About this course
This degree is delivered at our London Campus in Whitechapel.
Why study a foundation year?
The integrated foundation year is the perfect choice for those wanting to gain valuable knowledge and insight of the creative and entertainment industries before specialising in their chosen degree.
You’ll learn all about the creative and entertainment industries, spending time in lectures, seminars, and practical settings. The assessment methods are also the same as the other degree years, with a mixture of exams and essays, so you’ll be fully prepared to start your full honours degree.
After completing your foundation year, you'll join Year One of your chosen degree with the confidence and knowledge to successfully continue your studies.
About the course:
This course gives you the opportunity to develop the advanced creative skills, knowledge and technological understanding necessary to succeed as a professional songwriter and vocal artist in a music industry where creative technologies continue to transform the creation, production, performance and distribution of music.
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Creative technologies - study music at a specialist institute where creativity and cutting-edge immersive technologies combine to produce content rich events and experiences -
Practical and aligned to the music industry – as a music student you will work together with student vocalists, songwriters, sound engineers, producers and music business and events students to create, perform, record, market and release music in a way that mirrors today’s music industry -
Cross course collaboration – students on all courses across music, content and events work together to perform in an annual large scale, content rich, immersive festival of music for the public with external acts as headliners -
Industry partnerships and mentoring – our partnerships with the UK music industry give you access to live briefs, work experience, networking events, industry-based mentors and regular guests from the music business
What you’ll study
Successful songwriters and artists have routines to help make them prolific. They have a broad skillset including vocal performance technique and the technological know how to be self-reliant, so they write and record their songs before they go to market.
Professional songwriters write all the time, not just when the mood takes them. They hear toplines and can craft interesting lyrics that paint pictures in the mind of the listener. They write songs that cross and blend genres, straddle the experimental and the commercial, whatever the brief requires. They write with others, sparking creativity from their ideas and input; collaboration is always key.
Designed with songwriting and vocal performance at its core, this is a course with unrivalled industry links. It is taught by industry professionals who will inspire you and guide you through the art of crafting compelling lyrics and unforgettable melodies. You will develop your vocal technique, stage presence and performance skills and collaborate with like-minded peers. Whether you dream of writing your own hits or captivating audiences with your voice, or both, this immersive experience will empower you to express your unique identity as a songwriter, musician and vocal artist.
In addition to technical skills for your voice and songcraft, to succeed as a professional you must also be adept at using DAWs and other technologies needed. Having a compelling professional identity and an understanding of how to market yourself effectively is essential, too. To be a career songwriter and performer, you need to know how the music business works in commercial terms and how to generate income from the different revenue streams available to you.
This course aims to give you an education that encompasses all these facets. It offers the broad technical education you need to thrive in different performance contexts and the knowledge you need to sustain a financially viable career as a professional musician.
Performance Practice
(40 Credit Points)
Today’s professional musicians can adapt to a myriad of musical situations from playing a small live show to being filmed or touring with a name artist. Working empathetically as part of a team is an essential part of the professional musician's skillset. As new technologies and high production values become the norm for audiences, musicians must also understand how current and emerging technologies are transforming recorded and live music.
In this performance-based module, you will work, play, and communicate with students on other related courses. You will be introduced to the skills needed to become an empathetic musician and develop foundational knowledge of how to play music as part of a band. By exploring key songs from the popular music canon, you will start to understand your own technical level and how to improve your all-round musicianship as an aspiring professional.
Principal Instrument
(40 Credit Points)
Professional musicians and vocalists have the technical mastery and creative ideas to perform at the highest level. They understand different musical genres and aim to sound credible in a range of styles. They know how and when to bring their individual creativity to a performance or when emulating a seasoned musician or vocalist is required. Whatever the scenario, their technique, facility and all-round musical skill is paramount – it is the musician’s professional calling card.
In this module you will build foundational skills in either guitar, bass, drums, keyboards or vocals. You will be introduced to the concepts of pitch and metre and how these are represented in musical notation. You will follow a set daily instrumental or vocal practice routine and learn the importance of daily practice. The specific skills and techniques you will cover will be tailored to your specific instrument.
Academic and Personal Development Essentials
(20 Credit Points)
This module equips you with the academic and personal development skills that you need to thrive in Higher Education. You will explore how you can make the most of your degree and become an independent and confident learner. You will engage with personal action planning to achieve well-defined goals and explore how you can use reflection and feedback from lecturers and peers to develop your craft as a music practitioner. We will help you to ensure that your time management strategies are on point, allowing you to enjoy your time on the course.
