Songwriting
About this course
The Songwriting degree is designed for those who have aspirations of being an artist, writing music for the church, or working within the broader music industry.
This course is focused on developing the range of techniques, skills and approaches required to be a songwriter. Throughout your study you will receive expert tuition and practical experience in the areas of lyric writing, melody composition, prosody and form. Further modules will focus on the development of a portfolio of material, both in a recorded and live performance context.
As a Songwriting student you will study directly alongside musicians and sound, video and lighting technicians. This unique environment provides regular access to those with the skillsets to bring your songs to life—whether on stage or in the studio.
In order to fully develop your skill, the Songwriting degree contains a regular roster of guest speakers and lecturers, as we draw upon those that have expertise in every area of the music industry to help prepare you for life beyond your studies. When combined with the strong Biblical discipleship ethos that exists at Nexus ICA, the result is that you will be better equipped within your career, church and beyond.
A vibrant, faith-filled community
Nexus ICA is committed to the education of the whole person, and a strong sense of community is an integral part of what we do. There are regular opportunities to spend time together as a whole school, and staff and students come together weekly to socialise, pray and worship together.
It is a key part of our educational ethos that education best takes place in smaller groups. Our staff-to-student ratio allows us to adopt a unique approach, where staff have the time to work alongside each student and create an experience that is tailored to them.
There are many opportunities throughout the duration of the course to get involved in a variety of aspects of life here at Nexus ICA. Students are encouraged to contribute to a wide-range of causes and events during their time here, creating a diverse learning experience that will enrich many aspects of your life.
Committed to your career
There is a growing demand for songwriters, both within a church context and within the wider music industries. The Songwriting BA (Hons) can be the springboard between you and an incredibly rewarding and long-lasting career.
The course is designed to develop the many employability skills that enable people to thrive within their careers, and each student should leave Nexus ICA with radically improved communication skills, work ethic and time management—the attributes that, time and time again, enable people to ensure they are always in demand.
If you aspire to become a professional songwriter, then this course can help turn these dreams into a reality.
Modules
Modules Year 1
• Lyrics, Harmony & Melody
• Arrangement & Accompaniment
• Pursuit of Worship 1; Identity & Principles
• Form and Production
• Song Analysis
• Live Performance Workshop
Modules Year 2
• Contemporary Christian Song
• The Integration of Art & Faith
• Pursuit of Worship 2; Application & Context
• Writing to Brief
• Music Technology; A Creative Approach
• Contextual Studies
Modules Year 3
• Professional Development & Career Planning (Core Module)
• Music Performance & Professional Practice (Core Module)
• Research Project (Core Module)
• Artistic Voice (Core Module)
• Understanding Creative Industries (Optional)
• Contemporary Worship Practice (Optional)
The Uni
Nexus Institute of Creative Arts (Nexus ICA)
London College of Music
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£15k
£20k
£22k
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.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (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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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:
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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?
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