Music Performance

Music has seamlessly woven its way into games, fashion, film, television, events, and social media like never before. Today's aspiring music-makers must possess the ability to collaborate and adapt to new levels, and Nottingham School of Art & Design provides its music students with innovative, high-quality, practical degrees that reflect the needs of the modern, integrated global entertainment industry.

Developing the technical mastery of your instrument or voice is at the core of your studies. You will hone your skills as a musician through performance, recording, production, and songwriting. In addition, you will study how music has developed, both as an art form and business, into the global industry it is today.

Our exceptional staff comprises working professionals who are experts in the music and creative industries. Their extensive experience will guide and inspire you, ensuring you receive an education that is unparalleled in its depth and relevance.

Nottingham School of Art & Design has world-class, industry-approved, state-of-the-art facilities featuring incredible recording studio spaces, Mac suites, rehearsal rooms, and its own purpose-built live venue. There simply couldn't be a better environment for you to study what you love.

But the experience extends far beyond our remarkable facilities. Here, you will immerse yourself in an unrivalled network of industry connections. From engaging with our esteemed experts in your daily classes to being inspired by a diverse range of guest speakers, you will have countless opportunities to expand your horizons and forge invaluable relationships.

Nottingham School of Art & Design is the perfect platform to start building your professional network and shaping your future career.

Key features


• Gain hands-on industry experience while you study, with industry opportunities built into the course to ensure you graduate with the practical skills needed to make it in the industry.



• Use industry-leading equipment: Learn how to use specialist tech and equipment in our industry leading, venue, studios and rehearsal rooms.



• Work on live briefs set by industry giants to boost your CV and industry connections. Previous students have worked on briefs from big names including Splendour Festival.



• Study in the heart of Nottingham: One of Europe’s top 25 student cities, and home to over 75,000 learners.



Employability

Each case will be considered individually, but upon completion you’re automatically entitled to enter into the 3rd year of our BA (Hons) Music Performance to gain a full BA qualification.

The music industry offers a broad range of career prospects for graduates. Students studying the FdA Music Performance will study subject areas that will help prepare them for the diverse nature of the industry.

You will also study the wider context of their industry, investigating working practices, legal frameworks, business models and career opportunities. In addition, the course also aims to develop your cognition, autonomy and research skills, enabling you to continue in further academic study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Facilities

Whether you’re a songwriter, performer, producer or someone who wants to get into the live events industry, you’ll study and learn in the heart of a world-class venue – Metronome.

By day, it’s an incredible place to study music performance, live events and audio technology. By night, Metronome transforms into a live events venue, hosting sell-out music gigs, comedy nights, theatre productions, esports tournaments, spoken word – the list goes on!

For our students, we can offer unrivalled facilities which include:


- 400 capacity live music venue


- 14 rehearsal spaces


- 10 recording studios


• Mastering, surround sound and post-production studio



• Critical listening seminar room



• Live events production workspace.

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is recognised as one of the UK's top three universities, ranking 1st for Course Quality and top five for Student Life and Employability (University Compare 2027).

Nottingham is one of the UK's top student cities and is located in one of England's most affordable regions. With more than 15,000 student rooms within walking distance of campus, there's accommodation to suit every budget. NTU also guarantees first-year accommodation for students studying in Nottingham (T&Cs apply).

Across five campuses in Nottingham and London, students benefit from world-class facilities, innovative learning spaces and a vibrant community. Whether you live on campus or commute, NTU offers an accessible and supportive student experience.

At NTU, you'll graduate with experience, not just a degree. Every course includes at least eight weeks of professional experience, backed by strong employer links, placement opportunities and long-term career support. NTU also offers Gold-rated teaching (TEF 2023) and is recognised for its high-quality teaching, excellent learning resources and student support.

Join NTU this September for academic excellence, career-focused learning and a thriving student community.