Quick facts
| Qualification type | Level 3 Diploma |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Study times | You will be expected to be in college for a minimum of 3 days per week, from 9:15 to 4:00. Your timetable will be confirmed at induction. |
| Entry requirements | Five GCSEs Grade 4 or above or a Level 2 Diploma at Merit grade. You will invited to an interview, and you will need to bring in a track you have produced. If you are offered a place on the course, we will invite you to a practical production workshop later in the year. |
| Campus | West Suffolk College Sixth Form Campus, Bury St Edmunds |
| Work placements | Work experience opportunities |
Is it for me?
This highly practical course is one of the only Level 3 courses available tailored to electronic music production. It is suitable for students who are serious about following a musical career, specifically within the field of electronic music, be it producer, beat maker, composer or recording artist.
You will be taught by music professionals with specific electronic music experience who will provide you with the skills and knowledge to expand your productions/tracks and to 'get out there' and start pushing your career forward.
Using a range of software and hardware, you will develop a well-rounded knowledge and acquire the tools to become a versatile producer or artist with a working understanding of career avenues.
We provide a creative, safe space for students to try out new ideas, practice their skills and develop their own personal style, with ongoing evaluation and professional, constructive feedback.
What you'll learn
The course has been designed to focus on you as an electronic-based producer or artist and will develop your core skills in this area of production as well as providing further opportunities such as TV, film or games composition, beat maker or sample library producer. Throughout the two-year course you will be continually producing tracks, both in your own chosen style and for an array of commercial briefs, to provide you with a wide portfolio of finished work.
Year 1
Your first year is predominantly focussed on ensuring your core production and composition skills are in place and to ensure that you are fully prepared in all aspects of electronic music production. This includes beat/drum programming, song structure, use of effects and other foundations of electronic music production. This is supported by developing your understanding of practical music theory, critical listening, and industry awareness. We build on this throughout the course, and by the end of year one you will be aiming to produce releasable, quality tracks.
Year 2
In this year, you will explore more complex subjects such as remixing, synthesis, sound design, Foley and producing on a range of hardware (synths, drum machines, etc.) as well as software; all designed to enhance the creativity of your tracks, enabling you to finish the course with a large portfolio of professional quality work.
Throughout both years we expect all students to be regularly writing and releasing their own music and exploring online platforms for promotion and employment.
You will be taught at our purpose-built Electronic Music Production lab at our main sixth form campus. You will have use of a Mac running Logic Pro X, Native Instrument Komplete and Serum synths. Each workstation is equipped with a controller keyboard and Focusrite soundcard. Within the lab, you have access to multiple hardware synthesisers and drum machines, including a Prophet, Moog and Theramin, to name but a few. You will also have access to three new edit suites, all equipped with dual-screen monitors, speakers, weighted keys and software.
Any student who does not hold a GCSE at grade 9 to 4 or equivalent qualifications in maths and English by age 16 will need to continue to study these subjects in each academic year.
Equipment required for the course
You will be required to purchase high quality closed headphones (with a large jack end or an adaptor), a USB 3.0 memory stick/hard drive and stationery before the course starts.
Access to a personal MacBook/Laptop and software is ideal, but not a necessity.
Work experience placements
You will be required to undertake a range of work-related experience while completing the course. This may include music for film or games, commissions from artists and library music, alongside personal releases.
Assessment
There are no exams, instead throughout the course you will generate a portfolio of evidence to show how you are developing as a professional producer. We use Google Classroom, which allows us to provide you with ongoing feedback and discussion.
You will be producing practical work including compositions, remixes, and sample packs in addition to presentations, mood boards, evaluations and research documentation.
Your grade for both years is based on a large project of your choosing. You work on this at the end of each year and so long as it fits within the boundaries of the qualification, this could anything from writing an EP or an album, remixing existing artists, composing for film to marketing and promoting yourself as an artist.
Further study
Example careers
- Musician
- Sound Engineer
- Event Manager
- Composer
- Producer
- Beat Maker
- Recording Artist
- Audio Director
- Production Co-ordinator
- Music Software Developer
- Mastering Engineer
- Audio Electronics Engineer
- Concert TechnicianMusic Editor
- Mixing Engineer
- DJ
Days & times
Starting September 2024