20 Years of Commercial Music
News
Celebrating two decades of Commercial Music at Bath Spa
Monday, 18 December, 2023Bath Spa University’s Commercial Music course is looking forward to 20 years since its launch in 2004 and, building on the course’s incredible success over the last two decades, the School is expanding with the commissioning of brand-new music facilities.
Building on the course’s continued growth, and with versatility at the forefront of the expansion, the new spaces offer the opportunity to futureproof students’ experience with the latest state of the art equipment.
The new rooms will increase space for live rehearsals and provide additional ‘production pods’ for editing and mixing.
Bath Spa academics have teamed up with the estates and technical teams to make the expansion a reality. Working hard to get the new spaces refreshed and ready for the University’s BA (Hons) Commercial Music, BA (Hons) Music, and BA (Hons) Creative Music Technology degree courses, students will soon reap the rewards.
Mark Langley, Head of Bath Spa University’s School of Music and Performing Arts commented on the rapid growth of the School. He said:
“Bath Spa has been dedicated to high quality music tuition for twenty years now. It was one of the first programmes of its kind and has been imitated since. But we can’t stand still. This investment in the future is not only vital to our continued success, but also to ensure that our graduates are industry ready.”
Meeting the need to expand to create more room and better facilities for its growing student body, the School is aiming even higher and hopes to add another string to its bow as it enters phase two of the expansion and lays out plans for adapting additional spaces.
With countless stories of alumni success, the Commercial Music course has seen musicians rise through the ranks post-University and, looking to the future, the new rooms reflect the University’s dedication to its up-and-coming music students.
James Dickinson, Subject Leader in Commercial Music said:
“Commercial music has been at the forefront of music education for over 20 years. In that time our students have made a major contribution to the UK music industry with success stories that include number one albums. In fact, in October 2023, Commercial Music graduate Ren Gill beat Rick Astley to the number one position in the UK album charts (sorry Rick!). We also boast Emmy award winners – Commercial Music graduate Oli Ferris, for his work as Foley Artist on Black Mirror and top industry executive and graduate Jess Keeley-Carter, who is Senior Vice President of Global Digital Marketing for Warner Music.
“We are proud of the achievements of our amazing graduates and this investment will help to keep us at the cutting edge, ensuring we provide future generations of creatives to the UK music industry.”
The evidence that students on the University’s Music courses enter professions within the industry after graduation is just one of the reasons the course has continued to grow in popularity.
Supported by a team of tutors who combine academic expertise with industry experience at the highest level, by studying at Bath Spa, students are able to expand their network, creating life-long connections with key industry figureheads while nurturing their skill, talent and perseverance through their degrees.
Bath Spa Commercial Music alumni include a mix of inspirational ambassadors, including:
- Ren Erin Gill who claimed number one in the UK album charts
- Joe Schiavon and Ryan Snell of Live Nation
- Ian Evans from IME Music
- Ben Jackson-Cook who co-wrote Rag’n’Bone Man’s second album
- Alex Kotz, Grammy nominated as Elderbrook/Parlophone
- Jed Elliott of The Struts
- Jess Keeley-Carter, Senior Vice President of Global Digital Marketing for Warner Music
- Oli Ferris who won an Emmy for his Foley work on TV series, Black Mirror
Do you have a passion for music in all its forms? Our courses can help you find your sound and take it to the next level. Visit the Music section of our website to find out more.