Popular music

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Transform your passion for popular music into a lifelong profession.

Immerse yourself in a creative environment that fosters the musical innovation, business expertise and industry networks required by successful, professional 21st century musicians.

Taught by the Queensland Conservatorium and endorsed by international industry heavyweights, the Bachelor of Music will nurture your unique musical style, whether that's in mainstream or underground, or something in between.

You won't only perfect your performance and songwriting skills, but you'll also dive into the business of music and set yourself up for life with the skills to perform, produce, write, record, manage, teach and more.

With more Australians attending live music than sport, it makes sense to study a music degree focused on producing the next crop of savvy and successful music industry professionals — at the only Queensland university ranked in the top 50 performing arts universities in the world.

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Top Ranking

Griffith named top creative arts school in Australia according to the 2017 Uni Reviews rankings

Find out more about the latest Uni Reviews rankings

Study Popular Music at Griffith

At the Queensland Conservatorium, South Bank the Bachelor of Music will help you transform your musical passion into a successful and sustainable career. Under the guidance of music industry professionals, business experts and creative specialists, you can hone your musical talents while developing business and arts management expertise.

You will be exposed to a range of genres and undertake ensemble work, collaborative laboratories, industry-led workshops and public performances.

You'll get to the heart of the music industry with the opportunity for internships in recording studios, events management companies, music industry publishers and more. Plus you could find yourself collaborating with some big names in the musical capital of the world, Nashville — all as part of your studies.

You'll have performance opportunities from your first year, plus 24/7 access to music studios equipped with the latest recording facilities, editing suites, audio-visual and postproduction technology, so your musical innovation can really shine.

Whether you choose to specialize in Performance, or Music, Sound and Vision, or Music Industry, you'll graduate with the skills and know how to become a 'portfolio' musician — so you can jump head first into a wide range of musical opportunities, from producing and performing to artist and event management.

As one of Australia's leading music schools, The Queensland Conservatorium is the perfect launch pad for your music career - a thriving, nurturing and creative environment, set within the cultural heart of Brisbane, the vibrant South Bank.

Ian Peres

Bachelor of Popular Music

Ian Peres is the bassist and keyboard player for Grammy award-winning rock band Wolfmother. Ian spent the majority of 2016 touring with the band, which sold out theatres, stadiums and festivals around the world, and recently supported rock legends Guns N' Roses on their Australian stadium tour. Ian says the Bachelor of Popular Music degree delivered a wealth of invaluable information that has been vital in his career, both as a studio session player and as a live touring performer. 'It teaches and promotes an all-encompassing skill set. It teaches group collaboration and open-mindedness, with studio and performance insights from both sides of the mixing desk, plus education in legal matters.'

Study options

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Degrees	Campus	OP rank
Bachelor of Music	South Bank
Bachelor of Music (Honours)	South Bank

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Career outcomes

Industry-focused training delivers professional level skills

Our popular music degree comes with a wealth of contacts, opportunities and chances to really chase your dream. You'll have the skills and expertise to become a 'portfolio' musician, along with the industry exposure and networking opportunities to help you pinpoint your place in the music industry.

Popular music graduates can find their niche as a:

Composer
D.J
Multimedia Designer
Music Agent/Manager
Music Publisher
Music Teacher
Music Director
Musician
Performer
Post-Production Specialist
Recording Engineer
Song Writer
Sound and Music Producer
Sound Designer
Teacher (with additional study)

Popular music graduates have also successfully established their own businesses such as recording studios, teaching studios, music distribution, and artist and repertoire companies.

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November 20, 2018

Musical talent set to shine in ‘Symphony of a Thousand’

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