Music Technology A level provides you with the opportunity to produce recordings and compositions in our studios, as well as enhancing crucial listening skills.

The Music Technology A level course introduces you to some of the disciplines involved in the academic study of the subject. It develops the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to compose, sequence, record, analyse and produce music.

Music A level will allow you to develop as a performer and a composer of any style of music, whilst also giving you the skills you need to analyse existing pieces in depth.

The Music course introduces you to some of the disciplines involved in an academic study of the subject. It develops the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to communicate through music and to take part in music-making, whether as a composer, a performer or a listener.

The course gives you the opportunity to devise and perform a variety of pieces in different professional environments, including a community production tour at Christmas and a summer show in our newly renovated campus theatre.

You will be taught by staff who are industry experienced and robust in their knowledge of theatre and performance skills. This will enable you to hone your performance technique and aid you in reaching your maximum potential. All of your productions will be supported by our Technical Theatre course crews, to give you a truly professional experience.

Here’s more on what you’ll be doing:

- You will develop your vocal skills to aid with diction, vocal clarity, tone and projection.
- You will develop your movement skills providing you with an awareness of physicality for characterisation.
- You will develop knowledge and understanding of a touring theatre production company by engaging in a community drama project.
- You will create and perform your own Site Specific and/or Street theatre performance and perform in a location of your choice.
- You will develop acting skills for production, from researching a text, to rehearsing techniques and performing a full length production to an audience.
- You will be introduced to singing for an actor and develop your singing skills and technique.
- You will have the opportunity to create and lead your own workshop in a Community based setting. You will be given the opportunity to work with a range of groups, including children, young people and adults.
- You will be mentored in the creation of a professional online profile and introduced to external practitioners.

If you're thinking about a career in the music industry, this course can help you on your way.

If you’re already a competent musician or singer, this course will help you take your skills to a whole new level via the studio and live performance environments.

You’ll spend one day a week rehearsing at the Berkeley 2 Studios in Glasgow (http://www.berkeley2.co.uk/) and will perform regularly including:

- Live gigs in the college theatre, and local pubs and clubs around Ayrshire
- Outdoor gigs, such as Jam at the Dam in Ayr
You’ll discover what it takes to be a performer – as well as musical talent, you’ll need business know-how, entrepreneurship, loads of hard work and plenty of confidence.

Here’s some more on what you’ll be doing:

- You’ll focus on live performances, finding out about all the practical aspects involved with ‘gigging’ and developing skills to successfully perform live.
- You’ll look at stagecraft, including how to interact with your audience and fellow performers, technical skills relating to your performance and how to create a stage persona.
- You’ll develop skills in songwriting, researching the structural elements of songs and different genres, before writing your own original song.
- You’ll develop skills in composing, looking at a range of techniques and styles, and creating your own musical composition.
- You’ll learn about recording techniques, including the multi-track recording process.
- You’ll develop skills in music theory.
- You’ll look at the practical issues or ‘non-performance’ aspects of being a professional musician, including self employment and legal obligations.

You’ll also have the opportunity to:

- Take part in regular masterclasses with professional musicians
- Record and release your own material via our record label Sun Turtle Records
- Take part in community projects

If you want to learn the secrets of good audio production and how to work as a freelance engineer/remixer/post production engineer, this course will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need.

This course offers you the chance to develop your skills with state-of-the art live sound and studio equipment used in the industry today.

As one of the few Certified Training Locations for Avid in the UK, you'll have access to the latest versions of software and plugins for music and audio production. Students will also have the opportunity to undertake Certified Pro Tools courses. (Please ask us for more information on this.)

