Overview
This BA (Hons) Music with Teaching degree explores music, instrumental teaching and how to teach a variety of students. You will prepare to teach through practical experience, theoretical study and by learning a new instrument during your course.
This course allows you to explore the technique and mechanics of your own instrument and how it works with various learners, from young children with changing bodies to adults with more established muscular routines.
You will investigate graded examination systems across classical and popular music and explore how music is taught in the National Curriculum for mainstream and special needs children. You will also explore the psychology of learning and teaching, and prepare to support individual students. Every pupil is different so you will learn to prepare, assess, reflect and revise interactions and how teaching material is presented. Your understanding will support positive and pupil-centred teaching, instead of using a reactive approach.
As well as theoretical knowledge you will gain practical teaching experience, prepare assembly presentations and workshops for KS1 and KS2 children, and visit schools to see the different contexts you could work in as a visiting private teacher.
In your final year, you will experience one-to-one and group teaching and teach individual lessons to peers and colleagues. Recordings of these lessons will be used to reflect on your planning, progress and effectiveness in tailoring lessons to the learning needs of individuals.
On this course you will:
- Explore teaching to a range of students.
- Learn a new instrument as a beginner and sit a mock Grade 1 exam.
- Plan a year’s repertoire study.
- Gain practical experience in schools.
- Teach individual and group lessons.
- Develop your teaching and people skills.
- Explore the national music curriculum for various learners.
Teaching and Assessment
How you will learn
You will study using lecturers, seminars, practical classes and workshops. You will learn from a core team of experienced and qualified tutors alongside a wide-ranging team of more than 120 specialist instrumental and vocal teachers.
You will be assessed through a range of assignments including essays, exams, performance and practical work, project work, presentations and seminar discussions.
Rob Murray
2007 graduate, Rob is now Director of Music Academy of Schools
Being given the opportunity to teach a student on a one-to-one basis was an extremely valuable experience. The hands on experience gave us the opportunity to put the skills that we had learned into practice. The opportunity opened your eyes to the real world of teaching and prepared you to think with great creativity and imagination. Now, as a director of my own peripatetic music academy I continually monitor the ways in which the students learn so that our tutors deliver tuition to the highest standards.
Matthew Clarke
2014 graduate, private teacher and performer
The combination of informative lectures and seminars from superb staff with the practical placements made the IVT course a thoroughly enjoyable and enhancing learning experience. It has certainly helped me in my current private teaching practice since graduating.
Jess Bhatty-Garcia
2015 graduate, went on to enrol on a PGCE course
The teaching modules were by far my favourite modules; the lectures were engaging, interactive and motivating. I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in becoming a teacher.
Saara Sofia Paakko
Conservatoire student
The atmosphere at the university is lovely due to the small size of the institution, and I love being around like-minded people.
The Course
What you will study
You will study a selection of core and optional modules in each year. Each module is worth a number of credits and is delivered differently, depending on its content and focus of study.
Modules
This list is indicative and subject to change.
- Ensemble
- Personal Development
- Masterclass
- Musical Grammar
- Performance Development
- Technique and Development for the Young Performer
Ensemble
You will explore a musical style in your practical work and build confidence in your approach to chamber music and other relevant ensemble styles. You will learn to work as a team in presenting and preparing a performance under the direction of a specialist ensemble coach.
Personal Development
You will be introduced to a range of strategies designed to offer support to the emerging arts practitioner, including models of successful self-development.
This module will help you develop self-awareness in your strengths and weaknesses, and will include workshops on a variety of tools, such as mindfulness, managing stress, nutrition, setting achievable goals, employability and careers, yoga, tai chi and vocal health.
Masterclass
This module develops your basic performance and communication skills and your sense of performance context. You will develop your repertoire, your understanding of style and your skills in preparing for an audition or performance.
You will take part in group performance classes as well as individual tutorials to develop your work, as well as your skills in forming critical judgements of performance.
Musical Grammar
This module will introduce, reintroduce and familiarise you with a range of music theories (traditional, jazz, rock) and aspects of musical structure and notation. Alongside this, you will present and discuss your work, both individually and in groups, enhancing skills in teamwork and presentation and building confidence.
Performance Development
You will work one-on-one with a vocal or instrumental specialist to assess your current repertoire and begin an exploration of new work.
This module provides an overview of skills particular to your individual vocal or instrumental style, and you will explore different approaches to performance.
Technique and Development for the Young Performer
You will be introduced to issues of instrumental pedagogy, ranging from the simple and readable to the complex and specialised, with a particular focus on working with young learners.
The imaginative communication of ideas and the appropriateness of different teaching methods in instrumental or vocal technique will be examined in relation to technical performance skill, in combination with broader issues such as sightreading and memorisation, and children’s physical development.
Facilities
Use industry standard equipment
Conservatoire Building
Study and rehearse in our practice rooms with grand pianos supplied by Steinway & Sons and use our computerised recording and media studio.
Chapel
Perform in our on-site Chapel, an acoustically superb performance venue which is a fantastic setting for performances and rehearsals.
Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).
Library
Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.
Work Placements
Gain experience in industry
You will have the opportunity to put your studies into practice and use the skills you develop on your course during optional work placements and voluntary roles. These opportunities will help improve your confidence, enhance your CV and show employers that you’ve already completed work in industry when you graduate.
