Bath Spa University

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Commercial Music (Foundation Degree)

A vocationally focused course aimed at musicians who wish to develop their original artistic and writing skills to a professional level whilst learning a range of practical and analytic skills appropriate to the music and wider entertainment industries.

For more information about this course please visit the School of Music and Performing Arts website.

The course focuses on three areas - music creation, music production/marketing and music business. The creation and production/marketing strands are primarily skills-based and feature a strong practical element. The industry strand aims to equip you with a relevant, thorough and up-to-date knowledge of the workings of the music business with a particular focus on intellectual property and the monetization of music.

You will be encouraged to develop creatively as a songwriter and performer, but always with an awareness of the commercial viability of your musical output. All applicants are 'players' (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, programmer, voice or songwriter) and will be expected to perform on stage as part of the course.

Course Structure and Content

Commercial Music is unique in UK higher education in that it is the only HE undergraduate programme with a specific emphasis on songwriting. Bath Spa's Commercial Music undergraduate staff have all enjoyed millions of international song and compositional sales and commissions. These respected songwriters and producers work with students to develop their unique songwriting voice.

Bath Spa University is host to the annual UK Songwriting Festival, and has developed industry links with the Performing Right Society, the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, ASCAP, and several successful producers, composers and songwriters, many of whom contribute to Commercial Music teaching. All of the teaching team are active musicians with a portfolio of recorded or published work.

During the second year, you will write, produce, and record your own original work in our suite of on-site Pro Tools recording studios. You will study semiotics, photography and design so that you can engage with the marketing aspects of your product launch. All acts work with staging and video coaches in order to capture their stage performance as a promotional resource. You will then manage and program a three-week national tour, which is used as part of the promotional campaign. The album is eventually promoted on the internet via student-designed websites.

Year 1

• Songwriting and Promotional Copywriting;
• Academic and Business Writing;
• Audio Production and The Studio;
• Music Workstation and The Studio;
• Live Performance;
• Musicianship.

Year 2

• Album Audio Production;
• Album Visuals;
• Internet, Promotion and Touring;
• Staging, Video and Live Performance;
• Music Thinktank (Industry speakers);
• Musicianship.

Year 3

On successful completion of the Foundation Degree, students can apply for a 'top-up year' qualification, resulting in a full BA (Hons) Commercial Music qualification. This stand-alone programme focuses on three areas: an Academic Research strand, culminating in a research project and dissertation; a Entrepreneurial Project, in which students run a commercially viable music-based business as part of their studies; and a Music Portfolio module.

At this stage, students engage in song writing, engineering, production, media composition and performance. Students assemble their final portfolio of assets and abilities according to their own professional talents and ambitions.

Entry to Year 3 is by interview, and is restricted to applicants who have completed the Foundation Degree to Merit level.

Teaching Methods and Resources

Teaching takes the form of formal lectures, instrumental tuition, practical technology/performance workshops, and visiting speakers from the music industry. In addition, you undertake directed study, which includes rehearsal time and recording studio sessions.

You have access to industry- standard equipment throughout your course. The Newton Park campus has five fully-equipped digital recording studios, running Pro Tools HD and Logic Pro on Apple Mac G5s. There are three additional Apple Mac Pro Tools/Logic Pro labs, each supporting sampling, synthesis and hard disk recording; a total of 50 pro audio setups.

Each of our five band rehearsal spaces includes PA system with microphones, drum kit, guitar and bass backline/FX and performance keyboards. A large-scale PA system and portable lighting rig support touring projects.

All course resources are networked, so you can access on-line learning materials and the complete syllabus from any Internet link.

Assessment Methods

Live performance, audio/web-based submission, website, written work and seminar presentation. There are no formal examinations.

Staff Notes

• Course Director Davey Ray Moor sold over 300,000 albums internationally most notably with gold-album act Cousteau for whom he was the sole songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer. Also a BAFTA-winning documentary composer who has written hundreds of television themes and international advertisements, Davey is currently writing songs with Libertine Carl Barat.
• Senior Lecturer Richard J. Parfitt is the songwriter and singer/guitarist with 90's sensation 60ft Dolls. He went on to write songs for Duffy's platinum-selling debut album and played guitar on Dido's platinum Life For Rent album. Richard is on the staff of Rough Trade records and develops and nurtures new talent.
• Senior Lecturer Nigel Beaham-Powell is a media and film composer with hundreds of international successes including the BBC's Blue Planet. Nigel is a senior board member of the Performance Rights Society and the UK Music Managers Association.

Alumni Notes

• FD graduates Chris Turpin and Adam Timmins are the singer/songwriters behind Kill It Kid who are now signed to One Little Indian, Bjork's record label.
• BA graduate Neil Martin works at Abbey Road Studios on the Abbey Road Live series of broadcasts
• BA graduate Simon Drake is Label Manager with Naim Edge, the creative wing of one of the UK's premier audio manufacturers
• FD graduate Lara Bale is a publicity officer with EMI records
• BA graduate Chris Blanden went on to work as an engineer at Real World studios
• BA graduates Chris Ellul and Spencer Page are the rhythm section of The Heavy signed to Ninja Tunes and actively touring Europe and the USA
• BA graduate Sam Cross went on to work at Trevor Horn's Sarm West Studios and now works for 750mph post-production film facilities
• BA graduate Bernie Valentine works as Content Developer for Peter Gabriel's We7 online music provider and aggregator service
• BA graduate Laura Procter is the singer/songwriter for dance act You Love Her Cos She's Dead, who won the Indy Music Award in 2008 for their debut album and who's tracks feature on Channel 4's series Skins
• BA graduate Phil Maggs deploys his musical, design, touring and internet expertise in his job at Q-SFX, the UK’s leading pyrotechnics company. Phil has recently designed and implemented indoor and outdoor pyrotechnics for Take That, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Kylie Minogue and Paul McCartney.

Entry Requirements

At least one of the following:

• 200 UCAS Tariff points (eg BC; CD+AS c) with at least 80 points from a music related qualification (including BTEC Music Practice/ Music Technology/Performing Arts or A-level Popular Music, Music Technology or Music).
• Grade VIII in guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, voice or Popular Music (Rock school and RGT recommended; all boards accepted) counts as the equivalent of one A-level.
• Candidates without standard qualifications but with music industry experience will be considered.

Additional Requirements:

• High level of performance or composing skill (assessed via CD demo and audition).
• Music technology experience.
• Performance experience.

For more information on applications and auditions please visit our music website.