The first Creative Industries & You module sets you on the right path towards pursuing your dream career in the creative industries. Whether you are focused on a particular career goal or considering multiple career options, you will broaden your knowledge of the opportunities available to you as a creative professional in your specific field. In course groups, you will research career routes and examine the career journeys of inspirational creative professionals to determine key skills for success. In mixed classes, you’ll participate in activities to help you navigate life in higher education and the creative community, expanding your social networks. You will reflect on your progress, explore what motivates you, identify personal strengths and potential roadblocks, and support each other to develop realistic action plans to help you along your chosen path. Supported by your Personal Adviser, you will create a Personal and Professional Development Portfolio, which you will adapt and develop throughout your studies at BIMM. This first iteration has been designed in bitesize chunks to help you develop independent learning skills, receive ongoing feedback and experience a range of different assessment methods. This module also gives you the freedom to extend your learning by providing access to the Industry Skills Booster online courses, developed exclusively with industry employers, which you can select in accordance with career goals and identified areas for development.

Following on from your exploration of the creative community and career opportunities available to you in Creative Industries & You 1, this module will help you to develop a deeper intellectual understanding of the creative arts and industry structures. You will be challenged to investigate some key contemporary cultural issues relating to your professional field, developing a contextual understanding through research, questioning and debate. This awareness will help you to make informed creative and business decisions in the future and articulate them sensitively, acknowledging the different perspectives and experiences of others. You will explore pivotal cultural moments that have shaped the creative industries, exploring the factors that make something ‘popular’, and how key cultural issues affect both art and business. Reading, research and critical thinking skills will be developed to help you examine developments in the industry and the creative arts, communicating your arguments in a variety of formats. You will have an opportunity to meet with your Personal Adviser in a 1:1 tutorial to help you identify your strengths and areas for development, updating your PPDP and selecting relevant online Academic Skills Booster courses to support on your path to academic success.

The Performance Skills module will take you through the process of effective live performance through individual preparation, live ensemble performance and reflective practice. Weekly instrument-specific prep classes will equip you with techniques for effective part-preparation, memorisation and rehearsal strategies. The Live Performance Workshop component will provide you with the opportunity to further your skillset through full-band live performance. Here you will receive guided feedback and feedforward from tutors and peers to help further your own reflective practice. This will be recorded in a weekly Reflective Journal. You will be encouraged to develop confidence on stage, and the necessary arrangement and communication skills for professional live performance.

Good instrumental/vocal technique is reliant on efficiency – this module will enable you to develop the core techniques to be able to express yourself in the way you want to. Looking at various styles and theory, along with the physics and physiology of playing, you’ll be taken through the fundamentals in a step-by-step manner in a progressive way, leading you to develop your creative vocabulary, so you can say what you want to say, musically.

Applying the core techniques to develop your own voice on the instrument is a fundamental step to becoming a unique musician – the more diverse the influences, the more unique the musician. You will focus on exploring and analysing methods to expand vocabulary and develop open-ended creative methods. You will create a short video demonstrating the creative application of techniques and theoretical concepts to a musical style of your choice. This will allow you to select the best attempts of each exercise for the final video, allowing you to add your own creative touches to the presentation. Compositions and recording techniques developed in Creative Technology can be used to support your video creation.

The rapidly evolving music business is a multi-faceted, technologically driven industry. Effective music industry practitioners must understand how the numerous businesses, organisations and professionals operate, how they work alongside each other and interconnect. Furthermore, due to the rate of change, it is essential to make informed predictions about the future of the industry and evolve operations accordingly. This module is designed to offer you a holistic perspective of the industry, from where you can clearly identify conventions, standard working practices and growth areas.

Building on the knowledge and skills developed in Artist Management & Music Business modules and utilising the skills gained in Marketing & PR, this module will develop your understanding of the processes involved in self-releasing music to a specific market. By examining and carrying out the procedures involved in the delivery and marketing of a release, students will prepare for engagement with the professional music industry. The module will look at critical aspects of the industry including project management, income and royalties, legal, contractual and accounting elements, music formats, label management, software and hardware, music aggregation and streaming.

