Popular Music Performance - Drums CertHE

Institute of Contemporary Music Performance

This exciting one-year course allows you to develop strong technical drum skills, performance creativity and musical literacy in a short period of time, with the view to becoming a well-rounded professional portfolio musician. A highly personalised programme, your learning will be concentrated on the drums, while you collaborate with your fellow students who are studying guitar, bass, vocals and keys.

In a fast-changing, increasingly digital international music industry, there are more opportunities than ever for musicians and audiences to come together for performances in innovative ways. As well as strengthening your technical and creative capabilities, this highly relevant performance CertHE allows you to build digital proficiency and entrepreneurial business skills as you set yourself up as a competent and flexible drummer and musician.

At the heart of your CertHE is a focus on your primary instrument – drums – but you’ll expand your musical literacy collaboratively too, by playing alongside and studying with fellow CertHE guitar, bass and keyboard musicians and vocalists. You’ll have frequent opportunities to connect and perform with your CertHE peers, as well as students from ICMP’s spectrum of courses.

Examining a selection of popular music styles, genres and repertoire, you’ll gain a solid understanding of theory, technology and technique for live, recorded and livestreamed performance scenarios. You’ll also cover subjects such as music theory, live performance skills, music technology, stylistic techniques and the music business.

Across your year of study, you’ll learn in ICMP’s world-class industry-standard facilities and will be guided by our experienced tutors. Our teaching staff are all renowned educators and music business professionals who will provide you with key insights into today’s music industry. They’ll also organise for you to attend regular networking opportunities, industry events, masterclasses hosted by special guest artists, and gigs at venues around London.

As well as lectures and seminars, you’ll participate in a selection of skills sessions – both one-to-one with your ICMP drums tutor, and during collaborative workshops and ensemble practice with your fellow students. A core feature of ICMP programmes is collaboration and ‘A&R-style’ peer feedback, so you’ll often give and receive performance appraisals as you develop your unique identity as a drummer.

Once you complete the CertHE drum course, you’ll have acquired exceptional technical skills on the drums, as well as robust knowledge and experience of recorded, live and livestreamed performances, allowing you to work successfully across many different areas of the modern music industry. If you’d rather continue with your studies, the CertHE offers a pathway straight to the second year of the BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance and BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship degrees, where you can further develop your career as a professional drummer and portfolio musician.