BA (Hons) Popular Music with Foundation Year

This course is designed for practising musicians who want to understand the technical environment within which commercial music takes place.

This is one of the few courses of its type in the country and is designed to equip you with the ability to interact and innovate within a vibrant environment, nurturing a specialism in popular music and related industries. The area of popular music is a dynamic, well established creative aspect of the music industry involving sophisticated craft, technical, analytical and scholarly approaches.

You will develop a wide range of disciplines through performance, composition, technology, media production and musicology. You will also develop an in-depth appreciation of the increasing significance of popular music in economic and professional terms.

Here's what you can expect from this course:

• You'll explore popular music performance, composition and production together with music technology. We'll help you to develop your creative and entrepreneurial flair so you can respond to technological and artistic innovations in the industry.
• You'll develop your skills on your chosen instrument through group based learning activities. You'll also develop your expertise in composition and song writing and will study the social and business context of the world of commercial music.
• You'll have regular opportunities to perform in public, and we'll encourage you to take part in the local music scene.
• You will be taught by experienced lecturers, many with international research portfolios and current professional experience.
• You will be inspired by our recording studios and rehearsal facilities, which will enable you to produce professional quality recordings of your performances.
• You will benefit from our strong links with the music industry and will be invited to participate in our yearly Music Production Show, with guest presentations from industry professional such as: Sound on Sound, Avid, Yamaha, Ableton and Focusrite.

Take a look at the professional Music facilities at Markeaton Street: