Study Songwriting at ICMP and take your career to the next level
ICMP is London's leading music industry education provider and we've been developing and delivering music education for over 35 years – longer than any other contemporary music school in the UK, and we're committed to providing our students with a high-quality songwriting-specialist education.
We pride ourselves on our regular one-to-one support, small class sizes, personalised approach to student engagement, dynamic use of technology in the classroom, and high number of teaching contact hours – advantages you just won’t find to the same extent at any other music college in London or the UK.
Our customised learning approach means we really get to know you as a songwriter. We’ll provide a music education experience that’s bespoke to you, and will work with you to help achieve your future aspirations, foster your natural talent, and give you regular access to opportunities which allow you to develop your personal project art, broaden your music community, improve your collaborative writing skills, and help you to hone your creative voice. And you’ll significantly improve your songwriting skills while you’re at it.
We understand that all our students have different career motivations and your version of ‘success’ will be unique, so we encourage you to follow your own individual path. At ICMP, your future is in your hands, and you’ll graduate feeling inspired and confident, with the skills, networking, self-assurance and flying start you need to propel your career as songwriter forward.
Studying a Songwriting course at ICMP London makes financial sense too, with the fees for ICMP music degrees and masters the same as other traditional universities across the UK - making studying music in London at ICMP great value as well as great fun.
Develop your creativity and immerse yourself in a songwriting course at ICMP London, the ultimate space to learn, create and discover your place in the music industry.
ICMP Music Composition courses in London
Those wishing to study a three-year Songwriting degree in London can choose from BA (Hons) Songwriting, BA (Hons) Songwriting and Production or BA (Hons) Songwriting and Artist Development. For those not wanting to commit for quite as long, there’s also the one-year CertHE Songwriting course.
For those wishing to study at postgraduate level we also run the MA Songwriting masters course and the MA Commercial Songwriting and Production, both available to study over the course of one-year full-time or two years part-time.
ICMP Songwriting Classes
Regardless of your study level or music course, songwriting classes at ICMP will cover a broad spectrum of contemporary music education, including developing song craft, musicianship and theory; learning about musical direction; understanding the way the modern music industry operates; engaging in digital music production; and becoming skilled in the use of industry-standard music technology.
You’ll become part of the wider ICMP Songwriting community and will be challenged to build your expertise in a diverse range of scenarios. Using real-world live publishing briefs, you’ll develop your artistry, engage in collaborative writing to brief, and learn about pitching songs. You’ll also have access to many extra-curricular opportunities, including performance showcases and ‘Open Mic’ nights at great London venues, plus our famous London Songwriting Circle which features renowned guest artists. All of this will provide the experience and opportunity necessary for developing your future songwriting career.
We know that the best way to hone your skills as a writer is to write – and write and write some more! At ICMP, we’ll push you to create up to 50 songs a year, so when you graduate, you’ll already have a significant body of work.
You’ll complete your studies using a wide range of industry-standard equipment, and will have access to our Audient and Soundcraft Studios with outboard by UAD. As well as this, you’ll use our range of pre-production rooms featuring DAWs, audio interfaces, large diaphragm capacitor mics, and boutique synths by Moog, Novation and Roland.
Creating opportunities through innovative professional partnerships
At ICMP, we work tirelessly to seek out new partnerships that connect our students and alumni to today’s flourishing professional music scene, plugging ICMP into the heart of the industry. Throughout the year we open our doors to labels, publishers, booking agents, A&R and artist managers, all with the express intent of building our students’ connections. Alongside welcoming industry professionals onsite, we also actively partner with companies and organisations throughout London and the wider music industry. These partnerships offer ICMP students unique and exclusive opportunities to engage with the music industry, building their networks amongst some of the industry’s biggest names.
ICMP Industry Tutors
ICMP’s highly esteemed songwriting teaching faculty is made up of experienced singer-songwriters, Mercury Music Prize nominated and UK No. 1 hit songwriters, accomplished academics and qualified teachers. They’ve shaped the face of contemporary songwriting and are eager to give generous amounts of their time to help motivate and inspire you.
They’re highly knowledgable about what works now in today’s music business, and keen to pass their experience of the ever-changing music industry onto you. They’ll work hard to build and sustain a creative music business community around our students which will identify up-and-coming talent and, ultimately, support you and your classmates as the music industry’s next generation of skilled professional songwriters.
ICMP’s International Reach
ICMP is the most international place to receive a music industry education in the UK. You’ll study and connect with students from all around the world. This global culture of diversity and hub of varied musical styles forms a truly unique musical tribe, making for stimulating learning experiences, thought-provoking classroom discussions and remarkable worldwide networking opportunities.
On top of this, ICMP has a genuinely international outlook as a music education provider, partnering with a range of prestigious, global academic institutes including the Vienna Music Institute, ATLA in Paris, University of Southern California, the Los Angeles College of Music, the London School of Fashion, and Rockacademie in the Netherlands.
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