In terms of academic skills, you will learn about academic writing conventions and best practice, research techniques, referencing and critical thinking. We will explore how new technologies can both help and hinder learning, and you will develop an approach that works for you. Importantly, you will present your work to your peers and give presentations with them – collaboration is embedded in this module throughout. Finally, you will start thinking about your long-term career goals and how you can turn your passion into a viable career.
Introduction to Songwriting and Repertoire
(20 Credit Points)
Professional songwriters know their music. They understand genre references. They can place songs and artists in a social and historical context and recognise musical sequences. They write in a style that fits the genre with creativity and originality. They know how to get the right sound. They can do this because they know and understand the songs that have defined the music industry – and popular culture more generally – from the mid-20th century to the present day. They have well-developed melodic and harmonic skills, as well as lyrical and aural skills. They can memorise and reproduce musical aspects quickly in addition to being able to collaborate as songwriters.
In this module you will explore core material to begin the structured development of your technical ability. You will experience a variety of songwriting situations and learn key tunes from the popular music repertoire. You will write songs and learn about songs written in different genres and discuss the context the songs evolved in. You will embark on how to memorise material and recognise underpinning melodic contour and harmonic structures by ear. Through foundational melodic, lyrical and harmonic analysis, you will start to explore simple approaches to songwriting and the creative process.
Principal Instrument 1
(40 Credit Points)
Professional musicians and vocalists have the technical mastery and creative ideas to perform at the highest level. They understand different musical genres and aim to sound credible in a range of styles. They know how and when to bring their individual creativity to a performance or when emulating a seasoned musician or vocalist is required. Whatever the scenario, their technique, facility and all-round musical skill is paramount – it is the musician’s professional calling card.
In this module you will evaluate your core instrumental technique in either guitar, bass, drums, keyboards or vocals and through clear guidance, establish key areas for your instrumental or vocal development. You will be introduced to musical notation and understand the work needed to become a sight-reader. You will learn how to create an effective daily instrumental or vocal practice routine and use it. The specific skills and techniques you will cover will be tailored to your specific instrument.
Live Performance
(40 Credit Points)
Today’s professional musicians can adapt to a myriad of musical situations from playing a small live show to being filmed or touring with a name artist. Working empathetically as part of a team is an essential part of the professional musician's skillset. As new technologies and high production values become the norm for audiences, musicians must also understand how current and emerging technologies are transforming recorded and live music.
In this performance-based module, you will work, play and communicate with other student musicians, vocalists, engineers and producers in both live and recording studio environments. You will start to recognise the importance of becoming an empathetic musician. Working to professional briefs, your ability to perform material in different styles and work with different vocalists will develop. You will begin to understand the level of skills a professional musician must have to sustain a career in music.
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) Skills
(20 Credit Points)
Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) have become a key tool for all music practitioners. As recording technology has become smaller and more affordable, more people than ever can create music and audio content using a DAW. Regardless of whether you want to produce commercial records, quickly sketch song or audio ideas or create backing parts to practice over, being able to use a DAW to the level you want is an essential skill for today’s professional music practitioners.
In this module, you will learn and apply different DAW techniques to create audio projects through a series of set tasks. This module will give you the base level skills and knowledge needed to support your studies as your progress through your course.
Songwriting and Repertoire 1
(20 Credit Points)
Professional songwriters know their music. They understand genre references. They can place songs and artists in a social and historical context and recognise musical sequences. They write in a style that fits the genre with creativity and originality. They know how to get the right sound. They can do this because they know and understand the songs that have defined the music industry – and popular culture more generally – from the mid-20th century to the present day. They have well-developed melodic and harmonic skills, as well as lyrical and aural skills. They can memorise and reproduce musical aspects quickly in addition to being able to collaborate as songwriters.
In this module, you will engage with essential material designed to systematically enhance your creativity, originality, and songwriting skillset. As you progress towards becoming a versatile songwriter, you will learn to perform across diverse settings, expand your repertoire with key songs and explore the intricacies of songwriting in various genres.
Public Performance
(40 Credit Points)
Today’s professional musicians can adapt to a myriad of musical situations from playing a small live show to being filmed or touring with a name artist. Working empathetically as part of a team is an essential part of the professional musician's skillset. As new technologies and high production values become the norm for audiences, musicians must also understand how current and emerging technologies are transforming recorded and live music.
In this performance-based module, you will work, play and communicate with other student musicians, vocalists, engineers and producers in both live and recording studio environments. You will develop as an empathetic musician listening and responding to the different musical situations you face. You will explore the difference between playing live and recording. Working to professional briefs, you will develop your ability to arrange and adapt cover versions for different vocalists. Your understanding of how to adapt both musically and personally to real-world situations will develop and prepare you for further study.
