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Popular Music Performance

  • 1 Study option
  • Undergraduate
3 Campuses
Awarded by:
The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance
More about Institute of Contemporary Music Performance

Course options

2025-20262026-2027
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Course summary

The Popular Music Performance CertHE is a one year course that is designed for students who aspire to fulfill the highest levels of musicianship whilst building a successful portfolio career within today’s modern and diverse popular music industry.

A dynamic, challenging and relevant programme, this course will provide you with the playing, performing, technical and theoretical skills necessary to prepare you for the real world of the portfolio musician. The study of established genres, styles and repertoire sits at the core of the course, and you’ll develop a wide and comprehensive understanding of genre conventions through study of your principal instrument, aimed at enabling you to succeed in a wide range of contexts.

The course covers a variety of learning activities in subject areas such as performance, stylistic techniques, music technology, arranging and composing, sight-reading and sonic analysis. You’ll be challenged to develop outstanding technical skills on your primary instrument.

Over the year, you’ll receive tuition from our expert teaching faculty, made up of highly esteemed musicians, all of whom have active careers in the music industry and higher education sector. Learning will be achieved in small groups, where collaboration is encouraged to enable conceptual exploration of experiences, influences and ideas. Through live performance workshops you’ll develop a strong comradery with your fellow students, be inspired to network and create projects with students from other ICMP programmes, and receive individual instrumental feedback.

ICMP tutors will provide you with relevant knowledge of the internal workings of the music industry through the delivery of regular masterclasses, industry events and networking opportunities, along with addresses from guest lecturers and emerging artists.

By the time you graduate with ICMP, you’ll be fluent in the language of popular music, capable of working in creative and collaborative music business environments, ready to explore exciting industry pathways to begin your professional career, and will have an impressive and professional portfolio of work to present to the industry.

Progression: After completion of this course you can progress on to year 2 of the BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance degree.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • ICMP London
  • ICMP Liverpool
  • ICMP Leeds

Study options

  • CertHE • Full-time • 1 Years

Start dates

  • 09/2026

Application codes

Course code:
W316
Institution code:
I25

Institute of Contemporary Music Performance has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

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What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
W316
Institution code:
I25

This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available.

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Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

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We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

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Sponsorship information

For students to be eligible for SLC funding, they must be studying a designated course. Courses at the ICMP are designated each year by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. We have developed together with valued partners several scholarships and bursaries which supplement our outreach and widening participation activities and enhance access to our courses. Please contact our admissions team for more information.

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