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ONLINE PROSPECTUS
Fast
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For Industr
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www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline
Contents
ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC ONLINE 4-5
BA (HONS) IN MUSIC AND SOUND 6-7
FOUNDATION DEGREE IN MUSIC & SOUND 8-9
MMUS IN POPULAR MUSIC PERFORMANCE 10-11
HOW TO APPLY 12-13
FEES AND FINANCE 13
CONTACT 14
2 - your career in music 3
About AMS Online
Our students are at the heart of AMS Online supported by our team of dedicated
mentors. We offer specialist music performance, production and business
education applicable to a career in the modern music industry.
Sister company to the Academy of Music and Sound UK, AMS online offers
international and national musicians a global network of music education by music
industry professionals.
AMS Online allows you to enhance your career through online study and distance
learning. This would be suitable if you travel, work, live abroad or you just prefer to
work from the comfort of home.
Courses are delivered online via our dedicated web portal which offers structured
and interactive learning materials, weekly video contact with your course mentor
and masterclasses from leading music professionals.
We pride ourselves on being able to provide a personal service to each of
our students, ensuring that your journey aligns with your musical and career
aspirations.
INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
We offer the option to undertake a BA (Hons) fast-track for students with industry
experience (5+ years). We map your previous experience against the first two years
of the degree allowing you to progress straight onto the final year and achieve a
full BA (Hons).
CONTACT
0843 224 9300
[email protected]
4 - your career in music 5
BA (Hons) Music & Sound
1 YEAR FEES £6,165 FULL TIME (1YEAR) • PART TIME (18 MONTHS)
Equivalent to the 3rd year of a degree, this flexible top-up year is designed to
follow on from our Foundation Degree in Music & Sound, but would also suit
any applicants studying a music related HND, Foundation Degree or indeed
those with recognised industry experience. Validated by the University of West
London, the course has been developed to mirror the modern music industry,
allowing students to learn the skills to become independent, multi-skilled music
practitioners, fluent with various forms of multi-media.
COURSE
• Encompass all aspects of the modern day DIY musician, helping you to
become an independent artist, band or business
• Gain practical skills whilst building a portfolio of music, contacts and
experience
• Prepare to work within industries, such as gaming and advertising
• Have time, space and opportunity to develop your own sound and work on
your material
LEVEL 6 PROJECT
Engage in a large-scale project in an area of your choice: PROGRESSION
performance, songwriting, composition, dissertation, music OPTIONAL MODULES
production, event management and multi-media. You will be able to progress to postgraduate level onto a course such as our
M.Mus in Popular Music Performance. You will have honed your music-related SHOWCASE STUDIES
MUSIC AND SOUND FOR MEDIA
skills to a professional standard and will have gained an extensive transferable This performance-based module helps students to work
Study the academic theories behind matching music and towards presenting a live showcase that is supported by
sound with media and put them into practice when creating
skill-set. This could be used to either enter the industry or build up your own
business. relevant and effective promotional materials.
your own soundtrack to a given film clip.
ADVANCED STUDIO PRODUCTION
RECORDING PROJECT
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Create your own portfolio of professional productions while
There is a large market for music that film and TV developing a keen understanding of the techniques and
production companies can take ‘off the shelf’ for genres Foundation degree, HND or equivalent qualification in performance or production working practices of leading producers.
such as sport, gameshows, wildlife etc. In this module, plus successful audition and interview. Applicants with relevant industry
you will create your own portfolio of original music experience (5+ years) may be accepted through Recognition of Prior Learning ADVANCED RADIO PRODUCTION
suitable for submitting to a publisher that covers a wide (RPL). Enjoy the challenges of making your own short radio play
range of moods, styles and uses. production that encompasses theme music, incidental
Before the start of each semester, you will be asked to pick any optional music, sound effects (foley) and dialogue editing.
FREELANCE PORTFOLIO
modules to study.
Develop a viable music industry product with all MUSIC MANAGEMENT PROJECT
accompanying business research and requirements This module is largely self-directed: with the option
(business plan, website etc). This will be your calling card of specialising in music or artists management, retail
when you graduate. management or crowd funding.
6 - your career in music 7
SOUND PRACTICE
How to use hardware-based studio recording systems
for the recording of live instruments: from a guitar to a full
Foundation
drum-kit
POPULAR MUSIC STYLES 1
Degree in Music &
An in-depth, chronological study of all the main popular
music genres from the second half of the 20th century to
the present day.
Sound
MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION FULL TIME 2 YEARS FEES £6,165
Work as part of a team to create engaging content for
platforms such as YouTube.
The Foundation Degree in Music & Sound is developed to mirror the modern
MUSIC RADIO PRODUCTION music industry, helping students gain the skills to be independent, multi-skilled OPTIONAL MODULES
This involves producing an exciting live music show, music practitioners, fluent with various forms of multimedia. The Foundation
encompassing DJ voice, music, links, idents, adverts and Degree in Music & Sound is fully validated by the University of West London, PERFORMANCE STUDIES (1A, 1B, 2A, AND 2B)
interviews. which encompasses the London College of Music. A Foundation Degree is a Instrument specific tuition on your chosen instrument.
combined academic and vocational qualification, equivalent to two thirds of an Guitar, bass, drums and vocal lessons, all underpinned by
RADIO DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION honours degree, high-quality instructional videos, written and recorded by
Research and analyse various production models before the best teachers and players in the UK.
producing a radio documentary of broadcast quality.
COURSE MUSIC PRODUCER
BUSINESS INNOVATIONS AND ENTERPRISE Study topics that will provide a comprehensive grounding
Study various business strategies (including crowd funding) • Learn skills to work in different industries, including music, advertising and in the musical knowledge and skill required to make a well-
before submitting provisional plans for a viable business gaming rounded popular music producer pop song form.
idea.
