Masters Degrees (Music Production)

The MA Music Production degree is designed for students with existing music production practice, to sharpen your skills and to deepen your understanding of the context in which you work. You are given the opportunity to develop an appreciation and understanding of the discipline of music production in terms of academic critique, as well as the industry-specific context of production practice.

Course detail

The programme will provide you with reflective and research strategies through which you will develop your portfolio as innovators in the field of music production.

Key features of the programme are the provision of:

• opportunities to explore the interrelationships between knowledge and practice
• opportunities to place your own music production practice within business, entrepreneurial and critical frameworks
• opportunities to produce music products, especially in relation to other disciplines and collaboratively with other art forms
• the opportunity to specialise in an area of study of particular interest to your own practice, with the choice of a practical or written submission
• opportunities to engage with the contemporary music industry as ‘Thinking Innovators’, capable of shaping its possible futures.

Format

The curriculum is uniquely designed to focus on the emerging field of research in the art of music production, and to place your own practice at the heart of your studies. You will be expected to be equally active in the production of music, as the reading and research into the theories and contexts that have shaped the development of the music business and its current crises.

Modules

• Critical Perspectives on Music Production
• Technology & Creativity
• Producing Recorded Music
• The Business of Music Production
• Music Production Project

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please see the following link:
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

Other sources of funding

Information on alternative sources of funding can be found here:
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/student-services/money/funding-my-course/postgraduate-/postgraduate-funding-/

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Our MA in Music Production gives you time, facilities and authoritative guidance from academics and industry professionals to develop both practical studio craft along with a firm theoretical and critical understanding of modern technique and practice.

Course summary

This new programme (which replaces the Production pathway of the Music MA) provides practical, theoretical and analytical study of the creation, perception and reception of audio productions. An interdisciplinary approach is adopted which examines how creative studio practice is informed by perspectives provided by science and engineering (acoustics, psychoacoustics, electroacoustics, signal processing) as well as composition, performance and musicology. Professional competences in various aspects of sound recording practice are developed and assessed, along with the underlying transferable knowledge. This is in addition to a cultural and historical perspective which encourages the understanding of production, with its own notions of style and genre, as an evolving and integral part of music making.

Aims

The MA in Music Production degree is aimed at students wishing to explore the practice and theory of Music Production. This combines a very broad view of the techniques and applications of production for audio media with the subsequent development of more tightly focussed individual skills and scholarship. Music Production might involve anything ranging from the creation of entirely synthetic material using computer-based techniques to the successful capture of acoustic performances, as well as the restoration and reconstruction of existing audio heritage. There are also important philosophies and technologies underlying this discipline that are constantly evolving.

Whether you are an electronic/computer-based composer or an early music specialist who wants to make the very best recordings, this course will provide you with the intellectual and practical skills to realise your goals. This is not a training course in specific pieces of software or hardware. It is a year-long exposure to thinking about and working in Music Production in its many forms. It is an opportunity to develop your own ideas, styles and career in this exciting discipline.

Structure and Ethos

The use of technology for the creation and capture of music is a core part of the Department of Music’s activities. The Department is home to the Music Research Centre: one of the finest facilities for listening to and recording sound in the UK. There is a large-scale neutral listening and performing space built to extremely low noise specifications (PNC15), a linked studio suite containing a dedicated performance space with configurable acoustics and two mix down/control rooms. The department’s main concert hall has a dedicated studio control room along with a suite of editing and programming rooms. This remarkable set of facilities is populated with a wide range of microphones and recording hardware/software. There are extensive computing facilities for practical work and research. Surround sound work is very well supported by multiple sets of 5.1 and full periphonic (i.e. with height) ambisonic reproduction systems.

Throughout the course MA Music Production students are expected to use these facilities to make recordings and other audio artefacts. Running alongside this practical activity are taught modules which provide an understanding and fluency in audio signals and systems and the production chain, listening and analytical skills. In the final six months students produce a self-directed portfolio as well as undertaking a large research project.

Industry and Employment Relevance

The role of producer is widely recognised within the music industry, across all styles and in many different areas of activity. This course will provide you with a versatile skill-set which will be of value for entrepreneurs or for candidates seeking professional appointments, be it with a small independent production house or a broadcaster with global reach. The department is home to professional sound recordists, producers, performers, composers and technology developers and so offers a unique combination of expertise in this field. Rather than a narrow set of competencies which will quickly date, you will graduate with a set of robust skills which will transfer to many different scenarios along with a breadth and depth of understanding of Music Production which will allow you to create meaningful and significant audio content, as well as critically analyse the work of other producers. A significant proportion of our graduates go on to do further research at PhD level.

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Our PGCert in Music Production gives you time, facilities and authoritative guidance from academics and industry professionals to develop both practical studio craft along with a firm theoretical and critical understanding of modern technique and practice.

Course summary

This new programme (which replaces the Production pathway of the Music MA) provides practical, theoretical and analytical study of the creation, perception and reception of audio productions. An interdisciplinary approach is adopted which examines how creative studio practice is informed by perspectives provided by science and engineering (acoustics, psychoacoustics, electroacoustics, signal processing) as well as composition, performance and musicology. Professional competences in various aspects of sound recording practice are developed and assessed, along with the underlying transferable knowledge. This is in addition to a cultural and historical perspective which encourages the understanding of production, with its own notions of style and genre, as an evolving and integral part of music making.

