Course content and structure

Course content.

The main focus is on artistic excellence and individual expression. The instrumental/vocal degree programme is supplemented with comprehensive modules that place the student’s own music-making in a historical, theoretical and social context. The degree programme is aimed at comprehensive skills in practice, theory, general education and personality development. It is continued in a specialist, professional Master’s degree programme.

Course structure.

Core
The instrumental/vocal tuition in the major and minor takes place on an individual basis, supplemented with small-group work and self-study. Ensembles and band workshops with changing focuses form the practice frameworks, which communicate between independent work and the performance situation. 

Context
The module area combines practical and theoretical music subjects that reflect the historical and analytical understanding of music and consolidate it in daily practice. They are relevant for a joint language of artistic exploration, systematic self-reflection and further development as well as each student’s individual perspective of their own music-making in the context of (Pop) history and culture. The supplementary tuition in additional areas such as music business, digital producing, choir, physical awareness, learning strategies, music science, etc. expands the personal perspectives and experiences. 

Final project and examination(s)
Besides the final examination in your instrumental or vocal major, you will plan your own Bachelor project in the form of a live performance with considerable scope for creativity as well as a related written paper. The lecturers and an individual mentor accompany you in the process.
 

Module plan:

Skills acquired in the course.

  • Express yourself individually in instrumental or vocal terms through artistic and genre-typical work. 
  • Develop, draft, and publicly implement artistic concepts on an independent basis and in this way incorporate your own artistic concerns into the professional fields of performance, creation and production in a proficient manner.
  • Combine your improved knowledge of a common pop music repertoire with creative working techniques. 
  • Handle various performance situations and production conditions with artistic aplomb.
  • Expertly recognize, memorize, process, organize, note, create, record and produce music and musical material. 
  • Understand, question and transfer your improved general music knowledge, fundamentals of music history in pop music and the music business, fundamental experience in music and movement, anatomy, healthcare and mental hygiene into your artistic practice.
  • Critically reflect on music and musical productions.
  • Apply individual methodological skills and personal learning and working techniques to suit the situation and use theoretical and historical music knowledge in your artistic and analytical work with confidence.
  • Perceive and reflect on yourself and your own artistic work in a differentiated manner.
  • Take the initiative in social situations and adjust your communication and presentation skills to suit your audience.
  • Act flexibly in a heterogeneous, multicultural environment.

Admissions requirements.

Participants are expected to have long-standing experience with at least one musical instrument, demonstrate personal commitment and want to make music their profession. This includes:

  • An advanced technical and artistic-individual expressiveness with the voice, instrument or with electronic devices; 
  • Relevant, varied experience in music performance (instrumental/vocal or electronic), in the creation and/or production of music and in the common creative techniques of pop and rock; 
  • An understanding of music that includes exploring your own relationship with the world, internationality, diversity, society and art;
  • A high capacity for learning and good hearing; 
  • Carefully chosen use of instruments and technical media. 

Benefits of studying at ZHdK.

Studying at ZHdK offers you a wealth of unique benefits:

  • You have access to the Toni Campus: a public, cultural and university campus for all artistic disciplines that is unparalleled in its dimensions anywhere in Europe. 
  • You benefit from collaboration with other performative artistic disciplines at project level. 
  • You interact with other universities in exchange formats. ZHdK’s extensive international network provides you with numerous opportunities to learn from other cultures and discover new projects.
  • The often interdisciplinary graduation projects motivate you to organize your collaboration independently. 
  • You gain extensive practical experience and have many opportunities to perform thanks to the diverse relationships with the regional cultural scene and its event organizations.