You will have the opportunity to take part in:
- Work placements
- Volunteering roles
- Student and graduate internship schemes.
Lecturers
Learn from experienced performers, musicians and tutors
You will be taught by a core team of experienced and highly qualified tutors, alongside a wide-ranging team of more than 60 specialist instrumental and vocal teachers.
As well as supporting student development and the student experience, our staff are active, practicing professional musicians and researchers who regularly perform and record. We have around 140 professional tutors who visit campus regularly throughout the semester to deliver our practical and contextual modules. You will be supported by your one-to-one tutor and your module tutors, as well as your Academic Advisor.
Study Abroad
Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad
As a student at the University of Chichester, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies to enrich your educational experiences.
It’s a chance to broaden your horizons, a great opportunity to meet new people, undertake further travelling and to immerse yourself within a new culture.
You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination and institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything that you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to ensure you get the best out of your time studying abroad.
Careers
Where you could go after your studies
This BA (Hons) Music with Teaching degree prepares you for a range of careers after you graduate. You will have the opportunity to develop a variety of transferable skills and specific subject knowledge to prepare you for life after university.
Past graduates have secured work in:
- Private instrumental/vocal teachers
- Film, television and radio session musicians
- Teaching at all levels of education
- Music therapy
- Head of Music
- Musical theatre
- Music administration
- Music leaders
- Professional performers: orchestral/opera/pop singers
- Chamber music/band members
- Composers
- Instrumental or vocal peripatetic teachers
Further Study
You could choose to continue your studies at postgraduate level.
Study options at the University of Chichester include:
- MA Music Performance
- MA Music Teaching
- PGCE
- PhD/MPhil
University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.
Course Costs
Course Fees 2026/27
UK fee
£9,790
Subject to Parliamentary approval
International fee
£16,800
EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship
EU/EEA students automatically pay the equivalent of UK fees via the EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.
Scholarships may be available for selected instruments; please enquire with the Head of Music.
Entry Requirements
Typical offers (individual offers may vary):
UCAS
104
tariff points from A levels or combination with Extended Project / BTEC / Cambridge Technical.
A Levels
BCC
BTEC/Cambridge Technical
DMM
IB
26 points
IELTS
6.0
with no element lower than 5.5.
Auditions
You will need to demonstrate your ability in an instrument or voice performance, display musical awareness and showcase your skills during your performance audition. If you have a high level of performance skills you may be considered for a lower academic offer.
A successful audition at the university may result in an unconditional offer.
Interviews and Auditions
Auditions and interviews usually run from January until March/April.
We aim to offer you a genuine dialogue during your application process. This gives you a sense of worth and achievement from the audition process itself; a sense of ownership for you during the process and, ultimately, is an opportunity for us to get a clear understanding of who you are, what you need, and how we can best prepare you for your degree.
We judge you on your skills, your potential and your personality, not your background.
If you are invited to audition you will receive an email asking you to book your audition date on ChiView. If you are unsuccessful we will email you to let you know.
You can usually choose between multiple days on ChiView at one time. If none of the current dates suit you please contact admissions@chi.ac.uk.
Once you have booked your audition, you will be able to access the audition guidance document on ChiView – just log into the ChiView portal, click on ‘Events schedule’ and then ‘View details’ to access the document, which will tell you how to prepare for your audition, what to expect on the day, etc.
If your situation changes and you can no longer attend your audition date, you should cancel your booking in ChiView by visiting your ‘Event Schedule’ and clicking ‘Cancel Attendance’. You also need to inform the admissions team by emailing admissions@chi.ac.uk, so we can send you a new audition invitation.
Sometimes if you are viewing your ChiView portal on a phone you will not be able to see the page correctly. If this happens you should try again on another device.
You may need to clear your browser history.
If you are still unable to see the ‘View details’ button, please check that you have successfully booked your audition by clicking ‘respond to interview invitation’.
If all else fails please email admissions@chi.ac.uk with your query and applicant number.
Once you have booked your audition, please log into the ChiView portal, click on ‘Events schedule’ and then ‘View details’ to access the audition guidance document, which will tell you (amongst other things) what will happen at the audition itself, a basic itinerary of the whole day, parking information, etc.
In brief, there should be an introductory talk by the department, the chance to meet lecturers and other applicants, as well as your opportunity to perform for the audition panel.
After your audition, the panel will discuss your performance and pass our decision onto the admissions team, who will update UCAS and email you with the outcome, whatever it might be.
- We may offer you a different course: We may offer you a place on an alternative, relevant course within the department, rather than offer you the course you applied for. If this is the case, we will state this in your offer letter/email and update your course on UCAS. We will explain our reasoning, which will revolve around placing you on the most appropriate course where we think you will thrive.
Charlie
BMus (Hons) Music Performance
I remember sitting in a music A level lesson when I received my email offering me an audition to study BMus (Hons) Music Performance at the University of Chichester. I was immediately terrified of having to choose a piece to perform and to then perform it in front of tutors and other applicants. In the end, I needn’t have worried at all. The audition experience was extremely enjoyable and relaxed. I had the best time meeting other prospective students, some of whom became course mates and one even a future housemate! Meeting the Head of Music, Ben Hall, was invaluable as it meant that any questions that I had about the course could be answered. He even gave us a tour of the Chichester campus and the music block which helped put us all at ease before we performed to each other.
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