Diploma UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Production Songwriter

Unit 1 – Principles of Music

Provides students with an introduction to a range of activities essential to the development and delivery of music performance and production. It will introduce the basic elements of music performance, production and technology and impart an understanding of performance as a collaborative activity.

Unit 2 – Creating Music

Provides students with the opportunity to expand and develop listening and compositional skills to help inform musical performance and production ideas, and communicate clearly using music and terminology.

Unit 3 – Understanding the Music Industry

Provides students with an introduction to the diversity of roles, responsibilities, employment and progression opportunities available within the sector. It will also introduce them to the importance of health and safety as integral to the performer and production, and equip them with an understanding of the characteristics needed for a career in music performance and production.

Unit 4 – Cultural Awareness

Provides students with an introduction to the investigation of both historical and contemporary contexts and perspectives that influence the development of ideas within the music performance and production.

Unit 5 – Music Production in Context

Enables students to critically analyse, integrate and apply knowledge and understanding acquired in previous units and to explore the specific skills and attributes required for production and design in music.

Unit 6 – Music Performance in Context

Enables students to critically analyse, integrate and apply the knowledge and understanding acquired in previous units and to explore the specific skills and attributes required for production and design in music.

Unit 7 – Preparation for Specialist Study

Provides students with an opportunity to critically analyse, integrate and apply the knowledge and understanding acquired in the previous units and to explore the specific skills and attributes required for their own personal practice.

Unit 8 – Collaborative Project

Provides students with the opportunity to make use of the skills, knowledge and understanding developed through the previous units, in the completion of a collaborative project. The unit will provide students with a measure of self-directed learning and enable them to clarify their longer-term goals through their choice of an activity to explore in greater depth.

Songwriting Studies

In these classes, students will learn and develop compositional techniques, skills and confidence through practical activities and apply these in stylistically accurate ways. They will also learn to develop their individual sound and creative expression.

Creativity Lab

These ensemble classes will introduce the basic elements of music performance, production and technology and impart an understanding of performance as a collaborative activity. Through practical workshops, students will gather and develop musical material, take part in observed rehearsal and self-reflect and evaluate the process of rehearsal through to performance.

Music Theory and Ear Training

In this series of lessons, you will develop your understanding of Music Theory and Ear Training skills. The skills you acquire in these sessions will be regularly applied when working on coursework for other units and in general when working as a musician. Developing your music theory knowledge will allow you to master/learn pieces faster, improve your creativity, communicate ideas with other instrumentalists and understand the construction of music you love.

Collaborative Workshop

A collaborative workshop is a practical session designed to allow cross-pathway collaboration between students, allowing the development of student-led projects.

Unit 9 – Advanced Music Performance and Production Skills

Provides students with an opportunity to enter into a more formal dialogue of personal interrogation and diagnosis designed to identify strengths, enthusiasm and ambition within a specific pathway. The unit will enable students to develop the requisite artistic, professional and vocational skills necessary for progression within their chosen discipline.

Unit 10 – Specialism Study

Enables students to understand a range of critical and contextual perspectives and approaches influencing music performance and production. Students will demonstrate their understanding through a personal research project in an area of interest, preparing them for the direction of their final project.

Unit 11 – Progression Preparation

Uses a process of research, dialogue, reflection and evaluation to identify and prepare students for specific Higher Education or employment progression routes appropriate to their ambitions. The unit will allow them to demonstrate the requisite practical, intellectual and communication skills necessary for progression. Together, Units 12 and 13 will provide students with opportunities to refine and demonstrate the skills, knowledge and understanding appropriate to their Higher Education or employment progression routes. This will be demonstrated through the completion and presentation of a self-directed extended project.

Unit 12 – Extended Project Proposal

Provides students with an opportunity to reflect on, review and summarise their personal progress and achievement through the preceding units, and to present a rationale for their choice of discipline and final project context. The unit requires students to articulate the skills, knowledge and understanding acquired throughout the course to present ideas for the development of an independently conceived, planned, realised and evaluated extended project.

Unit 13 – Extended Project

Provides an opportunity for students to engage in activities related to their chosen disciplines. Students are expected to take ownership of their learning by responding positively to the greater opportunities for individual expression and creativity afforded. Students should demonstrate their ability to competently use the range of skills acquired throughout the course through the realisation of a personal proposal that they have initiated, researched, developed, implemented, reflected and evaluated. This will help to prepare them for progression to Higher Education or employment in their chosen discipline.

Songwriting Studies

In these classes, students will learn and develop compositional techniques, skills and confidence through practical activities and apply these in stylistically accurate ways. They will also learn to develop their individual sound and creative expression.

Creativity Lab

These ensemble classes will introduce the basic elements of music performance, production and technology and impart an understanding of performance as a collaborative activity. Through practical workshops, students will gather and develop musical material, take part in observed rehearsal and self-reflect and evaluate the process of rehearsal through to performance.

Music Theory and Ear Training

The aim of the module is to continue the work from year 1 and secure a foundation in music theory, enabling the learner to gain confidence in the reading and writing of Western music notation, and be equipped for study at the Higher Education level.

UCAS

UCAS and Progression is a drop-in support session for students who are looking at the process of applying for HE through UCAS or need advice on the best way forward in choosing their next step forward. The VLE course also houses guides, quizzes and other tools that can make the UCAS process easier, as well as providing education to help you present yourself professionally.

Industry Insight

These sessions aim to give students first-hand insight into the music industry from the perspective of our music professional tutors. It will investigate the workings of the music industry, where it fits within the creative industries, synergies, collaborations, partnerships, how the industry maps together, who the industry represents, why it’s so important and the mechanics of how it works.

Marketing and Promotion

To look at the implementation of marketing and promotional activity to help students connect with an audience. Exploring the rise of the DIY artist and new business models in creative projects coming to market within the creative industries.

Further Personal Development

This unit, Further Personal Development, serves to assist your personal and professional development and progression. It is based on an ethos of learning by doing and incorporates a holistic approach, facilitating care and support of mental health. Engaging with this unit’s content will help you identify and unlock barriers to learning and creativity, and facilitate the development of your self-awareness and confidence, as well as transferable skills that support you in unlocking and expressing your greatest potential at ACM and beyond.

Experiential Tasters

These are short project-based modules where learners are given the opportunity to collaboratively explore areas of the music industry outside of their pathway. The options for study include Music Video, Broadcast Media and Collaborative Music Performance.