• Gain practical skills while building a portfolio of music, contacts and experience PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES
INTERACTIVE MUSIC AND SOUND FOR VIDEO GAMES Builds on the music-related themes developed in Music
Learn how to create appropriate music for a format built for • Develop the ability to work freelance with several income streams Producer. The bulk of this module is devoted to developing
active participants including voice-overs, character-specific skills relating to understanding harmony and developing
• Time, space and the equipment to develop your own sound and work on your
musical motifs, sound effects etc. songwriting skills.
material
GENRE PRODUCTION
PROGRESSION Producers will learn how to record live audio and produce
in the styles of rock, funk, disco, acoustic and a genre of
You will be able to progress to the BA (Hons) Music & Sound top up year to gain choice.
your full BA (Hons) Degree. You will have honed your music-related skills to a
MIXING & MASTERING FOR MEDIA
professional standard and will have gained an extensive transferable skill-set. This
(TV/RADIO/WEB/CINEMA)
could be used to either enter the industry or build up your own business.
This module involves studying all aspects of audio
mastering for a wide range of different media.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Utilise plug-ins like Slate and iZotope to master your music
and sound appropriate for each medium. Cover vital topics
Minimum of a 48 UCAS points plus a successful audition and interview. such as levels, crest factor, RMS, compression, EQ, limiting,
Experienced musicians and producers without formal qualifications may be stereo widening, dither, ISRC coding and ID3 tagging.
considered based on their industry experience.
TV ADVERT PRODUCTION
Work to a commercial brief to create an effective TV advert,
learning how to manage all technical and artistic aspects to
produce a TV production in an industry-standard format.
STUDIO PRODUCTION
Studio producers will learn how to record live audio and
produce in the styles of Soul, Electronic Pop and Metal.
Electronic music producers will study the production styles
of Break Beat, Dub Step, Electronica and an EDM artist of
their choice.
8 - your career in music 9
PERFORMANCE PORTFOLIO
Consolidate and build on performance skills with a
focus on stylistic interpretation, technique and creativity.
M.Mus Popular Music
ENSEMBLE AND MUSICAL DIRECTION SKILLS
Rehearse and perform with the aim to develop
Performance
ensemble skills with an emphasis on musical direction,
creative interpretation and technical skill. FULL TIME (1 YEAR) FEES £7,495
POST GRADUATE RESEARCH METHODS
Learn the essential aspects of academic research In affiliation with the London College of Music and University of West London,
at postgraduate level (methodologies, academic this qualification has been developed to address the needs of contemporary
conference-style research presentation etc). This musicians on a practical, academic and professional basis delivered by highly-
module underpins research for your large M-Level qualified professionals active in the music industry.
Project.
CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COURSE
Develop an understanding of key critical approaches
to the study of popular music through examination of • Explore in-depth an area of musicianship that interests you
key literature. Study a series of important practitioners,
• Combine practical and academic study with extensive ensemble work and
genres and milestones from the landscape of popular
individual tuition
music through analysis and critical thinking.
• Expand and develop your competitive edge
PERFORMANCE PORTFOLIO 2
Building upon the work completed in Performance • Gain academic recognition to explore theories and ideas
Portfolio 1, further develop skills as a performer. Key
factors include the development and expansion of PROGRESSION
heightened technical performance ability, alongside
interpretative and stylistic traits. Studying at this level will broaden your horizons as a musician and scholar, to
support you in a multi-faceted career. This Masters will enable you to explore
M-LEVEL PROJECT
areas of interest in greater depth, develop new skills and open new avenues of
A large-scale project or dissertation based around investigation both musically and academically.
a research question of your choosing that has been
developed during the research methods module and
through discussion with the module leader. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
OPTIONS Minimum of a 2:1 in a related undergraduate qualification, plus a successful
Songwriting audition and interview. Equivalent overseas qualifications will be considered.
Engage in the development, management and
execution of a high-quality song portfolio. The material
may be in any genre with a final presentation of a
portfolio with recordings of your compositions, lead
sheets and a written critique.
Music Pedagogy
A placement to participate in learning and teaching
activities based within a community music practice with
the aim to develop and execute two observed sessions.
10 - your career in music 11
How to Apply
MMUS POPULAR MUSIC PERFORMANCE
You will submit a portfolio of work including music links, professional
“I’d highly recommend
CV, references, an essay and a Skype interview. AMS Online, it’s
BA (HONS) DEGREES flexibility allowed
me to gain a degree
If you don’t have a level 5 qualification, then our unique fast-track
program allows you to submit a portfolio of work that demonstrates
your 5+ years of professional experience in the music industry. We
ask for links to your performance or production work, a personal
statement, professional CV, two professional references and a short
while fitting it
essay. Once your portfolio has been accepted and approved by
AMSonline, we will’ arrange a Skype interview with one of our team around my touring &
members.
FOUNDATION DEGREES
gigging schedule -
You will be required to send links to your performance or production What legends!”
work for the audition process and provide evidence of your level 3
qualification. In some cases, if you are not level 3 qualified but have Nick Jennison: Vocalist & Lead Guitarist,
considerable experience or skill, you may be considered for the Saints Of Arcadia
course.
FEES AND FINANCE
MMUS DEGREE IN POPULAR MUSIC
• Fees per academic year £7,495
BA (HONS) DEGREE IN MUSIC AND SOUND
• Fees per academic year: £6,165
FOUNDATION DEGREE IN MUSIC AND SOUND
• Fees per academic year £6,165
Subject to eligibility you can apply for a student loan to cover fees.
Please note: Student loans for online study only covers course fees
and does not include a maintenance loan.
12 - your career in music 13
AMS ONLINE
0843 224 9300
[email protected]www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline