BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship

COURSE OVERVIEW

With the BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship degree, you’ll become more than a musician. The degree will help you develop and refine your unique artistic identity, guiding you towards success as a highly skilled creative artist.

Through theoretical and practical exploration of composition, performance and production, you’ll hone your technical understanding of musical language to take your next steps towards a career in music and the creative industries.

Though working autonomously, you’ll be supported and mentored by exceptionally experienced tutors – all experts in creative songwriting, recording and production processes. Using the latest technology, you’ll build an industry-standard portfolio of your own original music, encompassing the personal artistic brand you’ve identified
and realised.

Your prospects will be enhanced by the high level of choice within the degree; much of your learning will be self-directed, exploring areas you feel best support your artistic goals.

The highly flexible modules we have designed address a variety of specialisms within creative music practice, ensuring you acquire skills in creative collaboration, recording, songwriting, career development and entrepreneurship.

The learning style on the BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship degree is student-led and highly personalised. You’ll be encouraged to explore a variety of different directions as a creative artist, but will make your own decisions about what’s best for your future career. Throughout all modules, you’ll be supported in developing an individual learning path relevant to your preferred way of learning, your interests and your ultimate career journey.

With a strong focus on entrepreneurship, the course arms you with tried-and-tested approaches to building yourself as a successful business. Tailored to reflect the modern realities of the music industry, it exposes you to regular industry events, masterclasses, visits by special guest musicians, and ICMP’s connection with the wider London music industry.

Suitable for both vocalists and instrumentalists, this enjoyable, challenging and diverse programme is designed for those poised to transcend traditional career trajectories and become entrepreneurial music industry professionals with varied and enduring portfolio careers.

By the time you graduate from ICMP, you’ll be a confident and versatile self-producing creative artist, keen to move from student to industry-ready professional. You’ll possess the drive, entrepreneurial skills and networking contacts to take your career to a new level, and an artistic uniqueness which stands out from the crowd.

Fees & Funding

Taking a music degree course at ICMP makes financial sense too, with the fees for ICMP music degrees significantly less than those at many traditional universities, and, also much lower than other UK music education providers - making studying music at ICMP in London great value as well as great fun.

2020/21 Course Fees: £9,250 (UK & EU Students) | £11,700 (Non-EU Students)

Please visit our Fees page for information on access to Student Loans. Please note, UK and EU students eligible for Loans are able to borrow the full course fee for ICMP degrees, unlike many other UK music schools where students are required to pay additional top-up fees themselves.

EU Students, applying to start their course in 2020, will continue to be eligible for both home fee status and have access to student finance. This entitlement will remain in place for the duration of the course. Read more

Full Fees Information

SUBJECT TO VALIDATION

Please note, this course is currently subject to validation from the University of East London and module details may change. Successful completion of the BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship programme would lead to the award of Bachelor of Arts by the University of East London.

The BACM course sums up all I have wished. Creativity, diversity, production, marketing - all the tools I need to start my career in the music industry."

Victor Pascal
BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship

UCAS CODES

Course Code: W3C5
Institution Code: i25
View course on UCAS

Key facts

Develops your creative skills and identity through creative collaboration.
An alternative programme, distinct from traditional career trajectories.
Tailored to reflect the modern music and wider creative industries.
Offers a personalised learning experience with a high degree of choice and self-direction, preparing you for a varied portfolio career.
Develops your entrepreneurial, business and networking skills to maximise your creative ability.
The London location provides top performance opportunities, while you immerse yourself in the global music scene.
High-quality teaching by expert music industry practitioners in a creative and inspiring learning environment.
A high level of contact teaching hours, delivered in small groups in world-class facilities.
Connection with the wider music industry enables you to build an impressive musical network.

COURSE DETAILS

Year 1 (Level 4)

Year 2 (Level 5)

Year 3 (Level 6)

Your first year on the course offers an excellent introduction to life as a creative artist. Benefiting from exceptional group tuition and opportunities to collaborate with your fellow student musicians, you’ll grow and enhance your technical and creative skills, begin to develop your compositional ‘voice’, and build your critical awareness of the wider arts, creative industries and music business sectors you’ll one day be a part of.

