Recommended uni for studying a songwriting, production and/or performance degree?

Hi ya everyone,

What are your recommended uni for studying such courses within Liverpool and Manchester?

My background: ABRSM UK Grade 6 (officially, though I do play Grade 7 & 8 pieces sometimes), Trinity Rock School for Guitar, history of private music-tutoring, 1 year of foundational Jazz Performance on both guitar and piano

I've currently inquired with LIPA and SAE. (and through my online research the same, have noted bad reviews with BIMM Manchester and LMA Liverpool)

Thanks!

(edited 6 months ago)

Reply 1

welcometotherock

If you are wanting to study performance you will need to be approx Grade 8 standard for LIPA plus have Grade 5 music theory. You could look at Liverpool University, they offer courses in Popular Music and Music Technology. I would also look at Salford, I was very impressed with their course.

Are you totally set on just Liverpool or Manchester? Would you consider Sheffield at all? Waterbear (accredited by Falmouth) appears so far to be a cut above the likes of BIMM and LMA (especially the latter). There is also Leeds Conservatoire who have similar entry standards to LIPA but they do offer a foundation year for those who don't have Grade 5 theory or are not yet Grade 8 standard.

Reply 2

Liverpool Hope University

Official Rep

Hi there!

If you're looking at the city of Liverpool, we have a fantastic Music & Music production course at Hope! In this course, students perform, compose, produce, and engage with music across a broad range of topics and genres, including popular, classical, jazz, electronic, and world music traditions. For more course info, visit our website: https://www.hope.ac.uk/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/musicproduction/musicproductionandmusic/

We're also a Steinway school, with two grand pianos, and Steinways available in all of our practice rooms for students' use. If you're a singer-songwriter we have recording and mixing facilities for you to release your own music, and we're currently in the process of setting up a record label for students to release music through!

There's plenty of opportunities to get involved and perform on campus, from our regular open mics, to the Angel Field Arts Festival, and our International Jazz Festival! We're also home to the European Opera Centre and Milapfest, an Indian arts company!

Our Creative Campus where you'd be based is a 10 minute walk from the city centre, and 10 minutes from the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. You'd also be a 15 minute walk from the Cavern Quarter where the Beatles famously got their start!

We have some open days coming up in the next two months- I'd recommend visiting us, chatting to our academics & seeing if we're the right fit for you!

Best of luck for the future!

-Ella
Graduate Advocate

Reply 3

StefanieCarr

You might be best off taking a year out and getting to a higher grade of playing consistently. Then you'll get onto a better course. The whole audition and your broader story is really important though.

No doubt LMA would have you (don't even require music reading or instrument playing) but that's no place to be other than waste £30k