This is without a doubt the most demanding course that we
offer and the tutors are dedicated to helping new writers understand the reality
of writing songs for a living. These courses push musicians
to deliver career breaking tunes, through a series of lectures
designed to focus on different aspects of the writer's craft
taught by internationally successful hit writers.
"The team at BIMM has succeeded in creating a realistic
programme that sets and maintains the highest professional
standards for its students. The degree is well poised to fill
the specific gap that exists in HE provision in the region
and is quickly becoming acknowledged as a key programme in
its field."
- External Examiner's Report Summary 2004
The BA Honours programme is both academically and musically
challenging. There is a focus on live performance, technique,
songwriting and stylistic development in addition to research
and project work in the field. Students undertake professional
work during the course of their studies. During 2004 degree
students had chart successes, session work with major artists,
professional teaching work and appearances as session players
on all the major TV music shows.
 |
BIMM Professional Diploma (Level 5) in modern music
The BIMM Professional Diploma (Level 5) is suitable for vocalists who
have semi-professional musical and technical abilities, and
usually have some semi-professional studio and live experience.
The unit structure of the course looks like this:
| Unit |
Description |
| Songwriting |
This is about developing your creative ideas for songs. Topics include hooks, subject matter and lyric writing as well as professional working practices that will help you generate ideas. |
| Modern Composition |
Taking your creative ideas and turning them into finished songs. Introduction to song forms, elementary arrangement and basic studio production techniques. |
| Pre Production |
Taking the finished songs and working with a Musical Director to apply arrangement and production to your finished songs. |
| Live Performance Workshop |
Making your songs work in a live showcase environment. Learning how to communicate with other musicians, so that band performances are tight and sound professional. |
| Arrangement Analysis |
Deconstructing successful songs, analysing beats and bars, instrumentation and style elements to develop a greater understanding of what makes up a great song. This will broaden your writing, arrangement and production ‘vocabulary’, which you may then apply to your own songs. |
| Theory |
A comprehensive look at all aspects of music theory. This unit will enable you to understand the concepts that you will be applying in your other practical course units. |
| Business Studies |
Practical music industry knowledge that will help you plan your career. We will cover all aspects of the music industry in comprehensive detail including record deals, publishing deals, management, music synchronization, legal issues, copyright, music teaching, live music, and business plans etc. |
| Gig Preparation |
Plan and rehearse for 3 key performances. Rehearsal technique, promotion, marketing, leadership, venues and promoters, tour management, stage management, budgeting etc. |
| Modules |
An opportunity to focus on an area of development of you’d like to work on. Choose between courses on Backing Vocals, Song writing, Beginners Acoustic Guitar or Keyboard Skills |
The course is one academic year in duration and students
may wish to progress onto the BA Honours Degree. The Accrediting
body is Edexcel and BIMM’s partner college is Haywards
Heath 6th Form College. This course is a minimum of 16+ hours
per week and students will also be engaged in many extra curricular
activities including rehearsal and gigs.
Entry Requirements:
18 years
of age and semi-pro playing ability
Some
studio and gigging experience
Grade
6 equivalent technical skills
Most
applicants have National Diploma, A-Level or equivalent music
qualifications
Some
Music Degree graduates also find this course useful for upgrading
their technique to professional levels
diploma
in songwriting
 |
This course is sponsored
by Sony / BMG Music Entertainment |
This course
is designed for the singer songwriters who are also instrumentalists.
On this programme we will develop artists to the point that
they are able to take their song ideas and turn them into
finished work. By ‘finished’ we mean complete,
well arranged, part of a live set or studio recording and
ready to release, tour and reach a real audience.
We will be focusing on writing skills, setting high standards
as writers and pushing the quality, diversity (and sometimes
quantity) of what we produce. We will also expect writers
to work on performance skills and practical project management
skills.
The unit structure of the course will look like this:
| Unit |
Description |
Composing
|
Writing your own material with
basic music theory to help in your understanding of the
process. |
Singing 1
Singing 2
|
Vocal technique and styles
development. |
Music Performance
Process and Project
|
Gig preparation and actually
putting on three shows over the year. |
| Live Performance Workshop |
Working on making sure that your band
performance is tight, well arranged and professional
( cover versions). |
Music Performance Techniques
|
More practical performance rehearsal but focusing on your own tunes. |
Aural Skills and Listening Skills
|
How to learn from listening to
professional recordings - understanding and appreciating
what makes music great! |
Musical Arranging
|
How to take basic ideas and turn them into
full blown and ambitious arrangements. |
Music Industry
|
Practical music industry knowledge that will help you plan your career. |
| Music in Context |
Music History - a detailed
study of the great artists that have contributed to the
development of modern music. |
The course is one academic year in duration, equivalent to
two ‘A’ levels and students can progress onto
the BIMM Professional Diploma (Level 5) in Modern Music and ultimately on to the
BA Honours degree potentially. The Accrediting body is Edexcel
and BIMM’s partner college is Central Sussex College.
N.B. this course is approximately 15 hours per week and students will also be engaged in many extra
curricular activities including rehearsal and gigs.
Entry Requirements:
Solid
technical songwriting skills
Live
performance or demo CD of material (please bring to audition)
5 GCSE
passes at C and above
Other
instruments, band work and song writing also an advantage
diploma in modern music
The Diploma is suitable for vocalists who have solid
musical and technical abilities, but may be lacking in professional
studio and live experience. This course is a year-long focused
program.
