• Undergraduate

Popular Music Performance BMus (Hons)

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Overview

Overview

Why study at the University of West London? 
  • Ranked 30th university in the UK - The Guardian University Guide 2025
  • Our Music courses are ranked #2 in London for modern universities* - Guardian University Guide 2025
  • Number 1 London university for overall student satisfaction - National Student Survey 2024**
  • Best university for Student Experience and Teaching Quality in the UK - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024

Our BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance degree provides future popular music professionals with a thorough, industry-facing educational experience.

During the course, you will:

  • receive bespoke 1:1 tuition with our team of internationally acclaimed professional performers 
  • develop your musicianship and interpretation skills 
  • engage with current theories in historical and social popular musicology and performance practice 
  • deepen your understanding of today’s popular music industry 
  • nurture the entrepreneurial skills required for the contemporary musician. 

Throughout the course, there are opportunities to collaborate and work with students from across LCM’s vast creative community, enhancing your learning experience and developing your network of like-minded industry professionals. 

Level-6 Top-up Option

If you already have a relevant Level 5 qualification (such as a Higher National Diploma, NVQ Level 5 etc) then you can top this up to a full honours degree with our Level 6 Top-up course. This course consists of a full year of studies covering the same modules as Year 3 of the regular degree.

A female singer on stage surrounded by a male band

Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.
With Foundation Year
Duration: 4 years

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Why study Popular Music Performance with us?

Why study Popular Music Performance with us?

A collage of students
A collage of students

What our students say…

I love the opportunities we’re given to perform in so many different venues, in front of a variety of audiences. We’re given so much feedback that I’ve developed and improved tremendously during my time at LCM.

Laura Oxburgh

I'm glad I have found a place that teaches not just a field of my interest but also assists me to broaden my vision and skills necessary for this competitive industry. The courses are designed with current awareness and state-of-the-art facilities, also the staff and lecturers are very supportive and understanding. I could not be happier with my chosen course and University.

Angela Kibson
Next
Graphic advising that you will receive one-to-one music lessons
The London College of Music is an all-Steinway school
£1m+ investment in the Paragon Annex Studios. Our studio complex is now one of the largest in Europe.
London College of Music: founded in 1887
Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

This exciting Popular Music Performance degree offers you the opportunity to cultivate performance-focused skills which are vital to you as a contemporary musician.

As well as exploring the placement of popular music as a broader sociological construct you will develop:

  • a secure technical foundation
  • a high level of performing ability
  • a strong creative drive
  • advanced knowledge of musical concepts including secure music literacy and critical listening skills

This diverse provision will ensure that you are equipped with a strong, creative, and entrepreneurial drive, and an ability to employ a wide range of employable skillsets.

The course’s philosophy takes a developmental and strategic approach focussing on investigation, evaluation, and creation.

This begins with a range of subjects designed to develop knowledge of performance, music scholarship, and musical arrangement before shifting to a more critical performance training as you learn to manage more advanced collaborative performance scenarios.

In your final year, you will direct self-guided performance projects that demonstrate your acquisition of industry-standard skills and conceptual considerations.

As a graduate of this music performance degree, you will be a pioneer and innovator; recognising contemporary industry practices to build, drive, and maintain a career as a versatile and employable musician.

Compulsory modules

  • Performance for Audience

    Performance for audience is a collaborative module that encourages students to stretch their musical boundaries and develop longer thematically connected musical performances. In this module students must generate 25-minute performances that both sustain performance energy and deliver a well curated musical experience for audiences. In this module students demonstrate a mastery of performance logistics, musical organisation, and audience engagement.

  • Popular Music Performance Project

    Through this final project module, you are provided with the opportunity to explore and critically discuss a variety of aspects of rehearsal and live performance processes.

    Through stimulated video recall processes, you will evaluate your musical direction skills, focusing on the areas of interaction and expressivity, and form an understanding of the technical and communicative skills required in live, popular music performance which should be fully representative of this level of study.

    These skills culminate in the planning and delivery of a live musical performance, in which you are expected not only to perform to an advanced standard, showcasing your technical and communicative ability but also to lead in the delivery of an accomplished performance which is fully representative of professional level performance.

    Within this module, there will also be an opportunity to study for an additional LCME diploma qualification (LLCM) in performance, which will be directly linked to the module content but is not compulsory.

