Course
Overview
This pathway of our practice-based, industry-focused course equips you with the skills, knowledge and experience needed for a sustained career as a songwriter or producer, or a combination of both.
Through continuous support and feedback from professionally experienced tutors you develop your skills across songwriting and production along with essential business knowledge and practical experience. Underpinned by a thorough understanding of music theory; you leave as a highly skilled and educated songwriter and producer able to make decisions to take control of your career.
What You Will
Study
Music Production Techniques 1
This module is a broad introduction to desktop recording concepts with the aim of providing a solid base for further creative practice at LIPA. Key skills are introduced to develop existing and new abilities.
Songwriting Techniques 1
This module is a practical and theoretical introduction to songwriting with a primary focus on the generation, development and presentation of original songs. It provides you with an understanding of fundamental concepts in songwriting that provides a foundation for further studies and creative practice.
Music Skills 1
This module provides you with a range of skills to support your development as a musician. These sessions are made up of aural skills seminars to develop your recognition of chords, scales, intervals, melodies and rhythmic patterns. Rhythmic awareness seminars to develop your overall awareness and literacy of rhythm with an introduction to Latin-American and West African percussion. Improvisation workshops where you apply aural and rhythmic awareness skills as you work within Jazz and Popular Music settings, and repertory workshops where you develop your interpretive skills with an opportunity to apply them in performance settings.
Music Professional and Creative Practice 1
Through this module, you bring together elements of what you have learned this year in practical projects. You develop and plan a range of appropriate professional and experimental projects based on your own music-related objectives. These could include songwriting, production, observed band rehearsals and performances. You also learn about how the music industry operates, including copyright and intellectual property, and music contracts and agreements. Your experiences on this module enable you to develop your planning and problem-solving skills.
Popular Music Studies 1
In this module, you explore how current popular music is created, mediated and consumed, within the music industry and broader socio-cultural contexts. Focusing on specific examples of current popular music, you become familiar with the relationships between music and its contexts, and the ways in which these relationships are understood, explained and debated. You also develop your research and writing skills and knowledge of academic conventions such as referencing.
Music Production Techniques 2
This module builds upon your first year study to develop your understanding of the role of a Producer within the wider music industry. Frameworks and strategies for evaluation and planning are supported with further investigation of practical music production skills.
Songwriting Techniques 2
This module builds upon your first year of study to expand your knowledge and practice in the creative application of music and lyric writing techniques. It enables you to further develop your understanding of industry standard creative and working practices as you develop an increasingly critical approach to your own songwriting practice.
Music Skills 2
In this module you develop a range of music skills designed to enhance and support you in your work, study and development. Varied weekly classes cover applied aural skills, transcribing recorded songs, arranging techniques, music technology and studio induction, music notation software, and choir.
Music Professional and Creative Practice 2
Through this module, you have further opportunities to apply your musical skills to practical projects. These could include collaborations with other subject areas here, playing in a pit band, session playing or developing your own individual project. You identify and plan different musical projects which link to your career ambitions, with your work allowing you to demonstrate your progression as an artist. Through all of this activity, you refine skills which will support you as you embark on life as a professional musician, including business and career planning.
Popular Music Studies
In this module, you analyse the visual aspects of musicians’ promotional materials and practices, focusing on examples of image, fashion and style, performance and music video. You become familiar with a range of analytical approaches, and become able to use lenses such as genre, identity and authenticity to analyse and contextualise examples of popular music visuals. You develop your academic skills, becoming more familiar with independent research and academic writing conventions.
The Music Professional
Through this module, you explore how you will pursue your career ambitions as a professional musician. You review realistic employment and self-employment opportunities and create a professional portfolio which reflects these, while considering industrial factors, marketing, legal and budgetary considerations. To support your career prospects, you develop appropriate promotional materials. There is additional focus on financial planning and management, along with contracts and copyright and how these will impact on your work and ability to generate income.
