BA (Hons) Music and Sound with Drama

Summary 2012/13

• Create and explore contemporary drama and associated performance;
• Experiment with professional equipment in our recording studio and computer labs;
• Create music and design sound to accompany professional performances.

If you have a flair for live performance and a passion to create and compose music then this degree allows and actively encourages you to integrate your performance and music skills.

We are not looking for specific music and sound qualifications or skills but you may play a musical instrument or consider yourself to be a computer musician or designer. We are looking for confident people who are open-minded, creative and imaginative, who are able to work independently and as part of a team.

You will be given the opportunity to work in our professional main-house and studio venues, experiment in our workshop spaces and to create contemporary or experimental music and design sound for performance using our recording facilities and rehearsal rooms.

2012 Entry Requirements

Typical offer 280 UCAS tariff points overall, preferably Music or Music Technology, or include Drama or Theatre Studies, although relevant experience will be taken into account. Other subjects will be considered if candidates have demonstrable interest and experience in music or performance. Candidates with any music or sound background who are studying in Performing Arts related disciplines are encouraged to apply.

All candidates are required to attend an audition and interview. This means you get to spend an afternoon with us to get to know our working environment and experience working with us in a class.

Applicants are asked to bring either their instrument or compositions to the audition so we can assess your practical aptitude through either a prepared performance piece or a composition you have produced. We also ask you to write us a short essay. You then get the chance to look round our department facilities. A short interview gives you the chance to ask any questions as well as see the rest of the University, taking in accommodation tours and talks relating to finance.

Summary 2013/14

• Create and explore contemporary drama and associated performance;
• Experiment with professional equipment in our recording studio and computer labs;
• Create music and design sound to accompany professional performances.

If you have a flair for live performance and a passion to create and compose music then this degree allows and actively encourages you to integrate your performance and music skills.

We are not looking for specific music and sound qualifications or skills but you may play a musical instrument or consider yourself to be a computer musician or designer. We are looking for confident people who are open-minded, creative and imaginative, who are able to work independently and as part of a team.

You will be given the opportunity to work in our professional main-house and studio venues, experiment in our workshop spaces and to create contemporary or experimental music and design sound for performance using our recording facilities and rehearsal rooms.

2013 Entry Requirements

Typical offer 280 UCAS tariff points overall, preferably to include Drama or Theatre Studies or Music or Music Technology, although relevant experience will be taken into account. Other subjects will be considered if candidates have demonstrable interest and experience in music or performance. Candidates with any music or sound background who are studying Drama are encouraged to apply.

All candidates are required to attend an audition workshop and interview. This means you get to spend an afternoon with us to get to know our working environment and experience working with us in a class.

Applicants are asked to bring either their instrument or compositions to the audition so we can assess your practical aptitude through either a prepared performance piece or a composition you have produced. We also ask you to write us a short essay. You then get the chance to look round our department facilities. A short interview gives you the chance to ask any questions as well as see the rest of the University, taking in accommodation tours and talks relating to finance.

Details

How we will support you

The Department offers an 'open office' policy to ensure that you have ready access to a tutor for academic advice and pastoral care. You are assigned a Personal Tutor at the beginning of each year of study. A personal tutorial week occurs in each semester to ensure that you engage at least twice a year in a reflective discussion on your progress. The University Library offers a comprehensive collection of relevant books, journals, DVDs and other learning resources. It also houses the Edge Ahead Centre, which offers independent study skills tuition to support you in your learning.

What will I study?

In Year 1 you will develop knowledge in the evolution of drama and music and sound for performance. You will also explore the politics, cultures and interpretations of the various forms of performance.

In Year 2 the study of music and sound will include the cultural study of music and the many different practical applications music and sound can have in mixed media. As part of the course students will explore aspects of music technology, music for the moving image, composing and constructing musical sound pieces as well as designing for live events such as drama, dance, physical or visual performances.

In Year 3 the core performance and production studies strands, lectures, seminars and practical workshops allow you to engage with important theories about the evolution of performance, analysis and audience reception and to complete in-depth practical projects.

How will I study?

Through a wide range of formal lectures and seminars, practical workshop classes, production projects, independent ensemble work and personal research, you will acquire critical and creative skills which will be of use in a wide range of future careers. You will develop a personal portfolio and prepare practice CVs for employment, supported by dedicated sessions in personal development planning. Our lecture programmes include seminars, which provide an opportunity to study and discuss key performance pieces in the history and practice of drama, music and sound. The ideas behind the lectures are also integrated in practical workshops and live performance events.

Who will be teaching me?

