Newcastle University

Folk and Traditional Music BMus Honours
UCAS Code: W340 (4 Years)

• Course Overview
• Modules
• Entry Requirements
• Careers
• Finance

 Please note: from September 2014, all new students will be enrolled in our new Folk and Traditional Music BA Honours degree (currently subject to approval).

The Folk and Traditional Music BA Honours degree is unique in England and Wales, and Newcastle University is one of the leading centres for the study of traditional music in the world.

This new programme allows for a more flexible and highly specialist experience to develop your particular performance and academic interests amongst a highly supportive community of musicians who share your interests.

It offers a intensive three-year programme of study which can be taken as a standalone degree but is designed for a close transition to the Master of Music (MMus) at Newcastle University, for students who wish to develop their performance, composition or scholarly skills to a higher level.

Our new, more flexible programme gives you more choice, offering you the chance to really concentrate your studies in areas you feel are important to your total development.

• In the first year you will take a suite of compulsory modules offering a broad introduction to the performance practice of traditional music with one-on-one specialist tuition from some of the leading performers in these islands. All students take a first study, a second study and commit to ensemble performance. The academic modules offer an outstanding introduction and extension to theories, histories and practices of traditional music in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as traditions from other communities around the world, and key ideas in the study of Western art music.
• In the second and final year, you have the ability to really focus on your area of specialism including performance, scholarship and/or composition. We have a wide range of modules both applied and academic which will help you develop a formidable set of skills for your future career.

Students join our really vibrant performing community and take tuition with some of the best performers in the tradition, such as:

• Kathryn Tickell
• Catriona Macdonald
• Desi Wilkinson
• Simon McKerrell
• Shona Mooney
• Andy May
• and Chris Newman

Our students are part of a very strong performing community and also benefit from world-class musical scholarship drawn from many different cultures.

We have deep connections with the local Folk communities in the North-East and throughout the British Isles, including opportunities for our students at regular public concerts at The Sage Gateshead, gigs at local folk clubs and teaching and volunteering arrangements with local community groups.

In addition to this, we have outstanding recording and practice facilities and all the wide-ranging benefits that come with a large and exceptional University. 

Students from the existing programme have been extremely successful in gaining employment and now count amongst some of the leading performers in the UK and internationally - please see the Careers tab for more information. 

Whatever you decide to pursue, we believe that the International Centre for Music Studies offers the highest quality of musical and intellectual education for folk music students of the 21^st century.

Quality and ranking

Newcastle is ranked in the top ten UK universities for music in The Times/Sunday Good University Guide 2014.

Teaching and assessment

Research-informed teaching plays an important role at Newcastle. It shapes the content of our undergraduate degrees, ensuring that you have the chance to cover the most up-to-date material. The International Centre for Music Studies has an international reputation for its research in two areas in particular:

• musicology
• creative practice

Different forms of music need different approaches to study so some of our modules are based around lectures and seminars, often with set reading or listening assignments, and other modules take the form of smaller specialised study groups. Performance modules are usually taught through a combination of individual one-to-one tuition, group workshops and specialist masterclasses. 

Assessment includes examination, written assignments, submission of dissertation or portfolio (of compositions, harmony, recordings, counterpoint or music analysis exercises), and through live musical performance. Teaching and assessment methods may vary from module to module; more information can be found in our individual module listings.

Performance opportunities

There are excellent performance opportunities for music students at Newcastle. We have over 100 professional instrumental and vocal tutors delivering free one-to-one tuition, including members of the internationally-acclaimed Northern Sinfonia.

The International Centre for Music Studies runs its own free professional concert series every Thursday lunchtime during term-time. This is followed by a student performance where you have the chance to perform for, and listen to, your colleagues from all of our music degrees.

Study abroad

UK and EU students who achieve a Stage 1 average of 60% or more have the option to spend one semester on an Erasmus exchange in Stage 2, studying folk music at one of our partner institutions.

Facilities

You will have access to excellent facilities to support your studies. Our purpose-built Music Studios give you access to a wide range of state-of-the-art facilities, including:

• rehearsal spaces accessible 24 hours a day
• a large band practice room with full PA system and lighting rigs
• four acoustic instrumental tuition rooms with personal recording facilities

Our base in the Armstrong Building offers a further range of facilities, including:

• music studios and recently refurbished teaching facilities
• practice rooms and performance spaces
• a PC suite running specialist music software
• a large, recently refurbished student common room

The International Centre for Music Studies (ICMuS)

Study at Newcastle and you will join a supportive community in the International Centre for Music Studies. We have an excellent collection of instruments for you to use, including:

• orchestral percussion and drum kits
• guitar amplifiers and PA equipment
• several Steinway grand pianos and an organ
• harpsichord
• fortepiano
• a number of other early music instruments including sets of consort viols and baroque bows

Our online archives include excellent resources for African-American music, classical music recordings, North East folk music, music from America’s past, and world musics. Find out more about our resources.

Hear some of our music