Course Content
The course is now more than ten years old. Our graduates in music business are working for major music companies and music industry trade organisations; many of our music production graduates have embarked on recording careers, as artists, with major and independent record labels and as performers with high profile artists.
Our approach has recently been endorsed by our second external examiner in music production, Dave Stewart:
"Having heard this year's 2nd and 3rd year students' work, I can genuinely say I was totally impressed at the standard of their various projects. It leaves me in no doubt the the curriculum and the various experiments happening at the Commercial Music course should continue and will lead to successful careers in this industry."
Course Modules
Music Production - covers live and recorded production and involves study of composition, arranging, performance, music technology and studio production. Students work on group and individual projects ranging from composition and arrangement in established styles to recording for release to a specific market. Level 6 gives opportunities to develop a large scale personal project as a launch pad towards a career in music production.
Music Business- This subject is tailored to students seeking a career in the music industry. At Level 4, we introduce key music business concepts and practices, with a focus on marketing and the live industry. At Level 5, further specialisation in music business brings a study of publishing, international markets, back catalogue and other exploitation issues, an entrepreneurship project and a small-scale personally-negotiated project. Level 6 gives opportunities to develop a large scale personal project as a launch pad towards a career in music management.
Music Sociology - investigates the cultural and social roles of commercial music. With a focus on how music has developed as a force in pop culture and the mass media, students address the major sociological debates concerning music in the 20th Century. At Level 6 all students take the Contemporary Music Criticism module in which they develop their ability to articulate artistic and commercial judgements on music performances and recordings. Work in music sociology culminates in a major Thesis at Level 6 in which students research and investigate an historical and/or critical subject related to music.
Electives - students have the opportunity to broaden and support their music education by taking electives from throughout the University each year. This is an integral part of the course, representing at least 1 of the modules taken in each year. Electives in business and law develop students' specific knowledge in these areas, whilst electives in art, design and media provide an opportunity for students to place their music into a broad cultural context. The course "Live Music Sponsor" is Peavey Electronics (UK), whose support we are pleased to acknowledge, along with our other valued sponsors Yamaha, Latin Percussion, Soundtracs, and Larking Audio.
Areas of Study
The course has three main areas of study: music production, music business and music sociology. Students may specialise in either music production or music business (including music business law), or choose a mixture of both.
Music production: covers live and recorded production, songwriting, composition, arranging, performance, music technology, film and multi-media production. Culminates in the third year with an individual, large-scale production-based project.
Music business: covers music industry structure and sector roles, copyright and music business law; strategies in the music business; repertoire management; international markets and entrepreneurship. Students have a wide choice of work experience opportunities within the industry as well as marketing product generated by the music production students. Culminates in a music business major project covering a range of options from working with established businesses to company start-ups.
Music sociology: covers the cultural and social roles of commercial music with a focus on how music has developed as a force in popular culture and the mass media. Includes an active research project in music ethnography. Culminates in the third year with an extended thesis in which students research and investigate an historical and/or critical subject related to music.