ONE YEAR
The Postgraduate Diploma in Musical Direction offers up to three suitably qualified practitioners the opportunity to work alongside musical directors throughout the course of the academic year. This course is designed to give professional-level experience in the art of musical direction.
Students benefit from assisting on a wide range of projects across all of the performance programmes at Mountview with close supervision and mentoring from academic staff and visiting practitioners.
Running over ten months this course is suitable for highly motivated musicians with professional standard piano skills and a wide knowledge of musical theatre repertoire. Previous experience in arranging and conducting is recommended but not essential.
Study includes participation in performance tuition in order to gain a thorough understanding of the skills demanded of a professional actor, accompanying professional music and singing tutors and assisting visiting musical directors.
Students participate in acting, voice and group singing classes, accompany singing lessons and assist professional musical directors on second year musical theatre students’ performances of classic book musicals.
Students act as assistant musical director in rehearsals and performances of third year musical theatre students’ final productions at venues across London, receive individual singing lessons to gain practical knowledge of the voice and its training and assist on musical theatre students’ professional showcases.
Students assist on postgraduate musical theatre students’ public performances.
Throughout the year master classes with visiting specialists develop skills in arranging, conducting and musical direction. Students also learn about keyboard programming and write their own vocal arrangements and orchestrations for performance. The course content, listed above, is subject to change depending on level at entry and students’ development throughout the year.
Weekly one-to-one tutorials with the course leader examine each student’s development and focus on specific areas of musical direction.
Students are assessed on their practical work throughout the course with feedback given on their progress. Students are also required to keep a working notebook over the year with critical evaluation on their own practice as well as that of professional musicians with whom they have worked.