About This Course
This Music (Performance) BA (Hons) degree combines conservatoire-style training in instrumental or vocal performance with university-style academic music studies. It is an ideal course for those wanting to be equipped for a career as a professional musician while keeping open the option to explore a wider range of future career paths within and beyond music.
This course takes advantage of advanced practical musical training within a traditional university setting, and a close integration with our BMus and BA Music degrees. Half your credits in each year of the course will be in instrumental or vocal performance (individual tuition, ensembles and professional development); the other half will be in academic music studies.
Why Choose bangor University for this course?
- Our teaching grows out of staff performance, research and creative practice, much of which is internationally excellent or world-leading in quality.
- Our state-of-the-art resources recently benefitted from a £2.5 million investment in equipment and teaching facilities and a £480k investment in the Music studios, and now includes five Steinway and two Bösendorfer grand pianos .
- Welsh medium teaching is offered as an option in all music subjects across all levels.
- Alongside performance studies, flexibility is built into our degree programmes, enabling students to build on their strengths.
Additional Course Options
This course is available with a Placement Year option where you will study for 1 additional year. The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year.
The Placement Year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with a self-sourced organisation relevant to your degree subject. The minimum period in placement (at one or more locations) is seven calendar months; more usually you would spend 10-12 months with a placement provider. You would normally start sometime in the period June to September of your second year and finish between June and September the following year. Placements can be UK-based or overseas and you will work with staff to plan and finalise the placement arrangements.
You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree and will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University’s Careers and Employability Services.
You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option when you have started your course at Bangor and can make an application for a transfer onto this pathway at the appropriate time. Read more about the work experience opportunities that may be available to you or, if you have any questions, please get in touch.
This course is available with an International Experience Year option where you will study or work abroad for 1 additional year. You will have ‘with International Experience’ added to your degree title on graduating.
Studying abroad is a great opportunity to see a different way of life, learn about new cultures and broaden your horizons. With international experience of this kind, you’ll really improve your career prospects. There are a wide variety of destinations and partner universities to choose from. If you plan to study in a country where English is not spoken natively, there may be language courses available for you at Bangor and in your host university to improve your language skills.
You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option at any time during your degree at Bangor and make your application. If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch.
Read more about the International Experience Year programme and see the studying or working abroad options on the Student Exchanges section of our website.
Course Content
Home to the Department of Music, Drama and Performance, the Music building is situated at the heart of the University. Teaching is provided through a combination of one-to-one performance tuition with a professional musician, group coaching for chamber music and ensembles, seminars, lectures and tutorials.
What will you study on this course?
The Music (Performance) BA (Hons) is designed to train musicians in advanced practical skills while also instilling broad and specialist knowledge and understanding of musical repertoires, and to develop your skills as an independent critical thinker.
At least half of the modules in each year focus on developing you as a performer. You can also choose additional performance-related modules and a range of options in musicology, composition, music pedagogy and health and well-being.
You will learn advanced skills in musical performance, but will also gain historical and stylistic knowledge of periods, repertories and composers of western music (both ‘classical’ and popular), including Welsh music.
Facilities
Music facilities
- Two dedicated Music buildings.
- Two professional standard concert halls.
- Rehearsal spaces.
- Practice-room suites with 24-hour access.
- Instruments including a full-size organ, chamber organ, harpsichords and grand pianos.
- Four state-of-the-art electroacoustic composition and recording studios, with 24-hour access.
- Access to performance and rehearsal spaces in the magnificent Pontio Arts Centre.
General University Facilities
Library and Archive Services
Our four libraries provide a range of attractive study environments including collaborative work areas, meeting rooms and silent study spaces.
We have an extensive collection of books and journals and many of the journals are available online in full-text format.
We house one of the largest university-based archives not only in Wales, but also the UK. Allied to the Archives is the Special Collections of rare printed books.
Learning Resources
There is a range of learning resources available, supported by experienced staff, to help you in your studies.
The University’s IT Services provides computing, media and reprographics facilities and services including:
- Over 1,150 computers for students, with some PC rooms open 24 hours a day
- Blackboard, a commercial Virtual Learning Environment, that makes learning materials available on-line.