Aims

The PGCert in Music Production degree is aimed at students wishing to explore the practice and theory of Music Production. This combines a very broad view of the techniques and applications of production for audio media with the subsequent development of more tightly focussed individual skills and scholarship. Music Production might involve anything ranging from the creation of entirely synthetic material using computer-based techniques to the successful capture of acoustic performances, as well as the restoration and reconstruction of existing audio heritage. There are also important philosophies and technologies underlying this discipline that are constantly evolving.

Whether you are an electronic/computer-based composer or an early music specialist who wants to make the very best recordings, this course will provide you with the intellectual and practical skills to realise your goals. This is not a training course in specific pieces of software or hardware. It is a year-long exposure to thinking about and working in Music Production in its many forms. It is an opportunity to develop your own ideas, styles and career in this exciting discipline.

Structure and Ethos

The use of technology for the creation and capture of music is a core part of the Department of Music’s activities. The Department is home to the Music Research Centre: one of the finest facilities for listening to and recording sound in the UK. There is a large-scale neutral listening and performing space built to extremely low noise specifications (PNC15), a linked studio suite containing a dedicated performance space with configurable acoustics and two mix down/control rooms. The department’s main concert hall has a dedicated studio control room along with a suite of editing and programming rooms. This remarkable set of facilities is populated with a wide range of microphones and recording hardware/software. There are extensive computing facilities for practical work and research. Surround sound work is very well supported by multiple sets of 5.1 and full periphonic (i.e. with height) ambisonic reproduction systems.

Throughout the course Music Production students are expected to use these facilities to make recordings and other audio artefacts. Running alongside this practical activity are taught modules which provide an understanding and fluency in audio signals and systems and the production chain, listening and analytical skills. In the final six months students produce a self-directed portfolio as well as undertaking a large research project.

Industry and Employment Relevance

The role of producer is widely recognised within the music industry, across all styles and in many different areas of activity. This course will provide you with a versatile skill-set which will be of value for entrepreneurs or for candidates seeking professional appointments, be it with a small independent production house or a broadcaster with global reach. The department is home to professional sound recordists, producers, performers, composers and technology developers and so offers a unique combination of expertise in this field. Rather than a narrow set of competencies which will quickly date, you will graduate with a set of robust skills which will transfer to many different scenarios along with a breadth and depth of understanding of Music Production which will allow you to create meaningful and significant audio content, as well as critically analyse the work of other producers. A significant proportion of our graduates go on to do further research at PhD level.

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Our Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Music Production gives you time, facilities and authoritative guidance from academics and industry professionals to develop both practical studio craft along with a firm theoretical and critical understanding of modern technique and practice.

Course summary

This new programme provides practical, theoretical and analytical study of the creation, perception and reception of audio productions. An interdisciplinary approach is adopted which examines how creative studio practice is informed by perspectives provided by science and engineering (acoustics, psychoacoustics, electroacoustics, signal processing) as well as composition, performance and musicology. Professional competences in various aspects of sound recording practice are developed and assessed, along with the underlying transferable knowledge. This is in addition to a cultural and historical perspective which encourages the understanding of production, with its own notions of style and genre, as an evolving and integral part of music making.

Aims

The PGDip in Music Production degree is aimed at students wishing to explore the practice and theory of Music Production. This combines a very broad view of the techniques and applications of production for audio media with the subsequent development of more tightly focussed individual skills and scholarship. Music Production might involve anything ranging from the creation of entirely synthetic material using computer-based techniques to the successful capture of acoustic performances, as well as the restoration and reconstruction of existing audio heritage. There are also important philosophies and technologies underlying this discipline that are constantly evolving.

Whether you are an electronic/computer-based composer or an early music specialist who wants to make the very best recordings, this course will provide you with the intellectual and practical skills to realise your goals. This is not a training course in specific pieces of software or hardware. It is a year-long exposure to thinking about and working in Music Production in its many forms. It is an opportunity to develop your own ideas, styles and career in this exciting discipline.

Structure and Ethos

The use of technology for the creation and capture of music is a core part of the Department of Music’s activities. The Department is home to the Music Research Centre: one of the finest facilities for listening to and recording sound in the UK. There is a large-scale neutral listening and performing space built to extremely low noise specifications (PNC15), a linked studio suite containing a dedicated performance space with configurable acoustics and two mix down/control rooms. The department’s main concert hall has a dedicated studio control room along with a suite of editing and programming rooms. This remarkable set of facilities is populated with a wide range of microphones and recording hardware/software. There are extensive computing facilities for practical work and research. Surround sound work is very well supported by multiple sets of 5.1 and full periphonic (i.e. with height) ambisonic reproduction systems.

Throughout the course Music Production students are expected to use these facilities to make recordings and other audio artefacts. Running alongside this practical activity are taught modules which provide an understanding and fluency in audio signals and systems and the production chain, listening and analytical skills. In the final six months students produce a self-directed portfolio as well as undertaking a large research project.

Industry and Employment Relevance

The role of producer is widely recognised within the music industry, across all styles and in many different areas of activity. This course will provide you with a versatile skill-set which will be of value for entrepreneurs or for candidates seeking professional appointments, be it with a small independent production house or a broadcaster with global reach. The department is home to professional sound recordists, producers, performers, composers and technology developers and so offers a unique combination of expertise in this field. Rather than a narrow set of competencies which will quickly date, you will graduate with a set of robust skills which will transfer to many different scenarios along with a breadth and depth of understanding of Music Production which will allow you to create meaningful and significant audio content, as well as critically analyse the work of other producers. A significant proportion of our graduates go on to do further research at PhD level.

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The course gives students the opportunity to develop their existing creative music production skills using our experienced staff and world-class facilities as resources. Students who complete the award will be equipped with the skillsets necessary to compete for work related to music and sound production in the highly competitive environments of the creative industries.