  • Creative Performance Practice

    The module is designed to give you the opportunity to:  

    1. Develop an advanced understanding of key theoretical elements relevant to the area of popular music performance.  

    1. Develop a robust approach to group and independent learning.  

    1. Understand the importance of understanding advanced theoretical skills and how they can be applied to practical skills. 

  • Promoting Your Career

    Comprising of weekly lectures and breakout workshop groups, this module is designed to develop the level of personal entrepreneurial skills needed by a current day portfolio career musician. By examining and investigating current social and consumer trends of the creative industries, and how the commercial and entrepreneurial skills of a musician need to reflect and interact with this, each lecture will focus on a key element of the administration of artist management

  • Performance for Industry

    Performance for industry is the culminating performance experience where level 6 students have the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of performance to a panel of industry experts. Students will propose and design a performance event in consultation with the module tutor that represents their aesthetic journey as an artist and performer.

Compulsory modules

  • Musicianship for Popular Performers

    The module is designed to give you the opportunity to:  

    1. Develop an understanding of key theoretical elements relevant to the area of popular music performance.  

    1. Develop a structured approach to group and independent learning.  

    1. Understand the importance of understanding theoretical skills and how they can be applied to practical skills.

  • Performance for Recording

    Performance for Recording will help students develop the required skills needed to perform in a studio recording environment to a high standard. The module will help students to develop the playing skills specific to the studio environment and increase student’s understanding to different recording and musical approaches. Performance for Recording runs in Semester 1 and is an introduction to the performance strand in the learning journey. It covers a comprehensive overview of contemporary studio practice and the specific concepts relevant to performing for the recording process.

    The module will extend listening, playing, and organisational techniques required to operate as an effective session musician. The module is also s fun introduction to the recording studio facilities at UWL. This module is also supported by extra instrumental lessons so that students can continue to develop their musical skills in their chosen instrument.

  • Understanding Creative Industries

    Understanding Creative Industries is designed to give you an appreciation and knowledge of the development of the fundamental structures of the global creative industry structures. In doing this, you will obtain a comprehensive grounding in the key skills and knowledge appropriate to building, developing and maintaining a career in your chosen area of the industry. You will also receive a grounding in key figures within the industry and support organisations available to you to help in developing your professional careers.

  • Popular Music Scenes and Subcultures

    The module is designed to give you the opportunity to:  

    1. Engage with popular music and its place in the world. 

    1. Develop scholarly approaches to both non-Western and Western popular music.  

    1. Apply your own diverse musical backgrounds and creative interests in to learning and assessment activities.

  • Situated Performance

    After the performance for studio module, students are encouraged to explore a range of different performance styles. Situated Performance runs in Semester 2 and is designed to enhance student’s interaction with different performance environments as well as different types of audience. The module will extend listening, playing, and organisational techniques required to operate as an effective performer while considering the limitations of different performance situations. Performance for Audience will help students develop the required skills needed to perform as an ensemble no matter where they are.

  • Songwriting and Arranging

    Songwriting and Arranging is an introductory subject designed to give students advanced knowledge of music writing principles. The module covers three main areas relating to songwriting and arranging. These areas are lyric construction and form, arrangement fundamentals, and essential orchestration skills.

    The module is broken into parts that assess both the construction of songs, as well as the digital tools that can be incorporated to enhance arrangements. During the first half of the module, students learn the skills required to understand great lyric writing and song structure, narrative themes and writer perspectives. The second half of the module is concerned with understanding fundamental instrumental arrangement. During the latter half of the module, students are introduced to skills and digital tools that can enhance the musical and textural content of their songs.

Compulsory modules

  • Advanced Musicianship for Popular Performers

    The module is designed to give you the opportunity to:  

    1. Develop an advanced understanding of key theoretical elements relevant to the area of popular music performance.  

    1. Develop a robust approach to group and independent learning.  

    1. Understand the importance of understanding advanced theoretical skills and how they can be applied to practical skills. 

  • Business Skills for the Music Industry

    This module looks at the key skills and abilities required for entrepreneurs to develop new business ideas in the creative industries. As new technologies and media converge, the need to understand how new concepts are generated is one of the key tools for contemporary and future creative industry practitioners. Generating successful business ideas is a process of creative thinking and a critical awareness of the business landscape.

