BA (Hons) Popular Music - 2026 Entry

History of Popular Music 

You’ll explore how popular music has evolved from the early 20th century to today, examining major genres, artists, and cultural movements. You’ll investigate how technology and society shape musical trends, while deepening your understanding of musical forms and concepts. This module encourages you to link theory with practice through your own compositions, allowing you to creatively respond to key developments in music history. 

Musicianship Foundations 1: Theory and Tools 

You’ll gain a solid grounding in music theory, aural perception, and digital musicianship. Through hands-on learning, you’ll explore core elements like melody, harmony, and rhythm, developing the fluency needed for performance and composition. The module also equips you with essential digital tools to express musical ideas clearly and confidently across different creative and academic contexts. 

Musicianship Foundations 2: Applied Theory 

You’ll build on your theoretical and practical knowledge by applying musical concepts directly to creative tasks. This module develops your fluency in key areas like melody, harmony, and rhythm, while enhancing your aural and digital musicianship skills. You’ll actively engage with theory to support composition and performance, gaining confidence in using digital tools to convey and refine your musical ideas. 

Popular Music in Context 

You’ll explore how popular music reflects and shapes identity, politics, and culture. This module investigates the broader social, historical, and economic forces behind music production and consumption, including media and technology. Through listening, analysis, and discussion, you’ll develop your ability to interpret music in context, and you’ll be encouraged to apply your insights in your own compositional work. 

Foundational Performance 1 

You’ll develop essential skills in popular music performance through one-to-one tuition, workshops, and seminars. This module supports your technical growth and musicianship while encouraging a collaborative, personalised approach. You’ll strengthen your instrumental or vocal technique and explore your performance identity, laying the foundation for confident, expressive, and adaptable musical practice. 

Foundational Performance 2 

You’ll continue developing your performance skills, building on the techniques and experiences from Foundational Performance 1. Working closely with your tutor, you’ll refine your individual style and strengthen your adaptability in a collaborative music environment. The module deepens your musicianship and enhances your confidence as you integrate technical development with expressive, performance-focused creativity.

Performance 1: Skills 

You’ll build a solid foundation in performance by blending technical development with your own musical expression. Through one-to-one tuition, workshops, and lectures, you’ll enhance your musicianship, part-writing, and instrumental or vocal technique. This module supports your creative growth through structured exercises, helping you become a more confident and adaptable performer ready to engage with collaborative music-making. 

Performance 2: Technique 

You’ll deepen your technical and artistic development, strengthening your individual performance style through tailored tuition and collaborative learning. This module supports your growth as a creative professional, combining workshops, lectures, and practice to improve your musicianship and stage presence. You’ll explore performance from technical and expressive angles, preparing for real-world creative and industry expectations. 

Creative Environments 1 (Pop and Folk) 

You’ll develop key skills in collaborative performance and digital production using industry-standard tools. Through band rehearsals and Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) sessions, you’ll enhance your stagecraft, musical communication, and technical fluency. This module provides a hands-on introduction to creating, performing, and producing within a digital environment, helping you realise your musical ideas with confidence and precision. 

Creative Environments 2 (Pop and Folk) 

You’ll build on your collaborative and technical skills by refining your rehearsal strategies and deepening your understanding of DAW-based production. Through live performance and digital workshops, you’ll develop your musicianship, explore arrangement techniques, and learn how to shape ideas into strong demo recordings. This module strengthens your creative process in both live and studio settings. 

Musical Analysis (Pop, Folk, Songwriting) 

You’ll explore the structures, techniques, and creative decisions behind influential songs and records. Using analytical tools, you’ll study arrangement, songcraft, and form—then apply these insights to your own music. Through lectures and peer discussion, you’ll sharpen your technical vocabulary, deepen your compositional understanding, and develop a more focused and reflective creative approach. 

