Skip to main content

TL launches Change-Making Popular Music Degree

Fri 3 July 2020

A first for conservatoire training in London, the BA (Hons) in Music Performance and Industry will produce a new generation of songwriters, producers and performers in popular music.

With alumni including Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and Head of EMI Records Rebecca Allen, Trinity Laban has earned a reputation for our future-focussed and socially engaged training, and strong industry roots.

In recent years, we have become a hothouse for the London jazz and popular music scene, with graduates such as Moses Boyd, Laura Jurd and Nubya Garcia enjoying critical and commercial success through their artistic excellence and originality.

Building on this success, the new BA (Hons) Music Performance and Industry is a three-year undergraduate programme that aims to produce change-making creative artists, providing the skills to adapt to the challenges of an ever-evolving industry.

Joe Townsend, Head of BA (Hons) Music Performance and Industry, comments –

“COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, climate crisis, Brexit and the economic challenges we face mean that every aspect of life is likely to change. The inbuilt flexibility of the BA Music Performance and Industry means we can respond to the fast-paced change of the times in which we live. This programme provides a place of learning, stability, refuge and activism with the ability to give students from all backgrounds a voice through the expression of music.

The music industry is changing rapidly; we want our students to be the changemakers.”

Designed to adapt to technological shifts in music making, and to connect directly with industry professionals, the programme will work with the industry’s gatekeepers and digital powerbase. Partnerships are being forged with festivals, venues and key players in the making of music.

Not only will students have access to a network of industry contacts, they will also take up professional placements within the industry during their studies, giving them real-world experience.

They will also be mentored by a roster of talented artists, producers and managers from the world of popular music, to inspire and enrich the learning experience.

Unbound by genre, the programme values originality, collaboration and imagination. Students are encouraged to experiment as individual artists and within a collective of peers.

Director of Music Havilland Willshire comments –

“The independent artist has an increasing powerbase and role to play in the music ecology.

“The conservatoire setting of our new BA in Music Performance and Industry offers students world-class space and facilities against a rich backdrop of musical excellence. Students will explore and build their individual creative identities in a vibrant and highly focused community of musicians and dancers, emerging to take on and shape the commercial music industry.”

Applications open in mid-July via UCAS. We welcome applications from individuals who have had alternative routes to study, as well as the standard entry requirements.

We will be hosting a virtual open day on Thursday 16 July with panel discussions, Q&As and more. To register your interest please visit our Music Open Days page.

For more information visit the BA (Hons) Music Performance and Industry course page.