Here's more on what you'll be doing:

- You'll look at sound production theory and the common equipment/techniques in audio recording and reproduction, such as microphones, stereo audio imaging and audio signal processing.
- You'll develop skills in audio engineering for multi-track recordings.
- You'll discover the art and science of mixing multi-track recordings.
- You'll explore acoustics, and learn about the nature of sound, how we as humans hear sound and how sound behaves in enclosed spaces.
- You'll develop skills in sound reinforcement equipment for different types of live events, such as music, vocal, audio-visual.
- You'll learn about digital audio workstations, and how to record and manipulate audio and MIDI signals for sound production.
Finally, you'll look at the creative industries as a whole, including the main commercial organisations, and sources of support, advice and funding.
You'll also have the opportunity to:

- Work within our own record label, Sun Turtle Records, and help artists record and release original music.
- Work within our PR and Events company High Tide PR, and help manage two artists signed every year.
- Practise your skills through free access to the studio during the day when it's not in use.

If you’re interested in the creative industries and in particular sound production, this course can help you on your way.

This course develops your technical abilities within an audio environment, with a firm focus on teamwork. You’ll also spend a considerable amount of time working with live sound.

You’ll learn using world class equipment and the latest industry software, such as Pro Tools and Ableton. Your assessments will be based on real-life products in post and music production, in a variety of genres.

Here’s just some of what you’ll be doing:

- You’ll learn about sound engineering systems and basic public address systems (PAs).
- You’ll develop skills in studio production techniques, including mic placement and monitoring, as well as studio etiquette and communication.
- You’ll learn about music programming and virtual instruments, using MIDI software.
- You’ll develop skills in music production, including pre and post production.
- You’ll develop skills in audio editing, learning to edit and manipulate sound in a digital format and how to store it, such as via podcasting.
- You’ll learn about live sound reinforcement systems - otherwise known as PA systems - and practise operating a system for a small-scale event.
- You’ll develop music business know-how, looking at the key organisations and careers within the UK music industry.
Almost all students as part of their bursary funding, receive a production bundle of equipment including microphones, digital recorders and high end headphones when they join and succeed in this course.

You’ll also build transferable Essential Skills in meaningful contexts to help you become more effective in life, learning, and work. This could be communication, numeracy, ICT, working with others, and problem solving.

Film is a dominant art form, both reflecting and influencing society and culture. This A level will give you a broader knowledge of film, exploring it over a range of time periods and movements including silent cinema, Hollywood, British film, American film, global films, documentary films and experimental films.

Learning to read films as more than a form of entertainment will develop your skills in analysis and interpretation. You will also have the opportunity to work on a practical film project of your own.

Visits to the cinema, and other course related places such as the National Media Museum, are planned to ensure that students gain a wider perspective of the film industry.

Establishing the foundations for connected, imaginative artists, who are employable, knowledgeable and ready to take the next step in their training journey.

Fourth Monkey’s CertHE Acting & Theatre Making is a one-year professional, vocational actor training course aimed primarily (but not exclusively) at post-A Level or equivalent students who are embarking on the very first steps in their drama school training journey.

The CertHE Acting & Theatre Making course aims to establish the foundations for fearless, connected and imaginative artists who are employable, knowledgeable and ready as both actors and theatre makers to take the next steps in professional vocational training.

The CertHE Acting & Theatre Making course offers innovative and inclusive training to empower and develop those embarking on their creative journey through experiential acting technique, movement, voice and collaborative theatre making.

The CertHE Acting & Theatre Making is validated by Falmouth University. This means that our students are able to access Student Finance to pay the fees, making Fourth Monkey training accessible and affordable to those who wish to explore life at a drama school, in advance of further vocational training at a higher level.

Training on the CertHE encourages connections between training disciplines, practices and activities within the field of performance and creation. There is no academic written work, instead students “learn by doing” in a range of professional vocational classes, workshops, performance projects and presentations using Fourth Monkey’s unique thematic training structure of ACT, MAKE, MOVE, COLLABORATE.

Below is an outline of the key features of the CertHE Acting & Theatre Making course:
• Foundation-level training for post-A Level or equivalent performers and theatre makers
• “Learn through doing” – professional vocational classes, workshops, performance projects and presentations, rather than academic written work
• Accredited by Fourth Monkey’s degree awarding partner, Falmouth University
• Access to Student Finance to pay course fees

“I loved it, found myself as an artist and person, … I’ve changed so much and I can’t stress how important that was for me.” – Simrita Khela, Fourth Monkey Alumnus 2020.