Music and Sound Production - BA (Hons)

This Foundation Degree-level course focuses on providing students with the skills that they need to meet the needs of clients in live music production, studio recording and media-based contexts. You'll develop your potential, further your knowledge and refine your skills in demanding industry. In the UK, we listen to an estimated 60 billion hours of music a year – that’s the equivalent of seven million years As a student on FdA Music and Sound Production, you'll study units embracing studio production, live music applications, audio electronics and sound synthesis. The course explores analogue recording processes, as well as digital. You'll produce work using several of the major music software platforms in current use and will develop academic knowledge of music technology from historical, cultural, social and economic perspectives. It's intended that the course will provide you with a vehicle for creative experimentation as well as training to be able to provide industry applications. You'll also have the option to progress to a BA (Hons) degree by studying for an additional year on our exclusive top-up course. The BA (Hons) Music and Sound Production top-up year primarily engages the student with technology but is intended to provide opportunities for any suitably qualified candidate with an established interest in writing, producing, collaborating in music production. You'll begin with the "Arranging" unit, where you'll consider the relationships between mixing and orchestration. You'll study the ways in which musical elements are balanced against each other to create specific music effects and styles and practice re-arrangingre-mixing music to create new versions. The unit will also teach you how to create parts for session musicians. It's not uncommon for a producer to enhance the work of an artist through the addition of parts such as counter melodies, harmonies, brass and string pads, etc. To this end, you'll learn to create basic parts, fit for modification by the professional musician, using music notation software to meet the needs of the reader and assessment. You'll simultaneously undertake the "Research Project" unit. In agreement with your tutor, you'll choose an area for close study and develop a full dissertation on the subject in question. The dissertation may be presented in a variety of forms, written work, verbal presentation, audio, visual production, etc. This major piece of work may utilise practical skills and experimentation but must conform with the notion of academic rigour. It should be substantial, draw on authoritative research sources (referenced using the Harvard system) and meet the objectives established with your tutor at the start. You'll need to propose a detailed plan prior to commencement. Following these two units, you'll carry out your Final Major Project: a substantial project of your own choosing, which must be agreed with your tutor. It should lead to the creation of your highest-quality, exemplar work. The unit will begin with taught sessions on project planning and will incorporate sessions on business planning, event management, rights management, and budget planning. Your projects may involve members of the external music community, collaborations with peers, private clients, etc., or be completely directed at their own aims for future employment. Delivery will therefore move from the initial model of taught sessions in the early part of the year to regular one-to-one support through tutorials.