BA (Hons) Commercial Modern Music - Songwriting

This module provides the student with an opportunity to consolidate, develop and apply the music theory concepts studied in Theory, Transcription and Keyboard Skills.

It will facilitate further the development of aural transcription skills, along with a more detailed study of the theory behind the music, including practical applications of theoretical concepts to better prepare the student for the range of musical situations they are likely to encounter as professional musicians.

A continuation of the Year 1 module, this module involves the preparation of songs to professional studio standards. Parts, arrangement, tone and performance will all be broken down and analysed.

In this module, students will learn a vocabulary for communicating ideas with other musicians.

They’ll work on making sure that their band and performance are tight, well-arranged and professional, and that it sounds like a professional band through a big PA.

This module covers practical music industry knowledge that will help students plan their careers.

They’ll cover all aspects of the music industry in comprehensive detail, including record deals, publishing deals, management, music synchronisation, legal issues, copyright, music teaching, live music, and business planning.

This module consists of three components or learning arcs undertaken by both the instrumentalist stream and the songwriting stream.

The components are designed to be a continuation of key skills addressed in Year 1 and preparation for key skills required to enable the fulfilment of learning outcomes underpinning modules in Years 3 and 4.

The indicative syllabus associated with each component will inform and aid the development of a broad skill set and encourage a spirit of curiosity and a desire to learn among students. The individual module components are:

1. Cultural Theory, An Introduction

2. Personal & Professional Development

3. Research Methods, Academic Writing and Pedagogy, An Introduction.

This module covers the comprehensive history of popular music from 1900 to 1970, which analyses the social and political conditions that influenced the development of the art form, as well as evaluating key releases from influential artists.

This module assists musicians with ear training, transcription skills and notation. It discusses broad theoretical issues and introduces non-Western and ‘classical’ techniques of composition, analysis and performance.

This module will address the musical and technological aspects of writing and producing popular songs and will include focus on song form and structures (AABC, etc.), cadences and chord progressions, modulation, writing and harmonising melodies, lyric writing, and applying learning to original material.

Linked to this theme will be the introduction of technical training in the use of Digital Audio Workstations (DAW), which have become the mainstay of this discipline.

This module will familiarise musicians with fundamental issues in music publishing, including history of the industry, key concepts of copyright, collection societies, analysis of music publishing contracts, sub-publishing, and synchronisation.

It will encourage songwriters/musicians to apply their knowledge in real-world situations with their own material.

Musicians undertake a research project that supports their planning for the Professional Project module.

For example, a vocalist could research the techniques involved in getting a vocal sound in the studio, or a band musician planning a national tour could prepare a case study on a relevant breaking act or important venue.

This module is designed to help studio musicians understand basic engineering principles and take responsibility for the sonic direction of their recordings.

With this knowledge, any musician should be able to get a quality tone in even the most basic of studios. Studio-based arrangement skills are also covered.

In this class, musicians map their own performances against professional work using original and cover material. Performances are routinely videoed and critically assessed in small group settings.

This module addresses the need for modern music practitioners to be digitally literate and dynamic entrepreneurs, enabling them to directly engage with their target audience.

Some of the areas covered include data collection, analytics, social media marketing, artist branding, direct email marketing, website design, marketing campaigns, digital music stores and benchmarking.

n this module musicians will be placed in simulated, ‘deadline-driven’ recording session environments.

They’ll be encouraged to attain an understanding of professional production values and an awareness of the responsibilities of the recording musician. These responsibilities will include professional performance skills, studio etiquette and technical knowledge.

This module ensures that students confront their responsibilities as professionals and manage a project that is rooted firmly in the professional world. Jobs in the music business vary enormously and musicians need to be adaptable and flexible in order to carve their own niche in the industry.

Final projects must be realistic and achievable and are linked with the earlier Course Planning and Research Methods modules. During the module, students will consolidate the skills and experience gained through the course of their studies.

These include industry-related skills, and research methods enabling them to analyse, interpret, and reflect upon their chosen project activity in a systematic fashion.

In the final stage of their studies, students will be able to utilise their analysis of past experience to create theories upon which to base models for future working practice.

This module presents a critical history of popular music from 1970 to the present day. Significant artists will be examined in relation to their cultural, social and political impact and their continuing influence on contemporary music genres.

The module will also draw on theoretical contexts found in the wider discipline of cultural studies, such as critical theory and postmodernism. You will be expected to develop a sophisticated understanding of our cultural and musical antecedents and will be encouraged to analyse, synthesise and evaluate the circumstances around significant moments in the history of popular music since 1970.

This module will oblige you to engage with in-depth reading and demonstrate an appropriate level of academic rigour. You will be required to engage in critical debate with full justifications and explanations for your reasoning.

This module will further address the musical and technological aspects of writing and producing popular songs and will include focus on composition for the media and moving image, alongside commercial concerns and production values vital to this discipline. Musicians will continue to develop technical skills along with creative techniques common to working with sound and image.

In this module, musicians perform either on their own or using backing tracks. A clinic-style presentation could work well in this module, and work is compared to professional material with students critically assessing their progress and attainment.

This unit gives musicians the opportunity to showcase four years of live performance experience in a final ensemble setting. Students are encouraged to consider how their work will be perceived as professional artists and to map their work against other, established professionals.

This module involves a thorough investigation into the music business, with detailed analysis of contracts and music business structures. There will also be high-profile guest speakers.

This module deals with the development of strong teaching skills, from one-to-one tuition to large group classroom work. Small teaching practice business models are discussed and musicians can investigate full-time teaching as a career option either in mainstream education or as a private practitioner.

Musicians are encouraged to consider and facilitate their own personal and business development, an essential activity for band members, songwriters and singers alike.

The module will take students through the stages of identifying professional development needs, with specific topics covered including effective team working, stress management, time management and goal setting.

This is an elective module aimed at students with a strong aptitude for music theory that wish to deepen their understanding of advanced theory concepts, and further develop their composition and arrangement skills through song analysis and practical application.

]This module will consolidate, and develop on, the concepts covered in Advanced Music Theory and Arrangement in a project-based environment, through their application on DAWs and notational software, using sample libraries and industry-standard notation.