Bath Spa University

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Creative Music Technology

This course aims primarily to develop creative and technically skilled graduates for employment within the composition, recording, entertainment and new media industries.

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

Intended primarily for aspiring creative users of these audio technologies, this programme is ear-led and values creative ability and achievement above traditional musicianship.

Course Structure and Content

Year 1 (Level 4)

Year 1/Level 4 introduces, explores and measures ideas and skills considered fundamental to the programme. It is intended that each student develops the ability to articulate their own creative output and is able to recognise its relationships to the work of others. You will develop the specialist vocabulary and core tool set workstation-based skills in Synthesis and Sampling using a range of software. The Digital Audio Recording module ensures that the principles to recording and managing digital audio are clearly understood and underpin your creative work. You will explore intrinsic relationships of music and sound to picture in Introduction to Sound Design. Critical Theory will involve you in a wide range of critical analysis of relevant 20th and 21st Century music and art, and help you establish the language and conceptual frameworks to better describe creative work and its meaning - and ultimately shed light on your individual process own. Discussion and seminars furnish you with research, writing and presentation skills designed to support your submissions in this area and across all modules. Creative Practice uses your own work as a starting point and seeks to support its development and quality through managed thematic content and peer listening and review. Sound Design for Moving Image explores hidden languages across media and aesthetics in a practical module in which you work to sound solutions to given image materials.

Modules:

• 20 credit modules:
  • MT4001Creative Practice;
  • MT4002 Sound Design for Moving Image;
  • MT4004 Synthesis and Sampling;
  • MT4005 Digital Audio Recording.
• 40 credit module:
  • MT4003-40 Critical Theory.

Year 2 (Level 5)

Increasingly, you will be encouraged to consolidate wide ranging technical and theoretical knowledge. Your creative work will be informed by exploration that is increasingly self-directed. Digital Audio and Multimedia modules build on fundamental knowledge encouraging a deeper level of inquiry that will further inform the creative management of digital audio and give you the opportunity to engage creatively with tools for visual as well as sonic media in the development of an interactive CD-ROM. Digital Signal Processing introduces concepts, techniques and applications by which we understand established and personal approaches to audio. Sonic Art: Theory and Practice offers a framework in which to broaden and contextualise creative and compositional strategies and focuses on the way in which technology has influenced, and become a tool for, composition in recent history. Professional Development provides views of the vocational opportunities that may be available, and guidance towards approaching them effectively.

Modules:

• 20 credit modules:
  • MT5001 Professional Development;
  • MT5002 Digital Signal Processing;
  • MT5004 Digital Audio Techniques;
  • MT5005 Multimedia Production.
• 40 credit module:
  • MT5003-40 Sonic Art: Theory and Practice.

Year 3 (Level 6)

Year 3/Level 6 is advanced level work and offers students the opportunity to engage in study and creative work that may explore the most recent technologies and ideas - many towards the edge of our discipline. At level 6, you are increasingly expected to direct your own studies, and to make intelligent choices reflecting your interests and strengths. The Professional Portfolio double modules allow students to elect to pathway options. These allow for a wide range of activities and outcomes - and at this level there is more explicit reference to preparedness for 'next destination' - graduation. Multimedia Studio will furnish you with the skills you need to create and publish high quality audio and visual media on the Web and other formats. Interactive Audio may support you in the design and build of instruments, environments, plug-ins and audio tools. Interactive Multimedia Performance engages with the use of technology, image and sound in the context of user and audience interaction. Sonic Performance offers students the opportunity to explore and develop collaborative ensemble performance and creative work in a range of territories extending beyond recorded audio. Production Techniques will engage with high level studio and recording techniques, Audio Post for Moving Image places student in the roles of dubbing mixers, creative directors, foley artists sound designers in a professional studio environment. Composer Project promotes in depth study and analysis of selected areas of the music technology repertoire and discussion of creative principles and compositional strategy at a personal and case study level. Composition for Broadcast Media develops a clear creative and pragmatic approach to delivering sound to 'media' briefs. Students who need to develop higher level knowledge of specialist audio/sound design/composition issues within computer/video games may select Game Audio as an option.

Devised Project is a compulsory module representing, for some students, the culmination of the creative strand of the programme. You are invited to research devise and create to make a substantial piece of work in an area of your own choosing, across the whole teaching year.

Modules:

• MT6001-40 Devised Project: Proposal, Context, Project - Compulsory
• MT6002-40 Professional Portfolio A - Compulsory
• 2 of:
  • Interactive Multimedia Performance;
  • Multimedia Studio;
  • Composition for Broadcast Media;
  • Production Techniques.
• MT6003-40 Professional Portfolio B - Compulsory
• 2 of:
  • Interactive Audio;
  • Game Audio;
  • Composer Project;
  • Sonic Performance;
  • Audio Post for Moving Image.

Teaching Methods and Resources

In all three years the programme delivery combines lectures, music lab based workshops, seminars and directed study. The majority of staff/student contact is workshop based, within which each student has individual access to his/her own workstation. The timetable allows for access to the required equipment for students to complete work and undertake directed study. Our facilities are specified to a high standard. At Newton Park the School of Music and Performing Arts runs three networked labs offering 40 Macintosh based workstations. There is a full range of hardware and software to support the curriculum content including ProTools, Logic Audio Pro, MAX/MSP, GRM Tools, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Jitter and a full range of multimedia authoring packages.

An additional lab runs a ProTools TDM system with Pro Control and surround capability. We have three fully equipped ProTools HD recording studios for those projects that may require them.

Assessment Methods

Assessment is largely through coursework. Portfolios of creative and practical work supported by some written evaluation are common. Some modules will also assess through timed or multiple choice examination techniques.

Entry Requirements

220-260 UCAS Tariff points (eg BCD; BB+AS c) including A-level Music Technology at grade B or equivalent award in Music Technology or a closely related subject.

Alternative qualifications welcome.

You will be asked to submit an audio portfolio (on compact disc) demonstrating your technical understanding and creative flair, and then may be invited to interview.