DURATION
3 up to 4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Scholarships
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Introduction
Become a versatile performer in your preferred musical style and broaden your abilities by trying out new styles with our Music Performance degree in Cambridge.
Our BA (Hons) Music Performance will challenge your creativity. You’ll learn to analyse and deconstruct existing modes of performance, songwriting and composition before finding your own way to create new performances or rework the music of others.
As the course develops, you’ll examine increasingly complex performance scenarios, using them to inform aspects of your own life work. Weekly performance workshops in Year 2 will help you hone your stagecraft in particular styles of performance, while analysis seminars will allow you to explore vocal and instrument techniques by genre.
As a Music Performance student at ARU, you'll create a diverse portfolio of work and learn up-to-date techniques that will prepare you for the modern collaborative creative industries, whether you want to perform and release your own music, create soundtracks for films and games, or play in a band or orchestra.
Many of your modules will be shared with our other music courses, giving you the chance to collaborate with different students and develop all-important skills for your professional life, such as teamworking and time management. You’ll also have opportunities to work with students on our film and computer game degrees, creating soundtracks for their projects.
In Year 2, you’ll broaden your understanding of the modern music industry by seeking and completing a work placement in an area of your own interest. This will also help you learn to self-evaluate your transferable and employability skills and develop them further.
Our optional modules allow you to shape the course for your chosen career. For example, Music in Therapy will introduce you to the theory and practice of music therapy, as practised by registered professionals in the UK, giving you the perfect preparation to continue onto our MA in Music Therapy. Composition and Orchestration will allow you to produce a portfolio comprising original compositions of your own, and arrangements of existing works, for orchestra. Audio for Film or Audio for Games will develop your competence in creating soundtracks and sound effect creation, alongside specialist skills like automated dialogue replacement or production of non-linear interactive experiences.
You can even opt for a placement year between years 2 and 3 to get ahead in the creative industries.
The UK music industry contributed £5.8 billion to the UK economy in 2019 - up 11% from £5.2 billion in 2018. (PRS for Music)
The impact of our Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, and Film & Screen Studies research achieved 'world-leading' in the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
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Admissions
Curriculum
Year 1
- Music in Context
- Dots, Lines and Waves - Songwriting 1
- Studio Techniques
- Music Performance 1
Year 2
- Music Performance 2
- Music Industry
- Ruskin Module (15 credits)
- Audio for Film
- Audio for Games
- Composition and Orchestration
- Principles of Music Therapy
- Chords, Contours and Grooves - Songwriting 2
- Music Business
Year 3
- Music Major Project
- Collaborative Project
- Portfolio
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Throughout our BA (Hons) in Music Performance, you’ll not only develop the latest skills and knowledge for a career in music performance but also get the support you need to grow into a confident and creative graduate with a willingness for lifelong learning and the desire to seek continuing personal and professional development in all aspects of your career.
By the time you graduate, you’ll have built up a professional portfolio of your music performance projects, which will act as an enhanced CV for you to present to future employers and clients. This might consist of video showreels, commercial music releases, or other demonstrations of your technical expertise, as well as a fully-developed online profile.
You’ll also seek and complete a work placement in an area of your interest in year two, gaining experience in the industry as well as learning to self-evaluate and develop your employability skills.
Graduation doesn’t need to end your time with us, of course. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a master's, such as our MA in Music Therapy. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.