What do you think creates that magic that propels you to buy a product? The reason you even know about a brand and have become entwined in its story? It’s a tool behind every business and every brand and without it, they wouldn’t exist. It’s the wonder that is Marketing. Whether discussing a brand, musician, product or event, it is without a doubt that marketing and PR will have been involved in their journey. Whether you have seen an advert on Instagram, streamed a song on Spotify, bought a product online or attended an event, it is because it has been marketed to you. Marketing is a sales tool, but it is also something that needs to be creative, unique, exciting and visible. Everything and everyone is marketable, it’s just understanding how and ultimately, how to do this well. In this module, you will look into brand identity, messaging and communication, study marketing theory and PR practice and develop concepts, strategies and pitches. You will examine brand case studies, looking at examples of marketing campaigns with a focus on the positives and negatives. The module will allow you to manage the marketing for your own music/event brand, looking into how marketing and PR are used in the contemporary music and events industry, and create ‘a big idea’ and marketing plan around this. The invaluable tools you will learn will be adaptable to whichever path you take for your chosen future career.

The creative arts have the power to bring people together, unite communities, support mental wellbeing, raise awareness of social issues and above all, bring joy to many people around the world. In Creative Industries & You 2, you will discover how you can turn your passion and talent into a collaborative project with a positive impact on society. Employing research and networking skills, you will develop a greater understanding of a charity, cause or campaign. In teams of students from all courses, you‘ll select a cause and identify a way to support its key objectives, either by raising awareness, raising funds or contributing as volunteers. You will be introduced to your college's partner charities but you are also able to find your own, or work independently of an existing organisation. Through this collaborative project, you’ll develop essential interpersonal and communication skills, experimenting with various digital tools for enterprise. You’ll reflect on your own values, applying theories of human psychology to explore how to get the best out of yourself and each other. Building on your industry research skills, you will assess your target audience and define clear SMART targets for your project that will enable you to execute an element of the strategy and evaluate its success. In teams, you will spend time working on your project both in class and in your own time, developing effective collaborative working methods. You’ll record your project activity in your Personal and Professional Development Plan, reflecting on how you have developed and changed over the course of your first year and a half at BIMM. Working with your Personal Adviser you will identify objectives, opportunities and actions that will help you stay on the path to success for the second half of your journey towards becoming a Creative Industries Professional.

This module continues the exploratory work you began in Context & Culture of the Creative Industries. You will directly apply ideas to your own discipline and development, selecting an area of investigation relevant to your own practice, and communicating your argument via your medium of choice. The concepts you encounter will actively critique claims to authenticity and originality; themes you will encounter frequently throughout your career as a Creative Professional. You will debate artistic production, the motivations for it, and the problems of creative autonomy. You will investigate relevant contemporary cultural issues and theories relating to society, race, gender, technology, and the environment to develop your contextual understanding of how these relate to your own creative practice, professional values, and sense of personal agency. You will be encouraged to meet with your Personal Adviser in a 1:1 tutorial to help you reflect on the strengths and areas for development identified in your PPDP in the first year, tracking your academic progress and setting new actions that will support you to achieve your best work. The research methods and study habits you develop throughout this module will prepare you for next year’s Final Project, in which you will self-direct a significant piece of academic, creative and/or professional practice.

In this module, you will focus on developing your unique voice on your instrument. You will study technical development in the context of creative applications – advancing your capabilities, and further refining your individual voice. A broad range of stylistic contexts will be investigated with a focus on developing appropriate technique and vocabulary and how to apply it creatively. You will be looking at technical studies that will increase the range, capacity and versatility of your instrument skills. Over the course of the module, you will select tasks and studies that work towards your personal and creative goals as a musician, pushing yourself to perform material that expands your musical capacity. You will also be autonomous in selecting the style and context for your performances, enabling you to further define and create your individual and unique sound.

Video platforms enable you to connect with a global audience of fans, employers, students and future collaborators and are steadily replacing the open mic night, audition room, in-person lesson or submission to A&R team. The module aims to expand upon your existing technical abilities and stylistic awareness enabling you to further develop a fluent technical and creative foundation within your chosen genre. At the same time, you’ll learn to express and present these skills via video platforms that best suit your target audience that could include fixer, record label, fanbase, venue, performer, student or collaborator.

