Masters Degrees in Music technology & Industry

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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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 future of the music industry lies with computer technology – and what we can do with that technology. It affects how we create, perform and distribute music. Whether you’re a practising musician, a sound engineer or a professional looking to combine your background and passion for music, we’ll help you explore key concepts at the heart of music, science and technology. Immersed in a thriving research centre, our future-facing course will give you a wealth of new career opportunities.

This programme is also available as a Research Masters (ResM). Further details are available on these pages.

Key features

-Work as part of a global research centre – the Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR) – with staff, PhD students and post-doctoral researchers from all over the world. The latest Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 judged 100 per cent of our research to be internationally significant; 25 per cent of that was seen as world- leading, too.
-Projects can range from innovative approaches to composition and performance using computers, and the design of assistive music technology, to studying how music is processed in the brain.
-Take advantage of the ICCMR’s research collaborations with partners in Europe and USA, allowing you to visit renowned institutions such as IRCAM in Paris, NOTAM in Oslo and CalArts in the USA to develop your research project.
-Gain the skills necessary to progress to more advanced research at PhD level.
-Balance your work commitments and further education with the opportunity to study part-time for a masters-level qualification.
-Take part in the Peninsula Arts Contemporary Music Festival. Showcase your work in public, stay on top of new developments in the industry and get key insights into where music is headed in the future.
-Benefit from the multi-disciplinary nature of our programme. Whether you’re a practising musician, music graduate, musicologist, music educator, music technologist or just a graduate with proven knowledge of music or music technology, our programme provides many fascinating opportunities for collaboration.
-Focus on where you want to take your career, with the support you need to get there. An individual research project will enable you to explore what interests you most at the intersection of music, science and computing.

Course details

Over the course of our one-year programme, you’ll study three modules. In Advanced Topics in Computer Music Research you’ll be immersed in music programming techniques and software. Studying key contemporary composers working with technology in electronic and computer music, we’ll introduce you to current trends in computer music research, supplemented with course assignments and further reading. The Research in the Arts and Humanities module runs over five intensive days and focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to research into the arts, humanities and technology. You’ll also undertake a module that helps you manage your MRes project with your project supervisor. Your thesis can take the form of a written piece of theoretical work or a critical evaluation report, along with evidence of creative and/or professional practice.

Core modules
-MARE700 Research in the Arts and Humanities
-MARE701 Masters Thesis in the Humanities and/or Performing Arts
-MARE702 Advanced Topics in Computer Music

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

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Aims

Music Technology is a rapidly evolving field of study with a diverse and expanding range of possibilities.

The MSc in Audio Technology is designed to go beyond the simple provision of training, and to instead enable you to engage with current debates and actively participate in some of the most vibrant areas of contemporary research.

Throughout the course you will be encouraged to demonstrate self-direction and autonomy as you critically explore and define your position within the wider field. One overarching aim is that you should leave the course as not only an adept user of various hardware and software technologies, but as someone able to actively shape and develop their own, responding as necessary to future developments.

Thus, in addition to developing your theoretical and methodological understanding, the MSc in Audio Technology features a strong emphasis on practical work in a number of different (but related) areas. For example, you will study modules in Advanced Studio Practice, Sound on Screen, Music Computing and Musical Human-Computer Interaction. These are supported by a technology-orientated Research and Development module that provides robust foundation for the final Audio Technology Project.

Acting as summary of all that you have learned and a portfolio going forward, the Audio Technology Project provides an opportunity to plan and execute a substantial project in an area of personal specialism or interest. Innovative projects are encouraged, and there exists the potential for interdisciplinary and/or collaboration with practitioners in other fields.

Fees and finance

2015/6 Home/EU International
Full time £5,750 £11,960
Part time £2,875

These fees are applicable for new entrants in 2015/6. Fees are for the academic year only, any subsequent years may be subject to an annual increase, usually in line with inflation.

