Masters Degree in Music & Sound

This is a student-led, individually negotiated project. The module allows students an opportunity to devise and execute an ambitious and personal, self-managed project that expands and enhances the knowledge and many of the skills acquired during their course. It allows students to explore and research some of these ideas and techniques in a more focused and detailed way. The exact brief is up to the individual, but a named project supervisor will guide students.

This module is designed to help you develop an understanding of key critical, analytical and reflective approaches to the study of popular music through examination of key literature and the application of those approaches.

Through analysis, critical thinking, the study of creative and reflective practice, and reading and discussion of a number of enlightening texts, you will learn to develop your status as an informed practitioner, greatly expanding your awareness of your own work and the social, political, and musical contexts that which it inhabits.

The Music Direction Skills module focuses on the skills needed as an ensemble director and performer. Musical direction is a key focus, other areas considered include musician and repertoire selection, rehearsal preparation, planning and event management.

In this module, you will source an ensemble and rehearse repertoire with them as the musical director. Your job is to construct a repertoire and rehearse your ensemble in preparation for a performance.

This double module aims to enhance technical, creative and innovative performance skills, as well as consolidating and heightening your evaluation of stylistic and technical issues. You will be expected to achieve and maintain a high level of advanced performance skills in order to fulfill your potential and develop practical skills to a professional level.

You are encouraged to challenge yourself through tackling musical styles and creative techniques which are not your home territory. Use your relationship with your specialist supervisor as an opportunity to explore new ground and broaden your instrumental skills.

The purpose of this module is to train you in research methods and critical methodology as preparation for undertaking research and is designed to support and advance the project work produced during the rest of your study through a developed investigation of research methods. You will define, articulate and critically reflect upon the research concerns of your own practice during this unit, thereby underpinning and enhancing your knowledge and understanding of the chosen field of study, as well as developing your ability to communicate this in a variety of ways.

The Songwriting module gives you the opportunity to engage in the development, management and execution of a high-quality song portfolio. Applying a myriad of songwriting techniques and conventions, you will create a song portfolio realised via basic recordings and lead sheets.

This module provides an excellent opportunity for students to test their potential as music educators. It is intended that the module gives students a flavour of working in education and also equips them with valuable skills that are transferable to their careers.

This module is about you ‘finding your voice’ as a recording artist, focusing on your principal instrument and/or voice in the context of a recording which features at least two other instruments. This means that you need to develop a method of recording your instrument and/or voice such that its individual timbre is captured, and show that your technical, sonic, performance and arrangement choices on your instrument/vocally are clearly represented.