Musical Contexts (Pop, Folk, Songwriting) 

You’ll examine how music operates within social, cultural, and industry frameworks. This module introduces musicological and theoretical approaches that help you understand music as both an art form and a commercial product. By analysing repertoire and musical discourse, you’ll gain the tools to critically evaluate your work and position your creative output within wider contexts.

Performance 3: Artistry 

You’ll take a more focused approach to developing your unique performance identity. Through personalised tuition, workshops, and lectures, you’ll refine your instrumental or vocal skills while exploring artistry in recorded and live performance. This module supports your growth as a creative performer with a distinct musical voice, ready for collaborative professional environments. 

Performance 4: Creativity 

You’ll continue to develop your expressive range, performance strategies, and artistic direction. Alongside technical and stylistic refinement, you’ll explore the songwriting process and how your influences shape your creative identity. This module supports professional practice and experimentation, helping you evolve as a disciplined, original performer with an understanding of your place in the industry. 

Creative Environments 3 (Pop and Folk) 

You’ll strengthen your band performance and DAW production skills, focusing on rehearsal efficiency, stagecraft, and stylistic interpretation. In parallel, you’ll gain confidence with mixing techniques like track organisation, gain staging, and balancing. Through feedback and workshops, you’ll refine both your musical performance and your technical execution in a studio environment. 

Creative Environments 4 (Pop and Folk) 

You’ll further develop as a versatile performer and producer by engaging with live performance techniques and DAW-based creativity. This module explores advanced stagecraft, sound manipulation, and digital effects, helping you shape your identity as a contemporary artist. You’ll prepare compositions for live delivery while aligning your work with industry standards and expectations. 

Industry 1: Infrastructure (Pop, Songwriting, Folk) 

You’ll explore the structure and workings of the UK music industry, gaining insights into income streams, management, legal frameworks, and professional bodies. This module provides the essential knowledge to start building a career as a songwriter or performer. You’ll learn to navigate industry mechanics and develop transferable business skills for long-term sustainability. 

Industry 2: Portfolio Skills (Pop, Songwriting, Folk) 

You’ll explore three complementary disciplines—Journalism, Pedagogy, and Musicology—to broaden your career prospects. This module helps you develop skills that can support or extend your creative practice. Through lectures and practical tasks, you’ll gain the tools to deliver work in one of these areas, strengthening your employability and portfolio as a music professional.

Major Performance Showcase 

You’ll consolidate your artistic voice and professional identity through a high-level performance project. Supported by tuition and workshops, you’ll refine your technique, stylistic fluency, and creative control. This module gives you the platform to demonstrate discipline, individuality, and professionalism as you prepare for a career in the music industry. 

Focus 1 (Pop, Songwriting, Folk) 

You’ll design and deliver a specialist project that aligns with your professional goals in ensemble performance, collaborative songwriting, or research. This module lets you showcase the skills and insights developed throughout your degree. You’ll refine your creative or academic approach while producing work that meets professional industry standards and reflects your artistic identity. 

Focus 2 (Pop, Songwriting, Folk) 

You’ll continue to develop your chosen specialism—whether performance, songwriting, or research—through a major project. Building on Focus 1, you’ll deepen your expertise and creative focus while demonstrating originality and professionalism. This module supports your transition into industry or further study by encouraging self-direction and high-level project delivery. 

Industry 3: Strategy (Pop, Songwriting, Folk) 

You’ll learn how to promote and position yourself in the music industry using strategic tools like marketing, branding, and digital presence. Through case studies and practical work, you’ll explore how artists build sustainable careers. You’ll develop networking skills and gain the knowledge to release music, build an audience, and navigate industry landscapes. 

Industry 4: Implementation (Pop, Songwriting, Folk) 

You’ll bring together everything you've learned in your industry studies to shape your unique career path. This module helps you develop your creative vision, visual identity, and professional presentation. You’ll gain experience in branding, career planning, and income strategies, preparing you to secure employment or launch yourself as a self-employed music professional.