Music Performance BMus(Hons)

You will gain hands-on experience of a variety of key musical skills: improvisation; aural awareness; ensemble performance; and evaluating your own and others' performances. A wide range of styles and genres will be explored, and you will work with musicians relevant to your specialism as a pop, classical, or jazz performer.

This module will introduce you to a range of approaches to studying music and music technology. You will develop research, source-handling, evaluation, and critical-thinking skills and apply these to repertoires, cultures, and issues appropriate to your degree course. Linked lectures and seminars will increase your knowledge of key themes and concerns in music studies, give you opportunities to debate your ideas with others, and develop your confidence as an increasingly independent researcher.

This module takes a hands-on approach to various aspects of using technology as a musician, giving you the skills to feel confident working in today's creative industries. You will learn how to use music notation and Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software, alongside video and sound recording techniques aimed at content creation.

You will explore the building blocks of music in all its forms, developing an understanding of how music ‘works’ through the use of key theoretical principles such as melody, harmony, rhythm, form, timbre, and so on. This will allow you to investigate a number of key works from a wide range of musical styles and histories in detail, engaging with music in ways that will also develop your creativity as a performer or composer.

The module is intended to enable you to develop your compositional abilities, through the exploration of a range of compositional techniques, with particular reference to acquiring a better understanding of rhythm, timbre, melody/contour, harmony, texture, form and notation. You will also explore the basics of instrumentation. Your creative aural imagination will be stimulated by studying and employing a variety of expressive musical languages.

You will choose one practical option from an array of ensembles, bands, and approaches to performance. Options typically range from conducting, music theatre, and improvisation through to groups like orchestra, big band, brass band, classical and pop choirs, and a huge variety of pop, rock, soul, funk, and folk bands. Specialist performance tutors will coach you towards assessed performances that are open to the public.

You will work closely with an individual instrumental/vocal tutor to develop your technical skills and musical insight to prepare you for a solo recital and advanced solo performance at honours level.

As both a musical researcher and creative practitioner you will undertake an in-depth exploration of a particular area of music by choosing one specialist topic from a range on offer. Using musicological study to underpin and inspire artistic activity, you will engage with current issues in practice research, discover new repertoire and approaches to creativity, and reflect on research as an element of your own creative practice.

This module permits students to select an additional group performance activity to broaden their study alongside AIM2412 Performance Skills 2. Please view that module for further details.

Further developing your skills as a researcher of music and musicianship, you will undertake an in-depth exploration of an area of music by choosing one specialist topic from a range on offer. Focusing on theoretical, analytical, and critical approaches to the study of music in society, you will engage with current debates within musicology, discover new repertoire and methodologies, and learn to approach music as a cultural text.

This module explores a range of advanced compositional and vocal techniques in contemporary songwriting. You will study vocal styles from different times and traditions, and examine the role of accompaniment in more detail, learning how to write effective backing vocals, string parts, and brass arrangements. You will explore ideas about identity and authenticity in the songwriting world, and gain hands-on experience of collaborative techniques and approaches.

You will work individually, or in small groups (of normally no more than six), devising, managing, delivering and evaluating your project. You will be assigned an individual tutor, to whom the project proposal is submitted for approval and who is responsible for supporting your independent work through the module, and overseeing the assessment of your project outcomes.

You will choose one practical option from an array of ensembles, bands, and approaches to performance. Options typically range from conducting, music theatre, and improvisation through to groups like orchestra, big band, brass band, classical and pop choirs, and a huge variety of pop, rock, soul, funk, and folk bands. Specialist performance tutors will coach you towards assessed performances that are open to the public.

Supported by individual lessons with one of our professional visiting instrumental and vocal teachers, you will continue to develop your technical skills and musical insight as an advanced solo performer. You will participate in a variety of masterclasses and workshops to increase your understanding of a range of musical performance contexts and issues, and will work towards two assessed solo recitals.

This module permits students to select an additional group performance activity and to broaden their study alongside the Performance Skills 3 module. Please view that description for further details.

This module permits students who are already taking the Advanced Solo Performance module the opportunity to broaden their study and accrue additional credits by doubling the duration of the performance assessments. For further details see the description for Advanced Solo Performance.

As an advanced and increasingly independent researcher of music and musicianship, you will undertake an in-depth exploration of a particular area of music by choosing one specialist topic from a range on offer. Focusing on theoretical, analytical, and critical approaches to the study of music in society, you will engage with current debates within musicology, discover new repertoire and methodologies, and learn to approach music as a cultural text.