Queen's University Belfast

Source: https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/music-sound-design-ba-w371/ Parent: https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/

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Undergraduate 2027

Undergraduate 2025

BA | Undergraduate

Music and Sound Design

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Entry year : Academic Year 2027/28

Entry requirements : ABB

Attendance : 3 years (Full-time) \

UCAS Code : W371

Overview
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The Music and Sound Design programme is designed for musicians interested in composing music and designing sound for a wide range of contexts but with particular emphasis on film and theatre. Students will gain practical knowledge and experience of composing in the studio, composing for instrumental forces, song-writing and scoring for picture. Working alongside leading audio professionals students will also learn innovative methods of capturing, synthesising and manipulating sound, enabling the design of sonic environments to accompany picture, stage productions, radio and gaming.

Course highlights

Global Opportunities

Students may opt to spend a semester or a year studying abroad. The School has links with a number of international institutions including Sibelius Academy (University of the Arts Helsinki), University of Groningen, Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo do Porto (Instituto Politecnico do Porto), Université Français Rabelais Tours, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and Technological Educational Institute of Crete.

http://go.qub.ac.uk/Erasmus-StudyAbroad

Professional Accreditations

The School is an Avid Learning Partner with certified instructors in both Media Composer video editing software and Pro Tools audio editing software. \ Undergraduates at the school have the opportunity to be certified in editing and notations software used in both the Film and Audio Industries as an additional qualification outside their course. The cost of these courses ranges from £20 to £90 per course. \ The school offers the following additional certifications:\ MC101 | Media Composer Editing Essentials\ MC110 | Media Composer Effects Essentials \ PT101 | Pro Tools Fundamentals I\ PT110 | Pro Tools Fundamentals II\ PT130 | Pro Tools for Game Audio\ PT201 | Pro Tools Production I\ PT210M | Pro Tools Production II (Music Production)\ SB101 | Sibelius Fundamentals I\ SB110 | Sibelius Fundamentals II\ https://www.avid.com/education/certification

https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/ael/Discover/AvidTraining/

Industry Links

The School benefits from strong industry partnerships including BBC NI, Ulster Orchestra, Opera NI, Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, Cathedral Arts Festival, Moving on Music, Diatribe Records, DTS and Dolby.\ \ We currently have a partnership with the Ulster Orchestra that means our performance classes are regularly co-mentored by Ulster Orchestra players.

http://go.qub.ac.uk/PerformanceUOPartnership

World Class Facilities

The School is one of the largest and best equipped institutions in the UK working in the field of music and sound. Students have access to state-of-the-art audio resources including two dedicated computer suites, ten sound studios an equipment loan store and the world’s first Sonic Laboratory – a unique performance space capable of three-dimensional sound projection, all housed in the SARC: Centre for Research in Sound and Music.\ \ Since its founding in 2001, SARC has become a globally recognised institute for music-based practice and research, broadly conceived. SARC brings together researchers in composition, performance, musicology, computing for musical applications, acoustics, perception, sound recording, interaction design, broadcast, critical improvisation studies, sound art, aesthetics and media theory. It is a purpose designed building with a state-of-the-art Sonic Laboratory and multichannel studios was opened by Karlheinz Stockhausen in 2004 during the Sonorities Festival, which is hosted biennially by SARC. SARC also includes associate members based in computer engineering, anthropology, psychology and architecture who are involved in research collaborations and co-supervision of PhD students, to form a research environment with diverse academics and postgraduate students. \ \ SARC regularly hosts visiting artists and scholars and has ongoing research collaborations with international institutions including Stanford University, University of São Paulo, IRCAM, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, McGill University, Bach-Archiv Leipzig, Stony Brook University, Orpheus Institute and University of Oxford. SARC also has formal professional partnerships with high profile local artists and ensembles including the Ulster Orchestra, Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble and Michael Keeney, of which the latter two are currently employed as Industry Professionals. The link below is a student-led video tour of the SARC building.

