Do you have a passion for music? Would you like to develop your performance skills alongside an understanding of music history and knowledge of music theory? The Music Foundation Year is a fully integrated programme with the BA (Hons) Music course, and will develop key musical skills in piano playing, theory and harmony.

During your studies, you will develop your performance skills in 20 one-to-one instrumental/vocal lesson with the same specialists who teach on our degree programme. The course will equip you with essential skills for a performer such as interpretation, effective practising and handling performance anxiety. You will build your knowledge of music theory, and the study of harmony will be delivered in a fresh, creative way using the piano and/or guitar. Your creativity will develop through improvisation, taking inspiration from the music you perform.

Our Foundation Year introduces you to music history by examining music in the everyday environment of the home, asking how music is made and consumed, and its function in society.

Whether you are a complete beginner or a highly accomplished pianist, you will develop piano playing skills needed for a career in music.

Upon successful completion of the Foundation Year, you can automatically continue your studies on the BA (Hons) Music degree where you will build upon the knowledge gained in this initial year. The Foundation Year gives you the space to focus on the one subject, music, developing the skills and knowledge you need within a Humanities environment.

How will I learn during this Music Foundation Year course?

You will work in an environment in which all learning is informed by the academic expertise and research specialisms of our staff.

In performance, you will receive 20 hours of individual instrumental/vocal tuition. This is complemented by seminars covering strategies for practice/performing and performance practice, attendance at concerts and open rehearsals, and participation in masterclasses and workshops. This introduces you to the way performance is taught throughout the Northumbria Music degree.

Music history combines lectures with seminars based around group discussion of musical texts or broader questions, with seminars often led by students. Music history is brought alive in this module through visits to libraries, archives, houses and other institutions, where you will have the opportunity to engage with the primary source materials of music history, giving you insights into how music research is done.

Workshops allow you to develop practical skills and provide a means of putting theory into practice. For example, your theoretical knowledge of harmony will be developed through practical workshops involving the piano, guitar and improvisation on your instrument; you will learn to play the piano in small groups.

In preparation for your future career, the Foundation Year has a module introducing you to the music profession in which you will interact with musicians pursuing various career paths from all over the UK using video-conferencing as well as taking you out into the wider community, taking advantage of our partnerships with various musical and arts organisations.

Who teaches the Music Foundation Year course?

Our staff are internationally renowned specialists in their fields and, having previously held positions in various universities across the UK, are highly experienced teachers. With their areas of expertise ranging from 16th-century music and performance practice to the history of instruments and American popular music, you will benefit from learning from outstanding scholars. You will also meet external professionals working in various areas of music and the arts, and will have tuition with highly accomplished and experienced instrumental and vocal specialists who also teach on our degree programme.

A personal tutor will be assigned to you during induction week who will help you manage the transition to university smoothly and successfully. They will continue to support you throughout the course of your studies, and can provide support for both your personal and academic development.

The programme leader and module tutors also play active roles in guiding you through your course with specific time allocated to students to allow for private feedback and consultation, giving you a great deal of individual support.

Where will I learn, practice, and perform throughout Music Foundation Year course?

Music is situated in the Sutherland Building and St James, which is immediately opposite. The Great Hall contains a new Steinway Model B grand piano and is used regularly for concerts and for end-of-year student recitals. Larger scale concerts take place in venues such as Newcastle Cathedral, with which we have a close relationship. Teaching spaces include another large space for performance classes as well as smaller rooms for other teaching. There are practice spaces large enough to take a small ensemble and for instrumental/vocal teaching to take place in them, and some further spaces including a sound-proofed practice studio. The ratio of practice spaces to students is currently around 1:5.

You will have provided with music software such as Sibelius to use on your own laptop and there are computer suites across campus for the completion of written work.

The University library, including books, reference works and a range of digital resources, will be available to you throughout the entirety of your study. You will benefit from our state-of-the-art electronic reading lists, which allow you to access resources for each module directly, and our electronic learning platform, Blackboard, will help you make the most of your independent study time.

How is research applied to teaching throughout my degree?

All music staff at Northumbria are engaged with producing research in their respective fields at an international level, and the team contains active professional performers. Their research is embedded into the Foundation Year, which greatly enriches the study of music. As a student, you will be taught by everyone on the academic staff.

From the onset, you will have opportunities to develop an understanding of how to research music through visits to libraries, archives and other institutions containing original source materials, which brings music history to life.

Throughout the duration of this course, you will experience research- and practice-informed teaching, which is both contemporary and innovative and will allow you to develop your musical skills and academic knowledge.

How can I gain professional experience during my degree that will prepare me for work?

Successful completion of this course guarantees you a place on our BA honours Music degree. The Foundation Year and the Music degree are fully integrated, and have been developed together to allow a seamless transition from one to the other.

Music in the Home will furnish you with the intellectual skills you need, fostering critical enquiry and encouraging your curiosity. The dedicated performance strand gets you ready for high-level study in the degree, where your individual lessons will be supported by seminars relating to the act of performance as well as interpretation and performance practice (how repertoire was performed in its time).

The Foundation Year introduces the skills required to manage a freelance, portfolio career and work in arts administration, which are later developed upon in the BA (Hons) Music degree. It will allow you to interact with musicians pursuing various career paths, and will take you out into the wider city, taking advantage of our partnerships with various musical and arts organisations.