Music HND

Course overview

Offered at both campuses, our HND programme makes up the first two years of a full honours degree in music offered at Edinburgh College. Students may achieve an HNC after one year, or an HND after two years; they may also continue after the HND into our one-year Music BA.

The first year provides broad training in all of the core areas of music study within Higher Education. In the second year, continue to develop in performance, theory and composition. They choose from different project options, including community music, mixing, research, songwriting and sound for visuals. They are also introduced to both instrumental teaching and online promotion, which give important insights into the music profession.

Applicants will usually progress from our NC6 course OR have at least three Highers including Music, play to at least Grade 5 level, have some experience of playing with others, and have some knowledge of music theory.

Applications are also welcomed from those with relevant experience away from school study.

Students wishing to focus on classical, traditional or jazz music should apply to our Sighthill campus. Those wishing to focus on popular music can apply to either Sighthill or Milton Road.

Music at Edinburgh College

We welcome applicants from all musical backgrounds and disciplines, including classical, popular, traditional and jazz.

Rehearsal and performance are at the heart of what we offer: students work regularly in supervised groups such as bands, instrumental ensembles, choirs and orchestras as appropriate.

Students perform in our excellent in-house spaces, as well as in many of Edinburgh's best venues including the Jazz Bar, Voodoo Rooms, the Mash House, Old St. Paul's, and Canongate Kirk.

Every music student is offered regular instrumental or vocal tuition. 

Students may study music at Edinburgh College for anything between one and five years. We offer a comprehensive programme culminating in a BA Music Honours degree offered in partnership with Kingston University London.

Our music courses are based in The Music Box (Sighthill) and CRE:8 (Milton Road): both purpose-built venues boast state-of-the-art facilities, including practice booths, classrooms, midi suites, rehearsal rooms, recording studios and auditoriums.

Our music department has a large and diverse staff group, with extensive industry experience. You can read all about us in the downloadable pdf at the bottom of this page. 

** To apply for this course please read and follow the 'audition instructions' information in the interview requirements section (below) **

• solo performance
• group performance
• music theory and composition
• keyboard harmony
• songwriting
• music history
• recording techniques
• audio for multimedia
• music business
• community music
• mixing
• research
• sound for visuals
• instrumental teaching
• online promotion

Placement information

• Where possible, work placement is offered as an HND unit. We have numerous creative and cultural partners across the city and region, offering a range of placement opportunities.

How the course is assessed

• You will be assessed through a variety of practical tasks, written assignments and timed assessments.

Number of days per week

• 3/4 days per week

Entry requirements

• SQA Higher Music (or equivalent experience) and two other Highers
• Instrumental playing or singing at Grade 5 level
• Some band or ensemble experience

Information on Tests / Auditions / Interview Requirements

When you submit an application, please specify your first study instrument (or voice), and whether you wish to study classical or popular music, at the beginning of your personal statement

Audition Instructions (February)

Please record a video in which you 

a) introduce yourself and 
b) play or sing two short contrasting pieces on your first instrument.  

In your introduction:

•  give your name and say where you are from
• say a little bit about your musical experience (including how long you have been playing or singing, and any experience of playing with other people in bands or ensembles)
• say which if any music exams you have done (within the school and/or outside school)
• say which pieces you are going to play or sing, and (if you can) say why you chose them 

In your playing or singing:

• please make every effort to use backing tracks/accompaniment where appropriate. If you can’t source backing tracks/accompaniment, please play or sing unaccompanied.

The video should be uploaded to YouTube as per the instructions here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go_HDCANWf8

Please be careful to upload the video as ‘unlisted’ rather than ‘private’. 

Please name the video in the following format: 
your name – your chosen course and campus – your instrument, e.g. 

Laurie Crump HND Music Sighthill recorder.

Please then link the video to the personal statement section of your application. 

Our staff will review your application and, in some cases, they will follow up by giving you a phone or video call. If you don't get a call, don't worry! It will be because the staff have all the information they need from your video and the rest of your application. 

If you can’t submit a video because you don't have an instrument at home (e.g. if you are a first-study percussionist), or for any other reason, please let us know and we arrange an interview with you by phone or video call. 
 

Please note: you may be offered a place on a course of a different level than the one you applied for. The staff team will place you on the course that they believe will best suit your needs and allow you to develop and progress within the department and beyond.

Progression and Articulation Routes

Students who successfully complete our HND with an A or B in Graded Unit 2 are guaranteed a place on our BA (Music) honours degree, delivered in partnership with Kingston University, London. Our degree is unique in that only 1 year of study is required to top up the HND to a BMus (Hons) due to being validated by an English university.

We also support students to make applications to universities or other institutions during the HNC or the HND years, should they wish to do so. In recent years, music students have progressed to Aberdeen, Abertay (Dundee), Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier, Glasgow and Manchester universities; University of the Highlands and Islands; and conservatoires including Leeds College of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Career options

• Performing musician
• Composer
• Songwriter
• Classroom teacher
• Instrumental or vocal teacher
• Community musician