Detail

The demands made of the musician in the modern commercial music industry require advanced musicianship skills. Consistent employment and success within the industry are still dependent on the individual having such highly developed skills. The underlying strength of the course will be the importance placed on musicianship in all the elements and the development of the individual as a musician. This will offer advancement within the industry as well as towards further study.

The commercial music industry is in a state of rapid technology advancement, with many varied skills being required of the practitioners in this business. Recent advances in technology have made the industry much more accessible to the individual and it is now beginning to move away from the corporate control which has been the traditional structure. The music business is wide ranging taking in many music types, cultures, styles and tastes. The individual will increasingly play a major part in developing new product.

With more access to the tools of the industry the individual will take on a range of roles including composer, performer, producer and engineer. It is the combination of technology and the individual, which makes this area of business full of potential. The course philosophy will involve giving the individual this access and so developing the traditional role of the musician in pace with the developments within the industry.

Further, as part of your Programme, you will have the opportunity to study for additional musical qualifications - including, for example, those administered by the Guild Hall and the ABRSM - intended to improve your musicianship and make you even more desirable to future employers and/or universities.

Another distinctive feature of this Programme is the inclusion of work based learning, which enables you to undertake professional work in addition to your lecture-based teaching and study. This is designed to allow you to demonstrate your skills in work relevant to your area of study and develop an understanding of the world of employment.

Modules

A major feature of this course is new dedicated rehearsal and lecture spaces, which are all furnished with industry specification equipment, the focal point being a state of the art studio and computer suites using the latest music software. Additionally, a large, well specified P.A. system is available for live performances.
Modules:
    Instrumental Studies
    Performance Studies
    Language of Music
    Computer Music Production 1
    Modern Composition
    Performance Project
    Audio Recording
    Performance Skills
    Computer Music Production 2
    Instrumental Focus
    Band Studies
    Studio Production
  
What will these modules cover?
 
During Stage 1 the student will be able to develop skills in all areas of the subject and then utilise these skills in the project work in Stage 2. In brief, the modules listed above propose to cover the following:
Instrumental Studies
This module develops instrumental skills and involves a study of scales and chords (rudiments for percussionists), reading and sight reading techniques, stylistic techniques and structured practice skills. This module also develops the students ability to improvise effectively over a range of harmonic and rhythmic stimuli and will involve the study and analysis of improvisational techniques to include the use of musical and stylistic devices. An essential aspect of instrumental skills is the development of listening skills and therefore the module will introduce the student to the listening library.
Performance Studies
This module involves a study of varied repertoire, structured practice and performance analysis and preparation skills and builds on the skills developed in Instrumental Studies. The student will visit and take part in performances at a variety of venues.
Performance Project
This module develops an awareness and understanding of the skills required for the process and production of professional performances. It involves the study and development of both group and individual planning, rehearsing, communication and presentation skills. It will also involve performances both within the college and at a variety of local venues.
Computer Music Production 1
The aim of this module is to provide students with the necessary skills and understanding that musicians require in operating the kind of music sequencing and non-sequencing software and associated hardware which has become so important in the contemporary music industry.
Audio Recording
This module explores the use of the traditional and emerging approaches to technology including microphone techniques, digital and analogue storage systems, signal processing, MIDI applications and mastering.
Language Of Music
This module will give the student a heightened awareness of the elements of music. Through analysis of a wide range of music the student will cultivate a knowledge of the development of commercial music. It will also reinforce the link between music as sound and music as notation. As such, this module is fundamental to the acquisition of knowledge and skills in many of the other modules.
Modern Composition
This module is about developing and applying skills in harmony and composition, by creating and developing musical ideas in contrasting styles and forms for varying instrumental and vocal combinations and producing a portfolio of original work.. The module will analyse the work of others, and so, foster an understanding of 'good practice', and will be underpinned by a knowledge and understanding of 'jazz' and 'commercial' music chord structures and chord progressions. It will involve a study of the creative compositional process from the initial idea to the final version of the song. There will be the opportunity to study the techniques and influences of an individual songwriter or songwriting team. This module is also analyze and apply the concepts and techniques in composing music for the media industries. It will involve the study of established practitioners working in this idiom.
Instrumental Focus
This module enables the student to focus on a specific musical style in the continued development of their instrumental and improvisational skills and to include the use of musical and stylistic devices in performance through the study and analysis of 'Classic Solos'. There will be an analysis of the techniques and skills of an individual together with their place in historical context. This module also continues the development of reading and sight reading techniques and structured practice and involves a study of advanced scales, chords (rudiments for percussionists).
Performance Skills
This module is about the development and application of instrumental performance skills in preparation for the professional environment. It involves the preparation and presentation of a varied repertoire in group and solo performance. It includes techniques of memory, communication, control of tension, improvisation and critical listening. It deals with the demands of the instrument and involves regular practice.
Band Studies
This module looks at the three stages of a performance - planning, rehearsal, and the performance itself. It improves the student's ability to perform, to contribute positively to a group to communicate effectively with others. It will involve performances at a variety of local venues.
Computer Music Production 2
The aim of this module is to analyse and apply the techniques and procedures involved in the production of music involving computers and related technologies. It examines a range of hardware and software options with a view to integrating them within the production process and the individual creative resource.

Studio Production
Through appraisal, practice and contextual study, this module investigates a range of techniques, both musical and technical, for the production of music in the multi-track recording studio to a professional standard - incorporating pre-production and post-production processes.

Methods of Study:
A variety of methods will be employed, including lectures, tutorials, visual aids, practical workshops and presentations.
The Programme is based upon student-centred learning through which you can develop a full approach to and take responsibility for your own learning. The College aims to provide a stimulating environment that will allow you to:
    Have access to resources that will help you develop as learners
    Interact with staff and collaborate with other learners
    Develop skills and self-awareness of your own learning process
    Develop increasing independence in learning
    These aims are reflected by the Programme provision as follows:
    You will receive tuition and guidance from your Module Leaders throughout the Programme
    Your Personal Tutor will provide you with regular individual tutoring and advice on progress and learning
    strategies
    You will be provided with classroom teaching, tutorials and seminars
    You will be required to make individual contributions , and co-operate in team work with other students,
    as part of individual modules
    You will receive regular assignments of which the aims, objectives and assessment criteria will be made
    clear
    You will be given detailed feedback, and academic staff support, on all assignments
    You will be have various resources available to you, including library, and computing facilities

Assessment:
Assessment within the Foundation Degree in Commercial Music takes a wide variety of forms, which reflects the need to develop a range of knowledge, understanding and skills.
Coursework is normally done in your own time - although there may be exceptions to this. For example, some types of coursework may require you to make a presentation or take part in an seminar. In addition, there may be in-class tests. These are technically regarded as coursework and are normally scheduled in the normal lecture time.

Extra Information:
There is a healthy HE music community at Truro College through an interaction with the HND Sound Engineering and the BA Contemporary World Jazz Degree.

The Future:
The Programme has been designed to enable you to have a variety of options available upon successful completion of your Foundation Degree.
It will provide you with a valuable autonomous and marketable HE qualification, which demonstrates that you have the combination of technical skills, academic knowledge and transferable skills demanded by employers which can lead directly to employment.
Alternatively, it offers you the opportunity of continuing your studies in order to gain an Honours degree. There is an articulated progression route to Stage 3 of the BA (Hons) degree with the University of Plymouth.

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