Open Days at our Southampton site
Southampton is having some Open Days!
Fancy a Career in Music? Then head down to the Academy of Music and Sound in Southampton to learn more about our courses in Music. You can thrive in a small focused learning environment and learn from industry professionals.
We offer College and University courses in Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums and Music Technology.
Most of our students qualify for funding for these courses!
Gain real experience and learn from some truly awesome tutors. Gain recognised qualifications and start to build your Career in Music.
Your first step is to come and meet us at one of our Southampton Open Days.
Open Days – Dates and Times
11th of April 2018 6pm til 8pm
14th of May 2018 6pm til 8pm
Can’t wait till then? No worries! Give us a call: 02380 829 666
Why Study in Southampton?
Here is what our level 3 students think!
AMS Swindon New Premises Launch
On 30th January, AMS Swindon held the official opening event for their new centre. Situated at 1 Milton Road in the town centre, Swindon Music Courses are now easy to access.
Swindon Mayor Cllr Eric Shaw attended the event to cut the ribbon and officially open the newly refurbished academy. Of the new centre, Cllr Shaw said: “Centres like this are really important because they make the arts accessible to all. Now that the Academy is in the centre of town, it’s not only physically more accessible but will get a lot more attention from passers by and that can only be a good thing.”
Musicians guests make a smashing opening.
As well as official Mayoral Endorsement, local singer/songwriter legend Nick Harper attended the event to play a guest acoustic set. Harper christened the building by smashing a guitar on the entrance in true rock star fashion.
Following the opening ceremony, guest were able to tour the building at their leisure and enjoy live performances from the students in the brand new space.
Come and see for yourself
All in all, it was a fantastic evening for the academy of music and sound and the Swindon music scene. If you're interested in touring the new centre, please contact [email protected] or call us on 01793 644477.
AMS Edinburgh Taster Day
Our AMS Edinburgh centre had a fantastic taster day for students interested in performance courses on Saturday 5th November. Attendees were able to participate in a range of workshops, including, guitar, vocals and songwriting. The day was finished with great performances of the results of songwriting workshops, performances from current HNC students and from members of staff.
For more information about open days at any of our centres, you should contact your local centre directly.
Graduation Ceremonies 2016
Students and staff from our centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh & North East (Gateshead) gathered together on 9th September to celebrate the graduation of students from our BA(hons) Performance Industries course. Guests were treated to a guitar performance from Hamish Roberts before the ceremony began. Speeches from our Principal; Steve Ryan and Academic Director; Shaun Baxter preceded a speech from Dean of Faculty; John Pymm. Recipients of the award were presented by representatives from each of our centres.
Fast Track your way to a BA (Hons) Performance Industries in 12 months
For most musicians, playing, creating and performing are things we are passionate about. Things that we HAVE to do, not just want to do. By developing your instrumental, creative and performance skills through practice, you will have amassed a great deal of experience that can be rewarded with FAST TRACK entry to the final year of the AMSonline BA (hons) in Performance Industries.
For those with previous experience of making and playing music, gaining a BA(hons) qualification can take as little as 12 (full time) or 18 (part time) months of study. This is made possible through a process known as recognized prior learning, or RPL. RPL is a commonly used process in education aimed at “widening participation’ and inclusivity.
The process involves mapping your previous musical experiences against the knowledge and competencies that someone would expect to develop in the early years of a degree. One of our AMSonline advisors can provide a preliminary eligibility check in as little as 15 minutes, putting you on a FAST TRACK path to achieving BA(hons) in as little as 12 months.
To find out if your eligible for direct final year entry to the AMSonline BA (hons) performance industries, call 0843 224 9300 to speak in confidence to one of our team, or visit www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline and enquire online.
Earn more as a musician with a BA hons Performance Industries
In a survey of over 5000 working musicians, researchers from the Berklee college of music found that the average wage of those working in music was in the region of £35,000 p.a and that for more than half of respondents, this income was generated from a portfolio of 3 or more musical jobs. These findings are mirrored in the feedback of AMS’ graduate population. Of the 75% of our BA graduates that have secured music industry employment within 6 months of completing their course, a large number are working across multiple musical and managerial positions as they carve out their career in the industry.
“ The BA prepared me for working in the industry. It allowed me to understand how a self-employed musician makes a living and what they have to do in order to keep gaining work.” – (Michael Mackay, BA(hons) Performance Industries,)
“ The course content was varied, with business skills and lots of practical music skills. I’ve used all the skills I learned on the course in the year since I graduated and I think it’s made a real difference to how I regard myself as a creative professional." – (Jena Thomson, BA (hons) Performance Industries)
For those working in today’s modern music industry a flexible approach to employment will help you secure a more stable income.
With fast track entry, student funding and flexible learning hours available, the AMSonline BA(hons) in Performance Industries program could help you to unlock new earning opportunities as a working musician. For more information, please call our AMSonline advice line on 0843 224 9300, or visit www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline
Musicians - Having a Degree can help open up new career opportunities.
While you certainly don’t need a degree in music to get gigs, join a band, enjoy or even get paid for making music, there is much research to support the fact that for many musicians, a music degree is the key to unlocking new career opportunities.
If you are struggling to establish a sustainable career in music, despite years of practice, experience and hard work, an AMSonline degree may be the essential ingredient to help you achieve your goals.
Musicians with degree’s find it easier to secure work in education, either by qualifying to deliver lectures at college level, charging more for private lessons or gaining access to the cert ed post graduate qualification that allows them to teach professionally in schools. Many musicians use teaching as a stable supplement to their income, allowing them to pay the bills while continuing to pursue their artistic and performance passions. Teaching can be hugely rewarding and may lead to gains in playing/practice “I've always felt my teaching improves my performing and helps me to have an intelligent approach to my own practice” – (Alex Laing, Guardian)
How’s aboutthe development of transferrable skills and qualities? Having a degree can help to show that you have tenacity, that you see things through and are ultimately committed to your music. What about IT skills, networking, business and events management? These are all areas that you will develop through AMSonline’s BA(hons) in performance industries.
“ The BA definitely opened by eyes to the concept of having a portfolio career in the music industry…….,it showed me how easy (with the right mind set) having a career in music can be" (Alyssa Renwick, BA (hons) Performance Industries)
If you’re keen to create new opportunities in you musical career, call AMSonline on 0843 224 9300 and see if you can gain FAST TRACK entry into the final year of our BA(hons) Performance Industries. Visit www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline for more info.
Get started in your BA hons with minimal outlay.
If you already have access to an internet connected computer workstation, and your instrument, you’re ready to go! All of your BA hons course material is available on our Moodle virtual learning environment, meaning you don’t need to spring for expensive textbooks or equipment. Our VLE ensures you are able to fit your studies around your existing commitments, allowing you to study at any time in any space.
Call 0843 224 9300 or email [email protected] to find out more about the AMS Online BA hons Performance Industries Top Up course or visit www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline.
Find out if you’re eligible to complete a BA hons in 12 months
The Academy of Music and Sound offer a Fast Track to a BA hons for professional musicians who can demonstrate that their experience is equivalent to the first two years of a degree. Our specialist advisors can let you know within 30minutes, if you are eligible for fast track. They can support you in making your application to the University of Wolverhampton and to Student Loans England. Our advisors can also give you full details about the contents of the course and the logistics of studying for a supported distance learning qualification.
Call 0843 224 9300, email [email protected] to find out more about theAMS Online BA(hons) Performance Industries Top Up course or Visit www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline
Study for a BA hons which has been written by musicians, for musicians.
The Academy of Music and Sound has developed a range of courses for serious musicians with professional goals. We have a unique understanding of the working life of musicians as our courses are written by working musicians. This lends an authentic and current understanding of the music industry in our course materials. In addition to our course material being written by musicians, you will also be supported on your course by musicians. All of our staff have extensive professional experience in the music industry, either as performers, producers, promoters, managers or a mix of all.
Call 0843 224 9300 or email [email protected] to find out more about the AMS Online BA hons Performance Industries Top Up course.
Fast track to the final year of a BA hons
The Academy of Music and Sound has a long standing relationship with the music industry, and we understand the skills and knowledge a working musician has are varied and extensive; from instrumental skills to business skills, working as a musician can be tough!
This experience is unique to the music industry and is recognised as the equivalent of the first 2 years of your degree, meaning you can fast track to the final year of you BA(hons).We are aware that working musicians have a lot to offer, their experience, talent and commitment are all evidence that they have what it takes to achieve a degree.
While you may not have achieved formal qualifications, your experience as a professional or semi-professional musician has equipped you well for the rigours of studying at BA(hons) level.We can guide you through the recognised prior learning application process to help you tofast track to the BA(hons) final year.
Call 0843 224 9300, email [email protected] to find out more about the AMS Online BA(hons) Performance Industries Top Up course or Visit www.academyofmusic.ac.uk/amsonline
Your experience is important to us - use it to earn your BA hons in as little as 12 months
Thanks to our Recognised Prior Learning scheme, working musicians can fast track to the final year of their BA hons qualification. Our RPL scheme means that your experience can be used to equate to the first 2 years of a BA hons degree. Once you have enrolled on the BA hons course, you have the flexibility to study in your own time, over a 12 or 18 months, depending on whether you chose to study full time or part time. Our dedicated support staff are on hand to help you through your course and you will have regular contact with them as you progress through your course.
Call 0843 224 9300 or [email protected] to find out more about theAMS Online BA hons Performance Industries Top Up course.