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Popular Music at Hereford College of Arts - UCAS

Hereford College of Arts

Degree level: Undergraduate
Awarded by: University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant)

Popular Music

Course options

Course summary

Follow in the tradition of some of the UK’s greatest musicians and start your creative music career at an art school. We nurture students to develop their own voice and practice and then connect them to the ever expanding opportunities in the world. It’s a well-known secret that some of the greatest musicians studied music at arts school. Some of our best-known original thinkers and innovators have developed their musical creativity in an inspiring environment that allowed them to think differently. At HCA we support you to do the same. We’ll support you to be musically curious, to break down barriers and amaze yourself with your own daring. In a collaborative environment of like-minded individuals, in a community that allows you to develop at your own pace due to small group tuition. We give you the opportunity to discover your authentic voice while studying a wealth of musical styles. Music at HCA will equip you with the skills and experience to allow you to enter the industry on a professional level: as a performer, songwriter, event producer, soundtrack designer, to name a few. Popular music at HCA is a vocational course designed for performers, songwriters and producers who wish to graduate with all the creative skills, knowledge and experience needed to have a successful career in the music industry. From mainstream to underground, this degree embraces music in its many forms – from rock, pop, folk, urban, jazz and to the experimental. Study on an industry-focused program in an inspiring art school environment Industry Links Herefordshire has a vibrant community of musicians, producers, recording studios, venues, music festivals and community music outlets that contribute to an exciting live scene. The course will enable you to connect with the rich music ecology within the city and the wider region. After this Course This dynamic, innovative, industry-facing course is designed for students whose ambition it is to work in the music industry. Throughout your journey at HCA you will have the opportunity to develop innovative ways of achieving a portfolio of skills that are relevant to employment opportunities within music and the allied creative industries. Career destinations of a BA (Hons) graduate might include performing, producing, song writing and the wider creative industries such as digital marketing, live event management and publishing. Highlights 1. You will be taught by a strong team of industry focused lecturers combined with regular masterclasses from professionals that are designed to educate, stimulate, and motivate. 2. Access to rehearsal rooms, acoustically designed and fully equipped. Whether it be high-end digital or retro analogue, you will be able to produce and create a diverse range of professional sound recordings. 3. Develop an expertise in a business relevant to your musical interest and discover opportunities for industry based internships and graduate placements. 4. Small class sizes provide highly personalised levels of supervision and support. This will enable you to develop your own specialist practice you need for working within this dynamic sector. 5. Opportunities to collaborate with other creatives in a dynamic arts school environment.

Modules

From your first day at HCA you will work as a creative, developing your skills and your own voice through a series of projects. You will develop your creative practice, practical skills alongside your critical awareness and theoretical knowledge. You will study a range of modules that build your knowledge and confidence and total 120 credits each year. YEAR ONE/Level 4: Live Performance Workshop (40 Credits), Popular Music Culture & Identity 1 (20), In The Studio (40) , Song writing Studies (20). YEAR TWO/Level 5: The Creative Musician (40), Popular Music Culture & Identity 2 (20), Music Events & Promotion (40), Sound & Vision (20). YEAR THREE/Level 6: Specialist Practice (40), Practice in Context (20), In The City (20), Professional Portfolio (40).


How to apply

This course is not accepting applications from students requiring a Student visa. For more information, please contact the course provider.

Application codes

Course code:
W341
Institution code:
H18
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2

International applicants

We are unable to accept applications from international students (including EU/EEA) for this course.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Mature applicants with relevant experience will be considered.

Additional entry requirements

Audition

Hereford College of Arts invites all Popular Music applicants to submit an audition video. You should prepare one solo song or piece: 2-3 minutes that you feel confident and enjoy performing. This may be an original piece or a cover. You will receive an email with full guidance on this after we have received your application. In some cases, we may contact you to arrange a further chat. Don’t worry, this will be an informal meeting either face-to-face or online, to find out more about you and your work.


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
71%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9275* Year 1
Northern Ireland £9275* Year 1
Scotland £9275* Year 1
Wales £9275* Year 1
Channel Islands £9275* Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9275* Year 1

*This is a provisional fee and subject to change.

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

In addition to the degree fees, the nature of creative arts practice means you'll need to allow for additional costs, such as the materials you choose to use in your work and for trips to external events & exhibitions. The courses at HCA have been designed to minimise the impact of additional costs; all course leaders have an annual budget with some trips & materials fully funded by the College or heavily subsidised. Typically, a student will choose to spend an additional £250 in the first year, £375 in the second year & £400 in their final year, depending on the nature of their work and materials chosen. We appreciate that not all students can invest the same money in their work, and staff assessing it will not judge work by the cost of resources. The college shop includes many specialist materials at good value and digital equipment can be borrowed from the media stores at no cost to students. Students are offered an optional Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for use outside of college. In the 2023-24 academic year this cost £16.24 per month. NB: Adobe Creative Cloud is provided free to use for any student working within the college. Students on all courses may also have the chance to take part in optional trips that require payments towards their costs. Again, non-attendance will not incur assessment penalties, though trips are designed to help students develop their practice. There is an optional annual cross-course residential trip abroad. In the 2023-24 academic year, the trip was a four-day visit to Paris at a cost to students of £425. This fee included a shared dorm room and all travel costs from Hereford to Paris including Eurostar tickets. *Support Available from Hereford College of Arts* The HCA Cash Bursary: is designed to benefit students who are starting Higher Education for the first time; are ordinarily resident in England; the student must be liable to pay the full £9,000 tuition fee for their course and be from a low-income family (£25,000 a year or less). The student must also be in receipt of the full Higher Education Maintenance Loan. Each cash bursary is £1,000 which students receive in their first year only. *Care Leaver Bursary* Care leavers will be offered free accommodation with City Heart at Station Approach accommodation for their first year only. Care leaver students will be able to stay there until the end of their first year (not over the Summer) and will also receive the Cash Bursary of £1,000. Care leaver students will also receive a Care Leaver Bursary of £1,000 in both their second and third year. Evidence of being a care leaver must be in the form of an original letter showing Care Leaver Status from your local authority. *Partner Colleges Progression Bursary* A Progression Bursary of £500 for full-time study or £250 for part-time is available to students from our progression partner colleges*, in their first year only, who have successfully completed a Level 3 or equivalent course within the last 2 academic years and progress on to a degree programme at HCA. *Partner Colleges: Bath College, Belfast Met, Bourneville, South & City College, Cirencester College, City of Bristol College, Coleg y Cymoedd, Dudley College, Evesham College, Gloucestershire College – ALL Campuses, Gower College, Grantham College, Halesowen College, Heart of Worcestershire College, Hereford College of Arts, Herefordshire & Ludlow College, Hereford Sixth Form, Malvern Hills College, Newent Sixth Form, NWRC Derry, NPTC group, Plumpton College, Shrewsbury College, South Gloucestershire & Stroud College, Stratford Upon Avon College, Swindon College & Worcester Sixth Form. *Internal Progression Bursary* All students who have successfully completed a Level 3 course within the last two academic years at HCA and progress to undergraduate study at HCA will be eligible to receive a bursary of £500 for full-time study or £250 for Part-time in their first year only.
Popular Music at Hereford College of Arts - UCAS