Music production today not only involves being able to record, mix, and edit music in a variety of different genres and situations; it also involves an understanding of composition and arranging, an ability to work in different software environments with a high level of competence, an understanding of performance practices in different contexts, and an understanding of the relationships between music, sound and other media.

There are opportunities to develop all of these skills on the award, always with an emphasis on creativity and a focus on rigorous academic underpinning. Successful students will thus be afforded the opportunity to progress to further postgraduate research should they wish to do so.

Course content

Semester One
-Modern Composition in Context
-Audio Visual Composition
-Negotiated Study: Music
-Option module (Options include Advanced Recording Techniques, Mixing Techniques, Acoustics, Mastering and Signal Processing)

Semester Two
-Research Methods for Music
-Performance Practices
-Creative Music Software Design
-Option module (Options include Pro Tools for Music Production, Mastering Techniques, Electronics for Musicians)

Graduate destinations

Just some of the routes taken by our students after graduating:
-Software engineering (SSL)
-Environmental acoustics (RPS Group Acoustic Consultants, Hann Tucker Associates)
-Education
-Live sound
-Film sound

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Build your practical and theoretical experience in the creative and innovative applications of music technology in a studio environment.

You will work alongside experienced industry professionals, exploring the technical and creative skills of recording, arranging, mixing and mastering to develop a wide range of commercial and non-commercialmusical scores.

You will have access to a suite of high-quality, professional music studios approved by JAMES, the accrediting body of the Music Producers' Guild and the Association of Professional Recording Services.

In addition to the skill and experience of your expert teaching team, you will also learn from guest speakers from the music, film and television industries. We have fantastic links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations, which provide a variety of opportunities to test your knowledge and practical skills.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: our University demonstrated strength in five emerging areas of research which it entered into the assessment for the first time, including in music, drama, dance and performing arts.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/musicproduction_ma

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

Your course will open up career opportunities in music production, interactive media, television, radio, research and education. It also integrates well with digital animation and video, games and interactive media, and the wider music and audio industries, ensuring you should be well placed to get ahead in these competitive fields.

- Music Producer
- Music Technologist
- Performer

Careers advice: The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

We also provide you with regular visiting speakers from the music and film industries and a highly-skilled and experienced teaching team. We have fantastic links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations, which help ensure you get the most from the course.

Core Modules

Creative Music Production
Develop a practical understanding of the creative possibilities of the studio environment as you create your own musical product.

Studio Skills
Gain a balanced and critical view of the state of the creative industries. You will explore current creative and technological limitations and become involved in forecasting future changes and developments.

Collaborative Practice
Experience the collaborative working environment and develop your skills in fulfilling a brief.

Negotiated Skills Development
Work closely with your tutors, researching and applying current theory and practice alongside a learning plan that meets your own aims and objectives.

Creative Sound Design
Gain the knowledge and skills you need to produce audio-based artefacts in the fields of electro-acoustic music, sonic art and sound design.

Research Practice
Enhance your awareness of the methods and skills which are required in order to carry out research into the ideas and practice of music technology.

Final Project
The final project provides an opportunity for you to engage in research and advanced practice in an area of your own choosing.

Option Modules

Orchestration, Arrangement & Programming
Study contemporary approaches to orchestration and arrangement of music for the moving image and create scores and MIDI realisations to a professional standard.

Sound, Music & Image
Evaluate the relationships between sound, music and image, and devise and create examples of audio-visual media to a professional standard.

Electro-acoustic Music
Explore the techniques and methods employed in electro-acoustic composition and use those techniques and methods to create an original composition.

Facilities

- Music Studios
"Being able to work in such good facilities gave me a buzz – I loved working in the studios." Piers of chart-topping, Mobo-nominated Rudimental

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Headingley Campus
Our historic Headingley Campus is set in 100 acres of parkland with easy access to Leeds city centre.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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You’ll study key aspects of advanced learning in music production, focusing on technical application and personal creativity. Your focus will be on real-world applications; this is enhanced by our links with commercial organisations and the professional expertise of our staff in related industrial activities.

You’ll develop an in-depth understanding of the professional environment of the music and media sectors and develop the entrepreneurial skills needed to take advantage of current opportunities and to initiate new ones.

Music and sound production are integral to the creative industries sector, both in the UK and internationally, and are at the forefront of a diverse range of commercial, educational and research developments. Representing a significant area of commercial innovation and creative practice, the growth of new media platforms provides exciting employment opportunities and requires up to date approaches to the development of appropriate professional expertise.

Professional judgement, technical and creative ability, and appropriate knowledge and understanding are key to success in the music and media sector. Increasingly characterised by sophisticated technical systems and close integration of a range of media, music production encompasses a number of distinct specialisms and provides a dynamic field of postgraduate research activity.
This course is accredited by JAMES (Joint Audio Media Education Support) so you can be confident that the course meets the high standards demanded by industry.

You’ll study on your own and as part of a group giving you experience of working within multidimensional teams and managing leadership roles.

Whilst studying at Derby you’ll have access to our brand new, professionally designed recording studio complex, featuring Protools HDX systems, one of which is equipped with a vintage NEVE analogue recording console. Many of our control rooms are equipped with 5.1 surround monitoring systems and a variety of high quality Focusrite outboard equipment.

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Creative research in humanities has become an important part of postgraduate study at Masters and Doctoral level. It has helped performers and practitioners remediate their work as research, and allowed practitioners to reflect on the processes of practice as much as its ramifications. Like all our courses, the DMus reflects the mission and values of University of West London. It enhances progression and quality in education, and encourages widening participation.

