30.00 by generating the payment by MAV through the ISIDATA platform under the heading ‘Fees’.

Bookings must be received in accordance with the following deadlines:
– 31 May (summer session);
– 31 August (autumn session);
– 31 January (winter session).

Students must have completed their studies at least 10 days before the final examination.

It is compulsory to submit 1 hard copy and 1 PDF/A file of the Diploma Thesis to the secretary’s office no later than 10 days before the date of the final examination. Further hard copies (tot. 4 copies) must be handed in to the commission on the day of the final examination.
Specific provisions can be found in the “Thesis Regulations”.