The University also offers a postgraduate loyalty discount: If you have completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Wolverhampton, you may be eligible for a 20% discount on the first year of a taught postgraduate programme.

Employability

The course will actively equip both graduates and those already in industry with a diverse range of skills to enhance their career prospects. It will also develop a range of opportunities for experience and employment in areas such as studio recording, media production and content creation, video game and software development, education (FE/HE), research assistantships/studentships, and employment in HE institutions.

In addition to subject-specific practical skills, you will also acquire a range of transferable skills relevant for pursuing a research degree. These include critical, analytical, project management and research skills from the study of a broad spectrum of literature, research, and external projects.

Outcomes

- Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of a variety of issues in the expanded field of contemporary music technology, taking an independent and rounded perspective.
- Apply theoretical discourse relating to aspects such as technologised production and performance, reactive/interactive/non-linear media, and computational creativity (etc.) to practice through a systematic understanding of historical, contextual, philosophical, technical and scientific theory.
- Select, interpret, develop and apply a variety of research methodologies appropriate for their work.
- Critically evaluate and use a wide variety of hardware and software technologies, and, where appropriate, develop their own.
- Exercise personal autonomy in learning through effective self-organisation and management of workload in both individual and group scenarios.
- Understand the possibilities afforded by the contemporary, expanded field of music technology (including its gaps and trends), and be able to position their own work, interests and aspirations within this wider context.

Why Wolverhampton?

The course offers an explicit and concerted move away from the notion of “training” in how to use specific software and/or other music technologies in favour of a more balanced synthesis of theory and practice.

The proposal for the Audio Technology Project is developed in the Research and Development module, providing time and opportunity to consider the project’s direction thoroughly, and to explore possibilities for collaborative/interdisciplinary working.

Course staff specialise in both traditional/well-established areas of music technology (studio production, film sound, audio synthesis and processing) and flourishing areas of contemporary research (musical interaction, generative music).

A wide range of career routes are open to graduates of the course. These are largely dependent upon the nature of the work the student chooses to produce, but may include: studio production, sound for games and film/video/animation, interactive media, interaction design, creative software development, design for music technology, post-compulsory and higher education.

The University of Wolverhampton continues to develop state of the art facilities to greatly enhance your learning experience. The Performance Hub, opened in 2011, has a diverse range of fully equipped music teaching, performance and practice rooms (accommodating single person to large band / ensemble), two high-end professional recording studios, and two bespoke technology suites boasting sixty Apple iMacs running industry standard software including Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Max, Pure Data and SuperCollider.

Our two recording studios offer the perfect blend of digital and analogue technologies giving students the opportunity to combine classic analogue recording technique with the flexibility and reliability digital technology provides. As well as a dedicated live room each for recording, for increased flexibility and choice of room acoustic, any of the music rehearsal rooms surrounding each studio can also be patched into the studio's control room.

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The MSc in Audio and Music Technology is a one-year full-time taught course for graduates who wish to enhance their skills to go on to a career or further research in the varied fields of audio processing, room acoustics, interactive music and audio applications, voice analysis and synthesis, audio programming and other music technology related areas.

The MSc is designed for:
-Graduates of courses in Music Technology or Tonmeister
-Graduates of courses in technology, mathematics, science, engineering or computing who can demonstrate music performance or music production skills
-Graduates of a related subject who can demonstrate an understanding of music theory/digital audio, skills in music production or performance and technical experience or an aptitude for the technical aspects of audio

The course aims to:
-Provide students with a thorough grounding in scientific theory and engineering techniques as applied to digital audio technology
-Develop an understanding of audio processing and acoustic analysis as it relates to speech, singing, music and room/environmental acoustics
-Provide practical experience of audio software programming in a variety of coding languages and a creative approach to audio analysis and synthesis
-Develop communication skills for academic and public engagement purposes, in a variety of writing styles, or for oral presentations

There is a particular emphasis on practical application of theoretical aspects of audio signal processing and acoustic analysis and the programme also helps students to develop other skills such as critical analysis and evaluation, synthesis of theory and practice, creative problem-solving, design and implementation and oral and written communication skills.