The unit structure of the course will look like this:
| Unit |
Description |
|
Technical Development
|
Students will be taken through
a logical technical study path. This will include
the development of a logical and intensive technical
practice routine.
|
|
Session Styles
|
A study of the sounds and styles
of the worlds’ most influential vocalists. Styles covered include blues, rock, gospel, jazz, soul,
R‘n'B, pop, funk, metal and dance etc.
|
|
Pre Production
|
The preparation of songs to
professional studio standards. Parts, arrangement,
tone and performance will all be broken down and analyzed.
|
|
Live Performance Workshop (Concorde 2)
|
Making songs work live. Working on stage; learning a vocabulary for communicating
ideas with other musicians. Working on making sure that
your band performance is tight, well arranged and professional.
|
|
Aural Skills / Listening Skills
/ Notation
|
Sharpening your ear. Learning
sight reading skills that may give musicians the edge
over the competition. |
|
Music Theory and Harmony
|
A comprehensive look at all aspects
of music theory and the practical application of theoretical
concepts. |
The Music Industry
|
Practical music industry knowledge
that will help you plan your career. We will
cover all aspects of the music industry including record
and publishing deals, management, music synchronization,
legal issues, copyright, music teaching, live music, and
business plans etc. |
Music in Context
|
A history of classic artists placed
in their social, historical and political context. Artists studied include Elvis, Stones, Beatles, Dylan,
Bowie, Pistols, Led Zep, Nirvana, Radiohead etc |
| Music Performance and Process |
Plan and rehearse for 3 key performances. Rehearsal technique, promotion, marketing, leadership,
venues and promoters, tour management, stage management,
budgeting etc |
The course is one academic year in duration and students
may wish to progress onto the BIMM Professional Diploma (Level 5). The Accrediting
body is Edexcel and BIMM’s partner college is Haywards
Heath 6th Form College. This course is approximately 15 hours per week and students will also be engaged in many extra curricular
activities including rehearsal and gigs.
Entry Requirements:
Solid
technical playing skills at grade 3-5 or equivalent
5 GCSE
passes at C and above
Other
instruments, band work and song writing also an advantage
Bring
your demos when you audition!
certificate
in modern music
The unit structure of the course will look
like this:
| Unit |
Description |
Production Project
|
Preparing for and undertaking live public
gig and studio performances. |
| The Music Business |
Understanding the music business how it
works and how professional musicians operate within it. |
| Understanding Music |
Technical Development, Styles, Theory and
Sight Reading. |
| Performing Music |
Live Performance Workshop using a professional
PA system under the direction of an experienced producer/
MD. |
| Composing |
Song writing - developing your own material
and analysing classic and modern material. |
| Sound Operations |
Setting up your own instrument/backline
and basic PA, monitors and live sound operation. |
The course is one academic year in duration, equivalent to
four GCSE’s and students can progress onto the Diploma
in Modern Music which is equivalent to two A-Levels and form
there to the BIMM Professional Diploma (Level 5) in Modern Music and ultimately
on to the BA Honours degree. The Accrediting body is Edexcel
and the partner college is City College.
N.B. this course is approximately 15 hours per week and students will also be engaged in many extra
curricular activities including rehearsal and gigs.
Entry Requirements:
A love
of music is the most important entry requirement!
This
course is designed to widen participation in music.
Applications
are welcome from those with limited experience but enthusiasm
and a commitment to working hard.
The
qualification is equivalent to 4 GCSE’s and is an opportunity
for young people to improve their GCSE points!
music business
Whatever course you take at BIMM, everyone
gets a chance to study a Music Business module. After
all, Music Business classes are where we show you how you
can make a living from doing what you love - and you won’t
want to miss out on that! The Music Business modules at BIMM
are designed to help you make a living as a player, a songwriter
or in any of the other career paths available.
We look at what it takes to get your band or music project
into shape and how you can present your work like a true professional.
We explain how to find and approach the right labels, publishers,
managers and PR people; and we cover every important aspect
of the business from the impact of the Internet to music teaching,
from film and television soundtracks to working in live music.
Every teacher on this course has a long CV, masses of useful contacts, and
many years of experience in the industry that they are happy
to share in class or on a one-to-one basis in tutorials. Most
of all we make sure that everyone has a lot of fun on the
way, and regularly spice up classes with top
level guests from all aspects of the business.
You’ll never have a better chance to find out how this
industry works and how to carve your own place in it.
bimm tutorial programme
BIMM has a unique tutorial programme which is tailored to meet the needs of students at each level of the curriculum. The aim of the BIMM tutorial programme is to support every student to get the most out of their time with us and to achieve at the highest level, personally, academically and professionally. The tutorial programme includes the following:
Induction Tutorial
This first meeting will be an opportunity for us to begin to get to know you and find out what your ambitions are and what your career plan is and, most importantly, to identify any needs you may have in terms of additional learning support. During this session the tutor will fill in an Induction Review sheet to record your discussion and you will be given a copy of this. If you need a follow up meeting about Learning Support or any other issues this will be set up for you in your first couple of weeks at BIMM by Angelique Smith - our head of Quality and Student Support.
Career Action Planning Tutorials
During your course you are encouraged to book in for a Career Action Planning Tutorial with either your Head of Department or another member of the team. These are a UNIQUE aspect of the BIMM experience which enables you to have intensive one-to-one meetings at least once a term with highly experienced professionals who know about the music business, because they have lived it.
Mark Hobrough our Head of Curriculum and Angelique Smith do monitor uptake of these and will chase those of you who do not take advantage of the CAP Programme to make sure you don't miss out!
Pastoral Tutorials
At BIMM we also have a Pastoral Tutorial system. This works to help you deal with any issues that might get in the way of succeeding at BIMM e.g., medical, financial, accommodation or other personal issues.
These tutorials are here to help you achieve your potential - please use them efficiently!
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