Skip navigation

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

2025-20262026-20272027-2028
Apply

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.

Subject options

This course offers the following subject options:

  • Bass
  • Drums
  • Guitar
  • Keys
  • Vocals

Modules

Course Modules

Year 1 (Level 4)

  • Live Performance Skills

  • Theory, Technique & Technology

  • Theory Technique & Technology II

  • Music Business for Performers

  • Performance & Identity

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • ICMP London
  • ICMP Liverpool
  • ICMP Leeds

Study options

  • Certificate of Higher Education • Full-Time • 1 Years

Start dates

Application codes

Institution code:
I25

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

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Application codes

Institution code:
I25

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

Course options

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff
Offer: 48

English language requirements

If you are applying to study at ICMP, you can demonstrate your English proficiency by taking one of the following tests - please visit the link.https://www.icmp.ac.uk/study-at-icmp/international-students/english-language

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course 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.

This course may have Historical entry grades data available, please select a course option to view.

Course options

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland£10050
Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland, EU & International£16250

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

Sponsorship information

Scholarships and bursaries 1

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.

Related courses

At Institute of Contemporary Music Performance

Like this page