Popular Music Research
In this module, you build on the theoretical knowledge and understanding, and research/writing skills, developed in Popular Music Contexts 1 and 2, to undertake research into an aspect of current popular music that is personally and professionally relevant and useful to you. You carry out independent research using a wide range of sources to write a substantial essay, supported through a series of research and writing skills lectures, and regular individual tutorials.
The Producer
This module enables you to create music while encountering the role of record producer as you develop professional-level conceptual and practical production skills. You collaborate with performers, engineers, arrangers and programmers as you develop a portfolio throughout the year. It is an opportunity for experimentation, creative problem solving and the setting and attaining of relevant goals.
The Songwriter
This module builds upon and applies the songwriting techniques you studied during your first and second year. Over the course of the year, you are required to plan, revise and execute to a professional standard a songwriting-oriented project or projects. Work is supervised by a songwriting tutor and supplemented by visiting A&R workshops and open mic sessions which provides opportunities for professionally focused feedback.
How You Will
Study
- Workshops
- Practical Projects
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Productions
- Group Work
- Independent Study
- Masterclasses
How You Will Be
Assessed
You will be required to submit songs, compositions and productions for assessment. You also produce a final research paper which is relevant to your interest and career.
Practical/written work ratio
80% practical work / 20% written assignments
Validation
LIPA aims to have probationary degree awarding powers from September 2025 (subject to Office for Students approval). This is an exciting step, allowing us to take full control of our curriculum and course portfolio. In the unlikely event LIPA does not achieve probationary degree awarding powers, our degrees will be validated by Liverpool John Moores University.
Meet The
Staff
Dr Martin Isherwood
Director of School of Music
Steve Parker
Senior Lecturer
Tim Pike
Programme Leader PMMT and Senior Lecturer
Helen Davies
Senior Lecturer
Keith Mullin
Head of Department: Management; Music Department: Subject Leader Professional Practice & Music Business
Dr Eva Petersen
Lecturer
Paul Mitchell-Davidson
Lecturer
Kate Blair
Teaching Fellow
Clare Canty
Teaching Fellow
Peter Fairclough
Teaching Fellow
Jim Faulkner
Teaching Fellow
Eddie Lundon
Teaching Fellow
Martin Smith
Teaching Fellow
Paul Walker
Teaching Fellow
Dan Sanders
Subject Leader: Music Production
Dr Martin Isherwood
Director of School of Music
Martin has many years’ professional experience as a songwriter, producer and music entrepreneur. He has achieved top 20 UK chart success and received a number of songwriting awards including winning BBC Song for Europe in 2003. He has been Head of Music at LIPA since 2001 and is a member of UK Music Skills Academy and has served on the Boards of many music organisations and urban regeneration projects. Martin has featured in a number of TV and radio programmes, panels at music industry conferences, presented songwriting papers at Higher Education conferences and published research commissioned by the Higher Education Academy in 2014.
Steve Parker
Senior Lecturer
Steve’s professional career includes production, songwriting, remixing, session playing, engineering, mixing, arranging and composition. As a writer and producer Steve worked in partnership with Pete Waterman for over a decade, developing projects and achieving releases on all major record labels (BMG, Sony, Warner, EMI, Universal, Jive/Zomba) and working on music projects for national TV and live events. Steve has achieved numerous top 40 singles and albums, attaining 11 platinum album sales. As a remixer, credits include well-known names such as Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue along with many more underground artists, achieving numerous number 1 dance chart positions. Steve believes that listening to and analysis of a wide range of material, coupled with a solid theoretical understanding is key to broadening your understanding of songwriting and of production and arrangement. His extensive experience helps students develop the practical skills and the work ethic and judgment required for a professional career.
Steve leads sessions in songwriting and in music production, delivering lectures, practical workshops, seminars and one-to-one sessions. He takes a practical task-based approach to teaching and developing skills and holds dear the belief that being able to realise your songs and musical ideas as effective demos is vital for any musician working in the music industry today.