The UK music industry has seen growth and expansion in recorded music, publishing and live events, highlighting an industry ripe for entrepreneurial development. Recent enterprising examples have seen entrepreneurs collect waste left at festivals and transform it into usable products sold for charitable organisations benefitting society and the environment and creating an economy where there wasn’t one previously. This module is designed to get you thinking about the music industry as a whole, both nationally and globally, to consider what gaps might exist for a new business or what services could be created for new customer bases. Throughout the module, you will consider what tools you need to create the next industry product or service, as well as how to relate this to self-employment and wider creative industries.

This module introduces the key concepts for financing creative projects and outlines the fundraising process. The module will cover a range of approaches that include grant funding, crowdsourcing, sponsorship, start-up loans, private income and support in-kind. You will develop practical planning and delivery skills including writing a fundraising strategy, pitching for money, filling out a grant application form, creating a sponsorship pack, managing budgets and risk, and evaluating impact.

In this module, you will expand your versatility and employability by learning and performing additional complementary instrument. Many musical situations require musicians to perform and be creative on additional related instruments – on gigs, recording sessions, when writing and teaching. You will choose a complementary instrument for extended deliberate practice. For example, this could be double or synth bass for bassists, backing vocals for instrumentalists, percussion, hybrid electric/acoustic drum kit, acoustic or mandolin for guitarists, guitar or keyboards for vocalists etc. You will work towards a performance on this instrument that includes some creativity and interpretation, as well as performing set/defined parts. You will set out your goals on the instrument and make a practice plan. During the module, you will document your progress and seek out feedback from instrument specialists. At the end of the module, you will evaluate your progress on the instrument, and also how effective your learning plan was. This will enable you to continue your development on the instrument, as well as in future expand this to other complementary areas.

Throughout this module, you will develop the necessary skills to enable you to effectively navigate notated music you may find in various performance situations. You will be given unseen notation as well as pre-prepared charts to perform with backing tracks. Emphasis will be placed on the variety of reading situations seen in the professional world, developing skills of preparing charts for others and transcription. Studying this module will help set you up as a confident and competent reading musician, thus opening up more performance and wider employment opportunities in the future.

This module is an extension of the Digital Music module from year one and is designed to develop and further your use of the skills learnt. Your ability to develop the tonal, rhythmic, textural and structural, elements through analysis, transcription and practice is key to your ability to develop your own voice and individual way of expressing yourself musically. You will study tracks using different analytical techniques, from a variety of musical styles, to discover what and how different artists use and develop different musical elements.

In this module, you will perform set repertoire to enhance your ensemble and individual performance skills. The repertoire will be taken from material that is towards the more challenging end of pop and commercial music. Classic and contemporary examples will be taken from music that is in or influenced by genres such as prog, jazz, R&B, electronica etc. Where numbers permit, there may be optional stylistic routes through the module. Completing this module will equip you with the skills to confidently step into varied pop and commercial performance situations

This module will allow you to develop and explore improvisation in ensemble performance. Various tasks and methods will be used to introduce and expand upon concepts of improvisation in an ensemble setting. Workshops will include improvisation tasks, using various source material as a vehicle for exploration. Instrument-specific prep classes will investigate language and vocabulary that can be used to communicate within ensemble workshops and performances. Components of music such as melody, harmony, rhythm, form and structure will be dissected and improvised within an environment that encourages exploration and the development of your own sound.

In this module, you will be encouraged to attain an understanding of professional production values and an awareness of the responsibilities of the recording musician. The skills and knowledge required for effective musical creation and performance appropriate for the music industry will be developed through you being placed in simulated, deadline-driven recording session environments. Compositional, interpretative and instrumental technical skills, as well as a variety of stylistic approaches, will be explored through appropriate case studies. Typical technological skills related to the traditional recording studio will be fostered, as will attributes relevant to remote collaboration over the internet.

This module presents you with the opportunity to develop your songwriting, arranging and performing skills as you embark on a creative journey, where you will be writing, rehearsing and performing an original set for your assessment. Your songwriting and arranging skills will be addressed in the prep lessons and expanded upon in the weekly workshops as part of an ensemble performance. During the weekly prep lessons, you will examine songwriting and arranging techniques, such as subject writing, core values, toplining, melody, harmony, form, structure, conceptual development, collaborative writing and basic orchestration. Arrangements, instrumental/vocal proficiency, rehearsal skills and communication will all be covered during the weekly workshops. The second assessment will take place after the first, whereby you will sit a viva voce, evaluating the processes involved in crafting, rehearsing and performing your set.