Its emphasis on creative research, and its 'submission pathway' attracts recently qualified postgraduates and professional musicians who want doctoral recognition of their skills and experience - and this is sympathetic with the School's academic plan to attract mature and part-time students, together with the University's vision to reach out to students of all ages through flexible education.

The DMus extends the rich and eclectic musical experience our students enjoy at undergraduate and Masters level, to doctoral level, and enhances the London College of Music's growing postgraduate community. The DMus also maximises our research strengths in composition, performance and music technology.

MPhil

After a year of full-time study or two years of part-time study, you will have completed:
• a portfolio of recorded music, 60 to 80 minutes in duration, with optimised session files included
• a critical commentary of at least 5,000 words.

The MPhil portfolio may comprise pieces by several artists, or several by the same artist. It may be part of an even larger work, which you can use for the DMus portfolio. Your portfolio piece should be innovative, and show a new technique within, or an extension to, an existing practice.

DMus

After approximately three years of full-time study or six years' part-time study, you will have completed:
• a portfolio of recorded music, 120 to 140 minutes long - of which the MPhil portfolio forms the first 60 to 80 minutes. The portfolio should include optimised session files of your recordings.
• a critical commentary of at least 20,000 words, of which the first 5,000 words will be your MPhil critical commentary.

The DMus portfolio may comprise several pieces by one artist, or by several different ones, and your MPhil portfolio can be part of this extended work. Your portfolio piece should be innovative, and show a new technique within, or an extension to, an existing practice.

Proposal

Your proposal must not exceed 4,500 words. Unless you are studying for your DMus by Direct Entry or Submission, you will complete this proposal as part of the assessment regime for the Level 7 Research Methods module.

The proposal for the MPhil/DMus in Music Production is different from a proposal for a PhD. The core of the proposal will be a list of works you intend for portfolio submission. It should also include the anticipated duration of each piece. Proposals for DMus by Submission should also append the compositions. You should explain in your proposal how your portfolio constitutes an original and substantial contribution to the area of practice. For this, you should include:
• a 'literature review' of contemporary practice in the same field
• an analysis and explanation of existing techniques in the field
• an explanation of how the creative work represents an extension of, or reaction to, contemporary practice (see pathway appendices), which may be as an extended technique or something more philosophical, ontological or aesthetically grounded - or preferably a combination of the two.

Your proposal should also include a timescale for each part of the project, and an appended outline bibliography.

You may also identify areas of technical development, analysing how your portfolio pieces might enable this transition. You must indicate in your proposal, any pieces you intend to include through backdated registration.

You may also include a CV.

Assessment

Assessment of the submission will involve an oral examination conducted in much the same way as a traditional PhD. A viva voce will also be necessary when a student 'exits' with the MPhil degree.

Career and study progression

The DMus may lead to a career in teaching and research in higher education.

How to apply

Click the following link for information on how to apply to this course: http://www.uwl.ac.uk/students/postgraduate/how-apply

Scholarships and bursaries

Information about scholarships and bursaries can be found here: http://www.uwl.ac.uk/students/postgraduate/scholarships-and-bursaries

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The MA in Music (Popular Music Research) engages with scholarly debates and public controversies around popular music, while examining and developing both traditional and innovative ways of researching popular music- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-music-popular-music-research/

The Masters provides a grounding in the development of popular music research as a subfield of musicology, and encourages critical thinking about:

musical texts, artefacts and ecologies
audiences, reception and questions of interpretation
creativity, industries and production
repertoires broad in historical range and geographical scope
The course addresses contemporary issues of significance to academics, musicians, industries and organisations involved with popular music.

You'll develop research skills, critical thinking and rigorous methodological expertise with a range of applications both within the academy (at doctoral level) and outside (in music related industries, marketing, arts management, museums and archives, the sciences).

Although a knowledge of and passion for popular music is vital, it is not essential that your first degree is in music or popular music.

We welcome applicants from a wide range of disciplines: the course is designed to be of benefit not only to those wishing to continue their research at doctoral level, but also those wishing to reflect on their experiences as musicians, listeners, or media and arts industry professionals.

MA in Music student wins the 2015 Andrew Goodwin postgraduate essay prize:
Ben Assiter, a student on the MA in Music (Popular Music Research) was awarded the prize by the International Association for the Study of Popular Music for an essay written as part of his coursework. Read his award-winning essay here.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Professor Keith Negus

Modules & Structure

Core module:
Critical Musicology and Popular Music- 30 credits

Option modules:
Popular Music: Listening, Analysis and Interpretation- 30 credits
Contemporary Ethnomusicology- 30 credits
Ethnographic Film and Music Research- 30 credits
Contemporary Music: Practices and Debates- 30 credits
Performance as Research- 30 credits
Philosophies of Music- 30 credits
Interpretation, Meaning and Performance- 30 credits
Working with Original Musical Documents- 30 credits

Dissertation:
MA in Music Dissertation- 60 credits

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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The MA Music Industry Entrepreneurship combines traditional business practice with specialised tools, techniques, approaches and case studies unique to the music and entertainment industries.

Modules in Creative Music Management, Economics, Lean Business Planning, Marketing, Legal and Business Affairs, Live Event Management and New Media Technology combine generic industry practice with a specialised focus on the music and entertainment industries.

The programme is designed to prepare students for a future as label owners, publishers, managers, promoters, new technology pioneers and creative business specialists and is jointly delivered by UWTSD and Tileyard Studios. Tileyard Studios is the largest professional music community in Europe featuring 82 recording studios and 110 entertainment businesses, based in King’s Cross, London.‌‌‌

Course Overview

The MA Music Industry Entrepreneurship is delivered on the UWTSD London campus and at Tileyard Studios, King’s Cross, London. Tileyard Studios is the largest professional music community in Europe featuring 82 recording studios, 110 entertainment businesses and the new Tileyard Education Centre.

