Welcome to the BA (Hons) Commercial Music Digital Showcase. The creative outputs presented below are derived predominantly from 3rd Year and 4th Year Honours projects, which have been selected to celebrate student success and creativity in the academic year 2023-24.
COURSE DETAILS
The degree is aimed at songwriters, producers and DJs, and those wishing to run small record companies or to stage live events. You will work with UWS staff and visiting lecturers, who are themselves practising music industry professionals, and you'll make key contacts across the music industry.
Whether you are interested in a career in music promotion, tour management, sound engineering and production or performance, this degree will prepare you for success in the fast-changing modern music business.
Commercial Music Showreel- Class of 23-34
Below you can view some of the amazing work from our 3rd and 4th year students this year.
Commercial Music 4th Year
Creative Research Project
Creative Research Project is a 60-credit module delivered across Trimesters 1 and 2 of 4th year/Honours year of BA (Hons) Commercial Music. The Creative Research Project provides students with the opportunity to develop a significant creative research practice output.
Projects fall into a range of disciplines including;
Performance
Production
Cultural Entrepreneurship
Participatory Arts
Creative Research Project is also intended to contribute to students general portfolio of work, encourage them to operate out with the cultural “mainstream” and to impress upon future employers the value of artistic creativity as one of the most important key skills.
Here are some highlights of student work in from 2023/24 ...
Sarah Brehovska- Singing for Hope: Research Project
Our health and general well-being is key to living a full and vibrant life, and many things lead to better health. Have you ever thought about singing? Singing affects the brain in profound ways. It eases stress by lowering cortisol. It floods the brain with pleasurable neurotransmitters like dopamine. And it serves as a conduit through which we can process emotions that otherwise might not be describable in words. Whether you’re in a choir or in your shower, the act of singing has surprising benefits to your physical and emotional health.
Robert Lithgow- Patchwork
Patchwork is an experimental audio-drama that delves into the emotional journey of a young woman in a delicate mental state. The audio-drama uses dramatic dialogue, foley effects and music composition to explore the interplay between music, narrative, genre and film.
Keno Stolzenberg- 'Pop Music' Project
Pop Music: Creating the Sonic and Structural Archetype
Writing and Production Techniques in Practice
This creative research project takes the form of two self-produced Pop songs alongside a documentary video. The project specifically explores three areas within Pop Music research: songwriting and production practices utilised to create typical sonic Pop aesthetics, the significance of technicianship and musicianship within this and the question of artistic identity within Pop
Lorna Futter- In the Key of She- Practice based project
A documentary exploring the experiences of women musicians in the Scottish music industry
'I chose to create a short factual documentary film as a means of visual storytelling. Titled ‘In the Key of She’. The documentary features three female musicians discussing their experiences of working in the music industry in Scotland and how their gender has impacted their experiences and careers'.
Allison Douthwaite- Wait Your Turn
Allison hosted a 100-capacity gig in Glasgow venue SLAY, featuring local-based female musicians will be used as a first step in establishing a more female-led music scene. The output was based on extensive research into female artists within the Scottish Music scene, their practices, work lives, and participation in the music industry. The event was the cumulative output based on research gathered from focus groups, interviews, and a public survey.
Oriana Setz: Portrait of an Artist Documentary by Katerina Tsaramanidou
'For my final creative research project I wanted to make a documentary portraying what someone is like as an artist. My intention was essentially to find a solo artist who works in music, base the documentary around them and tailor it to their specific style'
Mark Smith- Songs of Glasgows Political Past
'Songs of Glasgow’s Political Past: Times and Tales of the City’s Revolutions” is a song writing based music project built to shine light on how Glasgow has been a key part of Britain’s political history '
Katelyn Baxter- The Consequence; Revisiting Silence
This creative project aims to investigate how music improves the narrative experience of cinema.
Catherine Kyle
Research Project- The Eras of Taylor Swift
'This research seeks to analyse the engagement of the Swiftie fandom that resides with the key concept of communications in relationships built between artist and fan, particularly within the domain of social media networks in recent years.'
View Catherine's Zine here:
https://www.flipsnack.com/7CFF7B7F8D6/b00388684-fanzine/full-view.html
Chloe McLeod- Songs From Greenock
‘Songs from Greenock’ is a collection of four tracks created to educate and highlight Greenock’s history.
Rachel Clews- Harmony in Isolation - Podcast
‘Harmony In Isolation’ is a three-part podcast series created with the aim to highlight and link the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to online distance learning within music education.
Joe Smith- Dont Fret It- Research Project
An investigation of what’s missing regarding awareness of pathways into the Scottish music industry for National 5 and Higher music students in secondary schools across Ayrshire
Jack McAuley- The Subtle Balance- Podcast/Research Project
The reasoning for this research is simple, it is based on the extraordinary work that I think artist managers do within the music industry, both personally with the artists they manage and the business mindset they must have when building relationships with various parties to help their artists flourish
Commercial Music: 3rd Year
Advanced Music Production
With a focus on hybrid learning and the music industries becoming more digitised, AMP encourages students to develop their entrepreneurial skills by designing and implementing a successful music industry project. This module is a development of the creative skills and techniques required for a holistic / corporate approach to music product design and implementation, with an emphasis on the manifestation of a product and appropriate promotion to suit an opportunity students have identified in the marketplace.
Katie Wills- 'Rock Con Scotland'
Welcome to Rock.Con Scotland, Scotland's official Rock & Metal convention. A university project with a heavy focus on creating and facilitating an industry space with a promotional, networking, creative, educational, cross art form and collaborative platform. The pop up conventions will feature instrumental clinics and workshops, live podcasts, panel discussions and industry guest speakers, an open stage jam, creatives 'speed dating', as well as an evening showcase with 3 local Scottish bands per event and a vendor stalls comprising of music organisations, shops, creative freelancers, labels, recording/rehearsal studios, merchandise, photographers, videographers, animators, graphic design/illustrators, podcasters and many more.
If you're a band/artist, musician, working in the music industry, a creative freelancer, or if you own a business, run an organisation or are just a Rock and Metal music fan, these events are for you! If you want to network, collaborate, meet likeminded people, learn new skills or techniques for your own practise, find out more about other bands, musicians, industry organisations or discover new music, Rock.Con aims to facilitate an inclusive, informative and collaborative experience, creating an opportunity for many art forms to cross paths and somewhere for this community to come together.
Emma Michie- Choosing Me: Self Release Project
Susan Traynor- Accordians in Ayrshire
While still at school I was employed by the North Ayrshire Gaelic Development Office to teach a group of beginner accordion players. While doing this I discovered my passion for teaching others and helping people to learn the accordion, although sadly this ended when the funding was removed.. I thought that this would be the ideal project to help increase people's knowledge around accordions and learn within the local area. Feel free to contact me with specific requests!
Click the Accordians in Ayrshire Facebook page below for more details