BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance
Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocal

During this highly practical module, you’ll develop the stylistic and stagecraft skills you need for ensemble performances across different styles of popular music. Working with your primary instrument or voice, you’ll also explore a secondary discipline – either instrumental or vocal. An important part of this module is receiving and contributing to performance feedback and implementing this in your performances to help with your development. By the end of the module, you’ll have completed a performance portfolio and gained practical experience creating backing tracks, performing to a click track, exploring backing vocals and using industry-standard music technology like in-ear monitors.    

This module will give you the theoretical and practical skills to perform, arrange and record music across a wide range of popular styles and genres. You’ll be introduced to the foundations of music theory and music notation, as you develop basic skills in sight-reading/sight-singing to further enhance your performance abilities. You’ll also cover the fundamentals of music technology and its application in popular music performance, including the use of music notation software, digital audio workstations (DAWs) and keyboards. The format of this module will see you undertake seminars, instrument-specific classes and one-to-one sessions to support your development.   

Building on the previous module – Theory, Technique and Technology – this module extends your existing skills in music theory and music technology to a deeper level. You’ll continue to perform, arrange and record music across genres, incorporating a variety of more challenging styles of popular music. You’ll also further your keyboard and notation skills using industry-standard music technology, such as music notation software. Through study and analysis of music theory, combined with in-depth practice and one-to-one sessions with an expert tutor, you’ll develop impressive advanced instrumental/vocal skills. 

To build a successful portfolio career in the music industry, you’ll need to have a thorough grasp of how the modern creative industries could shape your future career. This module will introduce you to the core structures and functions of today’s music industry, examining current industry models, processes and practices so you can recognise how creative practitioners and businesses interact. The module provides an understanding of music copyright, plus insight into revenue flow and the inter-relationships between key music industry areas. You’ll take part in seminars, peer discussions and case studies to build a solid understanding of the music business. 

In this module, you’ll study a range of popular music performance approaches and contextualise these within established music cultures and practices. You’ll also explore how these concepts influence the choices you might make as a practitioner in the future, as you investigate theories such as stage personas, stardom and fandom, identity, sexuality and the auteur. You’ll build research and inquiry skills and be introduced to key approaches of documenting your practice, such as video, blogs, audio and vlogs. Your comprehensive new capabilities in reflection will allow you to move beyond the descriptive into analysis, evaluation and action planning to strengthen your future performances. 

This module focuses on a range of professional performance scenarios encountered in the music industry, including musical direction, professional entertainment and corporate entertainment. You’ll progress your skills by performing and arranging music in a variety of genres, with a focus on stagecraft, styling, professional etiquette, performance authenticity and self-reflection. Working to creative briefs, you’ll develop set lists, and perform set repertoire by applying arrangement techniques such as segues and medleys. During the module, you’ll also gain ensemble communication skills and learn tips for how best to connect with your audience. 

This module continues to consolidate and enhance your practical abilities through a comprehensive study of music notation, music theory and general session skills. You’ll see weekly improvement on your primary instrument as you develop your capability to identify, create, improvise and assimilate musical information while enhancing your performance and sight-reading skills. As you build your technical and theoretical authority, you’ll learn to apply your understanding and research through practical demonstrations that showcase your own musical goals and areas of interest. One-to-one stylistic technique classes and session skills workshops will help cultivate a wide range of talents you’ll need for your future portfolio career. 

This highly personalised module focuses on the ambitions and objectives of your future portfolio music career while using research-based methodologies to improve your musicianship. You’ll explore techniques, genres and repertoire relevant to your musical interests and developing identity. Through one-to-one sessions with your expert tutors, you’ll develop the ability to recognise weaknesses in your performances and work together to address these through goal setting and critical reflection. You’ll apply theoretical concepts to your work and relate previous study to your future professional targets as you build a reflective portfolio – a creative body of work that showcases your improved technical development. 

In this module, you’ll focus on practical and industry-based experience, building skills in structuring and refining musical material. You’ll continue to develop your general musicianship, musical vocabulary and articulation while gaining an awareness of varied music practices through the study of professional composition and arranging techniques and principles. As you experience the creation, organisation, articulation, processing and production of a series of real-world briefs, you’ll apply your theoretical knowledge and understanding in a practical way. This module draws together key elements of the creative sector of the music industry with technology and mixed media use. 

Building on your learning from first-year Theory, Technique and Technology modules, this optional programme equips you with skills to record and produce music remotely and in a home studio setup. Confidently navigating an ever-changing global marketplace in music recording, you’ll build business skills and learn how to identify potential business opportunities in a fast-moving digital world. You’ll focus on both theoretical and practical abilities – from using remote recording technology to online entrepreneurship – developing tools to meet the demands of this evolving professional field. You’ll capture your instrument to a professional standard and quality using everything from professional DAWs to mobile phones. 

This module focuses on preparing you for the wide variety of professional performance scenarios – both live and online – that you’re likely to encounter in your professional career.  

With regular input from industry guests to simulate a range of professional performance opportunities, you’ll work to industry briefs across a variety of genres, interpreting charts and scores and preparing challenging material quickly in line with industry expectations. Workshops will focus on learning how to respond to direction and make changes to your performance based on a musical director’s vision – an essential skill for a promising professional performer. 

This year-long module supports you to fully professionalise your individual playing identity, as you extend your technical and academic skills by completing a music-related creative project of your choice. You’ll have the opportunity to perform, create and re-create music at an advanced level in various real-world and simulated professional scenarios and environments. This intense practice will deepen your outlook, knowledge and professional delivery, as you strive to make your unique voice heard. In creating and delivering your projects, you’ll also build a range of transferable skills in communication, negotiation, project planning and management. 

This optional module develops advanced composition and arranging skills in real-world contexts for film, media and live performances. You’ll hone industry-standard skills and techniques thanks to direct experience creating a high-level recorded portfolio, which is developed using original concepts and covers a range of contemporary music styles and genres. You’ll be encouraged to experiment with your personal creativity and style, both with and without constraints, within well-known frameworks of method and technique. Through technical, theoretical, analytical and practical work, you’ll deliver and critically reflect on your composition portfolio for film/mixed media and live ensemble. 

Skills in education and teaching are a shrewd addition to any modern musician’s portfolio career. In this optional module, you’ll explore ways to apply your instrument/vocal knowledge and technical abilities in a range of teaching scenarios and settings. You’ll gain insight into ways your students might learn new knowledge or skills, and how to support, enable and monitor progress. You’ll design programmes of study and explore creative assessment methods to motivate and engage your learners. You’ll also undertake placements and observations, giving you the opportunity to experience specific educational practitioner roles which will help formulate your individual teaching style. 

This advanced module will develop your performance skills for musical theatre and the stage. You’ll learn tools to combine your professional technique with deeper levels of connection to a narrative and the emotional journey that’s expected by the theatre industry. The module focuses on a psychological and physical connection to music – using different musical contexts and professional scenarios. You’ll be encouraged to explore and challenge traditional conventions relating to musical theatre, and balance expected professional standards with modern innovative approaches. You’ll explore a wide range of areas in musical theatre and be pushed to unlock higher levels of stage performance.