Duration:
2 years full-time for FdA (Foundation Degree)
Upon successful completion of this course you'll have the option to join our BA (Hons) Music Production and top up to a Level 6 qualification. Find out more about topping up your degree.
Location:
Confetti, Nottingham
UCAS course code:
W377
Institution code:
N91 (Nottingham Trent University)
- 64 UCAS Tariff points; and
- GCSE - English and Maths Grade C / 4
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
You will also have at least one of the following music qualifications:
- A level or other level 3 qualification in a related subject such as BTEC Extended Diploma in Music Technology or Production (or similar, e.g. RSL Awards)
We welcome suitable applicants without standard entry requirements. Once we receive your UCAS application we may be in touch to request you evidence your relevant experience and interest in using Music Technology in this straight forward way:
- A short 2 – 3 minute video where you talk through a production you have been involved in on a DAW or where you have recorded live instrumentation
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors. Find out more about advisors in your country.
This degree is validated by Nottingham Trent University. You can apply through UCAS.
For tuition fee costs, visit our fees & funding page for more information.
Additional Costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
A budget of £250 would be appropriate for most audio and music software. External storage media to save large amounts of data from audio sessions (£50).
Library books
Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop, Blackwell’s. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think. There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Learning in world-class studios, packed full of industry-standard kit, you'll explore music creation from a technical and creative standpoint and discover and nurture your own creative path. You’ll learn practical music theory and apply to your own compositions, whether that’s individually or collaboratively in your work in employable fields such as media composition or songwriting.
You'll understand and work within commercial parameters to ensure you graduate with the best chance of working within music, but you'll be encouraged to explore the more experimental ends of recording, production and composition to truly find your own identity.
You'll have plenty of opportunities to put your learning into practice, through live projects, masterclasses and guest lectures. You’ll also benefit from being assigned an industry mentor in your final year.
The overarching teaching and learning ethos is to develop your practical, technical and critical thinking skills through a mixture of lectures, workshops, seminars, academic tutorials and supervision.
In these classes you'll explore the core aspects of the module subject areas whilst also reporting back on your individual progress and research findings. The emphasis is on you to carry out significant amounts of sustained research throughout the programme of study.
The delivery of the course consists of:
- IT Lab sessions
- Technical workshops
- Independent project work
- Presentations
- Studio sessions
- Academic tutorials
- Independent Research
- Guest Speakers
- Offsite visits/experiences
All the modes of delivery are structured to develop your on-going abilities and skills. The course offers a broad range of assessment methods within its modules to appeal to a variety of learning styles.
There are a range of different assessment methods used throughout the course.
This includes: practical audio and music work, portfolios, technical report writing and reflective writing.
You will also undertake a sustained research project on a topic of your own personal interest within the subject area.
Right for you?
A two year Foundation degree is a great choice if you want to have the option to graduate with a Level 5 qualification and start your creative career early. With an accessible UCAS tariff – this type of degree is perfect for you if you prefer a more practical approach to your studies. After completing two years you will graduate with an FdSc/FdA qualification and choose whether you want to continue and enroll on a top up year for a full BSc qualification or whether you would rather stop your education and start your creative career.
Topping up your existing qualification
Each case will be considered individually, but if you have passed an FdA from Confetti and decided you want to continue your studies, you’re automatically entitled to enter into the 3rd year of the equivalent BA degree to ‘top up’ to a full honours degree.
What you'll study in year 1
You will begin your journey into the studio environment by developing your understanding of the fundamentals of recording. You will learn about large format consoles, signal flow, connections, microphone types, and DAWs to record audio.
You’ll be able to apply these skills whether you’re in a traditional studio or have a small home set up: get this right now, and it will set you up for all of your future studio work.
In this module, you’ll discover the magic of recording various artists using different styles of recording such as multitracking and overdubbing, in session and in your own time, to form a portfolio of studio work.
In the professional audio world Pro Tools is the DAW of choice. In this module, you’ll learn how to use this powerful application by covering Pro Tools navigation and operation, setting you up for the rest of your course and career in audio, and paves the way for Pro Tools accreditation.
In this module, you will explore the creative potential of various music technologies. You will exercise your creativity through music production, and learn a variety of techniques and technologies, such as sampling, synthesis, improvisation and composition in the DAW, hardware controllers, sound design, and remixing.
You will also gain a deeper contextual understanding of electronic music, through a global and ethical lens.
Composing music is like painting on a blank canvas, and depending on the genre there are certain rules to be aware of. This module will provide you with the guidelines that will form the foundation for your music to be functional with these forms, as well as allowing you to build in your own creativity and originality.
This module will teach you the fundamentals of music theory such as harmony, melody, accompaniment and arranging, enabling you to communicate emotions and feelings through your compositions. You'll demonstrate your understanding though portfolio tasks and explore a genre of interest and compose a representative piece as well as research the genres context in a short negotiated practical research submission.
You will explore contexts of working in the international world of sound and music and how you might establish a career by exploring the flow of money through the industry and relevant current and emerging trends. You'll assess your current skill set and discover what you need to do to improve your chances of success on your employable journey.
You'll choose work like briefs lasting at least 80 hours to enable you to experience working opportunities in a field of interest, then reflect on your learning to set you up for the rest of your course in an employable mind set. Your future starts now!
What you'll study in year 2
You will explore digital, analogue, and hybrid studio technologies, developing recording and processing techniques to take on a variety of productions over the module: this could be using traditional studio environments (on-site or external) or your own DIY production set ups.
