Masters Degrees in Popular Music, United Kingdom

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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Be part of a lively popular music research community that embraces everything from metal music to film scores with the opportunity to work alongside performers, composers and studio experts.This course is about the here and now - you will study everything from folk to jazz, right through to rock, hip-hop and dance, developing your knowledge of contemporary popular music.You'll join peers from backgrounds in cultural studies, sociology, music and the creative arts to explore today's local live music scene and its connection to the wider national and international industry. From getting out into the Leeds area and conducting ethnographic research into local gigs and events, to composing scores for film and television, you'll discover how a wide variety of communities fuse together to create what is recognised as a vibrant and expanding scene.Whether it's developing your music editing techniques in our studios, or organising events and liaising with artists at Leeds Festival, you'll gain the hands-on experience employers are looking for, gathering evidence for your major research project.This course is the perfect springboard to make contacts, help you discover the interconnectivity of popular music and culture, and really engage with a vibrant and varied scene which covers everything from metal right through to country.

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

With more festivals and independent producers and artists than ever before, the need for live music and industry professionals has soared.

Employment opportunities could be open to you in sound engineering, performance, teaching, song writing, production, music for film and television, music journalism, marketing and PR, and events organisation.

Alternatively you may wish to further your research by studying for a PhD.

- Performer
- Songwriter
- Sound Technician
- Events Organiser

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

As well as having access to modern, professional music studios, you'll benefit from being taught by a highly skilled and experienced teaching team, including Professor Karl Spracklen who is Secretary of the International Society for Metal Music Studies and the Editor of Metal Music Studies. You'll also have the chance to network with industry professionals during our guest lecture series. Previous speakers have included Leeds Festival boss Melvin Benn and chart-toppers Rudimental. We also have fantastic links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations, which help ensure you get the most from your course.

Core Modules

Popular Music as Leisure & Culture
Examine the importance of popular music as a form of leisure and culture. You will explore music subcultures through sociology, cultural geography, cultural studies and leisure theory.

Researching Popular Music & Culture
Develop an understanding of the strategies used in the study of popular music and culture, drawing on advanced approaches from sociology, musicology, cultural studies, ethnography, leisure and other relevant areas.

Popular Music Analysis
Examine performance, record production, video and reception and the meaning of music for your small scale, individual research project which focuses on the analysis of popular music artefacts.

Popular Music in Contemporary Culture
Engage in debate and discussion of how, where and why certain strands of musical productivity and creativity remain constantly part of the vocabulary of popular music.

Final Individual Project
Combine your learning into a significant piece of work, the nature of which will be determined by yourself and the course team.

Option Modules

Studio Production Skills
Produce a series of sound design projects and create your own systems for the purpose of manipulating/processing sound which will demonstrate your understanding of the concepts behind the tools used for sound design.

Creative Music Production
Develop a broad understanding of the creative possibilities of the studio environment by investigating a range of theoretical, technical, and creative approaches to the production process.

Music Industries in Context
Develop a range of theoretical perspectives drawing on contemporary research into the ecology of the music industries and how different stakeholders across the music sector work together.

Music Industries in Practice
Investigate a host of contemporary issues affecting the practice of operating in the music industries, focusing on one key area determined by your own interests.

Facilities

- 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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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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This course will enable you to study popular music from a practical perspective with an emphasis on music production and songwriting. For your final major project you will focus on composition and production within the popular music genre, producing an extended professional-quality album of your popular music compositions/covers.

Key features
-The wide selection of option modules allows you to tailor the course to your interests.
-Several members of staff are engaged practically with the professional production of popular music. You will also have the chance to attend masterclasses and workshops run by national and international producers, performers and composers - such as Youth, Gavin Greenaway, Rick Astley and Steve Martland.
-We have five, state-of-the-art recording studios, including one with a large live room used for professional recordings. We also have two computer laboratories containing iMacs with full music software for sequencing and processing.
-Lunchtime concerts, involving students or visiting artists, take place throughout the year.

What will you study?