Principal Instrument 2
(40 Credit Points)
Professional musicians and vocalists have the technical mastery and creative ideas to perform at the highest level. They understand different musical genres and aim to sound credible in a range of styles. They know how and when to bring their individual creativity to a performance or when emulating a seasoned musician or vocalist is required. Whatever the scenario, their technique, facility and all-round musical skill is paramount – it is the musician’s professional calling card.
In this module you will extend your core instrumental technique in either guitar, bass, drums, keyboards or vocals. You will improve your sight-reading skills and apply them to work-like scenarios. You will explore a range of approaches to daily instrumental or vocal practice and understand how to set effective goals. The specific skills and techniques you will cover will be tailored to your specific instrument.
The Music Industry in Numbers
(20 Credit Points)
The global music industry is a vast ecosystem of related businesses. In turn, the global music industry forms part of a wider global creative economy. Companies in this vast network range in scale from multi-national and multi-functional organisations such as Sony, Universal, Apple or Amazon to those specialising in a single business area such as talent management, publishing or marketing. These organisations now rely more heavily on data than ever before. Understanding how to analyse, interpret and use numerical information has become a vital part of any management role in the music and creative economy whether this is in planning a tour, marketing or releasing products.
In this module you will explore the breadth of this creative industries landscape and then focus on a specific business area in detail. You will analyse market data and other information to devise a creative project and pitch it to an expert panel. Working collaboratively, you will learn how to use a range of tools to analyse and present your findings in a group presentation which will include slides, infographics and a concise persuasive paper to substantiate your argument.
Songwriting and Repertoire 2
(20 Credit Points)
Professional songwriters know their music. They understand genre references. They can place songs and artists in a social and historical context and recognise musical sequences. They write in a style that fits the genre with creativity and originality. They know how to get the right sound. They can do this because they know and understand the songs that have defined the music industry – and popular culture more generally – from the mid-20th century to the present day. They have well-developed melodic and harmonic skills, as well as lyrical and aural skills. They can memorise and reproduce musical aspects quickly in addition to being able to collaborate as songwriters.
In this module, you are expected to deepen your grasp of various genres, contextualising songs and artists within social and historical frameworks. Your ability to recognise and understand common musical elements that characterise distinctive styles remains crucial. This module will engage you with a diverse range of song materials, aimed at enhancing your technical skills, creative expression and overall songwriting. You will have the opportunity to perform in various contexts, expanding your repertoire through individual and collaborative songwriting.
Principal Instrument 3
(40 Credit Points)
Professional musicians and vocalists have the technical mastery and creative ideas to perform at the highest level. They understand different musical genres and aim to sound credible in a range of styles. They know how and when to bring their individual creativity to a performance or when emulating a seasoned musician or vocalist is required. Whatever the scenario, their technique, facility and all-round musical skill is paramount – it is the musician’s professional calling card.
In this module you will advance your core instrumental technique in either guitar, bass, drums, keyboards or vocals. You will extend your sight-reading skills and apply them in a variety of work-like scenarios. You will develop your own approach to daily instrumental or vocal practice, set your own goals and ultimately establish your unique identity as a musician. The specific skills and techniques you will cover will be tailored to your specific instrument.
Professional Performance
(40 Credit Points)
Today’s professional musicians can adapt to a myriad of musical situations from playing a small live show to being filmed or touring with a name artist. Working empathetically as part of a team is an essential part of the professional musician's skillset. As new technologies and high production values become the norm for audiences, musicians must also understand how current and emerging technologies are transforming recorded and live music.
In this performance-based module, you will work, play and communicate with other student musicians, vocalists, engineers and producers in both live and recording studio environments. As your skills and understanding increase, you will become an empathetic musician listening and responding to every musical situation you face. You will learn the difference between playing live and recording and understand how the techniques differ for each scenario. Working to professional briefs, you will develop your ability to arrange original material and cover versions. Your ability to create authentic sounding musical parts and capture, control and influence an audience with your on-stage performance will be developed. Ultimately, you will know how to adapt both musically and personally to any number of real-world situations and so feel prepared to work as a professional.
Professional Identity
(20 Credit Points)
The notion of ‘brand’ is fundamental to all professional communications. Whether we are referring to an artist, a freelance professional or a globally recognised household-name business, the ability to present an offer that engages and converts its target audience is fundamental to success.
Building on the analytical and presenting skills developed at level 5, in this module you will explore brand, identity, the psychology of communications and marketing. Through the analysis of both corporate brands and individual public profiles, you will create your own professional identity across web and social media be it for you as a musician, freelancer, label or other artist services business.
