Academy of Contemporary Music
| ACM understands how the music industry works today and has created an immersive and comprehensive learning environment, which connects directly with the industry. Our learning by doing ethos helps simplify how the industry works and produces a clear view of career paths and options. This clear and practical approach accelerates learning. The detailed exposure to all aspects of the industry as it happens (live!) reveals options and destinations, which greatly assists our students in making clear choices and building the maps they need to guide them there. If you are a producer you will know that you need a fundamental grasp on song structure and songwriting, but you also fundamentally need to know about revenue streams and intellectual property, from which you will draw income. You will also need to understand how your music is monetised through live performance, songwriting credits and publishing, including sync and licensing. We will teach you all of this comprehensively at ACM by linking you with the teams that do this every day at Metropolis. |
| ACM GUILDFORD | ACM LONDON | ACM BIRMINGHAM |
| BA (HONS) MUSIC INDUSTRY PRACTICE | |
| » Musician Route | The Musician study-route provides its students with the skills and experience necessary to become a world-class musician of both stage and studio. Choose a primary study instrument (Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keys or Vocals) and master it. Become sensai of that discipline, a virtuoso soloist, an ensemble expert, a professional session musician, gather some skills in songwriting and audio production and learn about how the music and creative industries work. |
| » Creative Artist Route | The – CREATIVE ARTIST ROUTE – provides its students with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to discover and channel their inner-artist, covering a combination of songwriting, performance, production and business modules. Students of this route don’t just ride music waves, they make them, learning all about the music and creative industries they are about to walk into, as they do so. |
| » Rap & MC Pathway | ACM’s Technical Studies for Rappers and MC’s course investigates each strand of rapper’s profession, including the study of the “4 weapons of rap” (lyricism, flow, delivery, and originality).ACM’s Technical Studies for Rappers and MC’s course investigates each strand of rapper’s profession, including the study of the “4 weapons of rap” (lyricism, flow, delivery, and originality). You’ll get to analyse music theory, study the ideologies behind skilful artistry, develop your analytical skills for long and lyric writing, and receive integral guidance on how to hold audiences through effective performance and how to captivate listeners with the art of freestyle. |
| » Producer Route | The Producer study-route provides its students with the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to produce, mix and master music, whether you want to help realise another artist’s vision or create your very own. Our music production course covers the fundamentals of studio recording, the science of acoustics, the art of composition and all the music technology you could hope for, students of this producer study-route can specialise in contemporary music production, electronic music production, audio engineering and/or creative sound design for new media by adding in the elective modules most relevant to their interests and career aspirations. |
| » Technical Services Route | Whether you’re hoping to build a career as a live events promoter, stage manager, sound/light technician or a general roadie in music, theatre or wider entertainment sectors, the Technical Services study route will provide you with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge required to kickstart your journey. The route will give you a comprehensive understanding of stage management, touring and tour production as well as live events management and promotion. Taught by music industry specialists and touring professionals, it is designed to offer the most real-world learning experience available in this subject area. Learn by completing projects based on real-world situations and get regular hands-on experience, working within real music, theatre and entertainment spaces, with the latest equipment at your disposal alongside the most pioneering people in their fields. |
| » Music Business & Innovation Route | This route to a Music Business Studies Degree provides its students with the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to embark on sustainable careers on the business side of the real music industry as it exists today – as managers, label executives and entrepreneurs. Covering a broad range of content relevant to the wider creative industries, too, students can supplement foundational knowledge in the areas of Artist & Repertoire, Business Management, Marketing, Law & Contracts, Live Events Management and Entrepreneurship with topics such as Consumer Psychology and/or Music Journalism depending on their interests and career aspirations. |
| Diploma | |
| » Music Performance | ACM’s Level 3 course in Music Performance is designed to give its students a focused learning experience, providing the skills and knowledge necessary for continuing study at Higher Education level or building a career as a Musician.Students can choose from Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals disciplines and are given access to a host of lectures, tutorials, workshops and masterclasses led by the same world-class music industry professionals that teach on our Higher Education programme offerings. An abundant amount of solo and ensemble performance opportunities are embedded into the course, delivered from our Roger Taylor Demo Theatre and Electric Theatre auditoriums. Further education study programmes at ACM Guildford are delivered as part of a sub-contract with East Surrey College Further education study programmes at ACM Birmingham are delivered as part of a sub-contract with Walsall Studio School |
| » Music Technology | ACM’s Level 3 course in Music Technology is designed to give its students a focused learning experience, providing the skills and knowledge necessary for continuing study at Higher Education level or building a career as a Music Producer.Students are given access to a host of world-class Music Technology facilities, including our Apple MIT suites and state-of-the-art recording studios. Lectures, tutorials, workshops and masterclasses are led by the same world-class music industry professionals that teach on our Higher Education programme offerings and our unique relationship with Metropolis, Europe’s largest creative complex, means that students of this course share their time at ACM with the grammy award-winning producers and engineers resident at the Studios. Further education study programmes at ACM Guildford are delivered as part of a sub-contract with East Surrey College Further education study programmes at ACM Birmingham are delivered as part of a sub-contract with Walsall Studio School |
| » Songwriting | ACM’s Level 3 course in Songwriting is designed to give its students a focused learning experience, providing the skills and knowledge necessary for continuing study at Higher Education level or building a career as a Songwriter.This course focuses on the creativity needed to become a professional songwriter including lessons on the tools used by modern songwriters, straight from industry professional with years of experience to build from. Students are given access to a host of lectures, tutorials, workshops and masterclasses led by the same world-class music industry professionals that teach on our Higher Education programme offerings. An abundance of solo and ensemble performance opportunities for students to showcase their compositions are embedded into the course, delivered from our Roger Taylor Demo Theatre and Electric Theatre auditoriums. Further education study programmes at ACM Guildford are delivered as part of a sub-contract with East Surrey College Further education study programmes at ACM Birmingham are delivered as part of a sub-contract with Walsall Studio School |
| » Level 2: Music Performance and Production | The UAL Level 2 Diploma in Music Performance and Production has been developed to provide an understanding of music performance and production in preparation for a career in the music industry, while at the same time giving you the opportunity to retake your GCSE qualifications in English and Maths. |