This varied practical module will give you the opportunity to explore the musical features, origins, the social and cultural impact of lesser-known styles and genres from around the globe. You will simultaneously undertake ethnomusicology research to dig deep into the background of a musical style from selected geographical locations whilst developing practical skills and stylistic awareness. This personal practice and self-reflection in becoming more musically literate in your chosen style will culminate in you devising, rehearsing and, finally, performing a short ensemble live set of music from your selected region and pop/rock music influenced by your research findings.

Record Labels have been at the forefront of defining popular music since the first half of the 20th Century. Their role in identifying, developing and marketing talent has helped to create scenes, youth movements and shaped modern culture. They are the risk-takers, visionaries and investors that make the industry an exciting and vibrant place to be. However, they have also faced significant disruption to their business models over this time, with each new technology creating opportunities and threats to revenue streams. This module examines the workings of Records Labels and the Record Industry and how they can continue to prosper in the modern world. From independent labels to global corporations, there are insights into how labels work and the challenges they are having to overcome. This module is designed for students looking to either work in the recorded music sector, or start their own label, but also provides essential knowledge for those interested in artist management and other related roles.

An Insight into the growth and development of Hip Hop, over the course of the module we will break down the genres and its contributions to the industry. Additionally, we will also analyse the relationship between the government and the genres and how this has influenced pop culture, sampling, listenership and representation and how social media has become a driving force in developing the various income streams associated within the genre. This is essential for the modern music student as the genre lines become increasingly blurred. Hip Hop culture is now Pop culture and this module will offer an insight into how to achieve success within the modern music industry.

This practical module will develop the competencies required for anyone working in the world of recording and releasing music of all genres. These include an understanding of sound engineering, familiarity with current recording technology software and hardware, and knowledge of how various mastering techniques are applied to different formats in the distribution of recorded music. You will gain skills useful to the variety of contexts in which most contemporary popular music is recorded; from bedroom laptops, home project studios and mainstream recording studios, plus knowledge of mastering for various formats that can help turn a sketch or improvised demo into a professional release.

This module will review the evolution and current state of intellectual property rights within music, specifically focusing on secondary exploitation and the importance of neighbouring rights. As the music business evolves, a broad grasp of intellectual property rights and how they can be monetized is essential. The module will investigate these rights and their relationship to secondary exploitation from both the music publishing and master recording rights owners perspective, as well as looking at the discipline from the music users point of view. Secondary exploitation (sync, brand partnerships, etc.), revenue, and investment continue to grow across multiple areas of the music business. This module will look at the process involved in sync licensing, the core and transferable skills required to succeed in this area, as well as the associated contractual and legal obligations. Using the core terms and information from the Music Publishing module, you will explore these specialist areas in greater detail investigating the future of right management as well as the practicalities of managing rights to track and collect the income they generate.

You will gain a thorough insight into the growth and development of dance music, rave culture and electronica in its many guises. Over the course of the module, study will break down the cornerstone genres and sub-genres within electronica and their overall contribution to the production techniques associated with contemporary popular music. Additionally, you will analyse the historic & current relationship between the music and socio-economic environment in the U.S. & UK. This will be underpinned by factors that have influenced the movement from inception and the subsequent rise of rave culture during the second summer of love and beyond. The historic & present-day DIY business culture of dance music will serve to be a focal point of study, aligned with advances in technology & how developments have influenced the sound of dance music and what the general public categorise as EDM today. Listenership, representation and how social media has become a driving force in developing the various income streams will also underpin the nucleus of study.

This module focuses on how to plan a tour or series of events at a grassroots level. You will gain valuable knowledge in dealing with contracts, managing staff and equipment, booking venues, and understanding technical production and show design. The module will give you the skills required to effectively manage budgets and finances as well as your teams well being whilst on the road. You will learn to produce live events in a number of creative disciplines including music, comedy, film, E-sports and the performing arts. You will also gain insight into the specific needs of these disciplines including audio, lighting, transport, set, special effects, venue choice and ticketing. You will look at liaising with promoters and agents effectively and the processes involved in pre-planning, execution, and post evaluation of events from the perspective of a number of different parties, including the performer, event manager, and the audience. The module will focus on taking a creative discipline into the live event sphere and give you the tools needed to effectively produce events and tours in a diverse range of different ways.