Songwriting and Repertoire 3
(20 Credit Points)
Professional songwriters know their music. They understand genre references. They can place songs and artists in a social and historical context and recognise musical sequences. They write in a style that fits the genre with creativity and originality. They know how to get the right sound. They can do this because they know and understand the songs that have defined the music industry – and popular culture more generally – from the mid-20th century to the present day. They have well-developed melodic and harmonic skills, as well as lyrical and aural skills. They can memorise and reproduce musical aspects quickly in addition to being able to collaborate as songwriters.
In this advanced module, you will enhance your creative expression and songwriting identity. Your understanding of music will transcend the basics as you delve into intricate layers of artistry and expression in songwriting and performance. Final year students are expected to exhibit a sophisticated grasp of various genres with the ability to place songs and artists precisely in both mainstream and niche contexts. Analysing song and compositional elements that define genres is crucial for accomplished songwriters. Writing to brief, both as an individual and as part of a collaborative songwriting team, is central to this module.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
How you're taught
This course forms part of a wider suite of music courses designed to work collaboratively with other courses in the London campus in Events, content and broadcast production technologies. Every course in the London campus works towards an annual large scale final live music event designed to replicate a professional work-like environment. External input from industry will be included in its design and execution.
Industry visits, guest speakers and networking opportunities are provided at all levels of the course through extensive access to London-based music industry companies, individuals and organisations.
Career information guidance is embedded throughout the course and in the modules Music Industry in Numbers and Professional Identity in particular.
Assessment strategies and choice of assessment method are designed to relate to the type of work students would be expected to undertake in related employment.
Students will develop and practice skills in industry relevant software, as well as looking at new and emerging technologies.
Course staff have worked extensively in the contemporary music industry ensuring current working practices are designed into every aspect of the course.
Showcase
How you're assessed
The course provides you with a broad range of assessment opportunities designed to both challenge you and help you develop the broad range of skills and understanding relevant to the course outcomes. These assessment methods can include:
- Performance
- Skills assessments
- Finished physical items
- Presentations
- Written work
Careers and employability
Your time at Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé School of Art & Design doesn’t have to stop once you finish your undergraduate course. Choose to continue your studies on our postgraduate degrees that can help you further develop your skills and obtain the experience you need to get a head start in your career. Browse our postgraduate degrees.
Typical job roles in industry might include:
- Singer songwriter/artist
- vocalist performer
- session singer
- backing vocals
- vocal coach
- songwriting collaborator
- top line writer
- screen/TV/film/media composer
YouFirst – working with our Employability Team
Studying a degree at a popular university has many benefits, none more so than having access to a large employability team.
Our friendly, experienced careers consultants will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice you won't find in a book or on the internet. You can benefit from this at any time during your studies and up to three years after completing your course.
Campus and facilities
Whether you’re a songwriter, performer, producer or someone who wants to get into the live events industry, you’ll study and learn in the heart of a world-class venue – .
By day, it’s an incredible place to study music performance, live events and audio technology. By night, Metronome transforms into a live events venue, hosting sell-out music gigs, comedy nights, theatre productions, esports tournaments, spoken word – the list goes on!
For our students, we can offer unrivalled facilities which include:
- 400 capacity live music venue
- 14 rehearsal spaces
- 10 recording studios
- Mastering, surround sound and post-production studio
- Critical listening seminar room
- Live events production workspace.
Entry requirements
UK students
- 64 UCAS Tariff points; and
- GCSE - English and Maths Grade C / 4.
Other requirements:
- A related music qualification such as BTEC Music Performance or similar (eg RSL or A Level Music); and
- A Grade 5 (ABRSM, RSL, Trinity or equivalent) in Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano / Keyboards or singing.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
We very much welcome self-taught applicants who do not have the formal entry requirements, but we need to know you're at the right level to support your ambition. If that’s you, we’ll request a video of you playing 2 songs from start to finish in contrasting styles. This can be performing along to a backing track, or solo.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé students
Academic entry requirements:
- 64 UCAS Tariff points; and
- GCSE - English and Maths Grade C / 4.
We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
Other requirements:
- A related music qualification such as BTEC Music Performance or similar (eg RSL or A Level Music); and
- A Grade 5 (ABRSM, RSL, Trinity or equivalent) in Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano / Keyboards or singing.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
We very much welcome self-taught applicants who do not have the formal entry requirements, but we need to know you're at the right level to support your ambition. If that’s you, we’ll request a video of you playing 2 songs from start to finish in contrasting styles. This can be performing along to a backing track, or solo.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
