Online Master degree M.Mus Music & Sound

In affiliation with the London College of Music and the University of West London, the AMSonline M.Mus Music & Sound has been developed to address the needs of contemporary musicians on a practical, academic and professional basis delivered by highly qualified professionals active in the music industry.

Course

• Explore in-depth an area of study that interests you, specific to a performance or production pathway
• Expand and develop your competitive edge
• Gain academic recognition to explore theories and ideas

M.Mus Music & Sound

Performance Pathway

Performance Portfolio 1

Consolidate and build on performance skills with a focus on stylistic interpretation, technique, and creativity.

Music Direction Skills

In this module, you will source an ensemble and rehearse repertoire with them as the musical director. Your job is to construct a repertoire and rehearse your ensemble in preparation for a performance.

Postgraduate Research Methods

Undertake several tasks related to your discipline, including building documentation of research and dissertation proposal or project with an annotated bibliography.

Critical Perspectives

Develop an understanding of key critical approaches to the study of popular music through an examination of the key literature. Study a series of important practitioners, genres, and milestones from the landscape of popular music through analysis and critical thinking.

Performance Portfolio 2

Building upon the work completed in Performance Portfolio 1, further develop skills as a performer. Key factors include the development and expansion of heightened technical performance ability, alongside interpretative and stylistic traits.

Level 7 Project

This is a student-led, individually negotiated project. The module allows students an opportunity to devise and execute an ambitious and personal, self-managed project that expands and enhances the knowledge and many of the skills acquired during their course

Options

Songwriting

The Songwriting module gives you the opportunity to engage in the development, management and execution of a high-quality song portfolio. Applying a myriad of songwriting techniques and conventions, you will create a song portfolio realised via basic recordings and lead sheets.

Music Pedagogy

This module provides an excellent opportunity for students to test their potential as music educators. It is intended that the module gives students a flavour of working in education and also equips them with valuable skills that are transferable to their careers.

Creative Recording

This module is about you ‘finding your voice’ as a recording artist, focusing on your principal instrument and/or voice in the context of a recording which features at least two other instruments.

Production Pathway

Level 7 Project

This is a student-led, individually negotiated project. The module allows students an opportunity to devise and execute an ambitious and personal, self-managed project that expands and enhances the knowledge and many of the skills acquired during their course.

Postgraduate Research Methods

Undertake several tasks related to your discipline, including building documentation of research and dissertation proposal or project with an annotated bibliography.

Critical Perspectives

Develop an understanding of key critical approaches to the study of popular music through an examination of the key literature. Study a series of important practitioners, genres, and milestones from the landscape of popular music through analysis and critical thinking.

Music Production Skills

This module takes as its starting point the idea that musical performance for a recorded output is very different from concert performance. The Record Producer and the Performer not only have to be aware of what those differences are but also of what is required in the studio and how to achieve it.

Production Portfolio 1

This module aims to enhance technical, creative and innovative production skills, as well as consolidating and heightening your evaluation of stylistic and technical issues. You will be expected to achieve and maintain a high level of advanced production skills in order to fulfil your potential and develop practical skills to a professional level.

Production Portfolio 2

This module will build on skills gained in the Music Production Skills and Production Portfolio-1 modules. The module aims to enhance technical, creative and innovative production skills, as well as consolidating and heightening your evaluation of stylistic and technical issues. The focus of this module is to select a commercially viable repertoire.

Options

Songwriting

The Songwriting module gives you the opportunity to engage in the development, management and execution of a high-quality song portfolio. Applying a myriad of songwriting techniques and conventions, you will create a song portfolio realised via basic recordings and lead sheets.

Music Pedagogy

This module provides an excellent opportunity for students to test their potential as music educators. It is intended that the module gives students a flavour of working in education and also equips them with valuable skills that are transferable to their careers.

Applied Sampling Techniques

By engaging in parallel with analogue & digital, software & hardware, hybrid-production workflows (recording, sampling, synthesis, programming, mixing and mastering), this module offers opportunities for original application of advanced audio techniques, pushing the expressive boundaries of the sonic medium, and contextualising current practice through the lens of forward-thinking (auto)ethnographic analysis.

Entry Requirements

Minimum of a 2:1 in a related undergraduate qualification, plus a successful audition and interview. Equivalent overseas qualifications will be considered.

If you have an undergraduate qualification in an unrelated subject but are an experienced performer, you can still be considered based on your musical abilities.

Please contact our team in order to be guided on how to present a performance portfolio to supplement your application.

Progression

Studying at this level will broaden your horizons as a musician and scholar, to support you in a multi-faceted career. This Master will enable you to explore areas of interest in greater depth, develop new skills and open new avenues of investigation both musically and academically.

Audition & Interview

After you have completed your online application form you will be invited to a Zoom interview with one of our admissions team. We have start dates in February and September each year.

How long will it last?

Full time 3 x 12 week trimesters, start dates of February and September each year.