You will collaborate with performers, artists, and other students to work on a wide base of genres, selecting a range of your productions for a portfolio that should be approaching commercial standards.
In this module, you'll work to client supplied briefs as well as your own self sourced material, engaging in technical and creative post production and mixing processes to create a portfolio of work. You'll critically compare your mixes with industry outputs from around the world and learn approaches to help you meet commercial benchmarks.
You'll cover techniques with compression, effects and automation with additional production skills such as vocal editing and production, drum production and other genre specific approaches of additional production through a range of projects.
In this module, you will learn how to compose music for a wide range of purposes, including songwriting and music for media with both solo and collaborative approaches.
You will develop an understanding of the wider global, historical and ethical contexts whilst building on your existing technical and artistic skills . You will continue to develop your ability to express yourself artistically, while also understanding the needs of a demanding and ever-changing industry.
By the end of the module you will have deployed your artistic, technical and commercial skills in the creation of a range of finished pieces to form a varied portfolio.
The history of music technology has informed where we are and where we might go next. In this module, you will be exposed to decades of key recordings, technologies, events, artists and the movers and shakers involved in shaping modern popular music as we know it.
You will choose your own specific area of interest in music technology and production and explore how it's impacted creativity and the development of the wider world of music within an essay, accompanied by practical assets to illustrate your understanding.
This module focusses on the creative use of music technology hardware, in the production of original work and recreation of key historical techniques. You will learn the particulars of hardware production techniques, investigating modular, patchable instruments, hardware sequencing and sampling devices, and drum machines.
We take a creative, experimental approach to creating and manipulating sounds, using a range of vintage, vintage-inspired, and cutting edge contemporary technology. The module also builds on the contextual research undertaken in year 1, as we pick apart in detail and recreate a piece of musical history, researching as we do so the people and techniques concerned.
During this module you will source and execute appropriate self-directed projects, working individually and collaboratively on creative work, allowing you to directly apply the research, knowledge and skills learnt throughout the programme in the context of the workplace. This module aims to develop your overall professionalism and provide you with the knowledge and resources to begin a career in the creative industries. The nature of creative industries is increasingly defined by freelance and self-employed models of work.
Consequently, individuals seeking work in industry need to appreciate the pressures of working on multiple projects to strict deadlines and the subsequent demands this place on time and resources. Similarly, an understanding of professional practice and the legal and economic imperatives in industry is important, as is effective communication, self-efficacy and autonomy.
This module aims to develop these skills and knowledge by challenging you to develop a range of self-directed projects along with analysis of the processes involved along the way.
Study Music Production at Confetti and you'll learn in our very own live music and events venue, Metronome.
With its unrivalled reputation for the quality of its sound and visuals, Metronome hosts a successful commercial programme of live events throughout the year – and it’s here where you’ll learn from the best and gain real work experience.
This world-class venue is home to some amazing facilities, jampacked with recording studios, rehearsal rooms, performances spaces, and a 400-capacity venue.
Industry kit and facilities
- Exigy and MPC ATC monitors
- Specialist IT and production suites with software such as Logic, Pro Tools, Ableton
- Industry-standard recording, mixing and mastering studios including SSL Duality, Neumann and Schoeps Studer equipment
- Specialist IT Suites with Logic, Pro Tools, N.I Komplete M4L and Ableton software
- Performance rehearsal rooms
- 400 capacity live events venue
- Post-production suites including Soundfield, 5.1, Foley Room, Binaural and VR technology
- Synth Lab: a shrine to the synthesiser
Splendour
Each year, countless Confetti students ‘Do It For Real’ both on stage and behind-the-scenes, helping to bring Splendour Festival to life.
If you want to do more than just study a qualification, ‘Do It For Real’ at Confetti. This is our commitment to all our students to provide real, creative, hands-on experience in their chosen specialism whilst accessing the best facilities.
Our Talent Development team work closely with Course Leaders to link students with opportunities across the music industry. Some of our alumni have gone onto do great things in the music industry – have a read of their stories here.
Metronome
Metronome is a national centre for music, moving image, video games, live performance and spoken word - and it's part of Confetti.
Confetti students have access to state-of-the-art studios, as well as the 400-capacity venue where free student membership gets you exclusive ticket deals and offers.
Work experience
As Confetti has its own live events venue, along with several other creative businesses, you'll be presented with countless opportunities to gain real-world experience. We also have our own record label, Denizen Records, giving students the chance to undertake live projects and paid work opportunities.
Guest speakers
Throughout the year, students are able to attend talks and events, and work on projects with visiting industry experts. We have music giants regularly visiting Confetti or dialling in from across the globe to deliver masterclasses and insights.
Industry Week
We also hold an annual Industry Week, the biggest of its kind in the UK, where guest speakers and mentors from the music industry are invited in to talk to students. Our students have the opportunity to learn from people working in the industry right now, and can make invaluable contacts during this week.
Past Industry Week guests have included:
- Michael Eavis - Glastonbury founder
- Susan Rogers - Prince
- Tony Visconti - David Bowie
- Sylvia Massy - Aerosmith
- Alan McGee - Creation Records founder
- Nick Raphael - Co-President at Capitol Records
- Steve Albini - world-renowned producer and engineer
- Sister Bliss - Faithless
Your career
Graduates will be ready to enter the music industry in roles such as music producer, sound engineer, podcast producer, composer for media, sound designer, library composer, commercial songwriter, studio owner, musical director, performer, or music entrepreneur.
The great thing about studying at Confetti is that you'll have the option to top-up on the final year of our BA (Hons) Music Production in either Nottingham or London.
