Careers Brief - Popular Music FdA

Overview

The Foundation degree in Popular Music offers opportunities for progression onto Honours degree courses and direct job entry.

There are a wide range of job roles within the popular music and audio industry. Job titles include: artist performer; composer; producer; arranger; artist manager; studio or tour band manager; Club DJ; radio presenter; A&R Scout; sound engineer; balance engineer; recording engineer and other technical roles; live music manager; agent or PR/promoter; session performer; music events organiser; fixer or promoter; press officer or plugger for TV/radio; publisher; writer; critic and music journalist; teacher; music librarian.

You could be working on recording or post-production work in the commercial music sector; film, radio, TV and broadcast industries; composing or performing music for the web; games design, musical software producers and sample libraries.

The industry is highly competitive and very few work as performing popular musicians full-time in the UK. You could progress between different jobs or hold several roles at the same time.

To succeed in popular music, it is not enough to be talented; you must also be self-disciplined, dedicated and confident and have stamina. You must be able to work successfully within a team, be prepared to work unsocial hours with irregular pay and travel. Basic business and self-marketing skills are a real advantage. You might be employed part-time or in short-term contract work, be freelance self-employed or have a 'portfolio' career with more than one job.

Go to the website links below to find out more.

To consider a wider choice of careers matched to your interests, use Prospects Planner and other tools listed in the Career Planning section of this Careers Guide.

Further Study

You will be able to apply for a top-up degree. Top-up degrees are designed as a direct progression from Foundation degree to achieve an Ordinary or Honours degree, though entry may be selective.

Alternatively, you could transfer onto a related Honours degree. Entry point would depend on your grades, experience and overlap between courses but could be the final year.

Progression may be possible onto the BA (Hons) Popular Music & Record Production at Southampton Solent University. Go to www.solent.ac.uk/courses/ for course information.

Related one-year Top-ups include:

Anglia Ruskin University; Bath Spa University College 'Commercial Music'; University of Brighton 'Creative Music Production'; University of Derby 'Popular Music Production'; University of Greenwich 'Creative Music Production & Technology'; Hull College 'Music Performance' 'Music Production'; University of Kent 'Popular Music Performance';

Newcastle College 'Music Enterprise'; New College Nottingham 'Sonic Arts'; University of Northampton 'Music Practice' 'Music Production'; Northbrook College Sussex 'Music Business & Management' 'Music Composition for Film & Media' 'Music Performance' 'Music Production';

University of Plymouth 'Sound & Music Production'; University of Salford 'Music & Media Management' ; University Campus Suffolk 'Music Production'; University of Sunderland 'Music'; University of Wolverhampton 'Music Industry Practice'.

To search degree courses go to www.ucas.com/ (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the UK). Use the university/college links for course details.

You will need to use UCAS to apply for courses. Contact the Course Tutor of your chosen course to find out your position, before you make your formal application.

Find out how much this will cost you. Where is the funding coming from? Go to the university/college website for information on costs and finance and to www.direct.gov.uk/uni/ for additional help with student support.

With a good Honours degree (First or 2.1), you may progress onto an appropriate higher level Masters and/or PhD doctorate. This could be to develop your area of study to a more in-depth practical and/or academic level or to gain other specialist training.

For information on postgraduate study and finance, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/study.htm .

Go to the main section Further Study of this Guide for more information and help.

Useful Links

www.bbc.co.uk/introducing

BBC Introducing - click on sub-heading 'ADVICE' Advice for music makers

http://makeitinmusic.com/

Make it in music

www.creative-choices.co.uk/

Creative Choices - online service supporting the individual and business in the creative industries and cultural sector

Click on side button 'Music'

www.ukperformingarts.co.uk/music/

UKP - Arts: the UK performance industry training and careers site

Go to 'Career Profiles' + 'Articles'

www.ism.org/

ISM Incorporated Society of Musicians - UK Professional Body for Musicians

Click on sub-heading 'Policy and advice' for useful sections

http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/

Government Careers Advice service

www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/

Jobs4U Careers Database - click on sub-heading 'Job Families & Articles' or Advanced Search input 'Popular Musician'

http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/

Government Careers database and links to jobs nationally. Search by either clicking on side-heading 'Careers' and choose a category or type in job title.

www.bbc.co.uk/newtalent/

http://jobs.channel4.com/

Check out side-heading '4TALENT'

www.musiciansunion.org.uk/

The Musicians Union offer a range of services for professional and student musicians

www.recordproduction.com/

Record Production - start by clicking on 'Recording Studio Jobs & Careers'

www.showcase-music.com/

Showcase - The Music Business Guide

www.yourcreativefuture.org/

Click on 'Music'

www.prospects.ac.uk/starting_out.htm