Online Music Courses: Frequently Asked Questions

The learning materials for ICMP’s online courses are hosted on a platform called Canvas – a cloud-native, web-based platform and learning management system used by millions of students across the globe. You’ll spend the majority of your course time on Canvas and can read more about getting started on it here.

Don’t worry if you don’t have time to do this in advance of your course starting, though. There will be plenty of orientation information included at the beginning of your course.

You don’t need to play an instrument to engage with our online Songwriting courses, although it’s very helpful to have musical tools at your disposal to enhance your creative writing and musical projects.

Yes. Our online courses are designed to be flexible to fit our students’ schedules. You can approach the lesson content at your own pace, as most are made up of pre-recorded videos and accompanying curated content.

You’ll need to purchase the course using PayPal, although you can do so without creating a PayPal account. Simply click on the grey box marked ‘Pay with credit/debit card’ to complete your payment. We accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express.

You’ll receive your Canvas log-in details within 24-72 hours of your purchase. These will come to you in a separate email from a member of our Admissions team. The email will include your username, password and a link to Canvas – the online learning platform you’ll be using for your course. If it’s been more than a week since your purchase and you still haven’t received your details, please check your spam or junk mail folder before contacting us for assistance on shortcourses@icmp.ac.uk

Your log-in details need to be verified by our team and then synced with Canvas. This process is completed in bulk for all students on the same online course, so it may take a little while. If you still can’t log in, please contact us for assistance on shortcourses@icmp.ac.uk

This is fine. You won’t miss out on any course content or assignments, but there may be some delay before you can access Canvas. This is because your enrolment is a manual process. We do guarantee that you’ll be able to access your course within 72 hours of purchase, though.

Within your Canvas account you can access your profile where you can:

• Update your contact details
• Set your notification preferences
• Take part in the Accelerated Learning Course
• Familiarise yourself with your course structure and assignments
• Take part in live aspects of the course, including:
  • Course orientation modules
  • First task or assignment

Your course is built to have cascading modules. This means that each new unit will be unlocked on a weekly basis across the six weeks of your course, and you must view all items in your current module before you can proceed. This format is designed to help you pace your learning at a steady rate, giving you plenty of time to complete your assignments and engage in class discussions. You also retain access to the content after you finish the course, so you can review it any time you need to.

Your course orientation module will clarify any resources or requirements, but all you really need is a computer to access the course and submit assignments, a method of making music, and a spirit to learn!

Yes. One of the benefits of ICMP’s online courses is their similar functionality to a real classroom setting, so interaction and collaboration is actively encouraged. You’ll have class discussions about topics explored in lessons, and will share your music with your peers, while giving and receiving feedback. Certain modules also include collaborative assignments. You’ll be able to message your fellow classmates freely to discuss a project or simply enquire about their music-making processes.