The programme is designed to prepare students for a future as label owners, publishers, managers, promoters, new technology pioneers and creative business specialists. In addition to the UWTSD London Campus facilities and resources, Tileyard Studios provides students with direct access to more than 1000 creative industry entrepreneurs, while developing cutting edge thinking and insight into the management and growth of independent record labels, music publishing, artist management, promotion, marketing and new technology entrepreneurship.

The course provides a critical understanding of music and entertainment management and organisations in a global context both on and offline. The core of the programme focuses on digital and independent entrepreneurial skillsets and practice as well as more traditional business methods within the context of the new mixed media economy. The course consist of six taught modules in Part I and an industry-related major business project in Part II.

Alongside specialised modules in Creative Music Management, Marketing, Live Event Management and New Media Technology, MA Music Industry Entrepreneurship students will develop a major business plan project for presentation to a panel of seed and incubation investors and business angels, curated by Tileyard Studios, seeking to invest in new creative business opportunities and IP.

Students will have access to the new Tileyard Education Centre featuring a professional recording studio, audio-visual tech lab and writing production rooms where they can collaborate with other creative MA students such as Commercial Songwriting and Production.

This industry-centric course also includes regular, large-scale industry networking events, held at Tileyard Studios in partnership with Notting Hill Music and sponsors, an unrivalled masterclass series, a one-to-one electronic mentoring program, work-based learning projects and access to the annual calendar of industry-centric events held on site at Tileyard Studios.

Modules

-Creative Music Management
-Economics, Planning and Finance
-Legal and Business Affairs
-Entertainment Marketing
-New Technology in Music and Creative Entertainment
-Live Music and Event Management
-Creative Business Project

Key Features

-Industry-led, academically robust programme
-Direct involvement and access to industry networks
-One-to-one contact mentoring and supervision
-Co-learning opportunities with other students and creative practitioners to support discussion, sharing of ideas, innovation and practice
-Access to academic and professional facilities and resources

Assessment

The course assessment consist of a range of coursework including portfolios, essay, reports and presentations.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the MA Music Industry Entrepreneurship can expect to find employment with or set up in business as:
-An independent (or major) record label
-A music publisher
-An artist / composer / songwriter producer manager
-A live agent or agency
-A live music or entertainment promoter
-A live events venue, company, promoter or music / cultural festival organiser
-A creative designer for music and entertainment
-A music marketing consultant or agency
-A music PR consultant or agency
-A new media creative entertainment business, platform, application or online community
-An independent or national TV broadcaster
-An independent or studio film production company
-A games development company
-A music synchronization business
-A creative songwriter / producer / artist brand / entrepreneur
-A lifestyle, entertainment or youth focused brand or agency
-A music and entertainment education practitioner or business
-A music legal, licensing and/or music accounting business
-A music product and merchandise creator, licensor or platform

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This MMus builds on our international reputation in the popular music field, as seen in the success of our BMus graduates- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/mmus-popular-music/

The programme offers you the opportunity to reflect critically upon your own creative practice – whether that consists of performance, songwriting, arranging, production, or collaboration – and to integrate theoretical perspectives from contemporary popular music studies.

You’ll also be able to extend your own practice through options in sonic and studio art, advanced music technology, exploration in audiovisual media, and ethnomusicology.

The MMus in Popular Music is intended for music creators who integrate these elements in the compositional, recording and performance work.

You’ll acquire graduate-level training in creative practice and subject-specific skills that could set you up for a career as a composer-performer or studio practitioner/producer, as well as other employment within the popular music sector.

This programme is distinguished by:

Quality

We have an international reputation and proven leadership in the field, evidenced in the success of our BMus Popular Music alumni

Innovation

The unique combination of theory and practice allows for forward-thinking, innovative practice-as-research through popular music

Industry links

You can benefit from our proximity to central London, our links with music industry professionals, and our record label, NX Records, run in collaboration with Matthew Herbert and Accidental Records.
Contact the department
If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Department of Music

Modules & Structure

Core modules:
Critical Musicology and Popular Music- 30 credits
Popular Music Composition- 30 credits
Popular Music Project- 60 credits

Department

Music at Goldsmiths is ranked 12th in the UK for the quality of our research (Research Excellence Framework 2014, Times Higher Education research intensity subject rankings)

From opera to electronica, and from Errollyn Wallen to James Blake, music studies at Goldsmiths are unique and different. Firmly rooted in the 21st century, our programmes entwine academic with practice-based study, and historical with contemporary repertories.

Performance opportunities

We’re committed to high quality, ambitious and innovative performance, and we have a wide range of ensembles that you can join, including:

Goldsmiths Sinfonia
Chamber Choir
Contemporary Music Ensemble
Lunchtime and evening recitals
Music Collective
Studio Laptop Ensemble
Goldsmiths Vocal Ensemble
Plus student-led ensembles: Chamber Orchestra, New Music Ensemble, Big Band and Film Orchestra
These culminate in our end-of-year degree show and public music festival PureGold, which in recent years has launched at London’s Southbank Centre.

Facilities

We have excellent rehearsal and performance facilities including:

Goldsmiths Music Studios
Electronic Music Studio
Sonics Interactive Multimedia Laboratory
Council Chamber (with its Steinway Model D)
Two suites of practice rooms

Skills & Careers

Employability and cultural entrepreneurship is in our DNA

Graduates may progress to be composer-performers, studio practitioners/producers and music industry employees within the popular music sector. Older students who have returned to advance their knowledge and practice base will be better positioned in the job market.

