BA (Hons) Music

Duration
3 years full-time

Validated by
The Open University
more information

The BA (Hons) Music programme aims to prepare its students for the demands of being a 21st century musician. The course draws on the breadth of experience of Leeds College of Music staff, and pursues excellence in performance through the study of Western classical music and its relationship to contemporary practice. You will study the key developments in traditional Western classical music alongside the consideration of recent developments in jazz, popular music, world music and music technology.

Students choose to study either performance or composition as their Principal Study, and specify this at the point of application.

Principal Study Performance

As a specialist performer, you will receive individual tuition each year, focusing on the development of performance technique and repertoire. In the final year, you will give an assessed public performance.

Principal Study Composition

As a specialist composer, you will receive individual and small seminar group tuition each year, focusing on the development of an individual compositional style.

The course is divided into three core areas of study: Performance Studies, Composition Studies, and Historical, Critical and Analytical Studies.

Performance Studies

You will develop your individual and ensemble performance skills under the guidance of a distinguished team of teachers and ensemble coaches. In addition to core degree modules in ensemble studies and general musicianship, you will have the opportunity to play in a range of College ensembles, including the symphony orchestra, sinfonietta, chamber choir, opera group, and jazz and contemporary music ensembles. Through your ensemble work you will develop skills in musical direction, rehearsal techniques and improvisation, and will have the opportunity to undertake a community music project working with amateur musicians to realise a community-based performance event. You will also take part in regular performance workshops led by the College’s Artists in Residence.

Composition Studies

Composition Studies focuses on the development of contemporary compositional techniques that will enable you to create new music in a range of contemporary idioms and for a variety of contexts. You will have the opportunity to have your work performed in workshops and student concerts, and will receive training on the latest technology, using industry-standard music notation software to produce professional scores of your compositions.

Musicology (Historical, Critical and Analytical Studies)

Historical, Critical and Analytical Studies examines the principal developments in Western music and also considers the political and social contexts in which they occurred through an innovative programme of study. You will also examine the relationship between Western classical music and other musical genres of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and will have the opportunity to explore music and its relationship to popular culture.

In addition to the three core areas of study, you will undertake a module in the Music Industry.

Music Business and Career Management

A series of lectures, seminars and workshops led by College staff and visiting industry practitioners will introduce you to the most significant aspects of the music business, including contract law, intellectual copyright, artist management and the recording industry. You will receive advice and guidance in producing a professional CV, applying for jobs, interview techniques, recording a demo CD and producing marketing and publicity materials.

Year One

The first year focuses on the fundamental principles, techniques and processes relating to the performance, creation and study of music. As well as studies in the three core areas you will undertake modules in harmony and counterpoint, studio environments and popular culture.

Year Two

In addition to continued studies in performance, composition, and history, criticism and analysis, you will have the opportunity to develop musical direction and teaching skills through ensemble performance and performance studies workshops. In the second semester, you will begin to focus your studies by choosing projects in specialist pathways. Example projects include Opera Studies, Indian Improvisation, Composing for Film and Television, Music and Cultural Studies and Music Pedagogy. You will also have the opportunity to work on collaborative projects with musicians from other LCM programmes.

Year Three

In the final year of the course you will undertake a Negotiated Project, which allows you to focus on your strengths and specialist areas within performance, composition or musicology. You will also take other options in performance, composition or musicology to complement your negotiated project. For students who have taken music pedagogy at level 2 there is an opportunity to undertake a community music project.

Assessment

In the first two years modules are assessed through submission of course work and/or examinations. In the final year you will be assessed by dissertation, portfolio and/or recital.

Admission Requirements

The normal entry requirements for this course is 240 points.

240 points is equivalent to grades of C, C, C at A2 Level or MMM for the BTEC National Diploma. Applicants will be required to achieve a C grade in Music if taking A2 levels.

Applicants will also need a minimum of 3 GCSE's at grade C or above including English Language.

All applicants will need to demonstrate normally through audition and written test, that they are ABRSM Grade VIII standard or equivalent in their principal study instrument and Grade V standard or equivalent in theory.  Please note these do not count toward the 240 tariff points.

All students will need to demonstrate, normally through an audition, that they are ABRSM Grade VIII standard or equivalent in their principal study. Composition students are required to play an instrument in ensembles as part of their course, and therefore require a performance audition as well as submit a portfolio of original compositions, preferably in both score and recorded form. Applicants who are invited to an interview are requested to take a written examination which will assess their ability to meet the academic and theoretical demands of the course.

Download Audition Guide for BA Music Applicants

All international students must have a British Council English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.0.