You will focus on the production of current popular music, creating and recording tracks using the University's high-quality recording facilities.

You will also explore the composition of popular music, recording techniques and the marketing of popular music. In addition, you will widen your musical knowledge and experience by choosing one option module from an extensive range, including those covering sound design, ensemble performance and composing for film and TV.

Assessment

Coursework, essays, compositions, productions, and major recording project.

Course structure

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.

Core modules
-Advanced Production of Popular Music
-Composing and Marketing Popular Music
-Major Project
-Researching Music

Optional modules
-Constructing Music Education in the UK
-Critical Reflection on Musical Performance
-International Music Education: Psychology, Culture and Philosophy
-Special Study: Arranging and Scoring
-Techniques and Technology for Composing for Film and Television
-Current Debates in Music Education
-Jazz Studies
-Live Performance Technologies
-Performance Studies
-The Psychology of Music
-The Studio Musician

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A unique opportunity to study in the city of Liverpool, home of The Beatles and with access to leading Popular Music academics and Beatles specialists, this MA is the only one of its kind in the UK and the world.

This MA will examine the significance of the music of the Beatles in the construction of identities, audiences, ethnicities and industries, and localities; by doing so it will suggest ways to understand popular music as a social practice, focusing attention on issues such as the role of music in the construction of regional identities, concepts of authenticity, aesthetics, meaning, value, performance, and the use of popular music as a discursive evocation of place. Furthermore, in a consideration of popular music as a text, popular music semiotics will also be employed.

This MA will be of interest to those working in the fields of popular music studies, cultural studies, social anthropology, politics, gender studies, and musicology, among others. Such a course is an essential addition to the discipline of Popular Music Studies.

Curriculum

Currently four taught modules are offered on this programme.

Texts and Contexts: Understanding Popular Music

This will offer you an understanding of how Popular Music Studies has expanded and developed to deal with the changing nature of popular music over the past 50 years. This module will also provide students with contextually related research methods.

Topics in History: Liverpool

This module will introduce and discuss musical production and consumption within the post WWII era and will discuss the roles of locality, economics, space and place, and other issues specifically relating to Merseyside.

Musicology and the Beatles

In this module you will take a popular music semiotics approach and will textually analyse a variety of Beatles material.

Historical and Critical Approaches

You will be invited to study a more ethnographic approach to the Beatles, the various cultural discourses surrounding their music, and the local tourist industry established in Liverpool to capitalise on the group.

The Dissertation module will be introduced to students towards the end of the Topics in History module with a request for student abstracts, the allocation of supervisors, and the agreement of research areas.

Please Note:

1. The Postgraduate Certificate will be awarded on the successful completion of 60 credits. This will consist of two taught modules.

2. The Postgraduate Diploma will be awarded on the successful completion of 120 credits. This will mean the completion of all modules apart from the Dissertation.

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The Music MA is a flexible programme designed to cater for those with a wide range of interests and specialisms. It is conceived as a 'next step' after the undergraduate degree, either as a stepping stone to research, as a qualification for teaching in the FE sector or simply to satisfy a thirst for development. There are 12 specialist pathways that you can choose from; each includes a range of core and optional taught modules and you will complete the course with a dissertation, recital or composition portfolio.

Pathways

Music MA: British Music Studies pathway
Music MA: Choral Conducting pathway
Music MA: Critical Musicology pathway
Music MA: Early Music pathway
Music MA: Electroacoustic composition/sonic art pathway
Music MA: Global Popular Musics pathway
Music MA: Instrumental/Vocal Composition pathway
Music MA: Mixed Composition pathway
Music MA: Open Pathway with Performance
Music MA: Open Pathway without Performance
Music MA: Performance pathway
Music MA: Performance Practice pathway)

About the School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music

The School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music brings together a number of internationally renowned departments to offer an extensive portfolio of innovative and interdisciplinary programmes in an exciting and creative environment, underpinned by a vibrant research culture.

We received outstanding results across the School in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise, with at least 75% of our research judged to be ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ across all subject areas.

