Music University of Limerick

Overview

The Music  course from the  University of Limerick  aim of the programme is to enable students to navigate their own path as artists in the contemporary global creative sector.

Throughout the four years of the course, students develop their performance skills by taking individual lessons on their own main instrument (including percussion and voice).  Students study a wide range of music theory related to classical, popular and other global traditions, including western keyboard theory, Jazz, Indian Classical and Middle Eastern music and more. 

Group-playing is a core aspect of the course. Students participate in a wide range of ensembles, including Popular Music Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Javanese Gamelan from Indonesia, Electroacoustic Ensemble, Middle Eastern and Balkan Music, Early music, Ewe Drumming from Ghana, Indian Classical Ensemble and an Inter-Arts Ensemble. Students also have regular masterclass workshops with international artists from a wide variety of world music traditions.

Students also receive individual lessons on a choice of world music instruments and can learn diverse repertoire such as:  ragas on the North Indian lute called the sarode, early music on the harpsichord, gypsy jazz on the violin, West African rhythms on the djembe and Javanese court music on the two-stringed bowed fiddle, the rebab.

BA Music students are introduced to critical thinking and scholarship through the academic study of a wide range of world musics including classical, traditional and popular music forms. Specialist modules include Global Pop Music, Traditional music, Western Art music philosophy, Ethnomusicology and World Music Survey. Students are encouraged to develop their own niche area of specialist interest through independent studies and project-based work. 

Career opportunities:

The programme prepares graduates for many different career paths in areas including professional performance, composition, project-based artist work, inter-disciplinary collaboration, academia, arts curation and management, media, archive work, music production, and combinations of these. 

• Professional Performance
• Further Study (MA, PhD)
• Music/Dance Therapy
• Community Music/Dance
• Music/Dance teacher
• Arts administration
• Performance management and promotion
• Backstage work in performance theatre e.g. sound engineer
• Music Technology, e.g. recording studio producer/technician
• Media (TV, Radio etc.)
• Work in cultural institutions and archives