BA (Hons) Digital Music (Full Time)

This innovative course, taught by music industry professionals and academics, will give you the knowledge and skills to establish a long-term career as a composer, producer and performer.

Key elements include:

• Digital music production, including audio and synthesis
• Sound design
• Constructing, editing and sequencing, using pre-recorded samples, your own audio files and MIDI
• Music for film and digital media
• Digital DJing
• Live performance
• Music industry entrepreneurship.

Course satisfaction ratings have been increasing each year, and our passionate experts are always ready to offer support and guidance.

For your final project, you will be encouraged to produce a wide range of music-based creative work. This could include:

• A concept album
• Use of circuit-bent instruments
• Virtual software instruments
• Experimental sound design and soundtracks for film and video.

Industrial focus

Members of the course team are actively involved in the music world as academics, composers, DJs, label owners performers and producers, and have close links with industry. Guest lecturers include leading music industry professionals, creatives and entrepreneurs.
Students work on live briefs, and coursework projects reflect industry practice – giving you the ideal preparation for a career in the music and creative industries.

Course content

Year 1

Six core units:

• Music Theory for Computer Musicians
• Composition for Computer Musicians
• Digital Music Production (Audio)
• Digital Music Production (Synthesis)
• Electronic Music in Context (Historical)
• Digital Music Technology.

Year 2

Five core units and one option unit:

• Concept Album
• Digital Music Live
• Music for Film
• Electronic Music in Context (Contemporary)
• Digital Music Applications.

Options:

• Music for Digital Media
• Digital DJing
• Experimental Music Production
• Songwriting
• Curriculum Plus.

Year 3

Four core units and one option unit:

• Employability and Entrepreneurship
• Collaborative Project
• Digital Music Final Major Project
• Music Industry Project.

Options:

• Researching Music Making
• Music Audiences and Consumption
• Curriculum Plus.

Why choose Solent?

Students are taught within a real-world music industry environment by established professionals including producers, composers, label owners and academics.

• The Mac-based production and teaching studio is fully equipped with high-powered computers and recent versions of Logic Studio Pro and Ableton Live.
• Informal visits to clubs, gigs and concerts.
• The course has created a vibrant and dynamic dance music community in Southampton, with regular digital music club nights featuring a wide range of genres.

Assessment

Mix of practical and theoretical projects, written assignments, presentations and final-year project.

Projects/work experience

To support their studio-based studies, students are encouraged to enter remix, mash-up and DJ competitions.

Key career skills

Communication, teamwork, project management and IT.

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Graduate quote

Chris Baker

“The type of music I am interested in is predominantly drum and bass, break-beat and dub. I work as a DJ in Southampton and also in London and Bristol, which is really giving me the chance to put into practice what I am learning on the course.

“I am really enjoying the music production side of the course. I want to continue to learn to produce music to a more professional standard and I like making tracks and DJing, both live and in the studio. We have access to industry-standard programmes on our own individual computer, including Logic 7 and Abelton Live.

“The teaching staff at Solent are amazing – it’s like learning from friends. I have found it really helpful to learn different methods and techniques from the different lecturers because they all have their own way of doing things.

“All I can say to anyone who’s interested in this as a hobby and thinks they may have what it takes is... go for it!”

Key info from UNISTATS