Coventry University looks to the future with e-music course

Graduates from Coventry are preparing to make history this week as they become the first students in Europe to pick up degrees in e-music.
As the music industry leans even closer to the online environment and an increasing number of industry professionals and musicians adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape, Coventry University has capitalised on its development.
Coventry’s e-music course is the only one of its kind in Europe and it looks to teach its students about digital promotion and distribution, alongside the study of music production.
Since the course started in 2006, the digital downloading of music has continued to gain in popularity and this is one of the few courses to address the trend.
Indeed, the UK’s recorded music industry is a significant contributor to society both in terms of the economy and its culture, generating an estimated £3.6 billion annually for the UK economy.
Through the course students are able to gain the knowledge, skills and experience that are needed to succeed in the digitally distributed music world, the university explains.
Opportunities may exist in fields such as radio, post-production sound or television and the technical skills learnt may be of relevance to computing or electronics industries and the musical knowledge applicable to a career in music.
Coventry University cites Adam Nicholas, David Holland and Francesca Smith who are all applying what they have learnt on the course to their respective careers, as examples of the course’s success.
Francesca Smith is now promoting and managing live music events, while Adam Nicholas is using digital technologies to distribute recordings he has produced with a band. Meanwhile, David Holland is continuing his studies with an MA in Music, Technology and Innovation.
“It’s great to see these students coming out with such good degree classifications,” Mark Thorley, the principal lecturer in e-music said. “They showed great faith in joining a brand new course, so we trust that the skills and knowledge they have gained will serve them well for their future careers.”