The course is also designed to enhance your employability and to prepare you for entering the world of work or research after graduation. Some of the ways we do this are:
-Personal Professional Practitioner module dedicated to enhancing your employability, self-promotion and transferable skills, whether you go on to work in industry or running your own business.
-Hands-on experience of event and project management including the opportunity to design and deliver two events on campus.
-Project Development module furthers your skills in promoting your work/research to the public, presenting to an audience and developing a project plan.
-A substantial piece of individual research or development project, which you undertake over the summer under supervision from a staff member.
-Student section of the Audio Engineering Society regularly runs events with external speakers from the industry - a chance to network with the professionals.
-Group work in some modules allowing you to put your team work and management skills into practice.

Facilities

The course is supported by a wide range of facilities including:
-Three recording studios and Digital Audio Workstation production rooms
-Dedicated listening space with surround sound loudspeaker array
-6-sided anechoic chamber
-Newly equipped Mac Workstation suite specifically for audio app development
-State-of-the art equipment for voice analysis and synthesis
-The opportunity to access audio facilities across campus including the 3Sixty (immersive audio visual space) and the Arthur Sykes Rymer Auditorium (Music Research Centre) as availability allows

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Overview

The course is creativity-driven, with emphasis on musical aspects of computer programming and audio technology. It offers full use of computer resources at the Music Technology Labs at Maynooth University; access to studio space, with the possibility of working towards recording and production projects; expert advice on musical and technical issues is provided by composers and researchers at the cutting edge of their fields.

See the website https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/music/our-courses/postgraduate-diploma-music-technology

Course Structure

The course is structured around a number of options covering all aspects of Music Technology from acoustics to computer programming, including audio signal processing, synthesis and recording engineering. Foreign language instruction is also available through the Maynooth University Language Centre. Modules include Software Sound Synthesis, Sound Recording Techniques, Music Systems Programming and a Music Recording Project.

Career Options

Teaching; Music industry; recording; production; composition; software programming an multimedia design; radio production; music education.

How To Apply

Online application only http://www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC Code

MHT58 Full-time

The following information should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of birth certificate or valid passport.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/postgraduate-studies/fees-funding-scholarships

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Overview

The course is creativity-driven, with emphasis on musical aspects of computer programming and audio technology. It offers full use of computer resources at the Music Technology Labs at Maynooth University; access to studio space, with the possibility of working towards recording and production projects; expert advice on musical and technical issues is provided by composers and researchers at the cutting edge of their fields.

See the website https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/music/our-courses/postgraduate-diploma-music-technology-0

Course Structure

The course is structured around a number of options covering all aspects of Music Technology from acoustics to computer programming, including audio signal processing, synthesis and recording engineering. Foreign language instruction is also available through the Maynooth University Language Centre. Modules include Music Recording Project, Software Sound Synthesis, Sound Recording Techniques and Music Systems Programming.

Career Options

Teaching; Music industry; recording; production; composition; software programming an multimedia design; radio production; music education.

How To Apply

Online application only http://www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC Code
MHT59 Part-time

The following information should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of birth certificate or valid passport.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/postgraduate-studies/fees-funding-scholarships

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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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This course will be held at the Medway Campus

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

The MA in Music Technology focuses on the use, development and implementation of technology within the wider musical context, exploring issues such as interactivity, audio programming, sound spatialisation and multimedia. Modules include Programming and Production Techniques and a Music Technology project.

The University of Kent has invested over £5 million in the School of Music and Fine Art, to provide you with the best possible study and research environment. A number of historic buildings in the atmospheric Chatham Historic Dockyard have been renovated to provide a new range of professional standard facilities. Our new specialist facilities include a large recording studio, a Foley recording space, surround-sound studio and post-production rooms. All have been designed to the highest standard in order to provide an excellent environment for postgraduate work.