CREATIVE COLLABORATION I

Responding to a range of stylistic briefs, you’ll work closely with other students to compose and later perform a piece of music that showcases your collective creative strengths. An exercise in partnership, trust and responsibility, this module makes the most of ICMP’s strong collaborative culture, and forms a solid foundation for the Creative Collaboration II module in Year 2.

MUSICAL LANGUAGE AND TECHNIQUE I

In this essential introductory module, you’ll learn key principles of musical language and technique. You’ll explore a variety of instruments from a practical perspective, including guitar, bass, drums, vocals and more, offering a deeper understanding of areas of study beyond your own. The course provides an impressive overview of the topic, before exploring it further in Year 2.

PRINCIPLES OF MUSIC BUSINESS

You’ll engage in a broad exploration of the music business, discovering the many different career possibilities ahead – from artist to songwriter, music director to producer and beyond. The revenue streams at the centre of the music industry are also investigated. You’ll develop a shrewd understanding of how the modern music business works, which will stand you in excellent stead for a successful portfolio career upon graduation.

CREATIVE COMPOSITION

In this module, you’ll explore songwriting across a range of different contexts, including artist-driven creative output, and composing for film and new media. With a genuine understanding of the need for musicians to be technologically savvy in today’s industry, you’ll take advantage of ICMP’s state-of-the-art technology suites, using Logic Pro software as a creative tool for building tracks, developing ideas, editing and mixing.

Year 2 brings greater specialisation with the opportunity to select modules that best resonate with your goals. The emphasis on collaboration and technique continues, while considerable focus is placed on exploring contemporary concepts and current practice relating to 21st-century entrepreneurship. You’ll also become more involved in production, performance and songwriting for particular artists and instruments.

CREATIVE COLLABORATION II

Following on from the Creative Collaboration I module in Year 1, you’ll continue to engage in collaborative composition and performance activity with your fellow student musicians. Working in response to a range of broad and conceptual briefs, as well as those emulating professional scenarios, you’ll demonstrate not only your creative skill but also your ability to work cooperatively and comprehend specific music industry requirements.

MUSICAL LANGUAGE AND TECHNIQUE II

Building on the Musical Language and Technique I unit of Year 1, this module is taught by discipline to allow for a greater level of specialism. Learning from industry tutors who are skilled experts on their instrument, you’ll apply the key principles of musical language and technique, tailored based on both your background and where you see your career heading.

ENTREPRENEURIAL PRACTICE

In this module you’ll gain an understanding of core entrepreneurship concepts, principles and models, such as marketing, advertising, PR, social media and more. Harnessing your creative curiosity, you’ll turn your theoretical entrepreneurial knowledge into a successful practical strategy to market yourself as a creative artist.

RECORDING AND PRODUCTION (OPTION)

Explore the central concepts, principles and techniques in recording and production – both at home and in the studio – and develop practical appreciation of the process. As always, you’ll have access to ICMP’s abundant state-of-the-art recording and production facilities to support your studies and allow you to excel.

ADVANCED PERFORMANCE PRACTICE (OPTION)

In this module you’ll engage in a detailed practical study of the art of performance, including stagecraft, communication, live performance technology, movement and curation. Grasping the myriad of components that comprise a memorable, high-quality performance – whether it’s an intimate live show or a music video – will equip you with additional skills and confidence to help set you apart in this competitive industry.

COMPOSITION FOR FILM AND MEDIA (OPTION)

The importance of scoring to the overall experience of watching a movie or television show or playing a computer game can’t be underestimated. In this module, you’ll examine core concepts, principles and models within composition for film and media. Demonstrating an ability to compose, mix and produce music to complement and enhance an array of visual media, you’ll be well positioned to pursue work in this area upon graduation.

ARTIST WRITING PROJECT (OPTION)

This unique project will see you study key principles in artist development and write a catalogue of original repertoire for an artist project of your choice. Continuing the degree’s emphasis on creative freedom, this module allows you to further experiment with and explore your songwriting voice, creating a polished real-world project.

