Popular Music BA Welcome Pack

Welcome to Popular Music BA 2023.

Welcome. You’re about to undertake a three-year degree in popular music. In year 1, you’ll receive twenty 30-minute lessons on your main instrument, including vocals.

Throughout your three years, you’ll get to complete a range of interesting and exciting assignments including: solo performance to performing on stage in front of a live audience, learning to use DAW software and how to use the recording studio. You’ll learn to understand and apply music theory in your own creative compositions, songs and tracks. As well as learn academic skills and important employability and music industry skills.

At the end of the three years, you’ll have a wide and deep set of skills, knowledge and experience that will set you up for a career in the creative industries or further study.

This course is accredited by Joint Audio Media Education Support (JAMES) – the industry standard for popular music, music production and media.

Your Programme Leader

Stace Constantinou, Senior Lecturer in Popular Music

Dr Stace Constantinou

Senior Lecturer in Popular Music
​Stace.constantinou@northampton.ac.uk

Welcome and Induction Sessions

To welcome you to Popular Music, we are holding a series of face-to-face sessions:

  • This is your induction timetable for the week commencing 18 September 2023, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact induction organiser Stace Constantinou: ​​​​​Stace.constantinou@northampton.ac.uk ​​

    Monday 18 September

    • Session: Orientation. You’ll meet Dr. Stace Constantinou the Programme Leader for Popular Music. You’ll be given key information about the rest of the week and the course. Please make sure you attend.  
    • Time: 10am-12pm
    • Location: Creative Hub, Room CH206

     

    • Session: Welcome: Intro to staff and course. Introduction to the course, tour of the department, meet the staff and your fellow students. Please make sure you attend. 
    • Time: 1pm-3pm
    • Location: Development Hub, Room DH023 (Development Hub, Cliftonville Road, NN1 5FS)

    Tuesday 19 September

    • Session: In Harmony. Getting together in the ‘Booths’, playing & singing. A first look at popular music performance with our performance tutors. Bring your instruments. Be ready to sing or play.
    • Time: 10am-12pm
    • Location: Development Hub, Music Department

     

    • Session: Buddy up/Timetables. Meeting up with the second and third years in the Booths and making a buddy connection. Please make sure you attend.
    • Time: 1pm-3pm
    • Location: Development Hub, Music Department

    Wednesday 20 September

    • Session: One-to-Ones. Individual meeting with Dr. Stace Constantinou, you’ll be allocated slots during Orientation. Please make sure you attend, this is your first one-to-one tutorial of the course.
    • Time: 10am-4pm
    • Location: Creative Hub, Room CH206

     

    • Also on Wednesday 20 September Students’ Union activities will be running across the campus. Please see the Students’ Union website. It will be updated in advance of Welcome Week with further information.

    Thursday 21 September

    • Session: One Way Ticket Gig and Open Mic Event. Listen to our awesome third years and play and sing music. This is optional but encouraged, please do attend this social event. Please do perform a song/ track if you want to.
    • Time: 7pm-10pm
    • Location: The Waterside Bar and Restaurant

     

    • Students’ Union activities will also be running across the campus on Thursday 21 September. Please see the Students’ Union website. It will be updated in advance of Welcome Week with further information.

    Friday 22 September

    • Session: Open Mic at The Lab.  Open mic evening of DJ’ing, MC, Grime, DnB etc. – come and MC or DJ music. The date is TBC, we will let you know the exact date of this event on Monday 18 September
    • Time: 7pm-late
    • Location: The Lab, 95-97 Charles St, Northampton NN1 3BG

Equipment

  • A musical instrument. We have a supply of guitars, basses and keys, but we recommend you get your own. (Price varies).
  • Vocal microphone. We have a good supply of microphones, but we recommend you get your own. (Price varies but from around £80).
  • Headphones (approximately £60-100).
  • External portable hard drive (approximately £60-80).
  • Batteries for portable recording equipment. Not needed immediately though so hold off buying for now.
  • SD cards/USB Flash drives (data sticks). Not needed immediately though so hold off buying for now. (£10-20 for two).
  • Core textbooks and sheet music (approximately £80).
  • Consumables for individual instruments: Jack leads, capos, plectrums, drum skins, drumsticks, reeds, strings, mutes, patch leads etc. (Price varies).

Enhancing skills, building networks and engaging in the wider University community

Every year we run opportunities for music students to get involved in performance opportunities, including the annual Northampton Music Festival in June. Please speak to me for more information about this.

Explore
Our Campus