Visit the website: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/155/music-technology

Course detail

Work is developed through individual enquiry as well as sharing and critiquing ideas through group seminars, designed to provide a forum for debate as well as practical instruction. There will also be significant opportunity for collaborative and interdisciplinary work taking into account other arts subjects at Medway and Canterbury.

Purpose

All 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.

Format and assessment

You take common modules in research methods and postgraduate study skills, while giving you the opportunity to foster your subject skills in specialist modules. Work is developed through individual enquiry as well as sharing and critiquing ideas through group seminars, designed to provide a forum for debate as well as practical instruction.

There will also be significant opportunity for collaborative and interdisciplinary work taking into account other subjects within the School of Music and Fine Art.

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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The MA Advanced Music Technology course aims to provide students with a higher level of understanding of the practical techniques and theory that underpin traditional and contemporary audio technology.

The course boasts an enviable range of studio facilities and staff who are actively engaged in the music industry. It focuses on cutting edge topics from ambient recording through advanced non-linear techniques, to the evolving arena of surround sound mixing and recording, and encompassing multi-media work and interface design. Graduates from the MA will enjoy an augmented skill-set that will place them at a distinct advantage upon entry into this fast paced, competitive and constantly evolving market place.

Course detail

The course is based in studios of fully professional specification, and students will work on both digital and analogue consoles with access to state-of-the-art Pro Tools systems with hi-end plug-ins, along with other advanced technology such as analogue modular synthesizers, Kyma and Ambisonics.

Modules

• Advanced Recording Techniques
• Digital Audio Interface Design for Music
• Developing your Career
• Research Methods
• Multi-track Recording and Mixing for Surround
• Interactive Music Technology
• Advanced Non-linear Recording
• Masters Level Project.

Format

Modules comprise a combination of lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials. There are also masterclasses from staff, visiting lecturers and practitioners.

Assessment

We assess modules in a variety of ways. Written work is usually in the form of essays, critical self-reflections and learning journals. Practical assessment varies according to the nature of the practice - for example, DVDs for surround recordings, CDs for audio, and some live installations or electro-acoustic performances. There are often at least two assignments for each module. There are no exams currently in the MA Advanced Music Technology course.

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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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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We offer Industrial Experience options on all our full-time taught MSc programmes, which combine academic study with a one-year industrial placement between your taught modules and summer project. Taking the Industrial Experience option as part of your degree gives you a route to develop real-world, practical problem-solving skills gained through your programme of study in a professional context.

This can give you an important edge in the graduate job market. As a leading research School, we have excellent links with industry. We also employ dedicated staff to help you arrange your year in industry. The Industrial Experience programmes are highly competitive and attract the best students given the limited availability of placements. We are unable to guarantee all students secure an industrial placement, as our industrial partners conduct their own employment application and interview processes.

The MSc in Sound and Music Computing responds to a growing skills shortage in industry for engineers and computer scientists trained specifically in sound and music processing, as digital media become ever more advanced and ubiquitous.

Developed by the acclaimed Centre for Digital Music (C4DM), this programme offers you a broad range of study options in methods of processing, analysis, synthesis and manipulation of musical signals. You will develop the knowledge and skills required for careers in the technical aspects of audio production, sound engineering, broadcasting, intelligent signal processing, computational music analysis, music information retrieval and other areas of sound and music computing. You will acquire an in-depth understanding of data analysis and signal processing techniques related to human speech and hearing, psychoacoustics and masking, and instrument and room acoustics.

The MSc is intended for graduates in a related discipline, who wish to hone and enhance their skills, and for industrialists with experience of sound and music computing, seeking formal qualifications. The taught modules are fully supported with computing and laboratory work.

You will graduate with an understanding of how today's audio and music technology works, possessing the potential to become a pioneer in developing future generations of leading edge music technologies.

