Course summary

If you see yourself as a record producer, production company manager, studio engineer, sound designer, or even a recording artist, this course could be the right one for you. Substantial time will be spent in the studio where you’ll learn about audio applications and explore a number of processing techniques. You’ll develop relevant management skills and a firm understanding of the music business, helping you to leave BNU ready to hit the ground running in this competitive, exciting and rewarding industry. In the Foundation Year of this four-year course, you’ll build essential academic study skills. This year will help you gain confidence in your abilities. You’ll also identify your strengths and areas for development. Together, these will prepare you for progression to the undergraduate degree. After your Foundation Year, this course has a shared first year across multiple specialisms. After your first year, if you want to study a different specialism you can choose to change between: BA (Hons) Music Production; BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production; & BA (Hons) Music Production and Business. Why study at Buckinghamshire New University? All our music degrees at BNU come with membership of UK Music’s Music Academic Partnership (MAP). UK Music is the collective voice of the UK’s world-leading music industry. We represent all sectors of our industry – bringing them together to collaborate, campaign, and champion music. The members of UK Music are: AIM, BPI, FAC, The Ivors Academy, MMF, MPA, MPG, MU, PPL, PRS for Music. UK Music also has an informal association with LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment). MAP is a ground-breaking collaboration between educational institutions and UK Music, and is designed to maximise the relationship between the industry and educational institutions in order to inform the next generation of industry professionals. Fundamentally MAP provides extra opportunities to individuals who want to build careers out of their passion for music. What will I study? During this course you’ll learn about the importance of intellectual property (the ownership of an idea) and develop a solid understanding of how to negotiate contracts. This will ensure you know how a real living can be made upon graduation. You’ll learn about the unique nature of dealing with recording artists and how to maximise the potential of compositions with a variety of recording techniques. Additionally, we'll also spend time focusing on a number of DIY approaches to the music business. In the studio we’ll teach you how to use Pro Tools professionally and look at how music is evolving through advanced technologies. You’ll develop an understanding of studio hardware, microphone characteristics, sound capture and mixing. We’ll also look at stereo effects, ambient techniques, composition and structure. The growing area of sound design and music for film, animation, games and other media forms is also addressed. How will I be taught and assessed? This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree. A variety of assessment vehicles will be used as appropriate to the modules you take, including assignments carried out in your own time, in-class assignments, workshops and presentations. Assessments will be appropriate to the task, achievable, motivating and vocationally focussed, forming a constructive part of your learning process.