Steve’s professional industry experience informs all aspects of his teaching, experiences such as working to deadlines, making decisions, understanding commercial briefs, analysing and understanding unfamiliar styles of music, and being able to realise commercially viable products are central to the experiences he tries to create for students. Steve is acutely aware that while you’re not always fortunate enough to work on what you want, what you create still has to be musically effective.
Tim Pike
Programme Leader PMMT and Senior Lecturer
Tim studied music at Breton Hall College starting on oboe but switching to bass guitar midway through. He is a multi-instrumentalist playing bass guitar, guitar, keys, saxes and double bass.
After graduating he embarked on a career as a session musician and teacher. As both a music-reader and improviser, Tim has performed in theatres in the UK, recording sessions in London, playing for theatre shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and many jazz gigs. He was invited to teach at two of the institutions that he had previously studied at, and teaching became the dominant passion. After completing his MA in 1994, Tim began full-time teaching at LIPA in 1995. Since then, as well as teaching, Tim has mainly focused on jazz gigs on bass guitar for pleasure. He also turned his hand to other varied projects including the pre-production and recording of music played at The Beatles Story exhibition, to performing with China Crisis, and editing the music manuscript for Bill Bailey’s songbook. He can currently be found playing bass in two big bands (one with a weekly residency), and also holding the bass chair at the Liverpool Jazz Club’s monthly sessions.
Helen Davies
Senior Lecturer
Helen is a popular music researcher. Her key research interests are gender and sexuality, music education, music and visual creativity, music in everyday life and ethnographic research. Her doctoral thesis, ‘Music in the everyday lives of young teenage girls’ (University of Liverpool, 2011), is based on ethnographic research in domestic and school settings in Merseyside. More recently, she has researched gender related issues for young musicians studying on popular music higher education courses and/or in early career. Since 2019, she has collaborated with the organisation UK Music on their research into diversity in the UK music industry. Currently, she is researching visual creativities for musicians. Helen is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM), and an editorial board member of IASPM Journal.
Helen is responsible for the design and delivery of all academic and popular music studies modules on LIPA’s music degrees and foundation courses, including supervision and day to day management of a small teaching team. In these modules, students are encouraged to critically analyse their own and other musicians’ practice and explore aspects of popular music culture and industry that are relevant to them. Helen brings her research interests and scholarly experience to all aspects of her teaching.
Selected outputs
Book chapters
2022
‘How do I look? The importance of visual analysis for musicians in popular music higher education.’ In D. Walzer (ed.) The Handbook on Music Business and Creative Industries in Education. Sheffield: Equinox.
2021
‘Because I’m a girl’: exploring experiences, practices and challenges relating to gender and sexuality for female musicians in popular music higher education.’ In R. Mathias (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Women’s Work in Music, pp.26-35. London: Routledge.
2019
‘Preparing for the ‘real world’? Exploring gender issues in the music industry and the role of vocational popular music higher education.’ In C. Strong and S. Raine (eds.) Towards Gender Equality in the Music Industry. Education, Practice, and Strategies for Change, pp.29-44. London: Bloomsbury.
Journal articles
2019
‘Gender issues in the music industry and popular music higher education: Exploring the experiences of young musicians.’ Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica special issue: Music as a social phenomenon – theoretical concepts and empirical inquiries, 20/2, 211–227.
2013
‘Never mind the generation gap? Music listening in the everyday lives of young teenage girls and their parents.’ Volume! La revue des musiques populaires, 10/1, pp. 229-247.
Conference presentations
2022
‘Technological change, visual creativities, and popular music higher education.’ International Association for the Study of Popular Music UK & Ireland Branch Biennial Conference. University of Liverpool, 31 August-2 September.
‘UK Music Diversity Report 2020: the data behind the report and actions.’ UK Music - Music Academic Partnership Symposium. Online, 26 May.
2018
‘Preparing for the ‘real world’? Exploring the role of music education in addressing gender and sexuality issues experienced by young popular musicians.’ Association for Popular Music Education conference. Middle Tennessee State University, 24-27 June.
2017
‘Young musicians, gender and sexuality: researching the issues in an educational context.’ 1st Symposium of the LGBTQ+ Music Study Group. Edge Hill University, 27 May.
Keith Mullin
Head of Department: Management; Music Department: Subject Leader Professional Practice & Music Business
MA, PGDip, FHEA Course Leader
Keith is a member of Liverpool band The Farm and works as a freelance music professional. The band’s first album reached number one in the UK and they continue to perform at festivals and UK venues. He has also managed bands and artists, and co-owned independent labels Honey Records, Produce Records and recently Vile Entertainment. Keith was also a member of The Justice Collective achieving the 2012 Christmas number one with their recording of He Ain’t Heavy, He’s, My Brother, working with Guy Chambers, Sir Paul McCartney, Mick Jones from The Clash, Robbie Williams and former Spice Girl Mel C.
With over 30 years’ experience in the music industry, he has acquired a knowledge and experience of the industry’s management structures and common business practice which he passes on to his students. He uses a mixture of approaches and methods to ensure that learning feeds into career-focused development for musicians and artists.
With an MA in Music Industry Studies, and PGCert in higher education teaching, he has mentored and taught numerous musicians who have gone on to enjoy successful careers in the music industry as songwriters, managers, A&R managers, live music industry media and digital marketing professionals. He continues to maintain relationships with many professional entertainment companies, publishers, record labels, agents, managers, promoters. In addition, he has performed with numerous experienced artists such as, Mick Jones (The Clash), Paul Heaton, Suggs, David Bryn, Susan Vega, Fun Lovin Criminals, Happy Mondays, Take That, Eurasia, Clean Bandit, Madness, The Stone Roses, Beverly Knight, Lightening Seeds, BA Robinson, New Order, Peter Hook & The Light and many other high-profile artists. More recently he worked alongside Rob Sloman as associate producer, composer and music director for the documentary Howard’s Way, the documentary currently features on sky documentaries.
Keith teaches a broad range of subjects across the disciplines of music and management, music industry and business, professional practice, research skills, practical project, work, live music and events, performance techniques and coaching. Keith’s industry knowledge and experience permit a relevant contribution to teaching and learning across multiple disciplines.
Keith possesses an extensive portfolio of professional experience having worked in the music and creative industries for 32 years. Working as a successful artist/entrepreneur since 1989 to the present day, has assisted in acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of music industry conventions and contemporary business practices. Enabling the application of music industry insights and practices within educational settings. Professional experience in Keith’s view is “an integral part of preparing students for a profession, through linking theoretical studies to deliberate practice and their learning”
Publications
What is a good higher education teacher? "Am I what I say I am?" Published 2017-04-18 LJMU Innovations In Practice
Hillsborough Justice Tour 2012 - The John Robb Diary, Book, Chapter Contribution
Music releases
Albums
Spartacus (1991)
Love Sees No Colour (1992)
Hullabaloo (1994)
Pastures Old and New (1986)
Spartacus Live (1991)
Groovy Times (1991)
Best of The Farm (1998)
The Very Best of The Farm (2001) [compilation] Back Together Now! Live (2006) All Together with The Farm (2007) [live album] Singles.
Keith’s songs have featured on 90-compilation albums
Singles
Hearts and Minds (1984)
Steps of Emotion (1985)
Some People (1986)
Body and Soul (1989)
Stepping Stone / Family of Man, Groovy Train, All Together Now (1990)
Sinful! (Scary Jiggin' with Doctor Love) with Pete Wylie, Don't Let Me Down, Mind (1991)
Love See No Colour, Rising Sun, Don't You Want Me, Love See No Colour (re-mix) (1992)
Messiah, Comfort (1994)
All Together Now (Everton FA Cup Final version) (1995)
All Together Now 2004 (feat. SFX Boys Choir) (1994)
Dr Eva Petersen
Lecturer
LL.B (Hons), PGDip, MRes, FHEA, PhD candidate.
Eva was lead singer of The Little Flames, a band that also featured Miles Kane. They toured extensively and supported Arctic Monkeys, The Coral and The Zutons. As a solo artist she’s written and recorded with Guy Chambers and Echo and the Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant on her album Emerald Green Eyes. Her latest work, Voices of Winter Palace, was recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Eva is currently undertaking a practice-led PhD and believes the best way to understand popular music contexts is for students to apply the relevant academic theories to their experiences as practitioners.
Paul Mitchell-Davidson
Lecturer
Paul has been a professional musician for over 50 years, starting out in pop music before moving on to jazz and classical. His career has spanned radio, TV, theatre and dance and he has worked as a studio session musician for radio and TV as well as a composer, arranger, musical director, conductor and performer. Paul has arranged for pop and rock acts including rap artist Red Venom, N-Trance and China Crisis. Having worked in most areas of the music profession at the highest level, he is able to pass on the techniques and pragmatic elements involved in making a living writing music.
Kate Blair
Teaching Fellow
Kate is a singer-musician who has enjoyed a dual career as a performer and teacher since the early 2000s. An experienced vocal and performance coach holding both a PGCE and an MA by Research in Vocal Pedagogy, Kate has a particular interest in working with pop/rock artists in order to develop their individual sound and the expressive skills required for effective live and recorded performance.
Kate specialises in contemporary vocal technique, rooted in an in-depth knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the voice and 'voice science'. Having trained extensively with international voice pedagogues in a wide-range of areas such as Estill Voice Training, Accent Method and Primal Voice, Kate continues to develop her teaching and performance practice, keeping up to date with the latest research.
Vocal health and rehabilitation are key areas of Kate’s practice and she is an active member of The British Voice Association, regularly working and training alongside interdisciplinary voice professionals, such as speech and language therapists. Kate works with singers to develop efficient vocal technique and an understanding of how to look after the voice, reducing the risk of vocal fatigue and other vocal issues which may arise as a result of busy gigging and recording schedules. This technique also underpins the exploration of the capabilities of the vocal instrument and the development of the artist’s individual sound and expressive performance.
Kate's approach is holistic and she draws on a wide range of research and related practice in order to develop the skills required by the contemporary singer and artist-songwriter. Kate’s research interests include interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary singer training; her postgraduate research focussing on Laban technique and Michael Chekhov technique. Her current research centres on somatic movement practices and how they may be utilised in order to build healthy vocal technique and to develop stage skills such as physical expression, emotional connection, stage presence and artist persona. Kate plans to extend this work to explore the use of physical techniques in combination with other approaches, such as Primal Sound.
Clare Canty
Teaching Fellow
Clare has been teaching for more than 20 years and singing for even longer. She has worked as a studio session singer, live backing vocalist and radio DJ, as well as writing and recording her own songs. In the 1990s, she fronted dance act Lucid, achieving top 40 singles and performing on Top of the Pops. Having experienced the ‘pop star lifestyle’, Clare understands the fun-side and challenges involved in such things as media attention and giving interviews, live TV, club PAs, photo shoots, making videos and touring. In her teaching she uses a holistic approach, combining physical exercises and confidence building techniques to help each singer find and express their own unique voice.
Peter Fairclough
Teaching Fellow
As a freelance drummer for 40 years, among the many artists Peter has worked with are Ute Lemper, John Harle and Keith Tippett. He has experience in theatre, film, TV, big band and recording and has released five albums of his own music. Peter has played across Europe, Canada, Hong Kong and India and attended the Drum Fantasy Camp in Chicago where he studied with Mark Guiliana, Antonio Sanchez, Virgil Donati and Dave Weckl. Peter continues to record with the Discus Music label.
Peter teaches weekly one-to-one drum lessons. He delivers a syllabus he has created especially for LIPA that is designed to produce creative, professional drummers who can prove themselves worthy of a degree. The lessons are based on a playlist of classic recordings.
In preparing students for their professional careers, Peter teaches classic grooves, interpreting the snare drum rudiments for the kit, co-ordination and reading – all of which he has called upon in his career.
Jim Faulkner
Teaching Fellow
Jim Faulkner has been a professional guitarist for more than 20 years, working in studios, touring bands, theatre shows, tribute shows, and original bands.
Known for his versatility, he has recorded and performed in genres as diverse as contemporary classical music, progressive rock, fusion, contemporary jazz, traditional jazz and world music.
He has appeared at venues across Europe and continues to perform regularly with a variety of artists across the UK. Primarily known as a jazz guitarist, Jim has performed at many UK jazz festivals including Manchester, Liverpool, London and Brecon among others.
As well as maintaining a busy freelance schedule, Jim can be heard performing regularly with the world music group Unfurl (who he also composes for) and with Gavin Barras' Family Tree.
Jim is currently writing for his own solo project and will be recording his debut album to be released in 2023.
In Jim’s one-to-one guitar lessons he wants to help the students develop a strong musical foundation and show them how to join the dots between music theory, technique and their instrument. This is how the student can become empowered and find their own identity as a musician and guitarist.
In the improvisation lectures Jim wants to help the students learn how to express themselves and how to become a better musician within a band setting, how to support others within the group and how to become more fluent on their instruments. Playing different genres which use improvisation is a great way to build ability and confidence.
Jim feels most comfortable in settings where he is improvising, expressing what he is hearing and feeling through his instrument. As this is the area he mostly works in Jim is constantly looking for ways to improve his abilities in this and on his instrument, through this he develops methods to progress which he can then pass on to students.
Eddie Lundon
Teaching Fellow
As a founder member and songwriter with the band China Crisis, Eddie has sold over seven million albums and more than 10 top 40 singles. He has performed alongside artists such as David Bowie, Steely Dan, The Police and Santana and continues to record and perform to sell out audiences around the world. Eddie’s teaching combines his passion for music with the experience and knowledge which has supported his long career. He focuses on identifying and improving the strengths of each individual student and giving them a clear understanding of what it takes to achieve longevity in the music industry.
Martin Smith
Teaching Fellow
With over 25 years of professional experience, Martin’s recording credits include The Coral, Super Furry Animals and The Lightning Seeds, among many others. Martin is a lifetime member of cult jazz-punk beat combo The Wizards of Twiddly, and has toured extensively in Europe with The Muffin Men (Frank Zappa tribute band) and The BrassHoppers, a New Orleans-style street band. Outside teaching, Martin’s main focus is The Weave, an internationally-acclaimed jazz sextet. His experience of playing with groups of all genres means he has a good understanding of what’s required to become a high-functioning and valuable member of any ensemble.
Paul Walker
Teaching Fellow
Paul has been a professional musician and music lecturer for over 30 years. He has worked as an official demonstrator and product specialist for Korg (UK) Inc and as musical director for Wigan Youth Swing Band. Paul is currently a resident pianist at various venues across the north west and is co-director of Grande Touch, a company which provides digital grand pianos for functions. As Paul is actively gigging, he constantly learns new and current material to meet demand and his many years of experience allow him to advise and support students entering the world of professional music.
Dan Sanders
Subject Leader: Music Production
MMus SFHEA Subject Leader, Music Production, School of Music
As a self-employed music professional, Dan delivered projects with major and indie labels for 15 years before joining LIPA full-time. Day-to-day negotiation with A&R, artist management and label executives plus a practice-based understanding of music rights shaped Dan's experience, allowing him to pick up multiple platinum sales awards for his production work along the way. Dan now looks at how the new generation of music entrepreneurs can meet the challenges of a changing music industry.
What Our
Graduates Do
Our Music (Songwriting & Production) course is still relatively new. Songwriting and/or production achievements of graduates from our Music degree have included:
Katya Edwards (2016)
Co-wrote About You by Tyron Hapi & Laurell which went Gold in Australia. Other credits include My Way with One Bit featuring Noah Cyrus.
Eline Brun (2016)
Member of the band I See Rivers. They released their debut album, Deep and Rolling Green, to critical acclaim in 2020.
Gøril Nilsen (2016)
Member of the band I See Rivers. They released their debut album, Deep and Rolling Green, to critical acclaim in 2020.
Lill Scheie (2017)
Member of the band I See Rivers. They released their debut album, Deep and Rolling Green, to critical acclaim in 2020.
Katie Tarrant (2016)
Composer and audio designer for games company Rare. Credits include Sea of Thieves.
Sophie Cooke (2015)
Her songwriting credits include co-writing Jess Glynne’s hit All I Am, Dua Lipa’s Hallucinate and Katy Perry’s Only Love. Performing as Frances, she was nominated for a BRITS Critics’ Choice Award and her second album, Wonder, was released in 2021.
Gemma Dunleavy (2014)
Her song Up De Flats was nominated for RTE (Irish national broadcaster) Song of the Year 2020. Recent collaborations include DJ Simon Raymonde and a Dr Martens campaign.
Caroline Ailin (2012)
Songwriter who co-wrote Dua Lipa’s New Rules. Has also written for Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding and Clean Bandit
Stephanie Taylor (2012)
Composer and multi-instrumentalist. Her work has featured extensively on Channel 4’s Grand Designs. Other credits include Inside the Crown: Secrets of the Royals (ITV) and the film The Creeping.
Dan Croll (2011)
Singer-songwriter who released his third album Grand Plan in 2020. His music’s been used on ads for iPhone and FIFA and Grand Theft Auto games.
Jessica Staveley-Taylor (2010)
Makes up one third of The Staves, along with her sisters. Their 2021 album Good Woman entered the UK charts at number 13.
Hannah Peel (2004)
Artist, producer and BBC Radio Three presenter. Her album Fir Wave was nominated for a 2021 Hyundai Mercury Music Prize. Wrote the soundtrack for Game of Thrones: The Last Watch and orchestrated and conducted on three Paul Weller albums.
Liam Lynch (1998)
Musician, songwriter, filmmaker. Co-wrote music for School of Rock, co-wrote and produced soundtrack for Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. Directed videos for Foo Fighters, They Might Be Giants and ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic.
Performance and showcase opportunities
There's no shortage of opportunities for students to hone and showcase their abilities as performers and songwriters. These include regular gig nights, industry A&R sessions and a full-scale music festival. Off campus there's the chance to become part of Liverpool's eclectic, culturally diverse and flourishing music scene. Our students have been regular performers at venues in the city including The Cavern, Jimmy's and Zanzibar. To see our students in action head over to YouTube for showcase performances from our festival The 2ube Xtra 2023. You can also see photos of them performing - including at our Christmas Concert - over at FLICKR.
Educational qualifications are important but limited in what they can tell us about you.
Your natural ability, your fit with what and how we teach, your growth and your potential are also key factors in our admission process. We can’t evaluate these solely on your educational achievements, so no matter which course you are applying for, we look for the following attributes on your application and at the interview stage.
Additional Costs
As part of this course, there are likely to be some additional costs that are not included within your tuition fees. Many of these are optional. We’ve also included information about cost of living expenses in Liverpool in this section.
Theory test
Many of the modules on the Music degree rely upon an understanding of music theory. For UK students we want you to have attained a Grade 5 Music theory qualification by the time you enrol with us. As a guide, the examination fees for the London College of Music Grade 5 Popular Music Theory in 2023 are around £55. We test you at audition and if you score a high mark we may waive the requirement for a formal Grade 5 Music theory qualification.
Equipment
With regard to equipment, if you are an instrumentalist, you will obviously need to bring your instrument with you. It is also advisable that you have spare strings, sticks, reeds or anything else you may need for your specific instrument.
You will need a pair of headphones for use in the computer and Digital Audio suites.
Besides the usual pads and pens (or laptops), the only other things you will need to bring with you are your creativity, enthusiasm and dedication.
Cost of living
Wherever you choose to study, you'll have to budget for accommodation and other everyday living expenses, such as food and bills.
Liverpool is one the UK's cheapest student cities. Accommodation costs are relatively low, particularly compared to the south east of England, and the city's shops and entertainment venues also have lots of student discounts.
We’d recommend completing a simple budget plan to predict your income and outgoings. This should include accommodation, bills, insurance, TV licence, food, laundry, clothes, books, travel and socialising. How much you'll want to spend on a lot of these is completely personal.
There is lots of advice available online about budgeting:
- UCAS budget calculator is a great tool to help you balance your in-comings and out-goings.
- SaveTheStudent provides useful information on student money resources, including loans, budgeting, and scholarship sources.
Most UK students will be able to take out a maintenance loan to assist with living costs and there are some grants available. We also offer some bursaries. To find out more, please see Student Finance and bursaries.
Because our courses are intensive and we have a busy season of student performances, options for part-time work during our teaching periods can be limited. However, many of our students gain flexible part-time work, in performance venues, shops, restaurants and bars. We also provide casual work opportunities for our students ranging from stewarding work on our productions to working with young people to help us widen access to our courses. The long summer break is when many of our students choose to work.
Additional Costs
As part of this course, there are likely to be some additional costs that are not included within your tuition fees. Many of these are optional. We’ve also included information about cost of living expenses in Liverpool in this section.
Theory test
Many of the modules on the Music degree rely upon an understanding of music theory. For UK students we want you to have attained a Grade 5 Music theory qualification by the time you enrol with us. As a guide, the examination fees for the London College of Music Grade 5 Popular Music Theory in 2023 are around £55. We test you at audition and if you score a high mark we may waive the requirement for a formal Grade 5 Music theory qualification.
Equipment
With regard to equipment, if you are an instrumentalist, you will obviously need to bring your instrument with you. It is also advisable that you have spare strings, sticks, reeds or anything else you may need for your specific instrument.
You will need a pair of headphones for use in the computer and Digital Audio suites.
Besides the usual pads and pens (or laptops), the only other things you will need to bring with you are your creativity, enthusiasm and dedication.
Cost of living
Wherever you choose to study, you'll have to budget for accommodation and other everyday living expenses, such as food and bills.
Liverpool is one the UK's cheapest student cities. Accommodation costs are relatively low, particularly compared to the south east of England, and the city's shops and entertainment venues also have lots of student discounts.
We’d recommend completing a simple budget plan to predict your income and outgoings. This should include accommodation, bills, insurance, TV licence, food, laundry, clothes, books, travel and socialising. How much you'll want to spend on a lot of these is completely personal.
There is lots of advice available online about budgeting:
- UCAS budget calculator is a great tool to help you balance your in-comings and out-goings.
- SaveTheStudent provides useful information on student money resources, including loans, budgeting, and scholarship sources.
Most UK students will be able to take out a maintenance loan to assist with living costs and there are some grants available. We also offer some bursaries. To find out more, please see Student Finance and bursaries.
Because our courses are intensive and we have a busy season of student performances, options for part-time work during our teaching periods can be limited. However, many of our students gain flexible part-time work, in performance venues, shops, restaurants and bars. We also provide casual work opportunities for our students ranging from stewarding work on our productions to working with young people to help us widen access to our courses. The long summer break is when many of our students choose to work.
View the programme specification on the LJMU course catalogue here