This programme will:

Allow you to shape your own programme, by selecting two optional modules per semester to complement the core modules in Sound and Music Computing.
Give you and understanding of how today’s music and audio technology works, but also help you to become a leader in developing the next generation of sound and music computing technology.
Give you an understanding of the design and software development process for music recording, analysis and synthesis for home, studio and live performance environments.
Graduates from our programmes have gone on to work for companies such as Ableton, Last FM and Mix Genius.

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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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Why take this course?

This course develops skills in computer animation, computer games technology, film and television, or music technology. It is driven by the design and application of the latest hardware, software and techniques to produce creative and innovative media artefacts. These could be focused on industry-related developments but equally you could test an idea or propose a new idea to address novel research problems.

MSc Creative Technologies is centred on a bespoke project chosen by you. This allows you to define the focus of your work and gain the hands-on experience of designing, creating and managing your media development or research programme.

You will be equipped with the technical, academic and professional skills required to pursue a career in your chosen industry. Your project will lead to an exit award of either:

MSc Computer Animation
MSc Computer Games Technology
MSc Film and Television
MSc Music Technology

What will I experience?

On this course you can:

Focus on a problem to develop excellent portfolio work
Design and develop software, systems, 2D/3D assets, and innovative solutions
Use our sound/music studios and multimedia labs, accessing high-spec computing facilities
Utilise our industry-standard game content creation software, VR hardware, motion capture facilities and console development kits
Access the latest digital film equipment through our loan store, including the C300, EX3 and Canon 7D cameras and the Mix Pre-D portable sound mixer
Have the opportunity to engage in client-based research

What opportunities might it lead to?

Our course specialises in developing a wide range of analytical and problem-solving skills to support you in becoming a critically-reflective practitioner in a range of technology-related careers. In an age where media content providers are looking for cross-platform solutions to moving image digital design and production, the specialist knowledge our graduates attain leave them in a particularly strong position.

Depending on your project choice, you’ll be prepared to find employment internationally within the computer games industry, Virtual Reality, film or broadcast industries, training, healthcare and simulation or music industries. In addition, previous graduates have started their careers as freelancers, independent developers or continued onto PhD study.

Our students have pursued a wide range of project topics, including:

Computer games programming and technical design
Virtual Reality for healthcare
Education, training and simulation
3D modelling
Sound Design
Animation design
Motion capture
Cross platform film production
Online audio visual archiving

Module Details

Promoting careful planning, implementation and reflection on subject-related issues, this course will encourage you to build on your previous creative and technical expertise.

You will have the opportunity to research, design and develop a major artefact, prototype or study. In addition to one-to-one academic guidance from two project supervisors, the lifecycle of your project is also supported by self-directed taught units that take a project from start to finish:

Context and Definition: Identifying the background, scope and context of your project, and formulating a project plan.
Professional, Academic and Research Development: Identifying your own strengths, areas for development and refined career goals.
Project Design and Development: Shaping the project as it comes together and responding proactively to development issues.
Project Evaluation and Resolution: Acting upon feedback from the project to refine the outcome, before reflecting upon and evaluating your success.

Programme Assessment

This course encourages individual exploration and research along with opportunities to demonstrate this knowledge within your specialist area of interest. Particular emphasis is placed on your ability to define, implement, evaluate and reflect on subject related issues.

Formal assessment will include written materials, such as project proposals, research or development papers and reflective reports. This, along with completed artefacts, will form the assessment. In addition, presentations during the programme will allow the development of your ability to contextually justify your work.

Student Destinations

The rapid growth of the media industries, along with the advancing nature of technology, means that the demand for specialist skills in creative technologies is on the rise.

Depending on the focus of your self-directed project and your specific career plans, you can develop skills to work in the film and broadcast industries, games design, programming, art production and virtual reality development. The leisure and entertainment sector has an increasing number of opportunities in the field of music technology.

Other areas where you may find employment include education, health and business, which rely on audio specialists for the development of audio systems, software and interfaces, installation and monitoring, through to contextual acoustic research.

