BA (Hons) Music (Popular) - 2025 Entry

Aural and Theory  - Foundation

Contextual Studies - Foundation

Fundamental Skills - Foundation

Specialist Group Study (Composition) Foundation

(for Classical and Jazz composers and all Film Music and Songwriting students)

Specialist Group Study (Performance) Foundation

(for Classical and Jazz performers and all Popular Music students)

Specialist Group Study (Production) Foundation (for Electronic Music Production and Music Production students)

Specialist Study (Composition) Foundation

(for Classical and Jazz composers and all Film Music and Songwriting students)

Specialist Study (Performance) Foundation

(for Classical and Jazz performers and all Popular Music students)

Specialist Study (Electronic Music Production) Foundation

(for Electronic Music Production students)

Specialist Study (Production) Foundation

(for Production students)

Performance 1: Skills 

You’ll build a solid foundation in performance by blending technical development with your own musical expression. Through one-to-one tuition, workshops, and lectures, you’ll enhance your musicianship, part-writing, and instrumental or vocal technique. This module supports your creative growth through structured exercises, helping you become a more confident and adaptable performer ready to engage with collaborative music-making. 

Performance 2: Technique 

You’ll deepen your technical and artistic development, strengthening your individual performance style through tailored tuition and collaborative learning. This module supports your growth as a creative professional, combining workshops, lectures, and practice to improve your musicianship and stage presence. You’ll explore performance from technical and expressive angles, preparing for real-world creative and industry expectations. 

Creative Environments 1

You’ll develop key skills in collaborative performance and digital production using industry-standard tools. Through band rehearsals and Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) sessions, you’ll enhance your stagecraft, musical communication, and technical fluency. This module provides a hands-on introduction to creating, performing, and producing within a digital environment, helping you realise your musical ideas with confidence and precision. 

Creative Environments 2

You’ll build on your collaborative and technical skills by refining your rehearsal strategies and deepening your understanding of DAW-based production. Through live performance and digital workshops, you’ll develop your musicianship, explore arrangement techniques, and learn how to shape ideas into strong demo recordings. This module strengthens your creative process in both live and studio settings. 

Musical Analysis

You’ll explore the structures, techniques, and creative decisions behind influential songs and records. Using analytical tools, you’ll study arrangement, songcraft, and form—then apply these insights to your own music. Through lectures and peer discussion, you’ll sharpen your technical vocabulary, deepen your compositional understanding, and develop a more focused and reflective creative approach. 

Musical Contexts

You’ll examine how music operates within social, cultural, and industry frameworks. This module introduces musicological and theoretical approaches that help you understand music as both an art form and a commercial product. By analysing repertoire and musical discourse, you’ll gain the tools to critically evaluate your work and position your creative output within wider contexts.

Performance 3: Artistry 

You’ll take a more focused approach to developing your unique performance identity. Through personalised tuition, workshops, and lectures, you’ll refine your instrumental or vocal skills while exploring artistry in recorded and live performance. This module supports your growth as a creative performer with a distinct musical voice, ready for collaborative professional environments. 

Performance 4: Creativity 

You’ll continue to develop your expressive range, performance strategies, and artistic direction. Alongside technical and stylistic refinement, you’ll explore the songwriting process and how your influences shape your creative identity. This module supports professional practice and experimentation, helping you evolve as a disciplined, original performer with an understanding of your place in the industry. 

Creative Environments 3

You’ll strengthen your band performance and DAW production skills, focusing on rehearsal efficiency, stagecraft, and stylistic interpretation. In parallel, you’ll gain confidence with mixing techniques like track organisation, gain staging, and balancing. Through feedback and workshops, you’ll refine both your musical performance and your technical execution in a studio environment. 

Creative Environments 4

You’ll further develop as a versatile performer and producer by engaging with live performance techniques and DAW-based creativity. This module explores advanced stagecraft, sound manipulation, and digital effects, helping you shape your identity as a contemporary artist. You’ll prepare compositions for live delivery while aligning your work with industry standards and expectations. 

Industry 1: Infrastructure

You’ll explore the structure and workings of the UK music industry, gaining insights into income streams, management, legal frameworks, and professional bodies. This module provides the essential knowledge to start building a career as a songwriter or performer. You’ll learn to navigate industry mechanics and develop transferable business skills for long-term sustainability. 

Industry 2: Portfolio Skills

You’ll explore three complementary disciplines—Journalism, Pedagogy, and Musicology—to broaden your career prospects. This module helps you develop skills that can support or extend your creative practice. Through lectures and practical tasks, you’ll gain the tools to deliver work in one of these areas, strengthening your employability and portfolio as a music professional.

Major Performance Showcase 

You’ll consolidate your artistic voice and professional identity through a high-level performance project. Supported by tuition and workshops, you’ll refine your technique, stylistic fluency, and creative control. This module gives you the platform to demonstrate discipline, individuality, and professionalism as you prepare for a career in the music industry. 

Focus 1

You’ll design and deliver a specialist project that aligns with your professional goals in ensemble performance, collaborative songwriting, or research. This module lets you showcase the skills and insights developed throughout your degree. You’ll refine your creative or academic approach while producing work that meets professional industry standards and reflects your artistic identity. 

Focus 2

You’ll continue to develop your chosen specialism—whether performance, songwriting, or research—through a major project. Building on Focus 1, you’ll deepen your expertise and creative focus while demonstrating originality and professionalism. This module supports your transition into industry or further study by encouraging self-direction and high-level project delivery. 

Industry 3: Strategy

You’ll learn how to promote and position yourself in the music industry using strategic tools like marketing, branding, and digital presence. Through case studies and practical work, you’ll explore how artists build sustainable careers. You’ll develop networking skills and gain the knowledge to release music, build an audience, and navigate industry landscapes. 

Industry 4: Implementation

You’ll bring together everything you've learned in your industry studies to shape your unique career path. This module helps you develop your creative vision, visual identity, and professional presentation. You’ll gain experience in branding, career planning, and income strategies, preparing you to secure employment or launch yourself as a self-employed music professional.