The Sonic Laboratory at the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) could best be thought of as a 'cinema for the ear' - a specialist acoustic space designed to provide a unique and immersive listening experience - the auditory equivalent of an IMAX cinema. 84 loudspeakers, strategically located, project and move sounds throughout the space, including above and underneath the audience. The Sonic Lab was designed with an acoustically transparent, modular grid floor suspended 4m above the basement level. No other auditorium for sonic art performance and experimentation currently exists with this revolutionary feature. The provision of this facility gives Northern Ireland a unique and pioneering role in a rapidly developing field.\ \ The Sonic Lab is a flexible space used for teaching, public concerts, screenings, installations and for developing and implementing cutting edge research linked to the emerging creative industries. As an engineering research facility, the Sonic Laboratory provides unique opportunities to develop and test new ideas relating to virtual reality / augmented reality, immersive media, Dolby Atmos, loudspeaker design, music perception, musical interactions, new instrument design and sound engineering.\ \ Specifications\ AUDIO\ • 48 loudspeakers across 4 levels: Basement (10), ground (12), mid-height (18) and over-head (8) consisting of Meyer and Genelec loudspeakers.\ • A row of loudspeakers across the front for wave-field synthesis\ • Studer Vista 5 mixing console located at the rear of the lab - 72 mic/line inputs, 56 line outputs. \ • DANTE audio connection to the Broadcast Studio in SARC.\ • Adjacent Control Room equipped with AMS-NEVE DMC mixing console with PMC loudspeaker monitoring and Pro Tools HDX multitrack playback and recording system.\ \ ACOUSTICS\ 48 acoustic absorbers which can be raised and lowered to alter the reverberation time of the space between 0.4 – 2.3 seconds. This allows the space to be configured to suit different performances, \ recording situations, and testing environments.\ \ VISUAL\ Large 7 meter-wide retractable acoustically-permeable screen with high-definition video projection.\ \ LIGHTING\ LED powered lighting system - Avolites Titan Mobile console controlling 6 x moving head lights, and 28 x LED Par fixtures.

Our Music Building was built at the same time as the main Queen's Lanyon Building. It was originally the Students' Union and Canteen.\ We have the beautiful Harty Room concert hall, The Old McMordie Hall teaching room, a large Lecture Room, smaller teaching rooms, a basement full of practice rooms, 2 recording studios and social spaces for students to meet. \ The Harty Room has a splendid hammer-beam vaulted\ roof and warm acoustic, it seats 120 and is situated within the Music building where the regular lunchtime recitals and evening concerts take place. It is also the main rehearsal space for choirs and orchestras at Queen’s. It houses two full- concert Steinway grand pianos, a double- manual harpsichord, fortepiano, chamber organ and many percussion instruments. The Harty Room is also equipped with a large projector screen and audio PA system suitable for events such as concerts and seminars. The link below is a student-led video tour of the Music building.

http://go.qub.ac.uk/SARCtour

http://go.qub.ac.uk/Sonic-Lab

http://go.qub.ac.uk/Musictour

Internationally Renowned Experts

Many of our staff are leading international experts in their fields of research. Additionally, the School employs a number Industry Fellows – internationally renowned professionals in their fields of composition, performance, song-writing, sound engineering and music production.\ Each member of staff teaching on this course is listed on the next page with a link to their research profiles.

Each term we run a series of research seminars and lunchtime concerts with guest speakers/performers joining us from around the world.

http://go.qub.ac.uk/EventsListings

Student Experience

Students on the BA Music and Sound Design programme have excellent opportunities to gain real-world production experience through collaborative work with students studying BA Film Studies and Production and BA Broadcast Production.

Northern Ireland has an exceptional track record for producing outstanding musical talent and has a unique identity within the global music industry. Belfast is the creative hub of the Northern Irish music industry and students on this programme will contribute to the vibrant musical life of both the University and the wider city.

Download our new Music Programmes Brochure here!

Students wishing to take modules in solo performance at Level 1 must first successfully pass an audition. Each student accepted onto a Level 1 performance module is awarded a generous performance bursary that covers the cost of all practical performance tuition. Performance bursaries are also provided to students taking performance modules at Levels 2 and 3.

The Music Department at Queen's is a very welcoming and friendly department. Even though we work across two buildings, both are good venues for a sociable and relaxed student experience.

https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/Living-in-Northern-Ireland/Life-in-Belfast/nightlife-and-music/

http://go.qub.ac.uk/MusicBrochure

http://go.qub.ac.uk/MusicatQueens

Further Study Opportunities

Further study, including Master's programmes, is also an option; see the School website for further information.\ \ Graduates of this degree will be eligible to undertake postgraduate study such as the MRes and PhD programmes.

http://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-taught/arts-humanities-mres/

I am a final year Music & Sound Design student and have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Queen's. The teaching standard was exemplary as each of my lecturers have been approachable, friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive. The course offered a wide range of subject areas and I was able to select modules catered to my interests. I found each class to be enjoyable, offering challenges that helped me to broaden my skill set and develop an interest in new areas. When I first arrived at Queen's, I was extremely impressed with the facilities that SARC had to offer and the sense of community between the staff and students. The\ courses available provide a good foundation for a career in the music industry and I would highly recommend it to aspiring musicians, audio engineers, and sound designers alike.\ Chanel McManus

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