We are also able to offer a series of employability/placement/internship style opportunities to include:

the Music Professional Practice scheme - a departmental scheme supporting final year undergraduate and MMus/MA students with employability concerns
Music Management Course - specifically assesses students on cultural entrepreneurship and their own real world music projects
NX records - the departmental record label in association with Matthew Herbert and Accidental Records
PureGold festival - the annual departmental festival launched at the Southbank centre
Simon Says - showcase events in collaboration with Goldsmiths Students' Union
Goldsmiths Vocal Ensemble - recent performances at Glastonbury, the Southbank Centre and Shepherds Bush Empire

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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Course Aims and Mission Statement

The aim of the Master’s degree program is to provide graduates with outstanding levels of artistic, scientific, didactic and social/communicative competence, thus ensuring that they are equipped with the best possible qualifications for the music education profession at public and private institutions (e.g. music schools, conservatories, higher education institutions and universities). Graduates will also have the necessary prerequisites and skills for organisational, advisory and executive/managerial activities in the cultural and media sectors (concert venues, theatres, museums, artists agencies, publishers, radio, etc.).

Building on the abilities and qualifications acquired in the bachelor studies, students of the Master's degree enter a process of intensified research and realisation of musical education concepts, especially those in the field of Jazz and Popular Music. This also extends to include their own individual artistic work and consequently these varied aspects are brought into broad and interdisciplinary discourse of institute research through team and project work (e.g. Master’s project and Laboratories for Music Research).

In this sense, the already acquired abilities of the students are further deepened and highly professionalised. At the same time, the open-ended research activities of the Master's program serve as free spaces for thought and work in which students from different backgrounds and origins encounter each other through research. They can also share and exchange their own thoughts and approaches and develop their work together, even beyond the horizon of one's own experience.

In order to make the research work visible to the outside world and to bring it into a public discussion, concert events, symposia, sound and video recordings, various internal institution publications and external partners are actively promoted. This provides the students with an important basis for continuing Career Orientation and Professionalisation, but it is also part of JAM MUSIC LAB University’s general contribution to the advocacy of ongoing conscious perception of artistic production. This also encompasses reflection on a wide variety of aspects that are linked with society and the facilitating of related dialogues.

Structure of Studies

The Master’s degree consists of four semesters and is divided into two degree programme stages of two semesters each. (Please refer to the core application, Chapters 3 and 4, and the descriptions and specifications contained therein regarding Research)

MA 1st Programme Stage (MA Expertise Level 1: Project Planning Research) Semesters 1-2:

1st Programme Stage allows the students to plan, organise and begin the initial implementation of the upcoming work as part of the Master’s project. The artistic, research-related and organisational challenges of the project are discussed in consultation with the respective supervisors of the Master's projects, or where relevant, with the major artistic subject (MAS) teachers. As part of the collaborative process, a related action plan and a project plan for implementation will be identified. A recommendation with regard to the compulsory electives that are to be covered is also provided for the best possible support for the Master’s project.

With the involvement and close coordination of MAS teachers, Master’s project teachers and the respective scientific director, the planning of the Master’s project is completed according to following standardised categories:

- Definitive formulation of the area of interest regarding research and knowledge - Indication of the methods of scientific or artistic work - Defining of the time frames of the work process up until completion - Coordinating and broadly defining adequate compulsory and free-choice electives in the context of the Master’s project

Coinciding with this as part of the Master’s degree, students continue to further deepen musical and artistic expertise in theory and practice, as well as intensified research. A presentation given by the students on the progress and development of the Master’s project and the written Master’s thesis at the end of semester 2 decides on the progression to the 2nd Programme Stage.

MA 2nd Programme Stage (MA-Expertise Level 2: independent scientific/artistic work and research) Semesters 3-4:

Students finalise their Master’s project regarding independent work and organisation. Musical and artistic expertise in theory and practice, as well as related research, are brought to a higher degree of professionalism in preparation for the upcoming Master's examination. A successfully completed Master's examination at the end of the 4th semester demonstrates outstanding qualifications in the respective main artistic subject (MAS), the ability to independently and effectively realise musical/artistic production and research, as well as a distinct expertise in project management and communication.

Examinations

Committee Examination Depending on the type of examination, the board would consist of at least two to a maximum of six examiners and one chairperson. The appointing of personnel for various boards are set up by the relevant bodies of JAM MUSIC LAB and published internally within the institute.

Entrance Examination:
The basic prerequisites for enrolment in the Master’s degree program are a completed Bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree from a recognised Austrian or non-Austrian postsecondary education institution, the successful completion of the admission examination and the availability of a study place.

An application for the admission examination of the Master's degree must be applied for in writing, which should include the following: a curriculum vitae, a motivation letter and an synopsis of the planned content of the artistic and research work.

Admission into the Master’s degree course relies strongly on excellent musical proficiency in the MAS and professional suitability for the area of independent artistic production and research of educational concepts. The same criteria must be demonstrated in the course of the entrance examination through an artistic/musical presentation followed by a verbal presentation of the submitted synopsis.

Details on examination requirements and content are defined by the relevant bodies of JAM MUSIC LAB University and published on the Institute's website (Please see the details in the core application, Chapter 3.7.4, Examination and Examination Methods, Admission Examination for Bachelor and Master Studies).

