Undergraduate BA(hons) Music
Apply now
Course overview
Shape the future of music. ACM’s Music degree trains high-calibre musicians, artists and composers with the technical command, creative originality and professional skills to work at the forefront of the music industry.
Specialise in Performance – Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Keys, Drums, Horns or Strings – Songwriting, Rap & MC, or Composition. Through focused specialist study, you’ll deepen your musicianship, strengthen your technique and develop a distinctive creative identity. You’ll be challenged to push your abilities, explore ambitious ideas and produce work to a professional standard.
Collaboration is central to your development. Working alongside musicians and creative practitioners across ACM, you’ll develop your versatility through live performance, original music and collaborative projects. You’ll learn to communicate your ideas, respond to other artists and deliver in the rehearsal room, on stage and in the studio.
Alongside your creative and technical training, you’ll build the knowledge and experience to navigate a changing music industry. Develop your professional portfolio, understand how to create opportunities and build the networks that support a sustainable career.
With access to professional facilities, industry opportunities and masterclasses, ACM connects your training to contemporary music practice. Whether your ambition is to become an outstanding performer, an original artist or an innovative composer, you’ll graduate equipped to make your mark and help shape what comes next.
Music Performance
Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keys, Vocals, Horns/Strings
BASS:
Become an in-demand low-end musician through developing your bass playing technique, musical skills and industry knowledge, while enjoying networking and building powerful future communities. There has never been a greater musical period to embrace the F-clef! Your journey starts with bass studies at ACM.
At ACM, you will learn from cutting-edge music industry professionals who shape the UK scene (and beyond), while learning a wide variety of genres and essential musical skills that will make you an invaluable member of any musical project. Touring, session work, teaching, sharing online stems and developing your own musical voice on 4, 5 or 6-string bass all make up a part of ACM’s electric bass guitar instruction programme, while also providing space to develop Synth Bass and Double Bass skills. ACM’s collaborative student development and industry-focused tuition model opens doors for confident and emerging bassists to become the in-demand and go-to musicians of the next musical generation.
GUITAR:
ACM’s Guitar degree develops students’ technical ability, stylistic knowledge, tone and musicianship.
Through practical skills labs, ensemble performance, improvisation and arrangement, students refine their playing across a range of musical styles while gaining hands-on experience with industry-standard technology and music production software. With specialist tuition, masterclasses and opportunities for collaborative projects, graduates develop the skills and professional portfolio needed for careers as performing guitarists, session musicians and freelance artists.
DRUMS:
ACM’s Drums degree is designed for aspiring drummers who want to develop their technical ability, musical versatility and professional performance skills. Combining practical training with industry-focused learning, students explore a range of musical styles, refine their individual playing style and develop the skills needed to work as a professional musician.
Through specialist tuition, ensemble performance, collaborative projects and opportunities to explore hybrid drumming techniques, students gain experience across live performance, studio work and contemporary music production. Alongside their practical development, students build their understanding of the music industry, professional practice and career development, preparing them for a range of opportunities as performers, session musicians, touring drummers and freelance artists.
KEYS:
ACM’s Keys degree is designed for aspiring keyboardists looking to develop their technical ability, creativity and versatility as professional musicians.
Centred on popular music while incorporating elements of jazz and classical traditions, the course explores a wide range of playing styles, including chord voicings, improvisation, repertoire development and reharmonisation. Students develop their musicianship through practical skills labs, ensemble performance, music theory, chart reading, arranging and collaborative creative projects.
Alongside their performance skills, students gain hands-on experience with industry-standard keyboard technologies, software and live and studio performance setups, including MainStage, Cantabile, Logic and Ableton. Combining specialist technical development with industry-focused learning and professional portfolio building, the degree prepares students for a range of career opportunities as performing keyboardists, session musicians, musical directors and freelance artists.
VOCALS:
ACM’s Vocals degree develops students’ vocal technique, musicianship, creativity and confidence as professional performers.
Through specialist skills labs, students explore a range of vocal styles and techniques, vocal development, music theory, ear training and ensemble performance, alongside experience in arrangement and music production software. With industry-experienced tutors, collaborative projects and opportunities to build a professional portfolio, graduates prepare for careers as performing artists, session vocalists and freelance musicians.
HORNS/STRINGS:
The Horns & Strings discipline at ACM is designed for players who want to operate in modern music, not just traditional contexts. Whether you come from jazz, classical, or a self-built background, the aim is to turn your playing into something adaptable, collaborative, and professionally relevant.
You’ll develop the fundamentals: tone, control, phrasing, technique, but always in context. How you sit in an arrangement. How you shape a track. How you respond in a session. Because in today’s industry, it’s not just about how well you play, it’s about how well you fit.
You’ll work across live and studio environments, collaborating with producers, artists, and songwriters through ACM’s integrated modules. This is where horns and strings become part of the wider creative process—arranging, recording, performing, and building a sound that stands out.
You’ll be taught by active musicians who understand what’s required in real sessions, on real stages, and in real projects. By the end, you won’t just be a strong instrumentalist, you’ll be someone who can step into any musical environment and add value immediately.