In your third year, you’ll continue to develop your entrepreneurial skills and will undertake a number of final-year projects based on your interests and career ambitions. You’ll receive one-to-one tuition and mentorship, and will refine your performance practice and technical expertise. You’ll finish the year with an industry-standard portfolio to take with you into your new life as a professional creative.

CREATIVE PORTFOLIO

This major Year 3 module requires you to create a career-focused, practical portfolio project of your own choosing. Designed to bridge the gap from student to professional life, the Creative Portfolio represents an exceptional opportunity to show the music industry what you’re capable of creatively and launch your artistic direction to the world.

MUSICAL IDENTITY AND REPERTOIRE

During this module you’ll develop a portfolio of original material in line with your self-directed creative and commercial goal-setting. You’ll be supported by ICMP’s industry expert tutors as you identify and hone your unique offering, style and sound, culminating in a professional, industry-standard portfolio that reflects and introduces your personal artistic brand.

CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

This advanced business module focuses on revenue generation for portfolio creatives. You’ll learn a host of techniques and skills to create and develop early-stage ventures, arming you with the ideas and abilities you need to hit the ground running as a working creative artist and entrepreneur.

TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

You will be taught at our campus in Kilburn, utilising our live rooms, tech suites and in-house music studio facilities as well as classrooms and lecture rooms. You will have access to use these facilities outside of class time while you are a student at ICMP in order to rehearse and record your music.

Your learning will be in small mixed groups for seminars and small workshop groups for practical skills. Some lectures are in larger groups.

You will have access to the Student Services Department for support and advice concerning welfare, finance, personal development, safeguarding etc. You'll also have access to our Professional Development team ‘The Hub, who provide bespoke music industry careers advice and access to unique industry opportunities.

As a student of UEL you will also enjoy access to a range of UEL facilities, including the 24/7 multimedia libraries, with over 300,000 books, journals, audio-visual resources and archives, 500 electronic books and 25,000 electronic journals and databases.

Teaching and Learning

On the BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship you will be taught through a variety of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. The programme has a particular focus on project work, both collaborative and individual, centred around creating and performing music.

When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you'll be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, and preparing coursework assignments.Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including our Learning Resource Centre, our many performance and practice rooms, and well-equipped tech suites.

Throughout the duration of your course your time will be split as follows:

Teaching, Learning and Assessment hours per year
Year 1: 392hrs | Year 2: 350hrs | Year 3: 252hrs

Self-study hours per year
Year 1: 808hrs | Year 2: 850hrs | Year 3: 948hrs

Assessment

Your knowledge and thinking will be assessed through coursework, presentations and demonstrations. Your practical skills will be assessed through performances and coursework, and your skills for life and work will be assessed through coursework and presentations.

The assessment breakdown of this programme is:

Year 1: 100% Coursework
Year 2: 100% Coursework
Year 3: 100% Coursework

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants will typically have A levels, BTEC Diploma or Extended Diploma or International Baccalaureate equivalent to 80 UCAS points , or an ICMP Higher Diploma.

In addition, you should hold a GCSE Grade C or 4 or above in English, or suitable equivalent, such as Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Adult Literacy/Numeracy.

International students will typically hold a relevant equivalent qualification – please check your qualification with our Admissions Team. In addition, you should hold a relevant English language qualification equivalent to CEFR Level B2.

We also welcome applications from mature applicants who may have no formal qualifications but who can nevertheless demonstrate their suitability for study through appropriate skills and experience.

This course is also available as a one-year Cert HE option.

UCAS code W3C5Uni code i25

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply via the "APPLY NOW" link below.

At any time during the application process if you need help or further advice just contact our Admissions team who will be happy to assist you.

