Music

Great opportunities for music-making and an exciting and varied programme in classical, jazz, musical theatre, opera and world music.

Music at Bath Spa University is part of a vibrant School of Music and Performing Arts with outstanding facilities. There is an exciting and creative programme of student performance and composition, which combines with our professional concert series based at the Michael Tippett Centre concert hall. BA Music offers specialist modules in classical and jazz performance and composition. Performance opportunities include annual staged musical theatre and opera productions and a range of ensembles from big band to wind band, early music to gamelan ensemble as well as several choirs.

With around 120 students on BA Music, and 60 students taking music combined with another subject, we are large enough to take on performance projects such as the recent British premiere of Philip Glass's opera Satyagraha and Karl Jenkins' oratorio The Armed Man, but small enough to have a real sense of community, helped in no small part by the beautiful campus and surroundings. The Music team is keen to make you feel involved in the subject, and you'll have plenty of opportunity to contact your tutor formally and informally.

The BA Music course emphasises creativity through performance and composition, and is also alive to the constantly changing needs of the job market. The instrumentalist as teacher and performer, the composer in education, arts administration, music promotion and music in the community are just some of the career possibilities that Bath Spa University will open up to you. You can be creative and productive in the Bath Spa University environment while developing new and useful skills and experience.

Course structure

Year 1

Performance Studies consists of first study lessons, optional second study lessons and keyboard support, together with workshops on performance techniques, aural awareness, and conducting.

Creative Forum is a composition skills module allowing free composition while focusing on a range of compositional techniques, notation, arranging, orchestration, and the use of music technology.

Rethinking Music includes study and research skills for musicians, analytical skills and the close study of landmark musical works and genres from medieval to pop, with a series of seminars around cultural and musicological issues in music today.

Year 2

You continue with Rethinking Music and take a specialist Professional Development course which includes work placements. A choice of four other modules builds on the acquisition, consolidation and development of musical skills, and encourages you to begin working in a specialist area matching your particular strengths, whether in performance, composition or musicology in classical or jazz styles.

Year 3

You have the freedom for originality and creative output in two Advanced Specialist modules (such as performance or composition) together with the choice of a wide range of supporting modules. In this way you can tailor your degree to your own interests with the help and support of Bath Spa University staff.

Teaching Methods and Resources

Music is taught through workshops, lectures, seminars, individual tutorials and instrumental/vocal lessons.

Practical workshops in performance and composition are given by distinguished full-time staff who are all practising performers, composers and musicologists.

Every week a day is dedicated to ensemble performance and related activities for students in all years, including choir (with Nigel Perrin), orchestra, wind band, big band and gamelan. There are numerous student performances through the year both at the Michael Tippett Centre, and in Bath and beyond. Each year the School promotes two major opera and musical theatre performances, in which music students take part.

Composition

Composition can be a major component of your degree (although it is compulsory in Year 1 for BA Music students only). All the composition modules aim to help you develop your own voice as a composer, whether working acoustically or electronically, for concert or installation, supported by a series of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and workshops with visiting composers and performers. Each year, we provide a range of performance opportunities so that you can hear your work performed by professional musicians and fellow students. This practical experience of composition is essential to your development, and we encourage you to hear your work wherever possible.

You may combine Music with:

Art
Biology
Business and Management
Ceramics
Creative Writing
Cultural Studies
Dance
Drama Studies
Education
English Literature
Film and Screen Studies
Food Studies
Geography
Health Studies
History
Media Communications
Philosophy and Ethics
Psychology
Sociology
Study of Religions
Textile Design Studies
Visual Design

full-time Degree