Applied Music
Applied music is a discipline that takes musical practice seriously as a professional and community enterprise, combining the development of performance and compositional skills with the practical knowledge of how music works in the real world. Where conservatoire training focuses intensively on classical performance, applied music programmes address the broader landscape of how music is created, taught, produced and used, from community music-making and music education through to recording, music technology and the business of working as a musician. At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this part-time programme reflects the institution's commitment to making higher education accessible to students who cannot or do not wish to study full-time, allowing you to build your musical knowledge and professional skills at a pace suited to your circumstances.
You will develop your performance ability on your primary instrument or voice alongside skills in arranging, music technology, music leadership and the practical craft of making music work in community and educational settings. The Highlands and Islands context gives the programme a distinctive character, with the rich traditional music culture of Scotland as one resource among many, and the programme encourages engagement with local musical life as part of your studies. You will also develop critical and analytical understanding of music alongside the practical, building the kind of reflective practitioner skills that sustain long-term professional development.
Graduates from applied music programmes work as performing musicians, music teachers, community music leaders, music therapists, sound producers and music development workers. The breadth of the degree means graduates are well placed for portfolio careers, combining performance with teaching, recording or community work. Postgraduate study in music education, music therapy, music technology or performance is a natural further step for those who wish to specialise, and the professional competencies the degree develops are valued wherever music is used as a tool for education, social connection or artistic expression.