Bath Spa University

This page may contain additional navigation below.

Commercial Music

Graduates Info (2011): 97% of our graduates are employed or in full-time Post-Graduate study. 60% of graduates in graduate level jobs.

This is one of the best courses I have witnessed in terms of how it embeds the realistic music industry into its structure. The quality of practical work in particular is first rate, with students having an excellent chance of making a living in this competitive industry.

Dr Paul Carr, External Examiner's Report 2011.

A vocational course for original musicians interested in songwriting, performance, production and the marketing of contemporary music projects.

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

The course focuses on four key areas - writing, production, performance and music business/marketing. Skills are taught intensively across a range of platforms to enhance creativity and multi-media abilities. The industrial 'management' strand keeps you fluent with thorough and up-to-date insights into the workings of the music business with a particular focus on intellectual property and the monetization of music.

On the creative side of the course you will be encouraged to develop as a songwriter and performer, but always with an awareness of the cultural, semiotic and marketing dimensions of your musical output. All applicants are song-orientated original musicians and will be expected to perform on stage as part of an ensemble. The course develops entrepreneurial business perspectives whilst deepening critical and academic awareness of the cultures that surround popular music and mass media.

The program is expertly constructed, and facilitates student engagement with a number of industrial and work-based competencies that are pertinent to the music industry. The vast majority of units also have a strong industry focus, and the impressive professional backgrounds of all academic staff are ideally suited to this program

External Examiner's report, 2011

Course Structure and Content

Each term you will study three modular 'strands' that inter-relate as you develop your artistic, academic and management abilities.

Commercial Music is unique in UK higher education in its focus on songwriting and original product. Bath Spa University is host to the annual UK Songwriting Festival, and hosts the world's first Masters Degree in Songwriting. All of the teaching team are active original musicians, producers, performers and writers with a portfolio of recorded and published work.

Your first year models the 'developmental' stages of a record deal, with its focus on songwriting, performance and production; the raw material that will define the launch and release cycles.

During the second year, you write, produce, and record your own original 'launch' material in our recording studios. You are asked to develop your visual and branding assets as you design and edit a promotional video to feature, (with photographic and audio material) as content within your internet presence which you design, build and interconnect with various 2.0 ecologies.

With your website and content as a promotional launch-pad, a national tour sees the culmination of the product and promotional cycle as you return for your third year. The third year encourages you to think wider about your skills-set, your intellectual research skills and the ways in which you might deploy your current skills within a more innovative entrepreneurial sense.

On the Portfolio module, you deepen your songwriting studies from both the traditional, rock and acoustic model to the more contemporary R+B and chart-orientated approach to writing. On the Research model you are encouraged to develop an argument towards a 10,000-word dissertation based upon the musicological, sociological, cultural or economic subject of your choosing.

And finally our Creative Enterprise module sees you developing an imaginative new product or service, through the design, funding, development and engagement stages. This entrepreneurial strand broadens your practical and creative palette to give you a broader set of employability skills and options towards graduation. 

Year 1

• Performance (Bands and Original Projects);
• The Music Workstation and The Studio;
• Audio Production and The Studio;
• Songwriting and Promotional writing;
• Academic Writing and Business Writing.

Year 2

• Image and Product;
• Staging, Video and Live;
• Web, Promotion and Tour;
• Music Business Skills;
• Music Think-tank (Industry speakers).

Year 3

The final year of the programme focuses upon three areas:

• Research;
• Creative Enterprise;
• Portfolio.

Research sees you exploring a sociological, musicological, cultural or economic subject of your choice culminating in a 10,000-word dissertation.

Creative Enterprise is our entrepreneurial flagship which has you design, fund and run a commercially viable music-based business as part of your studies (see our site Creative Enterprise)

Whilst within your Portfolio module you develop your artistic assets towards your graduation into industry. You are taught songwriting, studio production and performance as you develop your online showcase of original material and 'intellectual property' assets.

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 Macs. 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.

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 productions, songs, promotional material, website design, written work and business management, seminars and presentations. There are no formal examinations.

Staff and Students

Subject Leader Davey Ray Moor is a songwriter and producer of international renown with 300,000 album sales (with Cousteau, Carl Barat and Cristina Dona) and has a 'gold' album and a BAFTA to his credit.

Richard J. Parfitt is a songwriter with a double-platinum album for his collaboration with Duffy. Richard is renowned for his Brat-award winning, critically and commercially successful 60ft Dolls and is a consultant to Rough Trade records.

Nigel Beaham-Powell is an award-winning composer with hundreds of TV and film titles such as Blue Planet to his credit. Nigel is also on PRS For Music's Board of Directors and is a specialist in music business and entrepreneurial pedagogy.

