Creative Music Production

Why choose this course?

The MA Creative Music Production is aimed at applicants specifically interested in applying studio technologies and production skills to the creation of their own original music (as opposed to "producing"‌ other artists' music). In addition to equipping students with solid bases in studio technology, processes and practices, the course addresses the purely formal, artistic and aesthetic aspects of music-making, and the specific compositional devices and strategy applicable to DAW-based realisations of original material.

By surveying the defining traits and aesthetic concerns of a number of popular genres centred on electronic composition-production, students develop a sophisticated awareness of current artistic and aesthetic trends, and an enhanced knowledge of the musicology of production. On this course, you will develop a portfolio of original works showcasing your talent as a composer-producer, opening up a wide range of possibilities for your professional career.

The University of Hertfordshire was ranked 2nd in the East of England (after Cambridge) for Music (2023 Complete University Guide).




 

Course Content  

Taught sessions will typically cover the following topics:

• Studio Technology, processes and practices
• Audio production and design
• Compositional strategies in DAW environments
• Musical form, structure and discourse in Electronica
• Rhythm and kinesis in EDM
• Experimentation in IDM
• Noise in Techno
• Timbre and texture in Ambient music
• Machine aesthetics in House music
• Sampling and re-contextualisation in Hip-Hop
• Lo-fi aesthetics and Glitch
• Retro-revivalism - analogue sound in the digital age

Resources

Our state-of-the-art equipment includes:

• "¢ a large recording studio featuring a 32-fader Neve Genesys Black analogue mixing console (with Neve 1073 mic-preamps + 88R and 1084 EQ) / 64-channel Protools HD MADI system / PMC IB2S-A midflield monitors / Neumann surround monitoring / two racks of high-end analogue and digital outboard compression, EQ and effects (Neve, Focusrite, Drawmer, 1176, LA2A, Pultec) / UAD DSP processing with full suite of plug-ins.

  "¢ medium-size studio featuring a Neve Genesys / Protools HD system with RedNET and Neumann 5.1 monitoring.

  "¢ 4 x acoustically-treated, surround-equipped, iMAc mix/production spaces with Slate Raven Mti touchscreen control and REDNet, and Kawai acoustic pianos.

   "¢ 2 x live recording booth/spaces.

   "¢ 3 monitoring spaces for surround sound mixing.

   "¢ dubbing suite for A/V work (foley, ADR, etc.)

   "¢ 2 x 30 seat dual-monitor Apple iMac labs (each with a large range of s/w - including Logic, Ableton Live, Reason, ProTools, MaxMSP, Native Instruments Komplete, East West Composer Cloud)

    "¢ a 150-seats state-of-the-art performance venue with Soundcraft vi1 console and full RedNET integration.

   "¢ top class outboard including Digidesign Pro Tools, Lexicon TLAudio, TC Electronic, Focusrite, and so much more.

  "¢ vast selection of top-quality dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones, including Soundfield, Neumann, AKG, Coles, Shure, Audio-Technica, Beyerdynamic.

Industry Links 

Our industry partners include:

• BAFTA
• Splash Damage Videogame Company
• Videofeet Media Company
• Focusrite
• SampleMagic
• Dynamic Music
• Extreme Music (Sony)
• Grand Chapel Studios
• iZotope
• SSL

Key Staff 

The MA Creative Music Production is led by Bruce Aisher.  Bruce is a music producer, songwriter, composer, remixer, sound designer and technology journalist whose work is to be found on over 100 commercially released tracks (including a US Billboard Club Chart No.1) on TV programmes such as 'CSI' 'Numb3rs' and 'Top Gear' and products by Apple, Clavia and Native Instruments.

What will I study?

Lecture, seminars and tutorials are typically scheduled over two consecutive days a week, plus some extra sessions for particular workshops, performance, recording, as necessary. In addition to scheduled sessions, students are expected to engage in continuous self-directed study and studio practice.

About the course

• Explore the most advanced studio techniques, technologies and processes at the forefront of current music production.
• Discover advanced compositional devices and strategy applicable to DAW-based realisation of original material.
• Unleash your creative potential and cultivate your own individual style to produce original works that stand out from the crowd in their artistic and technical sophistication.

Completion of a four year bachelors degree with GPA 2.4 or above.

Careers

Graduates from this award will be equipped with a wide range of specialist knowledge and skills in the field of music technology and music creation – from purely technical to creative and intellectual. As such, they will be ideally positioned to pursue a career in the music and media industries, creating their own musical content for production music library, film/TV synch, or commercial release. You may, in addition, consider positions in music publishing, music journalism and criticism, or teaching, or you may continue your higher education at doctoral level.

Download the direct application form (PDF - 0.19 Mb)

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When you have completed your pdf application form, please send it to:

admppc@herts.ac.uk

Complex Admissions
University of Hertfordshire
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL10 9AB
UK