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.

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 the Grade 6 level
• Some band or ensemble experience

Information on Tests / Auditions / Interview Requirements

At the beginning of your personal statement, please:

·         specify your first study instrument (or voice),

·         say whether you wish to focus on classical OR popular music

·         say whether you wish to audition by pre-recorded video online OR in person at one of our campuses 

Instructions for pre-recorded video auditions:

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 then be uploaded to YouTube. In order to do this:

Create a Google Account (if you don't already have one). 

·         Go to YouTube.com

·         Click on 'Sign in' at the top right-hand corner of the screen. 

·         Once signed in, click on your profile icon at the top right-hand corner of the screen. 

·         Click on 'YouTube Studio' in the drop-down menu. 

·         Click on 'Upload videos'. 

·         Select the video to be uploaded. 

·         Add a title and brief description. 

·         Click through the 'Video elements' and 'Checks' sections. 

·         In the 'Visibility' section, check the 'Unlisted' box. 

·         Click 'SAVE'. 

Please then paste the link to the video into 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. 

Instructions for in-person live auditions:

Once we have reviewed your application, we will contact you offering you a time and place for a live audition.

Your audition will involve a short informal interview and a short performance of two contrasting pieces of your choice.

Please bring backing tracks or sheet music accompaniments as required.

If you have backing tracks on your phone and have a non-standard headphone output, it would be helpful if you can bring an adaptor so the tracks can be played through an amplifier.

For sheet music accompaniments, we will provide an accompanist. You may also bring your own accompanist if you would prefer.

Once auditions have taken place:

Please note that 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.

Privacy Notice Music Applicant Selection

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 
• Manchester 
• University of the Highlands and Islands
• 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