The Department of Art History, Curating and Visual Studies is located in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which houses the Barber Institute gallery and an exceptional Fine Art Library. The Department of Music is based in the Bramall Music Building, with state-of-the-art facilities including the 450-seat Elgar Concert Hall, a suite dedicated to the study and performance of early music, five electroacoustic studios and a large rehearsal room. We also have one of the best music libraries in the country, with special collections including materials on 20th-century English music, Baroque music and an extensive microfilm collection.

In addition to housing one of the UK’s largest groups of internationally renowned researchers in the national cultures of Europe, the Department of Modern Languages also hosts a Language and Media Resource Centre which specifically supports language learning through the latest interactive learning technology. We have a vibrant, international postgraduate community and offer excellent study and research opportunities in a supportive working environment.

Funding and Scholarships

There are many ways to finance your postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. To see what funding and scholarships are available, please visit: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Open Days

Explore postgraduate study at Birmingham at our on-campus open days.
Register to attend at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Virtual Open Days

If you can’t make it to one of our on-campus open days, our virtual open days run regularly throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.pg.bham.ac.uk

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The MMus Music will introduce you to the fundamental principles of either research in popular music or composition for film, TV and media. It provides unique and creative approaches to musicology and composition, valuing intellectual curiosity, musical diversity and creativity.
The course will help strengthen your ability to utilise independent learning whilst developing original and creative responses to problems and current complex issues. You will have the opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge of your chosen pathway in musical study and practice.

Special Features

• Loans for tuition fees are available from the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for eligible Scotland domiciled and EU students, and loans for living costs for eligible Scottish students.
• Pathway options of MMus Music (Popular Musicology) or MMus Music (Composition for Film, TV and Media)
• You will gain the key skills and expertise to enable you to make an effective contribution to the creative industries

Modules

[[PgCert ]]
Postgraduate Certificate in Music (Popular Musicology)
Core modules are:
Contemporary Musicology: Issues and Analysis
Popular Music: Gender and Sexuality or Music: Politics and Protest

Postgraduate Certificate in Music (Composition for Film, TV and Media)
Core modules are:
Composition techniques for Film, TV and Media
Arranging, Orchestration and Film Scoring

PgDip

Postgraduate Diploma in Music (Popular Musicology)
Core modules are:
Research in Context: External engagement
Contemporary music journalism

You will also choose one of the following option modules:
Highland Voices: Music and Song or Film, TV and Media Musicology

Postgraduate Diploma in Music (Composition for Film, TV and Media)
Core module is:
Composition in Context: External Engagement
You will also choose two of the following option modules:
Music Business for Film Composers
Film, TV and Media Musicology
Contemporary Post Production Studio Design

MMus

To achieve the award of MMus Music (Popular Musicology) you must complete a dissertation.
For the MMus (Composition for Film, TV and Media) you will complete a major project.

Access routes

BA (Hons) Popular Music
BA (Hons) Music Business
BSc (Hons) Audio Engineering
BA (Hons) Applied Music

Locations

This course is available at Perth College UHI, Crieff Road, Perth, PH1 2NX

Funding

From 2017, eligible Scotland domiciled students studying full time can access loans up to 10,000 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).This comprises a tuition fee loan up to £5,500 and a non-income assessed living cost loan of £4,500. EU students studying full time can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £5500.

Part-time students undertaking any taught postgraduate course over two years up to Masters level who meet the residency eligibility can apply for a for a tuition fee loan up to £2,750 per year.

See Scholarships tab below for full details

Top reasons to study at UHI

Do something different: our reputation is built on our innovative approach to learning and our distinctive research and curriculum which often reflects the unique environment and culture of our region and closely links to vocational skills required by a range of sectors.
Choice of campuses – we have campuses across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Each campus is different from rich cultural life of the islands; the spectacular coasts and mountains; to the bright lights of our city locations.
Small class sizes mean that you have a more personal experience of university and receive all the support you need from our expert staff
The affordable option - if you already live in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland you don't have to leave home and incur huge debts to go to university; we're right here on your doorstep

How to apply

If you want to apply for this postgraduate programme click on the ‘visit website’ button below which will take you to the relevant course page on our website, from there select the Apply tab to complete our online application.
If you still have any questions please get in touch with our information line by email using the links beow or call on 0845 272 3600.

