Popular Music Production

Description

This innovative course combines music technology with study of the industry, culture and history of popular music production.

This degree enables you to gain extensive experience of studio and live sound, while investigating the art of popular music production, its history and place in society.

Key elements include:

• Digital and analogue multi-track recording facilities and audio production suites
• Professional structures and working practices of the music industries
• Cultural and creative contexts of pop music
• Advanced live and studio music production experience
• Development of academic research skills and critical tools
• Exploration of the evolving nature of music creation and consumption
• Flexibility to choose academic and practical projects suited to your interests and career plans
• Practical to academic study ratio of approximately 60:40
• Wide range of academic support options, including one-to-one tutorials.

The dedication of our expert staff team has been repeatedly mentioned in surveys, and satisfaction ratings have been increasing every year.

Industrial focus

This course has employability at its heart, and is designed to help students find work in the music and media industries – as well as developing a wide range of transferable skills.
Many of our tutors have high profiles in the contemporary music industry and are published authors in their specialist fields. They can help you build up-to-date industry awareness and contacts, as well as supporting you to arrange work-based learning in Years 2 and 3.

Detailed Course Facts

• GBP 9000 Year (EEA)
• GBP 10610 Year (Non-EEA)

• English

Course Content

Balancing theory and practice is a core feature of the course, and many units feature both practical and theoretical work.

Year 1

• Introduction to Studio Recording 1 and 2
• Understanding the Music Industries
• Style and Genre
• The History of Music Production
• Creative Electronic Sound

Year 2

• Advanced Studio Recording 1 and 2
• Live Music Production
• Music Business Networking
• The Art of Record Production

One option from the following:

• Music and Audio Post Production
• Pop Politics and Protest
• Experimental Music Production
• Songwriting
• Pop the Invisible Mainstream
• Urban and Electronic Music: Genre studies
• Noise Annoys: Experiments and Alternatives
• Advanced Live Sound

Year 3

• Major Music Project
• Advanced Studio Recording 3
• Live Project Brief
• Entrepreneurship and Career Building

One option from the following:

• Festival Cultures
• Music Audiences and Consumption
• Technologies of Popular Music
• Popular Music and the Moving Image

Why choose Solent?

We are proud to be an Avid Learning Partner, and we include the Pro Tools 101 course as part of the first year. Students can also undertake the further 110, 201 and 210M courses as extracurricular study, at a subsidised cost.

Facilities:

• 9 recording studios with Pro Tools HD, upgraded every year.
• Comprehensive Plug-In suite including Sonnox and McDSP
• Three studios equipped with Icon D-Command Worksurfaces
• Audient ASP 8024 Large Format Recording Console
• Analog Outboard including Neve 1081, Teletronix LA2A, Universal 1176
• Monitoring by Dynaudio PMC and Yamaha
• Ongoing investment in high-spec Apple MacPro and iMac
• One studio with Valve (Tube) mixer
• Dedicated 25 station Music Lab including Logic, Sibelius, Ableton Live
• 13 Rehearsal Rooms
• Two fully equipped digital television studios
• 58 Final Cut Pro editing stations.

Assessment

Coursework in the form of essays, practical production projects, groupwork, seminar presentations, portfolios and reflective writing projects.

English Language Requirements

IELTS band : 6 TOEFL paper-based test score : 550

To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to

Requirements

240 UCAS tariff points from A Levels or equivalent qualifications.

Mature applicants may be considered on relevant experience without having the required tariff points.

You may be invited to attend an interview.

International students

Applications are welcomed from students who have been educated outside the UK system, and a number of overseas qualifications are recognised as equivalent to those listed. Applicants should give full details of their qualifications, including subjects, grades, date and the name and address of the school, college, university or awarding authority.

Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed threshold attainments for undergraduate courses are:

• GCSE or GCE ‘O’ Level (Grade C);
• IELTS 6.0 or a TOEFL score of 550 or more; or
• City and Guilds ESOL (written assessment) pass in Higher Intermediate examination, plus a comparable pass in City and Guilds SESL (speaking assessment) examination.
• Where students enter direct to a course at the University, in the final year, without any prior experience of the UK Higher Education System will require IELTS 6.5.

Qualifications are checked before enrolment and international students must bring their original certificates when coming to study at the University.

The University also offers an International Foundation Programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than Southampton Solent University.

Funding

To help you cover the cost you can take out a tuiton fee loan to pay your fees, which is paid directly to the University by the Student Loan company. Some students are also eligible for a maintenance loan to help with their living costs.

You only repay both loans when you finish your course and are earning £21,000 or more. If you don't have an income this high you will not have to pay anything until you are earning £21,000 or more.

Our student support and welfare advisers have more information regarding financial help and details can be found on our Funding advice pages.