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This course has been designed to provide you with the necessary skills to enable you to work professionally as a performer/ songwriter in the music industry. There are a vast number of different roles and this course will equip you with the knowledge and understanding necessary to access many of these, as well as supporting progression to Higher Education courses including degree-level study. Students are encouraged to study and perform a wide range of musical styles and collaborate on original compositions and project work. During the course, you will form bands with your fellow students.
There will be a number of gig opportunities both in college and outside at professional venues. There are also opportunities for solo artists to perform. As well as developing your performance skills, you will also gain an understanding of the commercial considerations of live music. Even if you only have an interest in performing and are not interested in a music career, many of the skills you learn are extremely useful and are applicable to other industries.
Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English Language as well as an audition that requires you to demonstrate that you are competent on your instrument/voice to start rehearsing with a band.
This course is delivered over two years and will enable you to develop a portfolio of work that could support progression into a range of Higher Education courses.
Year 1 units
– Principles of music performance
– Critical listening and music composition
– Music industry and professional practice
– Critical and contextual music awareness
– Music production & performance in context
– Preparation for specialist study
– Collaborative music project
Year 2 units
– Developing music
– Exploration of specialist study
– Preparation for progression into Higher
– Education or employment
– Extended project proposal & extended project
Please note all units are mandatory in both years.
You will be taught by music industry professionals who are both qualified lecturers and specialists in their discipline. The course programme uses practical teaching methods to develop essential skills. Classroom and homework activities will help you discover fundamental aspects of the music industry and other musicrelated areas. You will be required to work independently and within groups.
You will be continually assessed in all the units on the course. Work is practical in nature with written assignments required to support this. Evidence is gathered in both written and video form, with end of year units being assessed to give the overall final grade.
You have to supply your own guitar but keyboards, drums, microphones and amps are all supplied.
Many students progress on to Higher Education to study at degree level or onto our UAL Level 4 Professional Performance course. Alternatively, you could go straight into the music industry.
You may also use the qualification to access other degrees/employment in areas such as media, film and television, broadcasting, acoustics, events/music management, music tuition, live sound and other disciplines that are not directly related to music.
We have extensive local links within the industry, many of which are owned by or employ our HSDC alumni. Examples include Victorious Festival, The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth Cultural Trust, Record Labels.
