Undergraduate BA(hons) or BSc (Hons) Creative Industries Futures (Music) Composition

Modules 

MIF – 401 Music Industry Futures 

This module gives students an overview of the music industry, past, present, and future. Students learn about the mechanisms, structures, and practices that drive the music industry and where their specialism sits within it, whilst gaining an understanding of key fundamentals of music business, structure, market, and areas of specialism. 

MIF – 402 Music Media and Technology 

This module enables students to examine the role of music across a range of media, exploring the way that music, media and technology intersect. It prepares students to understand how their specialist skills will be used in the industries of today and tomorrow. 

MIF – 403 Impact and influence of Music

This module enables students to explore the varied impact of music, focusing on its ability to influence audiences, create community connections, and support creative practitioners, as well as the physical and mental impact music may have on individuals and wellbeing.

MIF – 404 Music, Culture and Society

This module enables students to understand the cultural and social aspects of music and to connect the theory with the practice, helping students to learn how to navigate the industry whilst being aware of important sociocultural histories, trends, and issues that affect the music industry.  This module encourages you to explore these ideas through discussion and debate, developing your ability to critically explain and justify your work. These skills are essential for defining your identity as a creative practitioner and communicating your values within the industry.

CIF – 405 Preparing for Collaborative Projects

This module enables students to prepare and organise themselves and their work to engage in an interdisciplinary collaborative creative project. Students will work on their discipline-specific skills through a suite of skills units and labs, bringing them to the collaborative project to begin working in communities of practice. 

CIF – 406 – Engaging in Collaborative Projects

This module enables students to work collaboratively on a shared project brief. Building on 405, it prompts the students to further develop their skills and begin realising larger cross-disciplinary projects with creatives across music and/or digital arts pathways.

Skills Units

SKU-COM-01 Composition Techniques I

This unit prepares students with the fundamental techniques of composition needed to begin working as a composer. In particular, aspects of harmonic, rhythmic and melodic structures, timbral considerations, and voice leading are explored, giving the students a range of creative approaches to develop with.

SKU-COM-02 Theory, Aural Skills & Critical Listening 

This unit teaches you the fundamentals of contemporary popular music theory, ear training and critical listening, enabling you to analyse, understand, and reapply concepts across a spectrum of contemporary popular music examples.

SKU-PRO-01 DAW Composition & Arrangement 

This Skills Unit reinforces the underlying skills required to produce music within a Digital Audio Workstation. Introducing students to other DAWs and focusing on how arrangement skills can assist the role of the producer.

SKU-COM-04 Notation and Score Preparation

Producing charts and scores is essential for songwriters and composers working with musicians. Writing down music ensures precise performance, efficient rehearsals, and easy adaptability to changes, which is crucial in professional settings. Charts help musicians start from any point, remember details, adjust structures, and seamlessly incorporate substitutes. In these lectures, students will learn best practices for creating clear, accurate musical scores.

Modules 

CIF – 501 – Specialist Collaborative Work

This module enables students to contribute through their chosen specialism to an interdisciplinary collaborative creative industries project, and gives them the opportunity to develop more advanced skills through the realisation of highly specialised projects, driven by industry briefs. 

CIF – 502 – Professional Collaborative Work

This module aims to enable students to explore, examine, and review the function of a professional project. Students will work in a professional context to deliver a project in their specialism. 

CIF – 503 – Specialist Route Skills 

This module enables students to use tools, techniques, and procedures to work toward producing work of a professional standard in their chosen specialism. Students will be able to use relevant academic research and sources to critically review and place their practice in a humanities, phenomenology or cultural framework. Crucially, this module provides students with additional advanced technical skills development, through which they are assessed. 

CIF – 504 – Professional Route Skills 

This module enables students to create a portfolio of professional, specialist work demonstrating transferable skills to meet sector expectations. Students will be able to use relevant academic research and sources to critically review and place their practice in a humanities, phenomenology or cultural framework. Here, the emphasis on specific skills remains; however is realised in a broader context. 

Skills Units

SKU-COM-03 Composition Techniques II 

The major aim of this module is to develop students’ skills as composers through the study and practice of several relevant techniques. It is not an exhaustive list of compositional devices, and at all times, students are encouraged to explore the topics further. As part of this, students may wish to continue developing the material started each week.