By phone:
020 7328 0222

By email:
enquiries@icmp.ac.uk

APPLY NOW

Tutors

Tim ElsenburgSongwriting

Tim Elsenburg is a producer, songwriter, and musician, currently working on projects in all those fields. His band, Sweet Billy Pilgrim, was nominated for a Mercury Music award in 2009, getting lots of national coverage as the “band who made an album in their garden shed”. Sweet Billy Pilgrim have released three critically acclaimed albums, toured with artists as diverse as Jamie Cullum, Portico Quartet and Field Music, Malian singer Rokia Traoré, The Futureheads, and performed with The Who at the Royal Albert Hall.

Lisa CannySongwriting

Lisa Canny is an award-winning songwriter, a Top Ten recording artist, and a first class Ethnomusicology Masters graduate. Hailing from County Mayo, on the west coast of Ireland, she has been obsessed with traditional Irish music since early childhood. Dubbed “Ireland’s next big female artist” by Miles Copeland of The Police, she has performed live in front of thousands-strong crowds and worked with some of the biggest songwriters in the business.

Jason BavanandanSongwriting

Jason Bavanandan is a songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist with over a decade’s experience working with major record labels. As the singer and songwriter in the band Battle, he released two albums, enjoyed chart success and touring throughout Europe and America. Jason is now a professional songwriter, signed to Sony/ATV, the world’s largest publishing company. His 2015 album, Whiplash, became ‘the first cinematically-released album in history’. Composed, performed, and orchestrally scored entirely by Jason himself.

Lorenzo De Feo Music Production

A musician by trade, Lorenzo De Feo plays guitar, bass, and drums. Lorenzo started work in the music industry as a session musician for pop acts including Mel C, X Factor’s Matt Cardle and Andrea Begley, touring throughout the UK and Europe. Swapping the stage for the studio, he now spends the majority of his time writing, composing, and recording. Lorenzo runs a busy studio in the Hertfordshire countryside where he is the resident producer, working with a range of acts, from solo artists to bands, spanning a broad spectrum of genres.

Luke TomsSongwriting

Luke is a singer-songwriter, producer, and composer with over ten years of industry experience. He's signed major deals with Island Records and EMI Music publishing, and also toured extensively – both independently and with such artists as Mika, The Feeling, The Zutons, Nerina Pallot, and many more. As a producer and composer, Luke has written extensively for TV and film, with many works published through Sony ATV.

Erika FootmanVocal

Erika Footman is a highly experienced songwriter and performer. When she is not on the road singing and playing with world famous pop/rock groups, she runs her own record label, working with renowned writing and production teams. Erika has toured the world as backing vocalist to chart-topping British pop sensation, Mika, appearing at numerous international festivals, and performing on TV shows such as Jools Holland, Letterman, and the X-Factor. She has also toured with indie rock group Skunk Anansie, singing guest vocals on their 2012 album Black Traffic, and has appeared as a guest vocalist on the Bastille album Mix Tape.

Nathan WilliamsBass

Having worked with the likes of Gruff Rhys, Joss Stone, Huw Warren and Herbie Flowers, Nathan is comfortable working in all contemporary genres and performance situations on bass, drums, keys, guitar and voice. He is an accomplished composer and arranger of both commissioned work and original repertoire. His unique approach to bass playing has earned him endorsements with Cort basses and Ampeg amplification. In 2017, Nathan joined the touring band of the internationally renowned Jamiroquai.

Mark RobertsDrums

Drumming professionally since the age of 18, Mark Roberts is a highly respected drummer and educator, known for seamlessly merging technical ability with musicality. Mark has over 25 years teaching experience and has taught many of the UK’s current most prominent drummers, placing particular emphasis on technique, individual musicality and personal playing style.

Audrey RileyOther instrument

Audrey Riley is a composer, cellist, arranger, and conductor with close to 200 album credits to her name. For over two decades, she has worked at the very highest levels of the music industry producing an exceedingly diverse body of work, from conducting the orchestra of La Scala in Milan to playing cello with Blur, Nick Cave, and the Foo Fighters. Early recording credits include stints with industrial music legends Test Dept., Paul Weller’s The Style Council, and film soundtrack composer Simon Fisher Turner.

BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship
Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocal, Other instrument

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