Our music programme focuses upon music as an applied art, one that is engaged with the musical world in all its diversity and excitement: improvisation, composition, critical theory, musical analysis, professional performance, opera, jazz, choral singing, choir training, conducting and directing, music therapy, community music and instrumental teaching.

If you are into all kinds of music, love performing and want a practical degree course - then our Music degree is for you!

• We cover a range of different styles, genres and approaches.
  
• You can tailor your course to suit your particular strengths, for  example Choral Studies; Community Music; Composition; Electronic and Multimedia Composition; Music Performance, as well as a training as an instrumental or vocal teacher.
  
• We have a full choir and orchestra, vibrant jazz and improvisation ensembles and good rehearsal, performance and recording facilities.
  
• An Organ Scholarship is available for suitable candidates.
  
• Students studying performance receive individual tuition from our team of over 20 instrumental and vocal tutors, many of whom are also employed by leading conservatoires.

We offer you the following opportunities:

• Training in traditional skills, alongside a diversity of other musical styles.
  
• Experience of conducting and directing other musicians.
  
• To study Music alongside another subject if you wish, for example, Dance, Performing Arts, Fine Art, English, Media Studies or other humanities subjects.
  
• Being in a department with 150 musicians, all of whom are performers, where there are four concerts of student work each week.
  
• Collaboration with the University's Dance and Performing Arts students in contemporary choreography and music theatre performance.

You will be taught by a core team of experienced and highly qualified tutors together with a wide-ranging team of renowned visiting specialists. Tuition will take place in our modern music facilities, which include computerised recording and media studios, well equipped practice rooms and rehearsal studios, and an acoustically superb performance venue.

Study Options:

You will be able to study Music in one of the following ways, so that you can combine it with another subject if you wish: as a Single Honours degree (100%);

as a Major component (75%), with Minor in Instrumental or Vocal Teaching (25%);
as a Major component of your degree (75%);
as a Joint component of your degree (50%);
as a Minor component of your degree (25%);
as a Minor in Instrumental or Vocal Teaching (25%);

There are four strands of study

Performance & Direction (Single Honours and Major)

This strand offers individual tuition in instrumental and/or vocal performance, supplemented by participation in the University's performance ensembles. Students receive additional training in the art of performance itself, and perform in a concert at least once each semester, in additional to formal assessment. The Dip ABRSM and LRSM diplomas (performance) can be taken in either year two or year three as a simultaneous assessment with your degree work.

 

Improvisation, Composition and Arranging (Single Honours, Major and Joint)

This strand will offer you choices in composition through improvisation, composing for multimedia (including composing for games consoles and for film), and arranging for choirs, ensembles and orchestras. You will also receive a practical training in associated skills, like conducting, improvising, choir training, using Sibelius and Cubase, and orchestration.

 

Style & Genre (Single Honours, Major, Joint and Minor)

Courses includes analysis of European music over the last 400 years, as well as options in jazz, rock, world music and community music. Written tasks are balanced with practical assignments, and many modules contain an important workshop element.

Historical/Critical/Contextual (Single Honours)

This strand, taken by all single honours students, looks closely at Romanticism, Modernism and Post-modernism from an interdisciplinary arts perspective, working alongside Fine Art, Performing Arts and Dance students and their tutors.

 

Careers

Our Graduates currently work in film, television and radio; teach at all levels of education, work in various community ventures and in music therapy; are librarians; opera singers; group instrumentalists and composers, and instrumental or vocal peripatetic teachers.

Many Graduates have gone on to read for higher degrees in a variety of other universities, and a substantial number undertake postgraduate study at conservatoires. Students can choose to stay with us for a PGCE primary teaching qualification, take advantage of our close links with the University of Southampton's PGCE secondary music course, or enrol on our own taught MA in Composing or Performing.

For Further Information

Contact Admissions on (01243) 816002 or Email admissions@chi.ac.uk or you can write to:

Admissions Department
University of Chichester
Bishop Otter Campus
College Lane
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1BY

Alternatively, you are always welcome to visit the University and have a tour of the music department and facilities. There are main Open Days throughout the year with us and the music department also offers ‘Taster Days’, where you can get a first hand insight into student life and music at Chichester.