This top-up programme will provide you with interdisciplinary and collaborative working opportunities, and an opportunity to explore the aspects of popular music that interests you most. You will develop your own music practice within a variety of professional contexts, whilst refining your academic skills and technical understanding.
The programme aims to reflect the professional reality of the contemporary music industry, preparing you to creatively respond within a range of professional situations.
You will be provided with opportunities to study projects that explore performance, analysis and the creative practice necessary to produce technical professionalism and application.
You will engage in entrepreneurial activities that are likely to support future work in the field of music, such as work in music performance, creative practice, freelance work and music education. With a teaching team that combines practitioners and academics, it is intended that you will be supported to develop confidence in conceptual thinking, problem solving, presenting ideas and project management.
Study Aims
This programme aims to:
Modules Studied
Times of Delivery
Any times indicated are based on current courses and may be subject to change in future years. Full timetables will be confirmed at the start of each course.
Teaching and Assessment
You will engage in the following:
Management and organisation skills are essential for successful performing and recording musicians, therefore, you will be required to plan and manage your own projects, workshops and individual and ensemble sessions. Modules will be assessed through a combination of:
All of the above will be supplemented and further developed through the incorporation of visits from industry specialists. Research skills will be delivered and assessed via review and modelling of several analytical models. You will be able to utilise your practice diaries and evaluation feedback in order to assess yourself qualitatively.
Industry Links
A selection of employers and current practitioners working within the music and creative industries are involved in the development of our higher education music courses. This includes music agencies, freelance performers and educators, singer songwriters, colleagues at Durham BID and artist managers.
Our music department has established links with the Gala Theatre in Durham to provide you with opportunities to perform on the main stage as part of your core assessment.
Your tutors are practicing professionals who have links with professional venues, studios, producers, theatre companies, musical directors and agencies.
Placement
There are no formal placement requirements for the BA(Hons) Popular Music, however, students are encouraged to gain skills for the workplace through paid or un-paid work experience.
Entry Criteria
To gain entry to the programme, you will be required to satisfy the standard or non-standard entry requirements.
Standard Entry Criteria:
Non-standard Entry Criteria:
Additional Costs
You will need your own instrument for your first instrument of study. Much of the required equipment, such as PA systems, microphones, guitar and bass amps, drum kits, and keyboards are provided in the rehearsal rooms.
We plan to visit the Colorado Roots Music Camp every two years. This is not a compulsory component of the foundation degree but is an outstanding opportunity to further develop your roots music knowledge and experience. The fee per student for our last visit was £1000 - this could be subject to change for our next planned visit.
We would advise you invest in a laptop with music software and a music interface as past graduates have expressed that they have found this to be beneficial. Again, this is not compulsory as we are fully equipped in the department for you to complete assignment work.
What are the next steps?
You will perform two pieces of an appropriate standard and you will be invited to demonstrate evidence of appropriate creative or performance experience or employment within the music and creative industries. On arrival please report to the Music Department which is on the 1st floor of the Music & Sport Building.
Please ensure you bring your instrument with you and be prepared to perform the pieces to demonstrate your performance skills.