Music Technology Degrees?

crunchymole

Member
Messages
844
Reaction score
13
Location
Ham, Richmond
Not sure what section to post this in, but thought this one may have more music tech-minded people in than most!

Does anyone know anything about Music Technology degree courses? My son is really keen to do this at university and has got to fill in the UCAS forms next term. We've got lots of prospectuses, but first hand opinions are way better!

He's done AS levels in Physics, Business Studies, Psychology & History, and hasn't got any formal music training, but he plays djembes brilliantly, has an innate musicality, and is completely passionate about dance music - he's been bedroom-DJing for about 2 years and is pretty good. I've told him he needs to get some music theory training under his belt ASAP if he's serious about doing this degree. So he'll be looking for a course which isn't really a straight "music" degree, but one which will prepare him for working in the music industry, producing music, and that sort of thing. He's got good maths, physics, and electronics DT, GCSEs which I'd have thought would be useful? He's quite clued up on the clubbing scene from the inside, as he's seen us prepare for lots of gigs so he's not entirely a starry-eyed wannabee DJ...

Any thoughts would be really appreciated as this degree choice thing is just bewildering for an old timer like me - we only had about 50 subjects and 30 universities to choose from back in the old days :Wink3:

Thanks, Lynette x
 
Im hopefully going to UWE to study music technology this Sept. I dont really have a clue what the course is about ( :Grin: ) but Mr Fasters brother is on the same course (going into 2nd year) and says being able to read music is vital, music theory and if he can play a piano and read guitar tab....no problem!

Apparently they use a lot of Cubase and Logic to make music. And they do computer programming and stuff like that. I have a feeling though that Ive decided on the wrong course...I want to record music, not make electronic music and Alex so far hasnt mentioned anything to do with proper recording, editing blah blah. EEP!

Got to admit, when I was nosing around prospectuses, I didnt actually find that many unis that did music tech. Applied for UWE, Hertforshire, Thames Valley (LCMM), Birmingham (TIC) and Bath.

Subject wise I got a conditional offer of 240 points....did music, Italian and biology A Levels and music tech and chemistry AS Levels and all the usual GCSEs plus history, latin and triple science. I think electronics DT will come in handy (and Im so gutted I didnt do it meself).

Good luck to him!
 
Anyone been to Uni as a mature student?

I've been doing a course on the Open Uni, and decided that I'm really at a stage where I want to study again, but the OU doesn't offer a style of course that suits me.

[rant] I found that the inclusive nature of the course prevented the course from providing real challenges to those participants who knew a bit more. What is the point in teaching pre Grade V music to people who ideally should be post Grade VIII to even start the course? Stupid really, as they will only get second rate students on their courses. Not everyone has the same talent - the education system seems obsessed with the idea that everyone can be equally good at everything - that is ridiculous, I'd never be any good at Chemistry, but I'm very 'arty'. Why design compulsory courses that not only prevent the most talented pupils from showing how good they are, but leave them feeling thoroughly pissed off and patronised in the process. FFS!

[/rant]

Sooooo. Anyone attended full time Uni as an older student? I had a look at UCAS and it seemded fairly minefield like. Any advice on where to get started?
 
Psychedelic Acid Fairy said:
I want to record music, not make electronic music and Alex so far hasnt mentioned anything to do with proper recording, editing blah blah. EEP!

Most of that is digital these days - certainly the principles are the same as they were when you were cutting yards of tape. I'm sure there's got to be an acoustic theory class in there somewhere that will help you with mic placement and the like.

Cubase and Logic are pretty adept at recording live instruments from multiple sources... a lot of us use them for electronic music, but that's not the be-all and end-all of what they can do. :Smile3:

J.
 
i've been studying music tech for the past 2 years at hertfordshire and you do _not_ need qualifications in music theory. i'm one of the few people on my course who can read music / plays an instrument, one of the modules we were taught was notation however (from the ground up). i'm pretty sure that this is the case with music tech courses everywhere, it is much more a case of learning recording techniques, the physics of sound, how various microphones work, digital manipulation etc etc. music tech is for people who want to learn practical studio skills and so on. though there is some compositional work on my course, it's far from the focus. i am beginning to wish i had chosen a more creative course, so my advice would be to make 100% sure your son knows what _exactly_ he will be studying before embarking! 3 years is a long time *yawn*.
 
Back
Top