International Students

If you would like to study in a country of outstanding natural beauty, friendly communities, and cities buzzing with social life and activities, the Highlands and Islands of Scotland should be your first choice. We have campuses across the region each one with its own special characteristics from the rich cultural life of the islands to the bright city lights of Perth and Inverness. Some courses are available in one location only, for others you will have a choice; we also have courses that can be studied online from your own home country. .http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/studying-at-uhi/international

English Language Requirements

Our programmes are taught and examined in English. To make the most of your studies, you must be able to communicate fluently and accurately in spoken and written English and provide certified proof of your competence before starting your course. Please note that English language tests need to have been taken no more than two years prior to the start date of the course. The standard English Language criteria to study at the University of the Highlands and Islands are detailed on our English language requirements page http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/studying-at-uhi/international/how-to-apply-to-uhi/english-language-requirements

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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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This programme offers a variety of practice-based opportunities, which may be combined with a range of academic modules as appropriate- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/music/

Awards available are:

–MMus (Composition)
–MMus (Creative Practice)
–MMus (Performance)
–MMus (Popular Music)
–MMus (Sonic Arts)

Programme aims:

The MMus programme accords with Goldsmiths’ declared aims to work beyond the boundaries of preconceptions, provide freedom to experiment, encourage individuality and nurture talent. It is designed with careful consideration of the opportunities, challenges and intellectual demands presented by careers in music and the creative industries in general, such as professional performance, composition, film/TV composition, sound design, teaching, broadcasting and arts administration. The MMus is closely linked with the department’s research strategy, and the wide-ranging research and practice-based activities of academic staff.

The programme addresses the evolving challenges presented in creating music, sound art and technology, and/or concert performances. You develop systematic, critical and technical approaches to practice and research, exploring, as appropriate, contemporary or historical understandings of creative practice and musical performance. You investigate and appraise the contextual and technical basis of artistic and musical aims, helping you formulate an independent and original approach to your own work as a composer and/or performer. The programme explores the complex interrelationships between music and other disciplines, between theory and creative expression, and between composition, musical realisation and reception. It references a diverse range of music, focussing as appropriate upon contemporary and historical Western art music, popular music, the music of other cultures, and computer music.

Programme Structure and Requirements:
Each Master’s degree is awarded after the accumulation of 180 CAT (Credit and Transfer) points. You must take four modules (30 CATs each) and the portfolio or recital option (60 CATs) designated for your pathway. Each pathway comprises: 1. Core modules. 2. Options. 3. Portfolio or Recital. The specialism of your portfolio/recital should be closely allied to the specific programme outcomes of your pathway and its core modules, and agreed with the relevant pathway coordinator. The options provide you with a choice of modules most relevant to your chosen pathway. You will receive advice from the department at interview and/or enrolment about your choices. Please note that choices may be affected by the department timetable.

Further information:
Detailed information about the structure and content of each pathway can be found on the Goldsmiths website.

Funding

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

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The Popular Music Performance course is designed to address the practical, academic and professional needs of contemporary musicians, and welcomes students from all genres.

Our postgraduate music performance courses offer substantial one-to-one instrumental tuition, with recitalists of international renown. They comprise fascinating and engaging modules that support and extend your practical musicianship and academic skills.

London College of Music's (LCM) regular Composition Workshops and Masterclasses offer great opportunities to learn new skills and network with students from other postgraduate courses. You can also benefit from being part of the vibrant LCM community with regular performance opportunities at LCM Sessions gigs, hosted by Popular Music students, and are encouraged to join in with musical activities throughout the LCM. The college runs several large ensembles including Pop and Gospel Choir, LCM Sinfonia, LCM Big Band, LCM Choir, and LCM Glee Choir, which students are able to participate in.

