DMus Performance

Course detail
The Music Doctorate is an alternative to the traditional PhD. The DMus Performance allows experienced practitioners to achieve doctoral recognition for exceptionally well-crafted and highly expressive performances of music repertoire.

MPhil

After a year of full-time study or two years of part-time study, you will have completed:
a 30 to 90 minute performance accompanied by performance notes and a biography
a critical commentary of at least 5,000 words.
The MPhil portfolio may comprise several contrasting pieces, or just one longer, structurally ambitious piece. The nature of your performance will determine its duration. For example, most romantic and modern concerts are between 30 and 40 minutes, while a solo piano recital might last between 50 and 90 minutes, depending on whether it is a daytime or evening performance. The supervisor must approve your repertoire and total performance duration, and will then notify the principal assessor in cases where that role is taken by another academic.

Your portfolio piece should be innovative, and show a new technique within, or an extension to, an existing practice. Examiners will attend the performance.

Your critical commentary will provide:
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 - explaining how it represents an original contribution to the area of expertise
an account of the creative research process
conclusions and suggestions for future developments in creative practice.
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:
five performances, each between 30 and 90 minutes long, accompanied by programme notes and a biography, of which the first performance can be your work from the MPhil requirement
a critical commentary of at least 20,000 words, of which the first 5,000 words can be from your MPhil requirement.
As with the MPhil, your DMus portfolio performances may comprise several contrasting pieces, or just one longer, structurally ambitious piece. You may wish to explore a range of roles and repertoire, or stick with just one concerto performance. The nature of your performance will determine its duration. For example, most romantic and modern concerts are between 30 and 40 minutes, while a solo piano recital might last between 50 and 90 minutes, depending on whether it is a daytime or evening performance. The supervisor must approve your repertoire and total performance duration, and will then notify the principal assessor in cases where that role is taken by another academic.

Your portfolio piece should be innovative, and show a new technique within, or an extension to, an existing practice. Examiners will attend the performance.

Your critical commentary will provide:
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 - explaining how it represents an original contribution to the area of expertise
an account of the creative research process
conclusions and suggestions for future developments in creative practice.
DMus by Submission

Your submission must include:
a portfolio of three recorded performances
two live performances
a critical commentary of at least 20,000 words.
Or
a portfolio of four recorded performances
a live performance
a critical commentary of at least 20,000 words.
Your DMus portfolio performances may comprise several contrasting pieces, or just one longer, structurally ambitious piece. You may wish to explore a range of roles and repertoire, or stick with just one concerto performance. The nature of your performance will determine its duration. For example, most romantic and modern concerts are between 30 and 40 minutes, while a solo piano recital might last between 50 and 90 minutes, depending on whether it is a daytime or evening performance. The principal assessor must approve your repertoire and total performance duration.

Your portfolio piece should be innovative, and show a new technique within, or an extension to, an existing practice.

Recorded performances need not be in the public domain, but must be of a professional standard. Examiners will attend live performances. All performances, recorded or live, must be accompanied by programme notes and a biography.

Your critical commentary will provide:
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 - explaining how it represents an original contribution to the area of expertise
an account of the creative research process
conclusions and suggestions for future developments in creative practice.
The DMus by Submission is ideally suited to professional performers.

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, and instrumentation for, each piece. Proposals for DMus by Submission should also append the compositions. You should explain in your proposal the current musical and extra-musical influences on your work, and 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.
Your proposal should also include a timescale for each part of the project, and append an outline bibliography.

Full-time and part-time candidates - 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.