MA Degree Examination:
The committee examination is carried out at the end of the 2nd semester of the Master’s degree and serves to verify the students' studies thus far and serves to verify the status quo of the Master’s project and ongoing work. The students present the progress of their work and explain the planned steps towards successful and timely completion. The content and the appropriate form of the presentation – be it an artistic presentation, verbal lecture etc. – are chosen by the students and to be submitted in writing in advance. The presentation itself is followed by a critical questioning of the candidate by the examination board. Students who register on time and have sufficient study success are admitted to the examination. Examinations are determined by the relevant bodies of JAM MUSIC LAB University and published on the Institute's website. A Lesson Demonstration Examination is an integral part of both the degree and the Master's examination and contains the following specifications:

MA Lesson Demonstration Examination:
The Lesson Demonstration Examinations certify the necessary level in expertise for teaching practice. They are permitted to cover the following areas: Preliminary Lesson Demonstration MAS (single or group lessons), ensemble lessons, music theory, aural training, music history, and possibly other scientific areas as well. The performance requirements and objectives for the students in the course of the respective Lesson Demonstration examination are determined and then publicly published. The Examination Board has to advise and decide on the guidelines for defined assessment criteria (Please refer to the detailed information in the core application for further details: Chapter 3.7.4, Auditing and Examination Methods).

Master’s Examination:
The Master’s examination with exam committee consists of two practical parts (internal examination, which includes a lesson demonstration examination, and an external/public examination concert of about 45 minutes each) and an oral part in the form of a defence of the written Master's thesis. The defence consists of an approximately 30 minute verbal presentation of the submitted work, followed by a subsequent critical questioning of the candidate by the examination committee.

Students who register on time and have sufficient study success are admitted to the examination. Examinations are determined by the relevant bodies of JAM MUSIC LAB University and published on the Institute's website.

Prospective Professional Fields and Qualifications after Master’s Degree

As music educators and musicians, graduates have outstanding artistic and professional qualifications and social competence to pursue teaching and research activities at public and private institutions (e.g. music schools, conservatories, higher education institutions and universities), and to compete in the current international professional reality. In addition to their core activities as music educators in the field of music education institutions, they can also work in other active areas of professional music, art and culture mediation for all ages and target groups. As performers and creative musicians they can also work freelance as part of their own projects, as soloists and/or as ensemble members in various musical groups and orchestras focusing on Jazz, Pop, Rock, theatre, musicals, TV programs, film music etc..

In addition to their expertise in the areas of music education, artistic production, performance and research, which is tied to the practical experience gained by interacting with areas such as project management and public relations as part of the Master’s degree, graduates now have best possible prerequisites for organisational, pedagogical, advisory and executive activities in cultural enterprises and media (e.g. concert venues, orchestras, theatres, museums, artists agencies, publishers, administration of music education institutions, radio, print media, etc.).

Awarding of the degree “Masters of Arts in Music Education”

The academic degree "Master of Arts in Music Education" is awarded after completion of the Masters's examination and all prescribed lectures before the annual graduation ceremony of JAM MUSIC LAB University, which concludes the summer semester. The corresponding document can be produced in either German or English.

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Immerse yourself in the technical and creative aspects of contemporary music technology.

This hands-on course will give you the opportunity to explore the skills, techniques and theory behind the tools and technologies used in the production and performance of electronic music and sonic art.

You will create interactive systems using Max/MSP, explore sensor-based interfaces and develop your expertise in sound creation, manipulation and composition. We have designed this course for those with a university or professional background in the field, as well as those experimenting with sound through composition, sonic art or technology.

You will benefit from a teaching team that is made up of internationally recognised technologists and artists and you will learn through a combination of practical projects and in-depth study.

Our high-quality facilities and equipment, regular visiting speakers from industry and our links to local and national music, arts and festival organisations will all help you get the most from the course.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: our University demonstrated strength in five emerging areas of research which it entered into the assessment for the first time, including in music, drama, dance and performing arts.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/musictech_msc

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

Your course will give you the skills to seek a career in music technology, interactive media or sonic arts practice, research or education. It also integrates well with the wider music and audio industries, giving you the expertise to get ahead in these competitive fields.

- Music Technician
- Sound Engineer
- Music Producer

Careers advice: The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

You will have access to a suite of high quality, professional music studios, approved by JAMES, the accrediting body of the Music Producers' Guild and the Association of Professional Recording Services. This, combined with visiting speakers from the music industry and our links to local and national music, arts and festival organisations, ensures that you get the most from your course.

Core Modules

Live Performance Technologies
Gain the critical tools you need to understand and develop computer performance practice in the field of contemporary electronic music.

Interfaces & Interactivity
Consider a range of approaches to interactive and reactive system design, as you enhance your knowledge of key concepts, artistic approaches and technical skills.

Collaborative Practice
Experience the collaborative working environment and develop your skills in fulfilling complex briefs.

Creative Sound Design
Gain the knowledge and skills you need to develop audio-based artefacts in the fields of electro-acoustic music, sonic art and sound design.

Research Practice
Examine the methods and skills which are required in order to carry out research into the ideas and practice of music technology.

Negotiated Skills Development
Work closely with your tutors, researching and applying current theory and practice alongside a learning plan that meets your own aims and objectives.

Major Individual Project
This major project gives you the opportunity to engage in research and advanced practice in an area of your own choosing.

Option Modules

Electro-acoustic Music
Explore the techniques and methods employed in electro-acoustic composition and use those techniques and methods to create an original composition.

Orchestration, Arrangement & Programming
Study contemporary approaches to orchestration and arrangement of music for the moving image and create scores and MIDI realisations to a professional standard.

Sound, Music & Image
Evaluate the relationships between sound, music and image, and devise and create examples of audio-visual media to a professional standard.