This module will enhance your employability as you integrate your academic learning and vocational skills with a placement or creative enterprise project, engaging with industry for a minimum of 30 hours. During your work-based learning, you will be developing a deeper understanding of the realities of professional practice and the personal attributes and skills required to successfully realise your career goals. Working in a professional environment will afford you the opportunity to gain practical skills, consolidate and expand professional networks, build confidence and develop a sound knowledge of the employment opportunities in the creative industries. Working in the Creative Industries will guide you through the process of developing your CV and covering letter, working through applications, preparing for interviews, developing business ideas and promoting your personal brand. Using BIMM Connect and the advice of tutors and careers teams at BIMM, you will explore, research and secure a work-based learning placement or creative project within the creative industries Module delivery will be in weekly sessions and will include career case studies, presentations from employers, advice and guidance for creative enterprise projects and information on the range of BIMM industry projects to work with; magazines, TV shows, record labels, blogs, festivals etc - all offered to further develop your professional skills. Once a placement or project has been chosen, you will need to negotiate and complete a learning agreement, where you, the employer (where relevant) and your module leader agree in writing the key goals and measures for success for the work-based learning. Please note that you will be expected to keep a journal of your own learning during your WBL and you will need to show that you have researched and planned for the learning that occurred on your placement or creative enterprise project. The Learning Agreement is evidence of this. Work-Based Learning handbooks are available on Moodle for both students and employers, these contain your learning agreements and important information relating to health and safety, insurance and BIMM contacts for use during a placement. There are two elements to the assessment of this module intended to observe and critically reflect on your experience; a learning diary and a project evaluation which both form your Work-Based Learning Report. You need to complete a minimum of 30 hours WBL to satisfy the requirements of your Working in the Creative Industries module. The 30 hours can be worked as one block (e.g. a two or three-week placement) or as flexi-time (e.g. one day a week for several months). During this time, you may be visited onsite by a member of the Careers & Industry team, where appropriate.

Teaching and learning skills are essential elements for practitioners in the creative arts, both in terms of supporting lifelong development through self-teaching and self-assessment, and in terms of generating income and deriving satisfaction from teaching others. The foundations of effective teaching are the abilities to empathise, conceive, plan, communicate, adapt, assess, and provide feedback in an inspiring, motivational and safe environment that stimulates learning. Combining theory and practice throughout, this module is focussed on teaching, self-teaching and learning of learner-relevant content in one to one contexts, such as individual tutorials, instrumental lessons or individual practice sessions.

This module will allow you to further develop the tools required to put creative energy into practice, inspiring you to engage in compositional techniques and technological processes to improve your skills as a songwriter and enhance your creative and professional practice. You will utilise Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) for writing purposes, including the recording, editing, mixing and production of new material using industry-standard software and equipment.

Lyricism and Aesthetics is concerned with the methodologies used by songwriters to generate original, imaginative lyrics. It aims to provide a detailed study of the creative and technical processes underpinning effective lyric writing and to consider the cultural and artistic influences that inspire the compositional process, as well as the impact this has on the construction of a creative identity. You will explore the prosodic relationship between lyrics and melody, harmony, arrangement, rhythm and structure within original songs, as well as within the work of established writers, which will also help you develop your own distinct idiolect (or artistic ‘voice’). You will be introduced to key lyric writing techniques and apply and develop these into original work. Additionally, you will incorporate narrative tools and strategies from poetry, literature and other relevant media and culture. You will consider cultural identity, gender identity and/or a personal viewpoint, and explore how these elements might be expressed through narrative. The module will also consider the impact of interpretative performance, instrumental arrangement, and studio production on narrative delivery. The development of critical analysis, self-evaluation and high-level lyric writing skills will be a key part of weekly content, and subsequently, you will be expected to develop a wide range of imaginative, original material, both individually and collaboratively.

In this module, you will study the advanced techniques of music production and creative practice necessary to create genre-specific tracks in areas of electronic music. Key genres will be compositionally analysed, such as Hip Hop, Microsound, Synth Pop, Grime, Ambient, IDM and many others. You will be introduced to relevant contextual theories situating the works historically, culturally, socially and politically. The creative and technical elements will also be examined, covering industry-standard software, hardware and production processes, affording you the skills to both create and contextualise a track of your own, relating it to a specific electronic music genre.

