Become a versatile performer in your preferred musical style and broaden your abilities by trying out new styles, with our Music Performance degree in Cambridge.
Our BA (Hons) Music Performance will challenge your creativity. You’ll learn to analyse and deconstruct existing modes of performance, songwriting and composition before finding your own way to create new performances or rework the music of others.
As the course develops, you’ll examine increasingly complex performance scenarios, using them to inform aspects of your own live work. Weekly performance workshops in Year 2 will help you hone your stagecraft in particular styles of performance, while analysis seminars will allow you to explore vocal and instrument techniques by genre.
As a Music Performance student at ARU, you'll create a diverse portfolio of work and learn up-to-date techniques that will prepare you for the modern collaborative creative industries, whether you want to perform and release your own music, create soundtracks for films and games, or play in a band or orchestra.
Many of your modules will be shared with our other music courses, giving you the chance to collaborate with different students and develop all-important skills for your professional life, such as teamworking and time management. You’ll also have opportunities to work with students on our film and computer game degrees, creating soundtracks for their projects.
In Year 2, you’ll broaden your understanding of the modern music industry by seeking and completing a work placement in an area of your own interest. This will also help you learn to self-evaluate your transferable and employability skills and develop them further.
Our optional modules allow you to shape the course for your chosen career. For example, Music in Therapy will introduce you to the theory and practice of music therapy, as practised by registered professionals in the UK, giving you the perfect preparation to continue onto our MA Music Therapy. Composition and Orchestration will allow you to produce a portfolio comprising original compositions of your own, and arrangements of existing works, for orchestra. Audio for Film or Audio for Games will develop your competence in creating soundtracks and sound effect creation, alongside specialist skills like automated dialogue replacement or production of non-linear interactive experiences.
You can even opt for a placement year between years 2 and 3 to get ahead in the creative industries.
The UK music industry contributed £5.8 billion to the UK economy in 2019 - up 11% from £5.2 billion in 2018. (PRS for Music)
Course Details - Modules
Year 1:
Core modules
Music in Context 1
Dots, Lines and Waves - Songwriting 1
Studio Techniques
Music Performance 1
Year 2:
Core modules
Music Performance 2
Ruskin Module
Music Industry
Optional modules
Audio for Film
Audio for Games
Composition and Orchestration
Music in Therapy
Chords, Contours and Grooves - Songwriting 2
Year 3:
Placement.
Year4:Core modules
Major Project - Music
Collaborative Project
Portfolio
Course Details – Assessment Method
Our open assessment tasks will challenge you to come up with your own creative responses, giving you space for active and creative rehearsals, collaborative experimentation and the development of your own independent work.
You’ll also be assessed using different methods and strategies that reflect the wide variety of activities involved in music-making. As well as creative projects, these might include presentations/performance; essays; analytical work; portfolio development; and written and practical exams.
Course Details – Professional Bodies
Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.
How to Apply
26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application Codes
Course code:
W303
Institution code:
A60
Campus Name:
Cambridge Campus
Campus code:
Points of Entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
Year 1
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry are not listed for this Course.
International applicants
Standard Qualification Requirements
from minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), preferably to include Music, Music Technology or a related subject.
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