    This module will focus on both the theoretical and practical aspects of initiating and developing a creative enterprise in the modern marketplace. A study of entrepreneurial traits provides the framework for the module, which includes the development of a credible business idea and the presentation of a formulated and considered business plan.

  • Performance Artistry

    Having completed the level 4 performance subjects, students move from the practical aspects of performing in a variety of settings to the more artistic exploration of what it means to be a performer. Performance Artistry is an advanced performance subject designed to develop students' understanding of their role as a content creator and a performer. As such, the module functions in a similar manner to a record label artist development (A&R) department. This module gives performance students a deeper understanding of their relationship to the music industry.

     

  • Research Methods for Performance

    The module offers you the opportunity to:

    • engage with applied research methods using ethnographic, autoethnographic and theoretical approaches

    • critically reflect on your own creative practice through a process of data collection and stimulated recall

    • assimilate and reflect upon the creative practice and research activity of staff and postgraduate research students

    • use these research techniques in conjunction with academic reading to develop a research question that will form the basis for your level 6 major project module

    • effectively communicate ideas through a combination of verbal and multimedia presentation formats.

  • Popular Music Teaching and Pedagogy

    Through weekly lectures and breakout workshop groups, this module focuses on the area of instrumental and vocal teaching - an important skillset, and income stream, for the portfolio musician. Underpinned by an understanding of generic and music-specific pedagogic principles, each of the weekly sessions will focus on a particular topic or issue relevant to building a career as an instrumental or vocal tutor, including: constructing lesson and study plans; understanding and executing appropriate teaching methods to foster technical, creative and expressive skills in your pupils; developing effective communication skills; as well as acquiring an insight into establishing and running a successful teaching practice.

  • Leading in Performance

    At this point in the performance journey, students have learned to adapt to various settings and investigated their own artistic voice. Having learned these skills, the students now need to learn how to lead other musicians to achieve their artistic vision. Leading in Performance is a workshop-based module designed to assist students in achieving their musical leadership goals using a combination of group management and musical literacy skills.

    This module will culminate in a scenario where students will lead a performance of two songs with only one rehearsal to prepare for the concert. The aim of this module is for students to assume leadership roles and drive a small team of musicians in an experience similar to that of a late-night TV show house band.

Compulsory modules

  • Performance for Audience

    Performance for audience is a collaborative module that encourages students to stretch their musical boundaries and develop longer thematically connected musical performances. In this module students must generate 25-minute performances that both sustain performance energy and deliver a well curated musical experience for audiences. In this module students demonstrate a mastery of performance logistics, musical organisation, and audience engagement.

  • Creative Performance Practice

    The module is designed to give you the opportunity to:  

    1. Develop an advanced understanding of key theoretical elements relevant to the area of popular music performance.  

    1. Develop a robust approach to group and independent learning.  

    1. Understand the importance of understanding advanced theoretical skills and how they can be applied to practical skills. 

  • Performance for Industry

    Performance for industry is the culminating performance experience where level 6 students have the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of performance to a panel of industry experts. Students will propose and design a performance event in consultation with the module tutor that represents their aesthetic journey as an artist and performer.

  • Promoting Your Career

    This module is designed to develop the level of personal entrepreneurial skills needed by a current day portfolio career musician. You will examine and investigate current social and consumer trends of the creative industries and learn how to interact with and reflect this in your commercial and entrepreneurial skills.

  • Popular Music Performance Project

    Through this final project module, you are provided with the opportunity to explore and critically discuss a variety of aspects of rehearsal and live performance processes.

    Through stimulated video recall processes, you will evaluate your musical direction skills, focusing on the areas of interaction and expressivity, and form an understanding of the technical and communicative skills required in live, popular music performance which should be fully representative of this level of study.

    These skills culminate in the planning and delivery of a live musical performance, in which you are expected not only to perform to an advanced standard, showcasing your technical and communicative ability but also to lead in the delivery of an accomplished performance which is fully representative of professional level performance.

    Within this module, there will also be an opportunity to study for an additional LCME diploma qualification (LLCM) in performance, which will be directly linked to the module content but is not compulsory.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

112-128 UCAS points required from level 3 qualifications

These can include: 

  • A Levels at grade B, B and C, or above 

  • BTEC Extended Diploma with Distinction or Merit 

  • Access to HE Diploma

  • T Levels

Level 3 qualifications would normally include Music or an alternative relevant subject area. 

GCSE English and Maths (grade 9 – 4 / A* - C) or Level 2 equivalents.

Looking for BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance with Foundation Year?

View Foundation Year course
Whether you are changing career or don't have the exact subjects and grades required for this course, you might want to choose this course with a foundation year. This will give you an extra year's study to prepare you for the standard degree programme, where you can go on to graduate with a full Honours degree. Follow the link to see full details of the course with foundation year.

Subject-Specific Requirements: 

  • Practical - A minimum of grade 6 standard (LCME/ABRSM/RSL/TCL) or equivalent on your chosen first study instrument. * 

  • Music Theory – Grade 5 (LCME/ABRSM/TCL) standard. ** 

*If applicants do not hold a grade six or above qualification in their proposed first study instrument, they may be asked to submit a video of themselves performing two contrasting pieces. These pieces should be chosen by the applicant, performed on their proposed first study instrument, and should not exceed a total of 8 minutes in duration. 

**If applicants do not hold a grade five theory of music qualification, they may be asked to complete an online task which will allow a demonstration of the requisite skills equivalent to this level.

Applicants who do not meet the required musical entry requirements for level 4, may be considered for entry to level 3.

Level-6 Top Up: To apply for this pathway, you will need a recognised level five qualification (e.g.: DipHE), or equivalent, in a suitably aligned music performance subject area. This should include the study of a suitable research methods module.

Looking for BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance with Foundation Year?

View Foundation Year course
Whether you are changing career or don't have the exact subjects and grades required for this course, you might want to choose this course with a foundation year. This will give you an extra year's study to prepare you for the standard degree programme, where you can go on to graduate with a full Honours degree. Follow the link to see full details of the course with foundation year.
6.0 IELTS or above

You need to meet our English language requirement - a minimum of IELTS 5.5 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). Visit our English language requirements page for information on other English language tests we accept. 

You also need academic qualifications at the same level as UK applicants. In some countries where teaching is in English, we may accept local qualifications. Check for local equivalents. 

We offer pre-sessional English language courses if you do not meet these requirements.

Find out more about our English Language courses.

We require you to have a minimum standard of musical ability - currently Grade 8 standard or equivalent (on your stated first instrument, or voice), alongside Grade 5 Music Theory and sight-reading at Grade 5 or 6 (or equivalent).

Looking for BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance with Foundation Year?

View Foundation Year course
Whether you are changing career or don't have the exact subjects and grades required for this course, you might want to choose this course with a foundation year. This will give you an extra year's study to prepare you for the standard degree programme, where you can go on to graduate with a full Honours degree. Follow the link to see full details of the course with foundation year.

Subject-Specific Requirements: 

  • Practical - A minimum of grade 6 standard (LCME/ABRSM/RSL/TCL) or equivalent on your chosen first study instrument. * 

  • Music Theory – Grade 5 (LCME/ABRSM/TCL) standard. ** 

*If applicants do not hold a grade six or above qualification in their proposed first study instrument, they may be asked to submit a video of themselves performing two contrasting pieces. These pieces should be chosen by the applicant, performed on their proposed first study instrument, and should not exceed a total of 8 minutes in duration. 

**If applicants do not hold a grade five theory of music qualification, they may be asked to complete an online task which will allow a demonstration of the requisite skills equivalent to this level.

Applicants who do not meet the required musical entry requirements for level 4, may be considered for entry to level 3.

Level-6 Top Up: To apply for this pathway, you will need a recognised level five qualification (e.g.: DipHE), or equivalent, in a suitably aligned music performance subject area. This should include the study of a suitable research methods module.

Looking for BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance with Foundation Year?

View Foundation Year course
Whether you are changing career or don't have the exact subjects and grades required for this course, you might want to choose this course with a foundation year. This will give you an extra year's study to prepare you for the standard degree programme, where you can go on to graduate with a full Honours degree. Follow the link to see full details of the course with foundation year.
Fees & funding

Fees & funding

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Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

You may be eligible for a student loan to cover the cost of tuition fees, or a maintenance loan. Additional funding is available to some types of students, such as those with dependants and disabled students.

We offer generous bursaries and scholarships to make sure your aspirations are your only limit. In recent years, hundreds of students have received our Full-time Undergraduate Student Bursary.

Additional scholarships specifically for music students are also on offer.

View full details, including conditions and eligibility.