The programme will be taught collaboratively between the Performing Arts and Media teams. Recognising and acknowledging the collaborative nature of industry disciplines, you will benefit from the experience and knowledge of the teams, both of which consist of a wide range of research-active full-time academics, practitioners and technical staff, together with a range of part-time industry professionals and academic specialists, offering a wide range of learning experiences.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment is through a mixture of practical and written work, including essays, portfolios, seminar presentations, workshop performances and full productions. All practice demands theoretical justification, so most modules will require either a piece of writing or an oral presentation. You are required to reflect upon your learning in each assessment and summarise your development regularly.

What are my career prospects?

You will be prepared for a career in the theatre, media, community or social work, professional companies, theatre administration, community arts, teaching (further training required) or postgraduate study.

Further study at Edge Hill University

• MA Making Performance

Related Programmes

• BA (Hons) Media, Music and Sound
• BA (Hons) Music, Sound, Enterprise

A Great Study Environment

As a Performing Arts student at Edge Hill University, you will enjoy excellent facilities and technical support, and benefit from having a purpose-built professional venue, The Rose Theatre, integrated into the department’s buildings. Our £5 million Centre for the Performing Arts contains a second fully-seated auditorium; three dance studios; four additional performance studios; three rehearsal studios; a recording studio; two computer labs running Logic, Cubase and ProTools; seminar rooms; costume, props and scenic design workshops; a fully-equipped scene dock; and state-of-the-art equipment for developing skills in theatre technology.

Based in 160 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, the Ormskirk Campus is a unique and inspirational place to study. Industry standard resources and cutting edge technology combine to make an interactive and highly advanced teaching and learning environment. Everything you could want is on one site with 25 acres of sport and leisure facilities, more than 1,400 rooms in halls of residence and fantastic modern spaces in which you can study and socialise.

The University library gives you access to thousands of books, journals, online resources and extensive PC and media provision. You'll get all the support you need to succeed, reflected in Edge Hill University being ranked in the top two in England for students' personal development, and the top three in the country for assessment and feedback, in the 2011 National Student Survey. The University is also featured in the top four in England for graduate employment.

How do I apply?

Apply online through UCAS at www.ucas.ac.uk.

Visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/apply for more information on the application process and our Admissions criteria.

Fees and Finance

For academic year 2012/13, Edge Hill University will charge £9,000 for full-time BA, BSc and LLB degrees. Eligible students will not have to pay upfront for their tuition. The cost of tuition will be paid by a loan which you will only start to repay once you have finished the course and are earning over £21,000.

Eligible full-time students can also apply for a maintenance grant, subject to household income, and a non-means-tested loan to help with living costs.

Edge Hill University offers a range of scholarships for prospective full-time students. These include £2,000 Entrance Scholarships rewarding determination, commitment and achievement in creative arts, performing arts, sport and volunteering. Eligible entrants with outstanding grades are recognised through the £1,000 High Achievers Scholarship.

The University will also be offering awards, worth £3,000 in cash benefits and fee/accommodation waivers for academic year 2012/13, to eligible prospective full-time students through the National Scholarship Programme.

For more information on scholarships, including eligibility criteria for each award, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/scholarships.

To find out more about fees, grants and loans for academic year 2012/13, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/undergradfees2012.

Please note, the above information is for UK and eligible EU students only. International students should check the fees and finance information at www.edgehill.ac.uk/internationalfees2012.

Not got the entry requirements?

If you are returning to education you may present your previous experience in work to support your application. Those with access to Higher Education qualifications are welcome to apply.

If you have relevant study through either a professional body or appropriate academic course you can apply to join the programme at an advanced stage. In all cases, you will also be required to go through the audition-workshop selection process.

Where can I find out more?

If you would like to receive a copy of our prospectus or be kept updated about forthcoming events, contact the Course Information, Advice and Guidance Team by emailing study@edgehill.ac.uk or calling 01695 657000.

If you want to attend one of our open events held throughout the year, visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/opendays to book your place.

You will also find Edge Hill University staff at many national careers fairs and UCAS events.

Still want more?

If you have any questions you would like to ask the programme leader about this course, please contact:

• Karen Lauke, Performing Arts Department, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP
• Tel: 01695 584412
• Email: laukek@edgehill.ac.uk

Overseas students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international or email international@edgehill.ac.uk for further information.

Modules

Year 1

PAR1071 The Nature and History of Performance provides different learning environments in which you begin your essential theoretical and historical study of drama performance, focusing broadly upon the rise of Western European practices, but drawing on contextual examples and theoretical perspectives from around the world. The module defines fundamental concepts, examines theoretical perspectives and explores diverse practices in the field of performance, subjecting each to critical scrutiny. You will address at an introductory level the challenge of dramatic theory and its impact on our understanding of practice, seeking preliminary answers to some fundamental questions: What is performance? How did it originate and develop? What does it do? How does it work? What is it for? Why do we need it?

