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UAL Level 3 Diploma and Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Production

Location Chesterfield College
Start date 08 Sep 2025
Type Full-time Provision
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If you have a passion for music technology, performance and production this is the ideal course for you. Working closely with local music venues and with a passion to provide relevant and industry focused learning – this course is equipped to deliver the skills and experience needed to thrive in the music industry.

The Level 3 Diploma and Extended Diploma in Music Performance & Production is custom made by the music team to deliver critical industry skills in the ever-changing world of music. The Level 3 Diploma in Music Performance and Production is a one-year course with the opportunity to move into the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Production (the Extended Diploma is equivalent to 3 A Levels).

The course exposes you to a taste of what the music industry can offer including performing as a musician, recording music, producing and mixing and composing.

You can take advantage of working in a thriving college community, linking with other pathways to create collaborative projects.

The course will provide you with teaching and learning from professionals in the music industry, specialising in mixing and mastering, recording, and engineering.

Get in touch to find out where your place in this exciting and rewarding industry is.

Course Structure

Live performance

  • This is an opportunity to develop your skills and a musician and work collaboratively with other students to put on a live event.

Composing and producing music

  • We look at the skills needed to write your own music, as well as recording it into DAW (Logic Pro) and releasing it to a public forum.

Instrumental skills development

  • To develop on the course we enable you to improve your instrumental abilities.

Learning to use the recording studio

  • Our brand new recording studio will provide a great backdrop for you to learn how to engineer a recording session – leading to a fully recorded song (or songs) to a professional standard.

Major final project

  • This is your project to hone the skills learned on previous units to lead to a final major project of your choosing.

Entry Requirements

You will need a digital music portfolio showing off your music interest (compositions, music tech pieces or performances), 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above (must include English and Maths) and a strong passion and interest in music and a commitment to industry placements.

Assessment methods

coursework, portfolio, group work, presentations, performance

Fees and funding

Free for Eligible 16-18 year olds otherwise Adult Learner Loans available, costs apply.

Progression

Progression is at the heart of what we do at Chesterfield College. This course will equip you with the skills which can lead to:

Bachelor of arts university courses

  • Music performance
  • Music technology

Bachelor of science university courses

  • Acoustics
  • Software development
  • Music engineering

Freelance industry work such as:

  • Recording and mixing music
  • Songwriter
  • Producer
  • Music performer
  • Mastering engineer
  • Live sound engineer
  • Instrument technician
  • Instrument tuition
  • Roadie
  • Tour manager
  • Artist manager
  • Social media management
  • Music journalism

Attendance

Daytime

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