Creative Music Technology BA(Hons)

With technical and artistic guidance from staff and specialists, you'll develop your musical skills, knowledge, and creative voice. You'll learn analytical and problem-solving expertise, and project management and interpersonal skills. You'll also produce your own artistic work following training in industry-standard software and hardware tools and techniques.

Modules

Audio Cultures and Critical Theory

In an age that's seeing rapid technological changes and huge political, social and financial shifts across the globe, this module explores sound and music practices as they evolve within ever-changing audio cultures.

Studiocraft

Studiocraft is about effective working with instruments, spaces, equipment and people, in the context of contemporary, studio-based music recording and production.

Designing Sound

This module explores the ways in which recorded sound can be edited, manipulated and mixed. It also introduces the professional workflows involved in putting sound to picture and the ways in which sound can bring new depth and meaning to moving images.

Core Music Practice

You'll be introduced to a wide variety of approaches and roles within the vast and broadly termed 'music industry'. This module covers key skills pertinent to all professionals, such as communication, collaborative work, independently managed self-discipline and a strong work ethic.

The Electronic Toolkit

This module focuses on electronic music, covering the fundamentals of sound synthesis and audio signal processing. You'll learn to create your own sounds, developing a systematic understanding of how they were made, and considering how to apply them to your own work.

Mixcraft

Mixcraft introduces students to the art and craft of sound mixing, exploring both the technical and aesthetic aspects of the mixing process. The module covers a wide variety of genres and examples from students' work and professional multi-track recordings.

You'll take core modules to develop essential knowledge and skills, and specialist modules to focus on your interests. Choose from subjects like writing music for the moving image, studio composition, advanced recording, mixing and mastering, and exploring the cutting edge of audio for emerging digital media.

You'll also have the opportunity to collaborate and study abroad with our partner institutions around the world.

Modules

Creative Writing and Research in Virtual Music

This module explores the interdependency of technology, language and culture. You'll undertake a written project based on self-promotion or the analysis and evaluation of a relevant case study. In this, you'll carefully consider context and module concepts, while engaging in critical reflection and thorough research.

Art of Production

In this module, you’ll initiate and execute a creative music production project, from pre-production, through tracking, editing and mixing to the final mastered output. Alongside this practical focus is an ongoing critical enquiry into the changing role of the producer.

Professional Music Practice

Considering professional practice, you'll learn about the realities of working in the sound and music industries as a professionally minded creative individual. You will continue the acquisition, development, deployment and evaluation of your specialist skillset. Strong emphasis is on the ability to evaluate your practice with respect to professional contexts, as well as seeking out future development and career opportunities.

Immersive Audio

Immersive Audio focuses on music and audio experiences for emerging technologies in augmented and virtual reality, immersive performance and cinema. 360-degree audio experiences are now a feature of a growing number of games, movie soundtracks and visitor experiences, as well as immersive music, dance and theatre productions. This module responds to these burgeoning opportunities by focusing on the use of space in music and sound design.

Optional modules

Voice
Timbre
Supersonic
The Working Musician: Reproduce; Arrange; Mutate
The Hit Machine
The Music Educator
Music and Moving Image
Creative Performance Technology

You can choose to take an optional placement year after your second year on a three-year programme.

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the RealWORKS employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your placement year 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

This is your chance to work on your own projects. For past students, this has included working at major recording studios in New York and Thailand, researching and developing new technologies at an Amsterdam institute for music technology, and collaborating with musicians from the Icelandic Academy of Arts. Other projects have included placements in post-production studios and record labels, starting up a music business, and international touring. You'll conclude your studies by developing a professional portfolio and a strategic plan for your chosen career.

Modules

Specialists Practice in Context

The module is designed to help you realise your professional aims and ambitions by developing an in-depth, specialist understanding of the relationship between your practice and context. This module frequently involves work placements, study visits and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Dissertation

The dissertation module provides an opportunity for you to carry out in-depth research and critical analysis of a topic relevant to the direction and development of your practice.

Professional Portfolio

This module will enable you, in consultation with your tutor(s), to develop and consolidate your creative, theoretical and contextual enquiries into your own independent practice. It will also support you as you devise a professionalisation strategy for transitioning from university to employment or entrepreneurship.