Jim Dickinson achieved major chart success with hard rock Little Angels and then went on to form Younger Younger 28s and compose for the gaming and multi-media industries.

For detailed examples of student destinations, see our selection of graduate destinations below.

Graduates and alumni have gone on to work as signed artists, signed songwriters, agents, promoters, touring musicians, engineers, producers, pyrotechnics designers, record company personnel, music journalists, web designers, graphic designers, media composers, live engineers, music teachers, lecturers and more.

Commercial music is committed to providing a viable set of 'Plan B' skills, techniques and competencies as it trains its focus on 'Plan A' mass-marketing processes.

Graduate Destinations

• 2010 graduate Charlotte Harrold is working for one of the world's biggest live music agencies The Agency Group.
• Sarah Lewin graduated in 2010 to work as a journalist with Music Ally.
• Charlie Biles and Jess Keeley-Carter are now working as interns for the Universal Music Group.
• Neil Martin (BA Commercial Music graduate 2008) is currently working at Abbey Road studios, after specialising in Studio Production in his third year.
• Chris Turpin and Adam Timmins graduated in July 2008 and in September 2008 signed an deal with One Little Indian. Their 1st album was recorded in Seattle and released internationally in 2009 to critical acclaim, and significant airplay across Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music and XFM in the UK alone.
• Spencer Page and Chris Ellul (BA Commercial Music graduates 2005) provide bass and drums for The Heavy, who are currently signed to Counter Records/Ninjatune and enjoying significant success in the USA and Europe.
• Chris Blanden and Sam Cross (BA Commercial Music graduates 2006) took up studio engineer posts at Real World Studios and SARM studios, working with Peter Gabriel, Stereophonics, Mel C etc.
• Simon Drake (BA Commercial Music graduate 2006) is now the label manager for NAIM records.
• Ben Wheatley (BA Commercial Music graduate 2008) is currently working for Sony BMG in marketing.
• Lara Bale (FdMus Commercial Music graduate 2007) now works for Sony BMG publishing.
• Rachel Roberts, Max Dickson and Jon Berry took positions in Peter Gabriel's Real World organisation in publishing/label management.
• Mike Eaton graduated in July 2008 and in September began an internship at Independiente Records (Travis, Embrace etc) in the digital & A&R dept.
• Jade Harvey is now working as Label Manager for Indie Mobile, dealing with around 40 independent labels including Southern Fried, Skint, Nuclear Blast, Wrong Music and NinjaTune.
• Zac Froud graduated in July 2008 and was immediately offered the post of Assistant Engineer at Modern World Studios. When he's not working in the studio, Zac is also a freelance songwriter and producer. Zac emailed us shortly after graduation; "Hey, just a quick message to thank you and the rest of the lecturers for a wicked three years. I have learnt lots and built up some great relationships. It would great to stay in contact and pop in and see everyone occasionally. Since finishing the course I have started an Assistant/Engineer role at Modern World Studios in Tetbury were I'm working with some exciting bands and incredible producers. I'm currently assisting Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, Mel C, etc). I'm learning fast and am now one step closer to my dream job."
• Andy Cook is now a professional guitar teacher, with clients that include the International Guitar Festival & Foundation and Yamaha Music Schools.
• Jonny Renshaw (BA Commercial Music graduate 2005) plays guitar with metal band Devil Sold His Soul, currently signed to EyesofSound/Black Willow. Their debut album A Fragile Hope was released in 2007. In 2008 they completed a national tour, including Download festival and T In The Park.
• Will Davies (Foundation Degree graduate 2005) is now the bassist with Attack! Attack!, who are being represented by ITB (Adele, Aerosmith, Hot Chip. Maroon 5, Soulfly, The Who etc). They are currently touring the critically acclaimed second album, after having played the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2008.
• Commercial Music graduate Bernie Valentine is working for music software company WE7 developing applications to enhance iTunes listener experiences.
• Commercial Music graduate Ian Evans is now running his own promotions company IME Music. The company was set up as part of Ian's third year business project in his home town of Ilkeston, and is already the town's most successful live music promoter.
• 2006 graduate Sam Cross moved on from his work at Trevor Horn's Sarm Studios to work in media post-production for 750mph. 

Typical Offers

At least one of the following:

• 240-300 UCAS Tariff points (eg BCC; BB+AS a).
• Alternative qualifications welcome.

Candidates without standard qualifications but with music industry experience considered.

You will also need: high level of performance or composing skill (assessed via MP3s of your three best original tracks); music technology experience; performance experience.

Shortlisted candidates will be auditioned.

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