Facilities

- Music Studios
"Being able to work in such good facilities gave me a buzz – I loved working in the studios." Piers of chart-topping, Mobo-nominated Rudimental

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Broadcasting Place
Broadcasting Place provides students with creative and contemporary learning environments, is packed with the latest technology and is a focal point for new and innovative thinking in the city.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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The course is aimed equally at composers of electronic music in the traditional sense, and contemporary artists who may combine the role of composer with producer, engineer, musician and DJ. London College of Music (LCM) at the University of West London is at the forefront of the academic study of music technology in general - and popular electronic music composition in particular.

Course detail

The course encompasses a broad range of electronic music, from popular electronic dance music styles to art forms such as electroacoustic music. It assumes you have a level of competence in composition or music sequencing and production. Composition studies include one-to-one tutorials in an area of electronic music that you will negotiate with your lecturer.

You will also examine the history and concepts of electronic music, the creation of sound installations and live performances, together with options that include the theory and practice of sequencing, sound synthesis, sampling, production techniques and the use of Max/MSP.

This course helps you build a wide range of skills, knowledge and creative strategies essential for a successful career in the contemporary, fast-changing music industry - or as a springboard to further postgraduate study at PhD level.

Modules

Depending on the route you choose, the core modules you study will be:

• Practical Composition one and two
• Orchestration and Arranging
• Conducting

Or

• Electronic Music Composition one and two
• Developing your Career
• Interactive Music Technology
• Research Methods
• Dissertation or Project

Optional modules include:

• Stylistic Composition (pre 1900)
• Stylistic Composition (post 1900)
• Multi-track Recording and Mixing for Surround
• Film and TV Score Production
• Advanced Non-linear Recording
• Combining Sounds
• Digital Audio Interface Design for Music
• The Development of Audio Technology
• Manipulating Sounds.

Format

The department's extensive research in this subject area means our teaching is informed directly by the world's most up-to-date ideas on the academic study of record production. Also, our teaching staff are renowned for their professional expertise.

Teaching involves a combination of lectures, practical workshops, seminars and tutorial discussions. Our teaching rooms are equipped with ProTools HD systems, Audient mixing consoles and C24 control surfaces, and lectures involve frequent practical demonstrations and examples.

The contact hours for the course are concentrated into two days for full-time and one day for part-time students. For the rest of week you will book your own studio and computer time to complete your assignments and develop your composing skills, network, create music with other LCM students and engage in self-directed study. The course runs for a complete year - normally September to September - in full-time mode and two years for part-time.

Career and study progression

This course will equip you with an enviable set of skills that will enable you to succeed in the fast-changing music industry.

Some examples of the professional roles graduates have progressed to after completing the course include:
• Composer
• Sound Designer
• Remixer.

After completing the course you can continue your studies with either a PhD or DMus at the University of West London.

How to apply

Click the following link for information on how to apply to this course: http://www.uwl.ac.uk/students/postgraduate/how-apply

Scholarships and bursaries

Information about scholarships and bursaries can be found here: http://www.uwl.ac.uk/students/postgraduate/scholarships-and-bursaries

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This course will be held at the Medway Campus

https://www.kent.ac.uk/locations/medway/

All our MA programmes are designed to provide knowledge and skills in practice-based research, as well as giving you experience of current research practices in various areas of critical and analytical thinking. The MA in Popular Music (Research, Production or Performance) offers a high level of flexibility enabling you to choose a pathway that best suits your key interests.

Visit the website: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/355/popular-music-research-production-performance

Course detail

The MA Popular Music at the University of Kent gives you the opportunity to develop an area of specialism alongside rigorous training in key professional and academic skills. In studying for the MA you will choose one of three pathways:

- Research (Popular Musicology, Popular Music Studies or Ethnomusicology)
- Production
- Performance

Each pathway allows you to undertake two large-scale projects (Specialist Project and Dissertation) in areas of your choosing. Regular one-to-one tutorials and work in small seminar groups will help you to gain new levels of confidence and expertise in both theoretical and practical work.

Format and assessment

Option modules support the development of your specialism. Studies in areas such as audio engineering, music programming, critical musicology, popular music, group performance and advanced acoustics, delivered through our team of world-leading researchers and practitioners, will provide an important grounding in relevant fields of inquiry and creative practice.

Assessment is by a range of coursework, including individual projects, skills-based tasks, seminar presentations and written work.

Careers

A postgraduate degree in the area of music and audio arts is a valuable and flexible qualification, which can lead to career opportunities within the creative industries, music recording and production, audio software development, sound for film, composition and academic careers.

These possibilities are augmented by work in video games, the Internet, live sound for theatres and festivals, audio installations for museums, sonic arts and computer music. Postgraduates interested in a research career are supported by the University’s Graduate School Research Development Programme. The University’s Employability Weeks can also provide valuable support in terms of planning future careers.

How to apply: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

Why study at The University of Kent?

- Shortlisted for University of the Year 2015
- Kent has been ranked fifth out of 120 UK universities in a mock Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) exercise modelled by Times Higher Education (THE).
- In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, Kent was ranked 17th* for research output and research intensity, in the Times Higher Education, outperforming 11 of the 24 Russell Group universities
- Over 96% of our postgraduate students who graduated in 2014 found a job or further study opportunity within six months.
Find out more: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/why/

Postgraduate scholarships and funding

We have a scholarship fund of over £9 million to support our taught and research students with their tuition fees and living costs. Find out more: https://www.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate/

English language learning

If you need to improve your English before and during your postgraduate studies, Kent offers a range of modules and programmes in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Find out more here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/international/english.html

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