Popular Music Performance and Songwriting

Learn how to compose, write songs, work in the studio, record, produce, and perform to a public audience. Ultimately learn how to position yourself in a global music market place.

This is a practice-based, ‘outward-facing’ course that seeks to prepare you to be versatile, flexible and adaptable within the 21st century music industry.

• We are looking to create critically astute musicians who are confident performers and songwriters, working with today’s technologies to make, reproduce, and disseminate music, and who understand the different income streams available to them in the profession.

Why you should study this course

• Focus on creative-based music skills in performance and songwriting in a vibrant and creative environment which gives you access to professional practices, new research and outstanding graduate support.

• Engage with a range of technology in the creation, performance and recording of music, including recording studios and live performance. Develop your own personal website which by the later stages of the course, is intended to be a professional-looking, outward-facing website that demonstrates the breadth of your learning and professional experience.

• Visiting masterclasses are embedded within the course and have included: Black Sabbath founder Tony Iommi, singer/songwriter Emma McGann, guitarist John Connearn, award-winning gospel vocalist Lurine Cato, the Ben Holder Jazz Trio, award winning gypsy-jazz guitarist Remi Harris, songwriter Hannah Wilson, Orchestra of the Swan and jazz keyboardist and music production composer, Andy Quinn. Masterclass visitors are subject to availability and may change each year.

• There are opportunities to showcase your performing and songwriting talent in a public context throughout your studies. On-site performance spaces include a large room with two grand pianos which is suitable for small recitals, and The Hub’s Square One, a large performance space kitted out with PA, amplifiers, drums and a grand piano4. You may have the opportunity to perform in one of the city's live music venues (subject to availability), which has previously included: Studio 54, The Herbert Art Gallery, Kasbah, The Phoenix, The Cross, Drapers, The Cottage, The Tin, The Litten Tree, Ego Arts and Nexus.

• You will have access to our extensive specialist facilities4 such as our music seminar room which houses a grand piano, PA, amplifiers, a drum kit and a 5.1 surround sound system directly linked to a control room for recording. Other facilities include music practice rooms with pianos, drums and PA, three band rooms, a 5.1 studio and live room, instrument storage, an iMac music tech suite and modern recording studios where you can access Pro Tools, Logic, Live, Max and Sibelius on Apple macs.

Where our graduates work
Examples of what previous graduates have gone on to achieve include being a leading professional guitarist, an author of a series of advanced guitar handbooks, a successful recording artist, a YouNow live-streamer and songwriter, an examiner for Rockschool and completing a PhD in composition.

Please visit our website for the most up-to-date information.