UDMTMPRD - BSc Music Technology (Music Production)

The BSc Honours Music Technology (Music Production) offers students the career prospect of becoming a music producer, with a particular specialization in sound for live events, such as concerts, festivals, theatre performances, etc. The career paths expand to the music industry, sound recording, sound dubbing, sound engineering, and also progress to postgraduate study (Masters and PhD).

The students work through assignments and projects (group and individual), steadily building on existing skills, developing and realising new ideas and concepts. This approach ensures that the student is guided through acquisition of key knowledge, skills and critical development, as the course progresses.

The teaching team includes a professional range of expertise connected with practices who are acknowledged widely (locally and internationally) and who operate in the field of music production, composition and arrangement, live music scenarios, recording and studio based practice.

Facilities for the practical work in the areas of music/audio technologies are available at Commercial Road in the form of 3 x 5.1 Surround studios, 3 x video editing suites, a live-recording room and a set of well equipped laboratories, added to lecture rooms provided with audio capabilities, pianos, and access to the internet for an active usage of Weblearn. Blended learning is envisaged to be used as appropriate for some modules. 3 x live sound setups (consisting of portable desks, microphones, active speakers, etc) are being assembled for the support of projects to be carried outside of the university’s studios (levels 5 and 6).

1. to equip students to work in a typical music production environment, including studio and live events productions (such as live concerts, festivals, theatre, etc), by providing them with theoretical, scientific and practical skills which support and enable the creation, capturing, processing, reproduction and electronic distribution of sound and music;

2. to develop the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility;

3. to prepare students for research and further studies, development, management, and production roles within the music and moving image industries;

4. to educate students as artists with an understanding of the needs of music producers and of the music industry, developing also the ability to analyse and solve the technical problems of music production;

5. to foster the development of students’ intellectual and imaginative powers; their understanding and judgement; their problem-solving skills; their ability to communicate; their ability to see relationships within what they have learned, and to perceive their field of study in a broader perspective; to develop an enquiring, analytical approach, encouraging independent judgement and critical self-awareness.

The course as a whole encompasses and focuses on a number of areas (acoustics, processing of digital audio, audio recording/mixing/mastering, and music composition and production). Emphasis is placed, in practice-based projects at levels 4, 5 and 6, on progressively developing students’ creative skills, and developing their ability to work both independently and in teams. Project work throughout the course stresses the importance of self-evaluation and critical self-awareness.

The subject benchmark statements for Music (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2008) apply generally to the aims of the BSc Music Technology (Music Production) course, which is partially technology oriented. Paragraphs 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 and 4.1., describe in broad terms the kind of skills that students undertaking a course in music technology should acquire and align fairly well with the objectives of the course, as do the general skills listed in paragraph 4.

A variety of assessment methods are used within the course, ranging from formative, summative, diagnostic, peer and self-assessment, through studio based work, workshops, written assignments, practical courseworks, essays, individual and group practical projects, and a final dissertation. These methods are aligned to the Faculty and University assessment strategies and with the course learning outcomes and curriculum.

Strategies utilised support students’ understanding of their learning by providing timely developmental feedback that promotes a deeper learning approach to their studies. Assessment methods such as reports, essays, critiques, and presentations, allow differing learning styles, whilst encouraging reflective and reflexive approaches.

Each assessment (formative and summative) seeks to build students’ confidence as independent learners, providing pertinent advice for all aspects of learning.

The course team provide ongoing opportunities for scheduled tutorial ‘drop in’ sessions and the course’s virtual learning environment offers students opportunities to discuss (with tutors and peers) their assessment strategies. Further support is available via personal academic advisors, Library Services, University Student Services, and the Centre for Learning and Teaching.

‘Employability’ is integral to the design and delivery of the Music Technology critical practice curriculum. At all levels and throughout, notably in the opportunity to realise intellectual and practical properties of accumulated learning in level 6 by completing an integrated programme of specialist, discipline-specific studies.

In the BSc Music Technology (Music Production) and all of the other AMD-ASD UG courses the following faculty-wide regulations shall apply:

ACADEMIC PROGRESSION: As a condition of progressing from level 3 to 4, level 4 to 5 and level 5 to 6, students are required to have gained 120 credits per level, that is, by achieving pass marks (40%) in all four modules in the preceding level of study.

LATE SPECIALIZATION:

(i) The structure and scope of learning in the Year 0 (level 3) programmes shall permit early and late specialization. In other words, students who succeed in passing all modules and who wish to, based on their learning experience in level 3, may elect to alter the designation of the ‘extended degree’ they had embarked upon and to instead migrate onto another cognate degree title within the purview of the Faculty portfolio; that is not restricted to the original choice of pathway title upon admission. Progressing students may of course elect to confirm to continue onwards following the ‘early specialist’ route they joined at point of entry.

(ii) The BSc Music Technology (Music Production), reflects the discipline‐specific work completed in the vertically‐integrated Music Technology Subject Discipline modules and in the honours-level specific modules.

PART-TIME MODE OF STUDY

Part-time study is defined as 60 credits per year. Consequently, in part-time mode, the duration of study for a 360-credit degree will be 6 years. The pattern of study in AMD-ASD degrees shall be as follows:

Year 1 - Two studio/atelier modules

Year 2 – Critical & Contextual Studies 1 + subject discipline module

Year 3 - Two studio/atelier modules

Year 4 – Critical & Contextual Studies 2 + subject discipline module

Year 5 – Final Project: Music Production + Music Technology: Specialist Practice

Year 6 – Critical & Contextual Studies 3: Dissertation + Exhibition & Representation module

We encourage mature students to claim credit (exemption) for previous education or relevant experience, which may include academic courses, in-company training, paid or unpaid work and leisure activities. To do this you need to present evidence of past achievement or undertake a formal Assessment of Prior Learning.

Successful completion of this course offers career opportunities in the music industry, including creative and technical roles, such as: music production, sound recording, sound dubbing and sound in live situations. The programme is also excellent preparation for further research or study (Masters and PhD).

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• GCSE English at grade C or above (or equivalent)
• At least 280 UCAS points, which must be from a relevant area to the course.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.

For mature students, interviews may be arranged.

This course is also available as a four-year extended degree, the first year of which is the Foundation Year Film, Media and Music.