MUS1050 Music & Society introduces you to the key concepts and developments that have shaped modern music before assessing the current trends in musical practice. By placing these themes in an historical perspective it will also consider the contexts of production, distribution and consumption of music in various contexts in order to consider the links between music and society.

MUS1051 Music & Sound Practice offers you the opportunity to study and experiment with practical components in relation to the theory and history that is explored throughout module MUS1050. You will be introduced to a wide range of music for different media, research various compositional practices and apply your findings in the realisation of a practical project, using current industry standard digital music composition programmes.

MUS1002 Music in Live Performances offers you the opportunity to consider the many different forms that music can have in live theatrical performance. The module introduces you to the dramatic and technical role of music, sound and sound effects and also examines key sound theory, considering the role music has played in historical and contemporary theatrical performance.

Year 2

PAR2071 The Process and Purpose of Performance. Focusing principally on the Western context, this compulsory module places the development of modern drama in the context of the arguments surrounding the essential processes involved in the making of theatrical events, and the essential controversies surrounding what the purposes of drama are said to be in its response to modernity. In contextualising modern drama and confronting modern theatre processes via key practitioners, productions and plays of the modern era, you enter with this module into the crucial debate concerning the purpose, use and value of drama performance.

MUS2001 Music Technology requires you to investigate and experiment with the potentialities of digital music technologies currently used in music and sound production. Through the analysis of such technology, this module encompasses audio theory and historical development, recording and sampling, audio synthesis, and MIDI sequencing and drum programming. Attention is also given within the module to music consumption via the internet, within the context of technological determinism and social shaping. Musical composition is made possible in this module, via the use of the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), rather than competency as a musician.

MUS2002 Music Composition & Sound Design offers you an opportunity to apply your skills and compose and/or design music and sound to a proposed brief. You will make use of the recording studio and further develop your skills in using digital music production tools. You will learn the basic techniques of sound diffusion and surround sound mixing. The final composition / sound design will be performed in a live setting. The aim of this module is to allow you to investigate and construct stand-alone creative compositions / sound designs using the technologies and skills already obtained in order to find your own aesthetic.

MUS2003 Music for the Moving Image critically examines the relationship between music and moving images in cultural contexts such as film, television, computer, video games, and interactive performance. You will interrogate the communicative potential of musical scores and soundtracks and use tools of semiotic analysis to explore the discourses of visual culture and how they are amplified by ascribed non-visual (sonic) traits. Equally the applied use of soundscapes, incidental music and songs is a significant tradition in live performance and theatre. The analysis and deconstruction of music and sound in these performance texts lies happily alongside its analysis in visual media and will also be considered.

MUS2007 Sound Art Installation Practice introduces you to the development of sound art. You will study the theory and practice of this emergent discipline and be invited to explore your own practice after a series of workshops. You are required to realise your work through installation.

MUS2008 Music Theatre involves studying the disciplines of music hall, musical theatre, and opera in order to gain a greater understanding of how music in theatre, and in performance, is constructed.

Additional Year 2 pathway options provided by the department include:

• Light, Video and Digital Imagery
• Stage Design
• Costume
• Stage Management
• Outdoor and Site Specific Performance
• Music and Sound for Live Performance
• Music Theatre

Year 3

DRA3071 Contemporary Practice advances your specialised knowledge and understanding of performance theory and performance practice, with particular emphasis on developments in the field of performance studies from the middle of the twentieth century onwards. The module is an intellectually challenging exploration of the work of key figures in the contemporary field of performance theory and practice, tracing some of the paths and directions performance is taking today. The module culminates in an independent creation of your own performance work in light of your personal manifesto and vision of contemporary practice.

MUS3056 Applied Music and Sound Projects allows you to engage in an in-depth practical project, either independently or in relation to a specific area/discipline, within the media and theatre contexts. You will therefore be encouraged to apply your chosen art-form in a focused and specific manner depending on your own interests.

MUS3057 Independent Research Project in drama, music and sound allows you to engage in an in-depth independent research project. Simultaneously it allows you to concentrate on an area of interest and extrapolate your independent research findings.

MUS3003 Music in Theatre Performance 2 explores conceptual approaches to musical theatre. The music content will include the extended voice, sampled or mixed music from a range of sources using technology, found sounds and environmental noise. You will be encouraged to explore all the sounds and music associated with everyday life as potential material for performance. In addition, you will create performances deriving from such sounds.

Additional Year 3 pathway options provided by the department include:

• Video, Installation and Immersive Performance
• Live Art and Installation
• Production Management
• Costume
• Music and Sound for Live Performance
• Music Theatre