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Popular Music Performance

Entry requirements


From a minimum of 2 A Levels

Accepted when studied alongside other Level 3 qualifications

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

Pass in Access course with 60 credits overall including 45 Level 3 credits passed with a minimum of Merit.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

HNC (BTEC)

P-D

HND (BTEC)

P-M

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

28-31

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

D*D

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)

D*D

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

104-120

From a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Extended Diploma or OCR Extended Diploma. For detailed information on accepted qualifications, please view our Course Entry Statement (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/documents/course-entry-requirement-statement.pdf) Solent University is a proud champion of widening participation. For further information about our contextual offer, please visit our website (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/what-next/contextual-offers)

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

You may also need to…

Perform an audition

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Popular music performance

**Popular Music Performance scored 96% for student overall student satisfaction and in the top 20 in the UK. (NSS 2020)**

Looking to start a career as a performer, songwriter, creative artist or studio musician? Solent University’s BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance programme brings together practical, theoretical and vocational learning to help launch your musical career.

Throughout the course you’ll be supported to develop a wide range of musical skills alongside academic, research and critical-thinking proficiencies that are relevant to many different careers.

The course features extensive study of the music industries including copyright, contract law and career pathways. You’ll also be encouraged to develop transferable skills in research, IT, presentation, teamwork, creative thinking, communication and project management.

The curriculum is taught by a highly experienced course team, many of whom are active industry experts with professional experience in performance, studio and live sound, electronic sound design and the business and culture of music production. The team’s industry links also enable a handpicked selection of students to record at the world-renowned Abbey Road Studios.

You’ll study in our industry-standard facilities, including rehearsal rooms and recording studios – and will have access to full backline and PA during your rehearsals and classes.

Beyond timetabled seminars and workshops you will be encouraged to engage with Southampton’s thriving music scene. By promoting your own shows, you’ll cultivate your talents and expand your understanding of real-world arrangement, composition and stagecraft.

Southampton is home to various nationally renowned venues including the O2 Guildhall and The Joiners. This vibrant mix of venues has encouraged a diverse range of local music scenes, perfect for gaining on-stage performing experience.

**What does this course lead to?**
Graduates from this course have gone on to work in professional performance, songwriting, artist development, live sound, teaching, and technical support.

**Who is this course for?**
Solent’s popular music performance course is suitable for both schooled and self-taught musicians who are interested in building a career as a self-motivated, skilled performer.

Applicants should have performance experience on at least one of the following: keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, or vocals.

You will create music as part of the course but evidence of music theory skills at entry is not compulsory.

Modules

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Individual Performance 1
Live Performance 1
Creative Music Industries
Recital and Instrumental Sjills 1
Studio Performance 1
Theory and Listening Skills

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Individual Performance 2
Live Performance 2
Music Portfolio Careers
Recital and Instrumental Skills 2
Studio Performance 2

YEAR 2 - OPTIONS (Please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Introduction to Experimental Music
Songwriting Techniques

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Individual Performance 3
Advanced Music Performance
Entrepreneurship and Artist Development
Major Project

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (Please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Songwriting Portfolio
Experimental Music Performance

Assessment methods

This course is assessed via a range of performances, recordings, presentations, written assignments, music theory exercises, music portfolios, and website(s)/blogs. There may also be video presentations or other forms negotiated with your tutor.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,125
per year
International
£16,125
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries

The Uni


Course location:

Solent University (Southampton)

Department:

Department of Art and Music

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

66%
Popular music performance

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Music

Teaching and learning

72%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
73%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
63%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

80%
Library resources
80%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
59%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

78%
UK students
22%
International students
62%
Male students
38%
Female students
62%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Music

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£16,238
med
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

20%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
11%
Other elementary services occupations
11%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Music

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£16k

£16k

£19k

£19k

£23k

£23k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of West London | Ealing
Performance and Music Management
BMus (Hon) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-128
Lower entry requirements
BIMM University | Brighton and Hove
Popular Music Performance
BMus (Hon) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 32
Nearby University
University of Chichester | Chichester
Performance
BMus (Hon) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96-112

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here