Bachelor of Songwriting and Music Production

Study music with a degree that is unique in Australia: Melbourne Polytechnic's Bachelor of Songwriting and Music Production. This qualification is suited to emerging songwriters, composers and music producers who will engage with music as creative practice and be taught as artists. Our pursuit of excellence in contemporary music-making is based on the understanding of music as an art form. Aligned with "do it yourself" practice, your study engages with commercial practice and is grounded in historical context. Songwriting in Australia is a growth industry with its roots in community, and you'll be learning all about it in Australia's music capital.

Bachelor of Songwriting and Music Production is an inspiring degree that empowers students within their practice towards a sustainable career - a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for songwriters, composers and music producers. We are committed to diversity with regard to both student intake and musical genre.

Within the degree, practical knowledge and artistic expression are interwoven in a unique curriculum which considers contemporary music an art form. There are four main strands in the degree - songwriting, music production, concepts and context, business and delivery of creative product.

• Songwriting and composition classes drive new ways of exploring and thinking about your creative practice through lectures, discussions, peer review and workshops.
• Music production classes demystify the process whilst deepening your understanding of what is important in a recording. You will use current music software and recording equipment in our computer labs and studios on campus. We also have a custom-built collection of instruments for use in rehearsal rooms, performance spaces and studios.
• Conceptual subjects enrich your practice and application of ideas through study of contextual histories of songwriting and music production. Experimental practice is encouraged as is an inclusive approach to other art forms.
• Business subjects articulate revenue streams for music artists, explain marketing principles and approaches to management of music careers. You will be comprehensively guided through releasing music, making video clips and developing your performance skills with the expectation that you will release a single or EP at the end of second year, and an EP or album at the end of third year.

All subjects are taught by well-known music artists, producers, and experts in contemporary music scenes.

Sara Retallick is an artist, musician, and educator whose work explores listening and human perceptions of sound through installation, live performance, recording, and research. Currently, she creates exploratory electronic music works under the name Golden Syrup and plays bass for post-punk trio Mod Con.

Lisa Salvo is a songwriter/composer, performing artist based in Melbourne/Narrm. She has been shortlisted for the APRA/AMCOS Vanda and Young international songwriting competition, and her latest release with experimental pop band On Diamond was nominated for the Australian Music Prize, Best Album in the Music Victoria Awards, and received album of the week on Triple R, PBS and 4ZZZ fm.

Andy White is a singer-songwriter, author, producer and academic whose work connects literate pop, folk, and punk over the course of twenty internationally released albums and three books. Writing and collaborating with Peter Gabriel, Sinead O'Connor and John Leckie, Andy's next releases are a spoken word project written as part of his PhD for UTAS, and a duo album recorded with Tim Finn.

Robin Waters is a producer, musician and solo artist who has worked with Ella Hooper, Kate Miller Heidke, Eves the Behavior, and Washington. Highlights as a performer include playing the Sydney Opera house with Machine Translations as well as multiple international tours and supporting David Byrne with The Boat People.

Robyn Doreian is a magazine journalist, educator, and former editor of British rock bibles Kerrang! and Metal Hammer. Her published interviews include Kurt Cobain, Keith Richards, Slipknot, Metallica, and Patti Smith.

Tony Dupe is a music producer, composer and academic who makes music that is distinctively organic, emotional, and connected to stories and places. He has a new album out this year on U.S. label Lost Tribe Sound and is writing a book as part of his PhD with the University of Queensland.

Louise Terry is an electronic music producer, community cultural development artist and educator who has cultivated a multifaceted career with groups including Sugar Fed Leopard and Sawtooth, as well as under artist name Louise Terra. Exploring the nexus between music and technology, she is currently developing a live VR music video and pursuing collaborative practice with electronic music makers in Central Victoria.

Our lecturers also currently include music artist and founder of I Manage My Music Jen Cloher, videographer Edwina Stevens, and vocalist and educator Georgie Darvidis.

BSMP's musical alumni include:

• Chitra, signed by Melbourne label Our Golden Friend, who has released four singles and EPs and is working on her debut album
• Shannen James
• Pappy & Co.
• nvth
• Marbee
• James Cro