The Institute launches new Masters Degree for guitar, bass, drum and vocal students

Music students can now work for a brand new Masters Degree after the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance announced this week that it will launch a new course.
The MMus Degree in Popular Music Performance will be available for guitar, bass, drums or vocals students and aims to provide a new advanced route in music education for undergraduates of contemporary music.
It will involve individual lessons and project-based study, with the professional guidance from acclaimed musicians, academics, educators and practitioners, the Institute said. They include Professor Richard Smith from the Thornton School of Music, cellist and string arranger Audrey Riley and world-renowned bassist Laurence Cottle.
The Institute’s new academic offering joins a growing number of courses across the country for students interested in instruments more commonly associated with rock and pop.
On gaining the Masters, students will then be able to progress even further to undertake a PhD or DMA in music, as well as go onto a high level of employment.
Demand for the course is expected to be high, as the Institute offers state-of-the-art facilities for students to master their instrument or voice.
“We are delighted to be launching this new Masters course for the contemporary musician which we believe will quickly become recognised as one of the leading courses in its field,” commented Dr Gareth Dylan Smith, programme leader on the Institute Masters course.
If contemporary musicians were not eager already, he added: “Since it is delivered in London, at the heart of the global music industry, I believe that there is no better place to continue building a music career at the highest levels.”
People who have worked in the music profession and can show comparable experience to having an undergraduate degree can also apply for the course.
For more than 25 years the Institute has delivered specialist education in contemporary music, offering a BMus Degree, diplomas and summer school courses.
Students go on to tour with leading bands and artists in the industry and teach all over the world.
What are your thoughts on instrument specific Masters courses?