Course Costs
General University Costs
Home (UK) students
- The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,000 per year (2021/22 entry and 2022/23 entry).
- The fee for all placement, international, and sandwich years is £1,350 (2021/22 and 2022/23).
- More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.
International (including EU) students
Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:
- If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
- If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).
Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:
- Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
- Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
- Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.
Entry Requirements
Admission to this course is on basis of performance at audition and meeting entry requirements. You must be able to demonstrate an advanced standard of technical achievement and overall potential as a performer to be eligible for this course - currently Grade 8 (merit/distinction) standard or equivalent on your stated first instrument/voice.
Offers are tariff based, 96 - 128 tariff points from Level 3 qualification/s* . Your Level 3 qualifications would normally include Music or another relevant subject area.
- A Levels: Music preferred. General Studies and Key Skills not normally accepted
- International Baccalaureate Diploma
- BTEC National Extended Diploma: MMM - DDM
- Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: MMM - DDM
- City & Guilds Advanced Technical Extended Diploma (1080): considered case by case
- Access: Pass required
- Welsh Baccalaureate is accepted
- T-levels: considered on a case-by-case basis
- EPQ: Points can include a relevant Extended Project (EPQ) but must include a minimum 2 full A-levels
- Points from grade examinations are taken into consideration where appropriate, but are not normally included in the offer.
Please note. The ability to read staff notation is required for all our Music courses. Candidates who do not meet the minimum entry requirements, or who have non-standard qualifications and/or relevant music experience, are encouraged to apply. We consider all applicants’ suitability on individual merit.
International Candidates: school leaving qualifications that are equivalent to A levels/Level 3 and/or college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). International applicants who don't hold standard UK qualifications may be asked to provide a portfolio to demonstrate skills relevant to the course. IELTS 6.0 (5.5).
Mature Candidates: We welcome applications from mature learners. Mature applicants and/or those with other qualifications are considered on individual merit. Those who don't hold standard UK qualifications may be asked to provide a portfolio to demonstrate skills relevant to the course.
*We are happy to accept combinations of the qualifications listed above as well as other Level 3 qualifications.
Audition information
Applicants who meet the entry requirements will be invited to attend an in-person audition (or a live-streamed audition, by arrangement). In some instances applicants may be asked to submit a recording of two contrasting pieces, up to around 15 minutes in length prior to audition.
For an audition, you will be asked to play or sing two short pieces. You can do this in-person, ‘live’ on-line, or by submitting a pre-recorded video. In your audition, you don’t need to show us everything you can do. It is best not to be too ambitious, but to play something that you know well. The aim is to help us get a sense of your musical understanding and future potential.
You should prepare two contrasting pieces, together totalling no more than 15 minutes. You may perform accompanied or unaccompanied. If you are auditioning in-person, we can provide accompaniment if you require it, but please submit a PDF of your accompaniment at least two weeks in advance. If you are auditioning live on-line, or in a pre-recorded video, you should provide your own accompaniment. Backing tracks are also acceptable.
For more information please contact music@bangor.ac.uk.
General University Requirements
To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.
We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.
All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.
As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.
We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.
EU and International Students' Entry Requirements
For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.
Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.
Careers
Our Music (Performance) degree has been developed to help students gain a wide range of skills, knowledge and experience, both for entry into the music profession and for a vast range of other career paths.
Studying music at degree opens the door to a variety of music careers and excellent employment prospects. As well as working as composers, performers, songwriters, lyricists and conductors, many Banor University Music graduates take up posts with orchestras, opera houses, or arts centres as music directors, creative coordinators, or administrators. Music graduates are always needed in the media and in recording companies as technicians, producers, programme-planners, and writers. Other possible career paths include specialist music journalism, music publishing, music librarianship, and arts marketing. Several of our graduates have gone on to become distinguished academics, composers, and performers, many others are teachers, at all educational levels (up to and including university).
Opportunities at Bangor
The University’s Careers and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions.
The Bangor Employability Award (BEA)
The BEA is a comprehensive online course that you can work through at your own pace, taking you through all the steps you need to take to explore, prepare and apply for your dream career.
Internships
Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.
Student Volunteering
Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.