Course detail

This course provides specialist training for drummers, vocalists, guitarists, bassists and keyboard players that reflects the needs of today’s music industry.

The course is taught by postgraduate tutors from the London College of Music, all of whom are active professional musicians of the highest standard.

It combines technical and stylistic performance tuition through one-to-one lessons, as well as group sessions with other students from across the postgraduate community, to ensure an enhanced learning experience and the opportunity to network with like-minded artists.

The course runs throughout each calendar year.

Modules

• Performance Portfolio
• Ensemble and Music Direction Skills
• Critical Perspectives
• Research Methods
• Dissertation or Project.
Plus one option from:
• Studio Recording Project
• L Music Pedagogy.
Plus one option from:
• Performing in the Studio
• Live Event Management.

Format

You will have the opportunity to develop your technical and creative performance skills through a programme of one-to-one tuition supported by group-based lectures, seminars and workshops.

There is also an exciting masterclass programme which provides students with the opportunity to engage with leading practitioners from across all areas of the music industry - performance, production and songwriting.

Career and study progression

Graduates will likely pursue a career as a professional performing musician.

The degree might lead to further academic study, including DMus or MPhil/ PhD.

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 is a modular course leading to the award of MA in Popular Music. The course taught at our Kingsway Campus in Chester, and will be of interest to those concerned with the exploration of all aspects of performance, songwriting and composition or popular music studies.

Our course is designed to develop your creative skills and theoretical understanding to an advanced level, and has pathways in: performance; songwriting and composition; and music studies.

Initially, you will follow a core curriculum that seeks to contextualise your own practice and start an engagement with the general field of study.

Our course offers you the opportunity to shape your learning through a series of modules that will enable you to integrate scholarly work with your own practice as a musician, composer or musicologist. Our modules consider current theoretical and practical debates in the subject area, and will guide you through the kind of research methodologies required at Master's level. You will be given the opportunity to negotiate the most effective means of approaching your subject, with a view to producing an intensive study of your specialism.

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This innovative and exciting masters programme is designed as a professional practice qualification for anyone wishing to further develop and sustain employment opportunities in the modern music industry. Think of this as the start of your professional career in the music industry. The curriculum is carefully designed to prepare students for the next stage of their careers, to challenge current music business models, to innovate and to be in control of your own career aspirations.

Course content
The programme expects to attract entrants who have a background in the subject or a related subject area, acquired through previous study (a bachelor's degree with honours or equivalent) and entrants who have acquired experience through work or other means that enables staff responsible for admissions to be confident of the candidate's ability to succeed in the programme.

Course will included a diverse curriculum including music industry analysis, business and enterprise, innovation in the music industry, professional skills development and a commercial project.

Entry requirements: You would generally need to have a relevant undergraduate degree with at least a 2:1

Our facilities
Facilities include professional recording studios, Pro Tools suite, creative suite, rehearsal rooms, showcase rooms and lecture rooms.

Where this can take you
Music industry employment, self employment or running your own business.

Indicative modules
Music industry analysis
Business and enterprise
Innovation in the music industry
Professional skills development
Commercial project
Teaching and Assessment
A mixture of critical analysis, academic writing, performance, production and business planning. Final assessment will be a self directed commercial project.

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The MA in Music with Education is a flexible programme which allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the theory and practice of teaching music to others. The course is intended for students with backgrounds in music or education (or both) who wish to develop skills and knowledge in both disciplines while exploring some of the ways in which the two fields are related.

On this programme you will develop your musical skills at an advanced level through performance, composition or musicology, while enhancing your knowledge and conceptual understanding of a range of issues relating to music education. You will hone personal and professional skills valued in the music education sector, and will develop skills and methodologies to undertake specialist research in your chosen area of expertise.

You will work closely with established researchers, most of whom have international profiles. The School of Music enjoys close links with industrial and third-sector parties. In addition both the School of Music and the School of Education share well established partnerships with local primary and secondary schools, where many teachers of music are our graduates.

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