Duration:
2 years full time

Location:
Confetti Nottingham

This Music Performance & Songwriting college course is perfect for you if you dream of being a performing musician playing live on stages or writing the next big hit.

We will work with you to craft your stage presence, performance ability, songwriting technique and help you to develop your own music. We will look at songwriting across a range of musical styles, use digital audio workstations to compose, and expand your music theory. We will delve into the inner workings of the music industry and will teach you how to market yourself as a musician/performer.

With potential, passion, dedication and drive for performing, playing music, work with others and writing songs, we will build your skills and and confidence to make you industry-ready. You will have multiple opportunities to perform at a range of events both at Confetti and in popular local venues. 

You’ll learn:

  • An understanding and appreciation of popular music
  • Instrument and vocal skills
  • Music theory
  • How to compose music and write lyrics
  • Stagecraft and performance skills
  • Practical musicianship
  • The structure of the music industry
  • How to market yourself and your music

This course is for you if:

  • you enjoy performing
  • you have a passion for songwriting
  • you are excited by the thought of working in the music industry
  • you have a drive to develop further

The Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma is a full time two-year course of study which will develop specialist knowledge, practical skills and understanding within a vocational area and will give you a qualification that is the equivalent to three A Levels. In most subjects, students will be awarded the BTEC Extended Diploma at the end of their two years of study. The Extended Diploma is fully recognised by universities and carries UCAS points, enabling you to progress to university or directly into employment. If you want to commit to vocational study in a particular area, then this could be the route for you.

Read our course commitment

  • 5 GCSEs grade 9-4 (A*-C)* including English and Maths
  • An appreciation of and a passion for music with a level of practical experience and/ or a Level 2 qualification in the subject area
  • Two audition videos showing musical ability to roughly a grade 3 level on your first instrument. Don’t worry if you have not sat a grade exam, these audition videos are to provide us a guide to your musical ability being suitable to the course. Please make sure to play two full songs.

Depending on your prior English and Maths attainment, you may need to improve your grade as part of your course. 

When you’re ready to apply, there’s a few ways to start the process:

  • Apply online – Start your application now!
  • Call us on 0115 952 2075 and start your application over the phone or we can post you a paper application form
  • Come and visit us at an open day and fill in your application on the day

House Band

You will contribute to the development of musical material for a live performance through rehearsal. You will review choices and actions made in a rehearsal to develop musical material and apply these to ensemble performance. Your performance will be recorded and captured to be part of your coursework submission.

Music Industry

You will begin to understand the intricacies of the music industry and will explore it to gain a deeper understanding of the sectors and employment opportunities within it.

You will also be looking back and looking forward to the revolutionary changes in the music industry to understand how the industry has changed and where it is heading. This will give you an insight of how to position yourself for greater success in your future career.

Remix – Revamp – Record

You will demonstrate an understanding of music sequencing techniques when developing musical material in response to a brief. You will apply creative processes when developing musical material, as well as applying music creation skills and sequencing techniques in response to a brief

Exploration of Musical Styles

You will apply stylistic conventions and musical elements to musical material in response to a brief. You will explore a range of musical styles and write/revamp pieces of music in these styles using the musical conventions of each.

Personal Music Profile

You will identify personal opportunities and areas for improvement related to progression, create a plan for personal musical development, and develop musical skills.

You will demonstrate technical and musical skills within a project as well as defining and planning self-promotional material in relation to networking opportunities.

Final Major Project

During the final term you will plan and prepare for a technical role and contribute towards the final major project.

You will need to demonstrate personal engagement and musical skills when developing a collaborative project, culminating in presenting a final collaborative music project.

Do It For Real

Industry Week

Studying at Confetti you’ll take part in Industry Week where you’ll be able to meet a range of professionals within your field of interest as well as other areas of the creative industries. 

Past guests include Andy Copping (Download Festival), Will Kennard (Chase & Status), Professor Green, and Fumez the Engineer

Student work

Our Talent Development team works closely with course leaders to link students with opportunities across the industry. 

On this course you’ll have access to:

  • Confetti’s live Music & Events Hub, Metronome
  • 400 Capacity Metronome venue
  • C100 – Mac Suite, digital audio production facility
  • Metronome live events spaces for internal gigs (P2 & P3)
  • Metronome recording studios – Studio 4, 5 & 6
  • FE Rehearsal rooms 10-20
  • Extensive backline equipment
  • Logic Pro X DAWs

Courses 

Your time at Confetti doesn’t have to stop once you finish your college course. Choose to continue your studies on our range of foundation and full honours degrees that can help you further develop your skills and obtain the experience you need to get a head start in your career:

Future careers

  • Musician
  • Singer songwriter
  • Music producer
  • Artist management
  • Music teacher

Open Days

Saturday 28 September
Book your place
Saturday 16 November
Book your place