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Music Performance Foundation Degree FdA

This two-year foundation degree at Leicester College, in partnership with DMU, is an industry-facing programme offering tuition and training in a wide range of themes relevant to the performing musician seeking a career in the industry.  

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Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Read more about block teaching

Overview

Develop expertise in music performance, composition, song-writing and production through a range of industry-standard projects and academic work.

You’ll have opportunities to develop your musical skills in your chosen instrument (or vocal) – whether it be pop, rock, jazz or classical. You’ll also be taught how to apply your performance and production skills in commercial environments, such as session musicianship, studio recording, music production and composition for film and TV.

The programme offers access to well-equipped rehearsal spaces, performance areas and recording studios. Leicester College boasts an Apple Pro training centre and an Ableton-certified training centre, which means students have the option to gain professional certification alongside this course.

Key features:

  • Develop your knowledge and expertise in the practices, techniques, and technologies involved with music performance, composition, and production.
  • Receive weekly one-to-one training from a specialist instrumental or vocal tutor.
  • Leicester College has professionally equipped rehearsal rooms and recording studios and is the region’s only Apple and Ableton accredited centre .
  • You’ll be able to benefit from teaching by industry-active professionals and visiting guest lecturers. Previous guest lecturers have included professionals who’ve worked with or for Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Kasabian, Happy Mondays, Pet Shop Boys, Pulp, The Subways, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Erasure, Arcade Fire, Beverly Knight, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Ray Davies, Eric Clapton, Heaven 17, Tina Turner, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds festivals, The Charlatans and Nine Inch Nails.
  • Students have enjoyed opportunities to visit the Big Chill Festival, Rammstein, The Killers, and Download Festival.

You will also work closely with related disciplines such as dance, acting, and music technology, and be taught by industry-active professionals, using specialised equipment to learn and complete vital tasks and develop skills.

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: L36

UCAS course code: X372

Duration: Two years full-time, three years full-time with Music, Technology and Performance BA (top-up).

Fees and funding: £6,165

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: L36

UCAS course code: W372

Duration: Two years full-time, three years full-time with Music, Technology and Performance BA (top-up).

Fees and funding: £10,700

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or above or equivalent plus one of the following:

  • Normally 32 UCAS points from at least one A-level in a music-related subject or equivalent or
  • Music-related subject BTEC National Diploma/Extended Diploma at PPP or
  • Pass in the QAA accredited Access to Higher Education course or
  • International Baccalaureate: 24+ points with a music-related subject at higher level

Portfolio required: No

Interview required: Yes

We welcome mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

We also welcome applicants who may not match our entry requirements but can demonstrate the ability to study this subject at university level and who can demonstrate the necessary musical ability.

 

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer 

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

 

 

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Leicester College 

 

 

First year

  • Instrument & Technique

  • Performance Ensembles

  • Music Theory & Composition

  • Music Business

  • Sound Creation & Manipulation

  • Studio Recording

  • Live Sound Technology

Second year

  • Advanced Instrumental Technique

  • Song-writing & Arrangement

  • Performance Technology

  • Popular Musicology

  • Creative Entrepreneurship

  • Sound & Vision

  • Research Project

 

This modular course will help you develop your expertise in music performance, composition, and production through a range of industry-based projects and academic work.

You will normally attend around 15 hours of timetabled taught sessions each week, and are expected to undertake at least 15 further hours of directed independent study and assignments as required.

 

lcollege

Leicester College is one of the largest in the UK with more than 26,900 learners studying on a wide range of courses from many different backgrounds and with different ambitions and aspirations.

Facilities and features

Placements

Facilities

We have a working live performance venue, Sue Townsend Theatre.

You will also benefit from professional grade facilities including:

  • Four acoustically treated soundproofed practice rooms
  • Three recording studios
  • Theatre
  • 45 Apple Macs
  • 15 iPads

Industry brands such as:

  • Pro Tools
  • Apple
  • SSL
  • Empirical Labs
  • Neumann
  • TLA
  • Joe Meek
  • Lexicon
  • Reaktor
  • Trace Elliot
  • Yamaha
  • Marshall
  • Roland
  • Boss
  • Line 6
  • Shure
  • AKG
  • Moog
  • Focusrite
  • Drawmer
  • Ableton
  • MAX MSP
  • Novation
  • Akai
  • Sherman
  • Alesis

 

Campus Centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team. 

Library and Learning Zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Learning Zone, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

Our Learning Zones and The Greenhouse also provide space for group or individual work and study.

There are 1,600 study places across all library locations, more than 700 computer stations, laptops to borrow, free wi-fi and desktop power outlets.

You can also book rooms with plasma screens, laptops and DVD facilities for group work and presentations, secure an individual study room with adjustable lighting or make use of our assistive technology.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
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Graduate Careers

On successful completion of the course, you may apply for entry onto the third year of DMU’s Music Technology BA (Hons) (subject to interview). 

Graduates find wide and varied opportunities within the music, media and allied industries. Suitable career paths would be in areas such as music production, sound engineering, broadcast and theatre production, programming, composition for multimedia and video/film and technical posts in education.

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DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers. 

Through DMU Global, we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

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Placements

Work-based placements are one of the best ways to boost your skills and experience, and can often lead to your first graduate role.

They are the perfect means of discovering how your studies relate to the real world, and provide an opportunity to improve your confidence and make contacts to help you get ahead in the job market.

DMU’s dedicated Placements Teams can help you by providing access to hundreds of opportunities, giving one-to-one CV advice and interview preparation, and offering training sessions and support from a dedicated tutor.

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