Funding your studies
{{ formatCurrencyValue(currentVariantData.field_p_cv_int_main_fee.name) }} per year

Please note:

  • Fees for the 2026/27 academic year and onwards may be subject to Government regulation and change.
  • Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course. If your course runs for two years or more, you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year.
  • If your course runs for less than two years, the cost above is for your full course and you will need to pay the full fee upfront.
  • If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

International students - funding your studies

We offer scholarships for international students including International Ambassador Scholarships. 

Further information about funding and financial support for international students is available from the UK Council for International Student Affairs.

 

Financial support for international students
Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Jez Wiles

Jez Wiles

Jez has worked with orchestra outreach departments such as LSO Discovery and City of London Sinfonia, devised creative composition workshops, frameworks and written music in partnership with schools and in healthcare settings, taught and directed samba groups on the street and at the flag handover ceremony for in the 2012 London Olympic Games and given classes at Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Laban and The Academy of Contemporary Music.

Jez has worked with orchestra outreach departments such as LSO Discovery and City of London Sinfonia, devised creative composition workshops, frameworks and written music in partnership with schools and in healthcare settings, taught and directed samba groups on the street and at the flag handover ceremony for in the 2012 London Olympic Games and given classes at Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Laban and The Academy of Contemporary Music.

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

Jazz Vocal Ensemble

The diversity in the university is something that is to be treasured and is unique. One cannot find a university with such great pollination between various courses. Specially with having the other colleges part of the university. One can have help from the law society, business students, film and media..."

Gavin Fernandes, violin graduate, BMus (Hons) Music Performance

You will be able to pursue a range of career progression routes upon successful completion of this Popular Music Performance Course, including working as a(n): 

  • Arts administrator 
  • Composer 
  • Community music leader 
  • Creative entrepreneur 
  • Musical arranger 
  • Musical theatre pit band musician 
  • Session musician 
  • Solo musician  
  • Songwriter 
  • Teacher 

You may want to pursue further studies upon completion of the degree with recent graduates progressing on to our MMus Performance (Classical, Jazz, Popular) and MA Music and Performing Arts Education courses.

How to apply

How to apply

Search for courses

Facilities

Facilities

Lawrence Hall, a black box theatre at the University of West London

Performance spaces

Our flexible, professionally-equipped performance spaces include Lawrence Hall, a 200-seat black box studio theatre, and Vestry Hall, a classical music performance space featuring a Steinway B Concert Grand piano, concert tuned percussion and seating for up to 150 

Production Studio 1 at the University of West London

Production studios

We have four black box production rooms featuring performance dance floors, ballet barres, wall mirrors and ¾ drapes. All rooms have PA and AV support in all rooms. The digital stage pianos are by Roland.

A music practice room at the University of West London

One-to-one teaching pods

We have five acoustically isolated teaching pods featuring Roland and Korg digital pianos and mirrors to facilitate one-to-one teaching in voice.

A music performance room at the University of West London

Music performance rooms

All music performance rooms feature drums and backline plus PA support.

  • Drums by Roland and Pearl.
  • Backline by Marshall, Orange, Line 6, Fender and Gallien-Kruger
  • Stage pianos by Korg and Roland
  • Synths by Roland and Kurzwiel
  • PA by Yamaha, ABT and Nexo.
Basement practice room at the University of West London

Basement practice rooms

  • All LCM practice rooms benefit from LCM’s All Steinway School status to bring you the very best instruments.
  • Three percussion practice and teaching rooms.
  • Percussion rooms feature Pearl kits with recording and playback systems.
Media Resource Centre at the University of West London

Media Resource Centre

At our Media Resource Centre (used by all subject areas) you'll find extensive portable audio recording systems, including up to 24 track digital HD recording and portable Focusrite RedNet systems.

There is also video-camera and accessory support, including LED and tungsten lighting systems, track and dolly systems and stedi-cam rigs.

Highlights from BMus Performance students

Jazz Vocal Ensemble
jazz vocalist performance
Jazz students performing
live music concert
A female student performing with a microphone. She has blonde hair and is wearing a crop top and jogging bottoms. The light is red and casts dark shadows
A guitarist on stage wearing a green plaid shirt.

ARTSFEST

Singer

Find out more about the work our students produce and view some of their recent work by visiting our Music Performance and Composition ARTSFEST page.

Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2023 and 2024 - Average of answers to all questions by registered student population. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.