Songwriting
ACM’s Songwriting degree develops students’ skills in crafting original music, from lyrical and melodic development to arrangement, harmony and production.
Through practical workshops, co-writing and collaborative projects, students refine their songwriting techniques and develop their own creative identity. With specialisms in Songwriter/Performer, Songwriter/Producer and Songwriting/Music Business, students can tailor their studies to their career ambitions while building industry knowledge and a professional portfolio. Graduates are prepared for careers as songwriters, performing artists, producers and independent music professionals.
Composition
ACM’s Composition degree develops students’ creative and technical skills in writing, arranging and producing original music.
Students explore compositional techniques, harmony, melody, rhythm and orchestration, alongside opportunities to compose for film, TV and other media.
Through collaborative projects and practical skills labs, they learn to translate musical ideas into professional compositions for a range of creative contexts. The course also develops students’ understanding of the music industry and professional practice, preparing graduates for careers as composers, arrangers, media composers and independent music creators.
Rap/MC
The Rap & MC degree is a specialist performance pathway for students whose voice and lyrics are their primary instrument. Rooted in Black music and cultural traditions, from Jamaican sound system culture through to hip-hop and its global evolutions, the route engages with a wide range of styles and practices, including grime, drill, trap, boom bap and alternative rap. Students develop writing, flow, delivery and artistic identity through both structured sessions and collaborative practices such as cyphers, enabling real-time creative exchange and performance development. They apply their practice in live and industry-facing contexts, building the experience and versatility required for contemporary music careers.
Modules
Modules
ACM’s core validated learning provision. These are the building blocks of your degree, through which you will be assessed, accrue credits, and progress towards your final qualification. ACM’s module design blends the rigour of a high-quality academic framework and up-to-date industry knowledge. Students also develop critical professional competencies as they progress through their programme.
Skills Units
Skills units are ACM’s unique delivery model for up-to-date technical and industry knowledge. These are where you will learn everything you need to excel in your chosen discipline, and inform how you approach your assessments.
Modules
MIF-407 Music Industry Futures
Studying alongside students from every music pathway, you’ll explore the people, organisations and processes that shape today’s music business, from recording and publishing to live events and emerging technologies. You’ll gain an understanding of how songwriters collaborate with industry professionals, whilst developing a broad awareness of the opportunities, challenges and career paths that define the modern music industry.
MIF-411 Specialist Creative Practice 1
Build the practical skills that form the foundation of your future career as a musician and performer. This module is taught through hands-on Skills Labs where you will explore the technical aspects of vocal development, looking at a range of techniques, styles and approaches as well as the fundamentals of contemporary popular music theory, ear training and critical listening.
MIF-412 Specialist Creative Practice 2
As you build on the foundations established in Specialist Creative Practice 1, you’ll refine your technical approach to your vocals, strengthen your creative decision-making and develop your Digital Audio Workstation Composition and Arrangement skills, using DAWs such as Logic and Ableton. You will also explore the fundamentals of ensemble performance, studying a range of genres and focusing on chart reading and arranging skills. Through your practical Skills Labs, you’ll develop more advanced techniques that support your ongoing growth as a musician and performer.
MIF-413 Music Culture & Communities
Music shapes cultures, communities and influences the world around us. In this module, you’ll study alongside other pathways across music and explore how the music industry connects with society, identity and creative communities. Through discussion, research and shared perspectives, you’ll gain a broader understanding of the cultural impact of music whilst developing valuable research skills that will inform your own practice as a songwriter and help you create work that connects with music industry professionals and audiences.
CIF – 405 Preparing for Collaborative Projects
During this module you’ll develop the skills needed to prepare you for working with peers across the music degree to apply your musician and performance skills to an interdisciplinary creative project.
CIF – 406 – Engaging in Collaborative Projects
Following on from CIF-405, you’ll work collaboratively on a shared project brief with students from other disciplines. You’ll build upon your skills to support larger projects with the creative industry and contribute your musician and performance skills to fulfilling a creative brief.
Modules
CIF – 501 – Specialist Collaborative Work
This module allows you to apply your songwriting skills within ambitious, cross-disciplinary creative projects. Working alongside students from across the music degree, you’ll respond to industry-inspired briefs, taking on the role of a songwriter to shape songs and compositions to collaborative outcomes. Along the way, you’ll be strengthening your project management, communication and creative problem-solving skills.
CIF – 502 – Professional Collaborative Work
You’ll take your collaborative experience into a professional context by delivering a major project that reflects the realities of the music industry. Working with students across the course, you’ll apply your performance and musician expertise to help realise ambitious creative work, managing technical and creative challenges and developing the confidence, adaptability and professional mindset needed to succeed as a musician in today’s collaborative creative industries.
CIF – 503 – Specialist Route Skills
Refine the skills needed to perform as a musician across various sectors of the music industry. Your skills labs will take you through technical development of your vocal practice, learning a second instrument as well as different musical styles that are essential for musicians and ensemble players. Combining advanced technical practice with critical reflection, you’ll build the confidence, creativity and professional understanding required to deliver industry-ready performances.
