Creative Music Practice MA/MFA 

Newport’s creative music Masters programme is an innovative course  which has been designed to give you an advantage in a career in the ‘new music industry’. The convergence of new technological tools, formats and consumer trends has changed the industry forever offering exciting opportunities for artists, producers, designers and entrepreneurs. We are therefore seeking highly motivated, forward thinking individuals to join us in developing this future.

The Creative Music Practice programme at Newport’s University is staffed with a combination of award winning specialists and experienced visiting practitioners. Here at Newport we support your skills acquisition; creativity and innovation in research and production; and enterprise activity in developing artistic, industrial and research partnerships and collaborations.
Music at Newport offers:

• Music composition and production, incorporating electronic and digital technology
• Sound design and composition for media (installation, new media and games)
• Sonic art, acousmatic and electroacoustic
• Improvisation incorporating electronic and digital technology
• New musical interface (software and hardware development)
• Interactive, reactive and generative music
• Music networks and new audience development
• Performance media

As a postgraduate music student at the University of Wales, Newport, you will have the opportunity to become a member of the Future Music Lab research group giving you the opportunity to explore and exchange ideas with leading professionals in the emerging ecology. This music programme is facilitated to the highest specification offering you access to professional industry standard studios at both our Caerleon campus and our new multi-million pound City Campus.   A downloadable course brochure is available. Our music programme takes a ‘student-centred’ approach to the acquisition of skills and knowledge and is enterprise driven in both research and practice enabling you to gain exposure and a confidence to foster commercial partnerships in the appropriate sector of the industry. A programme specification is available for this course.

Through a series of taught modules, you’ll develop a broad contextual framework for practicing theory and research. It is during this phase that you are first exposed to the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary course ethos, promoting risk, experimentation and enterprise within your practice and research.

In the second part of the course you will have the option to undertake an extended practical project or write a full thesis leading to your final development of a product, public performance, exhibition, or research event.

The MFA award is based on supervised study. This work can be focused on significant professional experience gained through extended research, or national and international placements or internships.

A programme specification is available for this course.

Assessment

Throughout this course you will be assessed through a combination of research presentations, practical projects and written assignments.

Teaching Team Tim Land Tim Land is a lecturer on Creative Sound & Music and has an extensive background in music production, performance and independent music business. Matthew Lovett Matthew Lovett is a musician and lecturer based at the University of Wales Newport.

Andre Ktori Matthew Jackson Tim Land Matthew Lovett Jamie Thomas

Students of this course will have opportunities to attend a varity of conferences at the University and other Universities in the localityas well as International festivals and trade shows according to their projects. The programme has relationships with many International organisations and galleries which enables a richer, more diverse and more exciting student experience for you at Newport.

Facilities The programme is facilitated with state of the art studios which include an SSL, ICON and 3 C24 music studios, film, TV, performance, motion capture and animation studios. Live facilities include a 20k PA, lighting rigs and AV multimedia for live performance.

Where Next?

The MA/MFA in Creative Music Practice is designed to develop your practice and research to a position of sustainable commercial activity in your chosen field, or lead to registration for an MPhil/PhD.
The course offers students an insight into both current and emerging ecologies, and an opportunity to compete in the new music industry.

Students have the opportunity to forge relationships and partnerships with independent music and film labels, software and hardware manufacturers, games and new media companies, broadcasters and international research centres. You are actively encouraged and supported in entrepreneurial activities such as raising research and development capital for your work.