Bachelor of Music with Honours in Popular Music

Over the last 10 years the RNCM’s Popular Music programme has established itself as a global destination of choice for outstanding music students, teachers, researchers and professional artists.

Continually evolving to respond to the ever-changing, dynamic industry, this unique course creates exceptional musicians, original artists, and inspired entrepreneurs with a drive to build purposeful, successful and sustainable careers.

Treated as a professional from day one, you’ll gain the flexibility to create your own bespoke package while learning the essential skills of performance, composition and production. You’ll also gain invaluable real-world experience through our unparalleled network of international visiting artists, industry professionals and influential industry partners, as we encourage and support you to develop your career alongside your studies.

The BMus (Hons) in Popular Music comprises of 480 credits over four years. It has a clear focus on Artist Development, delivered through the teaching of Performance, Composition and Production, while enabling students to develop their musical literacy to an advanced level. Within its core structure, students are also encouraged to collaborate with musicians across the conservatoire and to utilise the opportunities available through the RNCM’s extensive network of industry partners and specialists.

Performance, Composition, Production and Artist Development run across all four years of study, and students have the option to major in one of these during their final year.

Performance includes:

• Individual tuition on your Principal Study option.
• Evaluating and performing a range of repertoire, inspiring a cultural connection between historic, contemporary and progressive material.
• Gaining a technical and critical understanding of your role within a range of musical environments and styles.
• Gaining skills in effective band rehearsal and performance techniques, developing the ability to both give and take musical direction.
• Integrating production technology within a variety of live and studio performance environments.

Composition includes:

• Developing skills in melody, harmony, rhythm, lyric writing and arranging.
• Studying pre-existing repertoire to gain skills in the analysis of musical elements and the development of compositional and lyrical methods and techniques that typify the practices of contemporary composers and songwriters.
• Creating your own original compositions, notated in lead and lyric sheet and/or score format, with an accompanying demo equivalent in production quality to those presented to music publishers by professional composers and songwriters.
• Developing interpersonal and situational skills through collaborative projects such as co-writing songs as both composer and lyricist; working with vocalists and instrumentalists in the production of demo recordings; and working with engineers, artists, and producers in the studio environment.

Production includes:

• Studying the technical and creative aspects of music production.
• Completing a variety of creative and industry focused briefs.
• Understanding the historical and cultural frameworks of the professional environment.
• Developing critical and technical skills through the analysis of existing repertoire and the creation of new works that typify the practices of contemporary producers and artists.
• Seminars, workshops, colloquiums and tutorials on developing high level analytical, technical, critical, and creative skills and to working independently and collaboratively on original projects.
• Working with artists, composers and musicians in a studio environment in the production of recordings.

Artist Development includes:

• Focusing on the freelance portfolio musician and the original artist, both in terms of creative practice and entrepreneurial activity.
• Develop the skills required to market and promote yourself and your music.
• Acquiring a knowledge and understanding of the music industry and business practice in the context of yourself as a professional practitioner.
• Electives that provide the opportunity to tailor your studies according to your areas of interest and to specialise in areas that will best complement your artistic, professional and academic goals.
• A Professional Engagement option with our industry partners and partner institutions to experience life as a professional freelance musician, band or artist within the industry. Opportunities include work and study abroad as well as within the UK.

Assessment take place during the last three weeks of each semester in windows designed to allow students to focus fully on producing their best work. Assessment and feedback are designed to enable you to demonstrate that you have achieved the intended learning outcomes of the programme:

• To enable students to demonstrate that they have achieved the intended learning outcomes of the programme at the appropriate standard set for the award.
• To promote and support learning in both formative and summative contexts.
• To provide an indication of the level of learning for students, staff, external scrutinisers, Higher Education authorities, professional bodies, other external organisations, and public audiences.
• To be flexible and designed to produce digital assets that have a value beyond the degree in developing and enhancing a sustainable and successful career. We adopt a variety of methods of assessment consistent with and appropriate to the variety of modes of learning and teaching within the programme.

The purpose of using a range of methods is to:

• Provide the most appropriate and direct means of measuring the extent to which students achieve the intended learning outcomes of the programme and its constituent modules.
• Allow students to demonstrate their strengths, taking into account the varied nature of their prior learning experiences and their individual learning needs.
• Offer alternative assessments through module design or through the option of negotiated alternatives for students with particular needs.
• Promote, support and develop different learning experiences.
• Encourage student involvement.
• Encourage recognition of a range of cultural and musical values.
• Avoid excessive/inappropriate formal examinations.