SKU-COM-08 Introduction to Film Music

This unit will provide a broad overview of the field of film music composition. Aspects of the business side as well as creative considerations will be discussed.

SKU-COM-05 Orchestration

This unit will provide a broad overview of the basics of the instruments in each orchestral family and how to score them, using a wide variety of compositional and arrangement tasks to explore a multitude of genres and styles.

SKU-COM-18 Arranging II

This unit will build upon knowledge and skills gained in Arranging I. More advanced arranging techniques for rhythm section, background vocals and horns will be discussed in depth.

SKU-COM-09 Advanced Harmony, Melody & Rhythm

This unit is designed to help students to stretch and challenge their knowledge and use of advanced music theory and harmony.

Modules

CIF – 601 – Critical Review 

This module includes a research or practical project that critically reviews one or more current issues, constraints or practices that impact your specialism and wider creative industries, the application of your specialism to other industry sectors or broader cultural

or workforce issues relating to your specialism and the creative cultural industries. Students will be able to use relevant academic research and sources to critically review and place their practice in a humanities, phenomenology or cultural framework.

CIF – 603 – Leadership and CPD

This module enables students to engage with continuing professional development and to review and develop their leadership skills in different contexts, whilst also building and maintaining a specialist skills development plan for their chosen specialism. 

CIF – 602 – Leading a Professional Collaborative Project

This module aims to enable students to build their leadership and professional skills through an interdisciplinary collaborative professional project. It acts as the student’s final capstone project, and is driven by the student, culminating in a final performance, showcase, professional body of work, or a combination thereof, to a high professional standard. 

CIF – 604 – Professional Portfolio 

This module enables students to create a portfolio and digital presence that includes course output, work experience, freelance work or volunteering targeted to professional opportunities or further study. Through the delivery of their assessment, students are invited to position their work through the lens of industry, creating a portfolio of work and an accompanying plan for professional development and progression in their chosen field.

Skills Units

SKU-COM-13 Compositional Styles and Analysis

This module examines several influential compositional styles from the late 19th century to the present day, serving as a model for future musical and compositional analysis. Students will engage with representative works to identify defining techniques of various musical styles, examining cultural and historical contexts. Throughout the module, guided composition exercises will encourage composers to synthesise their newfound knowledge of these techniques into a unique and individual creative voice.

SKU-COM-21 Composing for Large Ensembles

This unit will cover composition considerations when working with a large ensemble such as a symphony orchestra or choir.

SKU-COM-19 Blending Electronic and Live Instrumentation

This unit explores the dynamic fusion of electronic and live instrumentation, guiding students through the creative process of blending acoustic and digital sounds. Learn to seamlessly integrate synthesisers, drum machines, and samples with instruments like guitar, vocals, and drums. Students develop arranging skills by exploring diverse textures and sonic landscapes, from ambient electronica to high-energy dance music. Delve into MIDI, synchronisation, and effects processing to achieve a cohesive and captivating sonic experience. Through hands-on projects and collaborative exercises, students gain the confidence to produce innovative and genre-bending music that pushes creative boundaries. Whether you’re a songwriter, producer, or performer, this course will empower you to bridge the gap between the electronic and acoustic worlds.

SKU-COM-16 Translating a Recording Into a Live Arrangement 

This unit explores the process of turning recordings into live performances. The unit will focus on bringing students’ own compositions to life by transcribing, arranging and using technology to create effective live performances.

CIF – 701 – Professional Practice Frameworks

This module enables students to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the professional sector-specific expertise required for a creative industries profession. Students here reflect on their own specialist and professional experiences and map to professional standard frameworks. There is the opportunity to engage with additional external qualifications through this module. 

CIF – 702 – Applied research 

This module enables students to evidence academic expertise in an applied research

context. Students will be able to use relevant academic research to drive their project, over two terms, where they will submit a final portfolio of work. Some examples include: professional portfolios, thesis, creative portfolios, live performances, creative artefacts and products. 

CIF – 703 – Ideas into action 

Within this module, students will investigate the project management processes needed to develop a project from concept to release, developing their own craft into project(s) which align with their chosen area of study. 

CIF – 704 – Making connections 

This module enables students to identify, inform, and establish a network of peers and relevant industry and community contacts to develop opportunities and advocacy in key organisations in the local community, research organisations, charities and the creative industries, as well as connect with communities of investors.