Popular Music Performance
Popular music performance is a discipline that prepares you to work as a musician in the contemporary landscape of popular and commercial music, developing technical ability, creative confidence and professional versatility across performance, production and compositional practice. The programme breaks down the traditional barriers between these three areas, recognising that the most effective popular musicians of the present era are those who can perform, produce and compose, and who understand how these activities relate to each other and to the industries that support and distribute music.
Leeds Arts University's three-year full-time programme focuses on developing technical skills, professional delivery and creative artistry in ways that equip graduates to thrive in an ever-evolving musical landscape. The combination of practical studio and performance work with an understanding of the music business and its digital platforms gives the programme a relevant and applied character. Leeds's vibrant music scene provides a rich backdrop for performance study, with venues, festivals and a strong independent music culture that students can engage with throughout their studies.
The typical entry tariff is around 120 UCAS points.
You will develop your main instrument or voice to a high level of technical proficiency while also building secondary skills in music production, composition and arrangement. Ensemble work, solo performance, recording sessions, original composition and the development of your own artistic identity are all central to the programme. The professional dimension, covering self-promotion, live performance logistics, music industry knowledge and career planning, prepares you to build a sustainable career in a competitive sector.
Graduates of popular music performance programmes work as performing artists, session musicians, music producers, songwriters, music educators, live sound technicians and music entrepreneurs. Many build portfolio careers that combine performing with teaching, production work, studio session playing and live touring. The interdisciplinary approach of the Leeds Arts University programme, integrating performance, production and composition, gives graduates the flexibility to adapt to the changing demands of the music industry.
Postgraduate study in music production, music education or a specialist performance field is available for those who wish to develop further expertise.