DMus Music Production

Course detail
The DMus Music Production is an alternative to the traditional PhD for experienced practitioners who wish to show an outstanding and innovative contribution to the subject area.
To be awarded a DMus, you must pass all of the assessments and satisfy all the learning outcomes.
MPhil

After a year of full-time study or two years of part-time study, you will have completed:
a portfolio of recorded music, 60 to 80 minutes in duration, with optimised session files included
a critical commentary of at least 5,000 words.
The MPhil portfolio may comprise pieces by several artists, or several by the same artist. It may be part of an even larger work, which you can use for the DMus portfolio. Your portfolio piece should be innovative, and show a new technique within, or an extension to, an existing practice.
Your critical commentary will provide:
an explanation of how this practical work is an original and substantial contribution to the area of expertise
a 'literature review' of contemporary practice in the same field
an analysis and explanation of existing techniques
an explanation of how the creative work represents an extension of, or reaction to, this practice (see the pathway appendices), which may be as an extended technique or something more philosophical, ontological or aesthetically grounded - or preferably a combination of the two
an account of the creative research process
conclusions and suggestions for future developments.
You will normally be required to complete the Level 7 Research Methods module.

DMus

After approximately three years of full-time study or six years' part-time study, you will have completed:
a portfolio of recorded music, 120 to 140 minutes long - of which the MPhil portfolio forms the first 60 to 80 minutes. The portfolio should include optimised session files of your recordings.
a critical commentary of at least 20,000 words, of which the first 5,000 words will be your MPhil critical commentary.
The DMus portfolio may comprise several pieces by one artist, or by several different ones, and your MPhil portfolio can be part of this extended work. Your portfolio piece should be innovative, and show a new technique within, or an extension to, an existing practice.
Your critical commentary will provide:
an explanation of how this practical work is an original and substantial contribution to the area of expertise
a 'literature review' of contemporary practice in the same field
an analysis and explanation of existing techniques
an explanation of how the creative work represents an extension of, or reaction to, this practice (see pathway appendices) - this may be as an extended technique or something more philosophical, ontological or aesthetically grounded - or preferably a combination of the two
an account of the creative research process
conclusions and suggestions for future developments.
DMus by Submission
Your submission must include:
a portfolio of recorded music, 120 to 140 minutes long - with optimised session files of your recordings
a critical commentary of at least 20,000 words.
The DMus by Submission portfolio may comprise several pieces by one artist, or by several artists. At least one of your portfolio pieces will have been composed within the last two years before you registered. They do not have to be in the public domain, but should be innovative, and show a new technique within, or an extension to, an existing practice.
Your critical commentary will provide:
an explanation of how this practical work is an original and substantial contribution to the area of expertise
a 'literature review' of contemporary practice in the same field
an analysis and explanation of existing techniques
an explanation of how the creative work represents an extension of, or reaction to, this practice (see pathway appendices) - this may be as an extended technique or something more philosophical, ontological or aesthetically grounded - or preferably a combination of the two
an account of the creative research process
conclusions and suggestions for future developments.
The DMus by Submission is ideally suited to professional producers.

Proposal

Your proposal must not exceed 4,500 words. Unless you are studying for your DMus by Direct Entry or Submission, you will complete this proposal as part of the assessment regime for the Level 7 Research Methods module.
The proposal for the MPhil/DMus in Music Production is different from a proposal for a PhD. The core of the proposal will be a list of works you intend for portfolio submission. It should also include the anticipated duration of each piece. Proposals for DMus by Submission should also append the compositions. You should explain in your proposal how your portfolio constitutes an original and substantial contribution to the area of practice. For this, you should include:
a 'literature review' of contemporary practice in the same field
an analysis and explanation of existing techniques in the field
an explanation of how the creative work represents an extension of, or reaction to, contemporary practice (see pathway appendices), which may be as an extended technique or something more philosophical, ontological or aesthetically grounded - or preferably a combination of the two.
Your proposal should also include a timescale for each part of the project, and an appended outline bibliography.
You may also identify areas of technical development, analysing how your portfolio pieces might enable this transition. You must indicate in your proposal, any pieces you intend to include through backdated registration.
You may also include a CV.