Technology has become ubiquitous with today's modern performer through the use of live looping, triggering, manipulation of effects, and remixing providing new forms of musical expression. The tools are now available to enable you to produce experimental layers of sound and textures to create and perform within the live domain. In this module, you will examine the various aspects of using music technology to plan, collaborate, and deliver a live performance from the studio to stage.

Vocals are arguably the most important part of any song, across all music genres. A superb vocal production can raise a mediocre composition to stardom, but a poorly produced vocal performance will see little benefit from even the best instrumental backing track. This module will focus on all aspects of studio vocal production: from the technical approach to coaching the best performance, to vocal arrangement, to post-production and mixing. You will be guided through contemporary music genres and taught effective approaches to achieve professional-sounding vocals and communicate effectively with the talent.

In this module, you will be required to create a bespoke, functional library of sounds regarding an identified gap in the market or for professional or personal use. The module will focus on relevant microphone techniques in relation to an end-user as well as the desired library functionality. Students will learn to use different Samplers available in their DAW as well as samplers offered by 3rd parties, offering comparison and critical analysis. Emphasis will be placed on file management, software implementation, creating a GUI (where possible), the study of existing libraries and the justification of working methods and market research.

In this module, you will undertake a significant project of your own choosing. It’s your chance to explore your passion within the industry and creative arts: experiment, take risks, strengthen your skills and create a product/cohesive portfolio of work that you are proud to showcase at the end of your degree. This module will support you in consolidating the broad learning and development from the course so far, building a bridge into the industry, the workplace and future opportunities. You will be supported to self-direct your own learning through a series of lectures, seminars and 1:1 tutorials with expert supervisors.

This module is the final step in your journey and will support you as you look to enter your chosen field as a creative professional. Drawing on evidence from throughout your time here. you will critically self-evaluate your personal learning journey and industry engagements to date. You will explore concepts and theories of personal and professional development to support, challenge and test your assumptions, to determine your readiness for work in the creative industries. You will have the opportunity to discuss this with your peers and learn from your collective experiences in both small degree path groups and large mixed discipline sessions. With this position in mind, you will then be challenged to create and consolidate creative assets to give you the edge over the competition in your chosen field. Specialist workshops will be offered throughout the module, informed and delivered by our wide-reaching connections and specialist tutors in the creative industries. This culminates in the creation of a portfolio which tells the story of your personal and professional journey so far, communicating your unique professional identity and future career plans in the creative industries.

This module will develop your ability to construct and implement a live ensemble performance to a professional standard, with consideration for your target audience. Additionally, you will critically evaluate the processes by which this is achieved. By analysing high-level performances (e.g. Super Bowl shows/ festival headliners etc) as reference points, you will take into account all aspects of stagecraft and musicality to create your own showcase performance. The showcase will need to include; technical proficiency, creative musicianship and arrangement, and visual performance. Throughout the course, you will also be required to engage in reflective practice by creating a digital portfolio (via Mahara). This will document your practice, progress, insights, strengths and challenges; both as an individual and as part of the ensemble. The portfolio may include written notes, images, audio examples, video recordings of the rehearsal process or vlog entries.

Acknowledging audience needs and expectations are central to considering what motivates consumers to engage with a product or service. The Service Industry is no longer enough, people now want an ‘experience’, something to remember. The Experience Economy focuses on audience experience, on creating bespoke events, greater innovation in business and always ensures that value is created for an audience. This module will deconstruct audience experience through the analysis of consumer trends, audience psychology, economic impacts and industry developments. You will explore how to create exciting and innovative businesses to understand how entrepreneurs engage with specific audiences to fulfil experiential requirements.

In this module, you will have the opportunity to continue developing challenging genre inspired technical skills within an ensemble performance setting. Recent years have seen the emergence of collectives like Snarky Puppy, Vulfpeck, The Pentatonix and The Aristocrats while established progressive groups like Dream Theatre remain hugely successful. Visible to international audiences they all bring instrumental and vocal virtuosity to the fore in their respective musical fields. This ethos provides the inspiration for the repertoire featured in the module.