CIF – 504 – Professional Route Skills
Building on your Specialist Route Skills, you’ll expand your vocal expertise by applying your skills to a range of professional projects. Through advanced skills labs, you’ll further develop your skills in music improvisation and advanced music literacy and arrangement.Through building a portfolio of professional work, you’ll demonstrate the technical ability, adaptability and critical thinking needed to succeed across the modern music industry.
<h5>Modules</h5>
<strong>CIF-601 Critical Review Preparation</strong>
Prepare for your dissertation by developing the research, analysis and critical thinking skills needed to investigate contemporary issues in performance and musician based practices. You’ll explore current debates, technologies and professional practice whilst learning how to evaluate sources, develop research questions and construct evidence-based arguments. This module will provide the foundation for independent research, helping you identify a topic that reflects your interests and future career ambitions.
<b>CIF – 601 – Critical Review </b>
Undertake an independent research project exploring an area of performance or musician-based practices that matters to you. Whether investigating emerging songwriting trends and technologies, creative practice, writing workflows, or the wider social and cultural impact of music, you’ll critically evaluate contemporary issues using academic research and professional evidence. You’ll produce a substantial piece of work that demonstrates your ability to think critically, conduct independent research and contribute to conversations shaping the future of music performance.
<b>CIF – 603 – Leadership and CPD</b>
Prepare for life beyond your studies by developing the advanced technical skills and professional mindset expected of vocalists. Through specialist Skills Labs, you’ll explore advanced technical development in your vocal practice and explore advanced ensemble and musical direction skills. As you refine your technical expertise, you’ll reflect on your strengths and develop your leadership skills.
<b>CIF – 602 – Leading a Professional Collaborative Project</b>
Bring together everything you’ve learned throughout your degree in your final major collaborative project that showcases your skills as a vocalist. Taking a leading role within an interdisciplinary team, you’ll manage the creative and technical demands of delivering a professional standard body of work. Supported by specialised Skills Labs in the freelance musician and studio musician practices, you’ll deliver a final project to support your professional portfolio.
<b>CIF – 604 – Professional Portfolio </b>
You’ll prepare to launch your career by creating a professional portfolio that showcases your skills, creativity and technical expertise as a performer and musician. In this module, you’ll curate your best work to develop a strong digital presence that reflects your creative identity.
CIF – 701 – Professional Practice Frameworks
Develop the professional expertise expected of senior practitioners in the music industry. You’ll critically evaluate your own creative practice, reflect on your professional experiences and benchmark your skills against recognised industry standards. This module helps you strengthen your credentials and prepare for leadership roles within the evolving music industry.
CIF – 702 – Applied research
Undertake an in-depth research project centred on an area of musicianship and performance that aligns with your professional ambitions. Whether developing an advanced creative portfolio, investigating emerging songwriting technologies or exploring innovative musician practice, you’ll combine rigorous academic research with specialist practice to produce a substantial body of work that reflects your expertise and individual interests.
CIF – 703 – Ideas into action
Transform ambitious ideas into professionally realised projects. From initial concept through to delivery, you’ll refine your practice whilst building the organisational and entrepreneurial skills required to deliver projects in professional environments.
CIF – 704 – Making connections
Success in the music industry is built on relationships as much as talent. This module helps you expand your professional network by connecting with industry practitioners, creative organisations, community partners and potential collaborators. You’ll develop the confidence to build meaningful professional relationships, identify new opportunities and position yourself within the wider music industry.
Advanced Creative Practice Skills Labs
Alongside your postgraduate studies, you’ll have access to advanced Skills Labs each term, giving you the opportunity to further develop your specialist technical expertise. These practical sessions allow you to explore emerging creative practice techniques and encourage you to experiment with new technologies, ensuring your skills remain aligned with the latest developments in the music industry.
Fees & Entry requirements
- Minimum age 17+ for Foundation Learners and 18+ for our Accelerated Degree Courses.
- You will be expected to hold A Levels or Equivalent Level 3 Qualification(s) worth 104 UCAS Points or more **
- You will be expected to hold a GCSE in English Language / Literature at C grade/ 4 (or higher)
- Suitability for the programme will also be assessed through an audition. View audition guides
- Fees & financing information can be found on our Fees page
- Term dates can be found on the Term Dates page
If you do not have A-Levels and require moderation, please speak to our admissions team to explore the options available to you.
UCAS code: A48
UCAS points: 104 UCAS Points
Awarding body: Middlesex University
This course is presented in conjunction with our partners Middlesex university and is subject to the regulations and policies detailed here.
Tutors
Lee Gold
Pathway Lead for Music Performance and Route lead for Vocals
Toby Drummond
Senior Lecturer in Performance & Route Lead for Drums
Arran McSporran
Lecturer in Performance
Tim Walters
Senior Lecturer in Performance & Route Lead for Guitar
Michael Dunn
Senior Lecturer in Performance
AC
Route Lead for Rap/MC