In addition, there is a growing demand for delivering cross-platform content as part of regional and international convergence projects, such as cross media solutions on TV, the web and social media, or across social venues, mobile phone devices and the home.

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*New for 2017, subject to final approval.

Develop your own signature sound and production style, through this forward-thinking, cutting edge music composition and production course. The MA Sound Production programme is tailored towards individuals who are keen to hone their composition and production skills inside an intertextual and cross-disciplinary framework that pushes at the stylistic boundaries of genre.

The content will cover aesthetic considerations as well as technology and techniques utilised in modern music making. The award is deliberately unbounded by genre and there are opportunities to take an interdisciplinary approach to sound production, including contemporary electronic music, studio and field recording, experimental music and sound design for composition.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The programme encourages interdisciplinary and collaborative working methods with students from the wider music community at Bath Spa, as well as visual media and other departments within the University. While the programme has a music production focus, it also covers key areas of practice such as:

• Sound design
• Electronic music composition
• Soundscape and field recording
• Traditional studio practices
• Sound engineering
• Spatial audio and sound design
• Composition for visual media

You won’t be expected to cover all of these areas. You’ll be able to use the course to develop an individually-tailored portfolio of skills, experience and top-level work across them.

The course is part of a suite of courses available across music and sound, operating alongside ‘sister’ pathways in Sound Design and Sound Arts, which allow further specialism in these areas.

For more information on the 'sister' pathways please refer to the website: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-sound-production/

MODULES

In trimester one, you'll gain the skills you’ll need to fulfil the rest of the course. The Skills Portfolio module is built on the idea that you’ll already have technical skills in this area. It therefore allows you to choose a handful of skills projects from a large number of options – these cover skills right across the Sound Arts, Sound Design and Sound Production pathways and include (optional) elements of multimedia.

The Research Methodology and Context module develops skills in postgraduate-level research and writing. It is designed to give you the tools for an onward journey in academia, but not to be, in the colloquial sense, ‘academic’.

In trimester two, you’ll advance the knowledge gained in the the first trimester and begin exploring the intertextual possibilities of music composition. In addition, you’ll develop a creative project that will further extend the work undertaken on the trimester 1 Skills Portfolio module.

The module Intertextuality In Sound Production aims to capture and contextualise emerging trends and innovation at the forefront of sound production and composition, and develop composition skills that extend beyond the limits of genre.

Alongside the Sound Production modules there are additional optional modules that you can study from the other pathways. From the Sound Arts pathway, the Visual Music module explores the idea that musical thinking can be extended to the visual, and encourages students to develop multimedia projects that explore this idea. From the Sound Design pathway the Post Production module explores an industry-level workflow for audio post production for picture.

In trimester three, you'll complete the course with a independent research project. While most Masters level courses consist of a substantial written dissertation component, the MA Sound Production programme focuses more on high-level practical work and the concept of ‘practice as research’ through the creation of a large-scale practical project.

The project will fulfil the same function as the traditional dissertation; you’ll develop individual and original research, but through the creation of a portfolio of works, rather than through the written word.

For more information on modules and course structure please visit the course webpage: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-sound-production/

TEACHING METHODS

Most modules are taught through small-group seminars and workshops, where you’ll benefit from close interaction with tutors and peers. The Major Project and parts of the other modules are taught through individual tutorials where the focus will be entirely on your own practice.

ASSESSMENT

You’ll be assessed entirely on coursework. The majority of this will be practical and creative work, including the dissertation-equivalent Major Project. Some practical projects are accompanied by short informal written assignments, and the for the Research Methodology and Context module you’ll produce a more substantial paper.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

You can use the course to develop an individually-tailored portfolio of skills. This will equip you for the current employment landscape, where a combination of traditional music roles are required alongside broader practice in sound and other media.The course also provides the breadth necessary for FE and HE teaching in the field, and provides the basis required for PhD research and beyond.

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