In this module you will widen and develop your skills in understanding, creating and applying identifiable artistic identity and branding elements, while developing dynamic and effective stagecraft skills within a performance of your choosing. You will examine and workshop essential aspects of stagecraft such as; verbal and non-verbal communication, movement, body language, image, use of stage and props, using these as a basis by which to create, prepare and plan a showcase with suitable creative/original repertoire which clearly reflects your artist identity. You will use reference points and research to help build and define your stage identity. This, along with your initial plans and reflections will be collated in a digital portfolio.

Within this module you will cultivate your unique and original approach to solo performances, focusing on the high level of technique and musical skill you have developed to convey your message. Your journey will start with the development of the concept and then the music will be composed/chosen to reflect that emotion and the journey you want to take the audience on, whilst displaying a high level of instrumental skill.

In this module, you will explore the advanced musical techniques found in popular music, and how the musical syntax of popular music has evolved. You will undertake the analytical study of harmony, melody and rhythm. You will look at a variety of works from a practical and musicological perspective and discuss the application of a range of musical techniques to compositions. You will explore the relationship between popular and other musical forms and investigate how various techniques utilised have become part of popular music. You will also explore performance practice and improvisation techniques as related to theory.

In this practical-based module you will develop a broad range of skills which will enable you to work in situations from theatre to live broadcasts, where reading, following a conductor or MD, stylistic versatility and creative flair are essential to success. You will develop your self-reflective skills, building strategies to overcome technical and theoretical challenges. Through ensemble rehearsals, you will develop reading, listening and communication skills as both a follower and leader of the ensemble. These rehearsals will culminate in two assessed rehearsal and performance scenarios with a Musical Director, where you will bring this unique and varied skillset together.

Popular music is the cultural ‘lingua franca’ of the world. Over the last decade, international music markets have undergone rapid growth as emerging domestic, virtual and transnational business models have challenged the traditional music industry paradigms. From K-Pop to international EDM festival ‘mega-brands’, disintermediated digital businesses, new labour models and distribution technologies and the rise of regional and shared global culture, continue to fuel innovation, entrepreneurism and opportunity for music professionals around the world. This module prepares you for a career in the dynamic global music sector by looking at emerging global markets, entrepreneurial innovation and brand extension as the industry responds to rapid social, cultural, technological and political change. Exploring some of the key debates arising from the globalisation of music culture and events, you will explore the ways in which these issues and tensions are creating opportunity and growth in regional and global music markets alike.

As companies all over the world diversify the range of media platforms they promote themselves on, branding and visual identity have never been more important. Students with digital skills in design can elevate themselves above other applicants in a highly competitive industry. This module will arm you with key transferrable skills in digital arts software, through the creation and development of a brand. You will evaluate core branding techniques and design styles, including typography, semiotics, layout, structure and colour. Lessons will be grounded in industry-standard design software, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. You will also learn how to work to a client’s brief, with a focus on the visual representation of brand identity and values.

The study of economics allows us to understand why companies, markets and indeed entire industries can thrive or fail. From the motivation of individual consumers to government policy there are a whole range of factors that explain how and why the music industry works the way it does. This module introduces a number of economic theories that give insight into not only how the music industry has prospered, but also the root causes of many of its issues. Such theories help you to comprehend why even ardent music fans are often inclined to pay more for a cup of coffee than for the songs that have defined their lives, but also how the music industry is finding new ways to turn value into revenue.

In this module, you will be able to explore in-depth a company of your own choosing. You will take on the role of a consultant, engaging in research to address an authentic issue faced by a real-world music company. You may investigate an issue at the company’s request, or you may conduct the research on your own initiative. This is a great opportunity to engage with a company in a field within which you want to work. Alternatively, it is an opportunity to develop your research skills in preparation for post-graduation study. By the end of the module, you will have a report which you can hand to a potential employer or postgraduate institution.

Ethical procedures impact every aspect of business operations, identifying and establishing ethical codes is central to successful business management. This module will explore a range of ethical and legal considerations to ensure that you and your business is ethically sound and operating within legal parameters.

This module looks at areas of the Music and Event Management Industries that are currently being disrupted. It examines how and why these changes are taking place, the winners and losers in such scenarios, and what these changes might lead to in the future. As a class, you will be able to negotiate with your tutor which of the subjects from the list below you wish to concentrate on across the semester so as to best align with your interests and likely career pathways.

