Module Descriptors

This module is the culmination of professional development work across the BACM degree, aiming to embed soon-to-be graduates within powerful and supportive networks to support their emergent or developing careers. Building on learning from across the BACM degree about the importance of understanding how people participate in communities of music practice (genres, scenes, community-based and cultural practices), students will apply knowledge and understanding of these critical issues to developing their own place within communities of music practice as guided by a professional mentor. The module will explore and support the embedding of the importance of relationship-building, networking, community, and ethical practice, within long-term careers in the music industries. 

Students will identify key communities of practice (e.g. networks, genres, scenes, communities, audiences) within which their emerging career could be supported or nourished. They will choose from strands such as Community Music Practice, DIY Practice, Commercial and Social Entrepreneurial Practice, Educational and Academic Practice, within which to explore/consolidate knowledge of academic understandings of these areas and provide fresh and wider perspectives on their individual practice in practical settings. Students will be assigned a professional mentor from within their chosen area of expertise, and work with that mentor across the Trimester on experimenting artistically/creatively/entrepreneurially/community-focused, while being supported to evaluate their current and future professional practice progress in an ethically conscious way. Students will also have the opportunity to become mentors themselves, working with groups of L7 BACM students to apply their learning about the importance of mentoring practice and community-building within the industries.

• To assist final year students in developing a professional / creative support network


• To encourage students to develop career planning and development skills


• To engage students with key Communities of Practice relevant to their creative and professional aspirations

On successful completion of this module the student will be able to:

L1. Demonstrate self-reflection skills and ability to assess personal and professional needs via mentor-mentee relationships based around a conceptualised framework (including relationship purpose and type, frequency of meeting, goals of interactions and expectations)

L2. Understand how to employ principles of ethical practice within the music industries, applying these through the construction of meaningful, practical, mutually supportive relationships with individuals and/or communities

Draws on knowledge and understanding of main areas and defining features of music industries communities and networks and their importance in music careers.

Through mentoring relationships with professionals at more advanced stages of their careers, understands developments at

Applies knowledge and understanding of own networks and communities of music practice in order to identify and plan goals (for themselves and others) and begin to achieve them, using a few skills that are advanced or specialist.

Applies knowledge of ethical issues around relational working in the music industries to deal with foreseen and unforeseen challenges.

Applies critical reflection on practice.

Identifies, maps and analyses networks of practice.

Synthesises learning from mentoring processes as well as a range of academic/written sources and evaluates or appraises personal development and practice.

Communicates knowledge and understanding of current issues and developments in the sector to a range of stakeholders in appropriate ways, including more advanced professionals and more junior colleagues.
Uses key (routine and advanced) ICT packages including word processing and audio editing software, to communicate reflective processes and outcomes to a professional standard in written (reports) and spoken form (podcasts).

Working under guidance from specialist mentors, exercising autonomy and initiative in structuring practice in response to mentoring sessions.
Work with others (both more advanced and less advanced specialists) in a way that demonstrates awareness of others’ roles, responsibilities and their work.
Working with mentors and mentees to bring about change and development of practice.
Managing relationship to complex ethical, relational and professional issues, with guidance from tutors/mentors.

The following materials form essential underpinning for the module content and ultimately for the learning outcomes:

In line with the Academic Engagement Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on the relevant learning platform, and complete assessments and submit these on time. Please refer to the Academic Engagement Procedure at the following link: Academic engagement procedure

Where a module has Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body requirements these will be listed here:
In line with the Academic Engagement and Attendance Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on Aula, and complete assessments and submit these on time. Please refer to the Academic Engagement and Attendance Procedure at the following link: Academic engagement and attendance procedure

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1. More than one assessment method can be used to assess individual learning outcomes.
2. Schools are responsible for determining student contact hours. Please refer to University Policy on contact hours (extract contained within section 10 of the Module Descriptor guidance note).
   This will normally be variable across Schools, dependent on Programmes &/or Professional requirements.