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Introduction
Creative Music Technology has been designed to provide you with the artistic, technical, creative, and professional skills relevant to those wishing to work in the music industries. Highly practical and industry-focused with a multi-skilled approach to include composition, analysis, recording and production, the degree aims to develop your in-depth knowledge and understanding of current music technology techniques and resources.
The course will allow you to develop your ability to convey personal expression and imagination in practical music-production, alongside the development of your production skills in recorded music and applied sound production. The project-based nature of the programme allows you to tailor the assignments to suit your interests within the broad subject area of music technology and production. By enhancing your enquiring, analytical, innovative and creative approach to the production and the performance of music.
You will develop an understanding of the business and legal issues necessary for the successful transfer and implementation of the acquired relevant technology to the commercial environment and generate and communicate original concepts that extend the knowledge gained in taught sections of the programmes. The course will prepare you for employment, research and continuing professional development.
Progressing Your Career
The first year of the programme develops skills within specialist recording studio environments. This allows students from a variety of backgrounds with a range of knowledge and abilities to become efficient in working with music and technology in a variety of contexts. For example, composition, engineering, recording techniques (e.g. stereo, multitrack and peer-to-peer), mixing, and mastering.
The second year of the programme is designed to creatively explore a range of employment opportunities within the industry. This includes developing skills through working with sound in media applications (e.g. film, TV, animation, computer games) and broadcast settings, writing production (or library) music and creating sound effects libraries.
In the final year, students are supported on a one-to-one basis to master their individual specialisms in the field, and to develop an industry-focused body of work.
PATHWAY OPTIONS
Creative Music Technology (BA) 3 years
UCAS Code: J931
Creative Music Technology (CertHE) 1 year
UCAS Code: CMT6
Creative Music Technology (DipHE) 2 years
UCAS Code: CMT5
Why choose this course?
1. Access to specialist recording studio facilities and equipment.
2. One-to-one support in using specialist facilities and all projects undertaken.
3. Creative assessment outcomes are designed for a wide range of skillsets and abilities.
4. Modules are designed to highlight employment opportunities and prepare graduates for working in the Digital Media and Creative Industries sectors.
5. Module outcomes are designed to apply creative skills across a wide range of media applications which allows students to create a showreel and portfolio of work to help gain employment.
Overview
Our Music Technology programme encourages creativity and innovation through the variety of modules explored. We aim to develop artistic, technical and production skills to expert levels to prepare graduates for employment.
The programme is designed for students with a creative flair and aims to develop competencies through working with music and technology in a wide range of contexts and settings.
We pay particular attention to the development of listening skills which allows students to tune into their distinctive and unique sonic voice.
What you’ll learn
• Industry standard techniques and workflows.
• Experience working in a variety of creative settings.
• Develop knowledge of employment opportunities within the Digital Media and Creative Industries sectors.
• How to deploy your work to a wide range of platforms.
Modules
Year 1
Level 4 Modules
• The Studio Engineer
• The Studio Composer
• Creative Sound Manipulations
• Learning in the Digital Era
• Contemporary Challenges: Making a Difference
Year 2
Level 5 Modules
• Sound Design for Screen
• Sound Mapping
• Studio Production
• The Sustainable Studio
• Changemakers: Building your Personal Brand for Sustainable Employment
• Changemakers: Creativity and Value Creation
Year 3
Level 6 Modules
• Music Video Production
• Broadcasting
• Final Showreel and Portfolio
• Independent Project
Entry Criteria
We are interested in creative people that demonstrate a strong commitment to art and/or design, and therefore we welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. To assess student suitability for their chosen course, we arrange interviews for all applicants at which your skills, achievements and life experience will be considered as well as your portfolio of work.
Our standard offer for a degree course is 120 UCAS tariff points. We expect applicants to have a grade C or above in English Language (or Welsh) at GCSE level, together with passes in another four subjects. Plus we accept a range of Level 3 qualifications including:
• Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, plus one GCE A-Level in a relevant academic subject
• UAL L3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Production.
• UAL L3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production and Technology
• Three GCE A-Levels or equivalent
• BTEC Extended Diploma in a relevant subject
• International Baccalaureate score of 32
• Other relevant qualifications can be considered on an individual basis
Qualifications are important. However, our offers are not solely based on academic results. If you don’t have the required UCAS points, we can also consider offers from applicants based on individual merit, exceptional work/or practical experience.
ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.
IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Assessment
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Assessment
Students on the programme are assessed predominantly by portfolio and creative output assignments, compositions, recordings, productions, creative projects, etc. Written analysis and critique are also integral to the assessment, as well as presentations and vivas.
Through all the projects undertaken, students develop both practical skills and an understanding of theoretical principles.
The course assesses the students’ command of the many roles of technology in the creation of music, taking a multi-skilled approach, whilst allowing students to specialise in areas in which they would like to take their careers later on in the course.
Career Opportunities
Graduates from the programme are well prepared for all aspects of this massive subject, and as a result, are highly employable across the Digital Media and Creative Industries sector. The department is lucky to have the Swansea Laptop Orchestra in residence at the studios.
The entertainment industry and, in particular, recorded and broadcast media has grown dramatically in recent years. The industry employs a large number of people distributed across a range of different activities.
Currently, there are approximately three hundred recording companies active in the UK, ranging from small, specialist labels to large multi-national companies. Several thousand recording studios exist, along with thousands more live performance venues, sound equipment hire companies and musical equipment manufacturers. Added to this are television and radio production companies, computer games designers, internet content providers, to name but a few, all of whom require music technology skills.
In the last few years, the explosion in the sales of multimedia home computers and surround sound cinema systems has also resulted in opportunities in the areas involving surround sound systems and related audio technology.
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