The field of Music Psychology is one of wide interest and rapid development. The questions of what music is, what it means and how we are affected by and interact with music are endlessly fascinating and relevant to a range of professions within the music industry. Studying this module will give you unique insights into a significant number of the relevant fields of music psychology, which include but are not limited to musicology and the psychology of emotion, learning and therapeutic. As well as exploring these fields in-depth, you will be supported to focus on an area of music psychology that is most relevant to you as a professional working in the music industry.

This module offers the opportunity for detailed application of the ideas and theories introduced in “Practice, Context and Culture” then developed in “Creativity, Identity and Authenticity”. It will explore key thinkers in-depth, allowing one to become the focus of your work as you analyse an important aspect of music, film, events or the performing arts. This module is ideal for anyone who wants to pursue an in-depth understanding of the ideas that shape popular culture and will provide useful tools to enhance your own creative practice. It is for anyone who would like to develop their analytical skills by evaluating complex and interesting ideas in a supportive environment.

Film is not merely entertainment but important in reflecting, contextualising, and interpreting the mood of the time at any point in history. Film can also be a high-level creative expression. At its best, it communicates ideas while entertaining in an economically significant multi-billion pound global industry. This module will equip you with the knowledge to critically reflect on its impact.

Patriarchal systems have shaped the society we live in today, dictating how we live, who we should be with and how we should act. Many movements and artists have tried to break down barriers and encourage a more open, diverse society. From the Suffragettes to Stonewall, David Bowie to Beyonce, Freddie Mercury to Christine and the Queens, standard conventions of what gender and/or sexuality means is constantly being challenged. Throughout this module, you will be exploring theoretical discourses to analyse how gendered society exists within these systems, in order to challenge your own perspectives. The lack of representation is not limited to artists and you will consider what can be done to encourage change within the creative industries. You will examine why gender and sexuality continue to be used to undermine and exploit those in industry and reflect on whether these constructs can be used to empower or whether subverted norms of gender and sexuality can break down barriers and boundaries to encourage fairer, more equal representation.

How many new female artists can expect not to have their physical appearance dictated by their label and management? How many new black British artists can expect to get heard without collaborating with a mainstream white artist? Can disabled fans of performing arts gain access to work that speaks to their concerns, let alone find themselves in positions of responsibility where they could change what is performed in our venues and theatrical spaces? In an age in which minority and female artists are questioning the old habits of the white-male dominated music-business, can the music industry say there is genuine equality of opportunity for all? This module will enable you to explore the key issues, historical factors and current debates shaping our thinking about diversity in the creative industries. Negotiating key areas and methods of investigation with your tutor, you will reflect, in podcast format, on your own place within an increasingly diverse creative landscape.

Building upon your learning in Practical Learning and Teaching in the Creative Arts 1, this module combines theory and practice throughout as the focus moves to the context of learning and teaching in groups. This includes classrooms, youth and community groups and creative workshops, and the opportunities and challenges that are associated with learning and teaching in these environments. The module will further develop your teaching practice as you explore your subject specialisms and far beyond, stretching your knowledge to meet the demands of real-life teaching, either for work after your degree or as preparation for further study including PGCEs.

Scoring for film, television, gaming and other visual media isn’t just about writing good music: it’s about writing the right music for the scene and the dramatic arc. You will be using your technical skills (DAW’s, theory, recording techniques etc.) to serve the vision of a film, to tell the story of the film, and to support the aesthetic and emotional aims of the production. A major aspect of film is its collaborative nature, which will be reflected in your ability to react to and incorporate feedback given on your work in progress.

This module is designed to equip you with the skills required to develop an initial musical idea or creative concept through to a final live performance. If you’re interested in developing your skills in electronic music composition, you will be able to explore electronic instruments in the creation of an engaging performance using tools such as Ableton Live. Or if you’re interested in a more traditional band performance, you will discover how to integrate music technologies into your set to enhance arrangements and to explore new sonic possibilities. You will also be encouraged to explore the creation of a visual component (animation, film and lighting) as part of your project – and you can choose to involve fellow performers – however, the material presented in the performance or installation must be entirely created and curated by you – and that includes audio and visuals.