BA World Music
LM135
Introduction

A Global View of Music

The BA World Music is a four-year, full-time undergraduate programme, open to students from all music backgrounds who wish to take a global view of music. Students study diverse music traditions from around the world, including the court music of Indonesia, popular musics of West Africa, classical musics of India, folk and Celtic musics of Europe, classical music of the Arab Middle East, and traditional musics of Canada and America.

The first year of the course is a common entry programme shared with all the BA’s (Irish Music, Irish Dance, Contemporary Dance, Voice and World Music).  However, the focus from the start of this first year is on your own performance practice.  You will begin to learn to perform a range of world music styles, including Javanese gamelan, West African drumming and Indian classical music, and explore the histories and cultural contexts of these diverse global music practices. In addition, World Music students have the opportunity to develop their performance skills on their first instrument (including voice) and to deepen their academic knowledge of their ‘own’ music, be it traditional, popular or classical music.

World Class Teaching Staff and Facilities

The BA World Music is taught by the Academy’s team of internationally renowned performers and scholars. Students also attend workshops, concerts and seminars presented by Irish and international visiting artists and academics. Lectures, ensemble classes, workshops, lessons and concerts take place in the Irish World Academy’s state-of-the-art studios, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces, and students have access to the Academy’s outstanding collection of world music instruments and cutting-edge music technology. Throughout the degree, World Music students also share several core course modules with other BA students including music theory, ethnomusicology, performance studies, ethnochoreology, and a range of vocational modules designed to prepare students for future careers.

New Artistic and Academic Horizons

In addition to their core modules, each year students choose from a large number of elective modules in dance and music, and other subjects outside of the performing arts. These elective modules offer students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience, and broaden their artistic and academic horizons. Elective options include a wide range of vocal and instrumental ensembles (from Academy choir to Irish traditional music ensemble), songwriting classes, lectures in country music, courses in choreography, North American percussive dance, Irish folklore and history, and various languages, including Irish.

Multiple Career Paths

The programme prepares students for many different career paths, including professional performance and teaching, further academic and performance studies, community arts practice, arts management and production, and various media roles.

Cooperative Education – Work Experience

In their 3rd year, all Irish World Academy BA students go on ‘co-op’, a university-wide module specifically designed for undergraduates to engage in real-world, professional environments.   The Cooperative Education division, in consultation with the Academy, helps students to identify working opportunities in a variety of contexts, including arts management, education, performance, media and related fields.  Students are encouraged to set up their own six-month placements or to engage in split placements (ideally no more than two placements) in order to explore if their expectations for future careers match the experiences they have during the co-op period.  Faculty visits, pre- and post- co-op assessment skills, and final report help students to reflect upon the process, enabling them to critically evaluate their time off campus.

Tutors

</strong>Nick Roth<strong>

</strong>Dr Matthew Noone<strong>

Matthew James Noone is an Australian-Irish ex-indie rocker, improviser, composer and performer of the 25 stringed lute called sarode. He has studied North Indian Classical music for over a decade with Sougata Roy Chowdhury in Kolkata and more recently with UK based sarodiya, K. Sridhar. He has performed Indian classical music across the globe and composes in a diverse range of disciplines ranging from Irish traditional music, free improvisation and contemporary electroacoustic music.

</strong>Dr Kevin McNally<strong>

</strong>Éamonn Cagney<strong>

Programme of Study

Year 1

Practicum A

Practicum C

Critical Encounters with Music and Dance

Electives

Year 2

Practicum A

Practicum C

World Music and Dance Survey 1

Performing Arts Technology

Critical Encounters with Global Pop

Electives

Year 3

Autumn Semester: Co-op Placement

Practicum A

Practicum C

Research Skills:Ethnomusicology/Ethnochoreology/Arts Practice

Arts and Health

Electives

Year 4

Practicum A

Practicum C

Final Year Project 1

Professional Skills for Performing Artists

Final Year Project 2

Special Topics in Ethnomusicology

Electives

Applications

HOW TO APPLY:

All Irish and EU applications (including mature applications) are processed by the CAO (www.cao.ie).  Applications from outside the European Union are processed by the international office of the University (http://www.ul.ie/international/)

APPLICATION INFORMATION AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.ul.ie/courses/bachelor-of-arts-in-world-music

Students applying for first year of the programme and intending to graduate with the BA World Music  need to apply for LM135.

Students can apply with Leaving Certificate and QQI qualifications.  For details of QQI requirements please see the QQI Booklet.  Students can also gain access to the second year of BA through our own Certificate in Music and Dance.

All enquiries in relation to admission of students should be addressed to the course director (details below) or:

Admissions Office

University of Limerick

Limerick

tel : +353-61-202700

email : admissions@ul.ie 

Web sites:https://www.ul.ie/courses/bachelor-of-arts-in-world-music

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Click here for a list of scholarships available to prospective Irish World Academy of Music and Dance students.

Auditions

BA World Music (LM135) Audition Process for Entry in Academic Year 2022/2023

The audition for the BA Voice LM134 at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick will be conducted either online or in person (the choice will be made by the applicant).

Audition Requirements

Play / sing two pieces of your own choosing in any style or genre

Online applicants will be invited to submit a video recording of their performance of two songs and attend a remote interview.  

Face-to-face auditions will take place on the weekend of the 25th and 26th March 2023. 

After your audition, the Admissions Department of the University will contact you to let you know the outcome.

Audition Points Framework

Applicants can be awarded a maximum of 200 audition points. 

Key areas to be assessed at BA World Music audition:

  1. Proficiency on Instrument

Through the performance of two contrasting pieces at audition, applicants will demonstrate a technical command of their chosen instrument/s.

  • Select pieces that you feel comfortable with and are within your technical abilities.
  • The panel will listen for fundamental musical elements such as playing in tune and in time.
  1. Musicality

The panel will asses how you use musical expression through dynamics, use of timbre or expression through the voice or your instrument.

  1. Performance Quality

The panel will asses the impact of the performance, your confidence on stage, presence and choice of pieces to demonstrate diversity.

  1. Creativity and Motivation

The panel will assess how your employ creative or unique approaches to the material you perform.  

  • Do you use any melodic or rhythmic improvisation? 
  • Can you arrange a composed piece in a new or novel way.
  • Have you composed your own song or piece especially for the audition?
  • What are your creative goals and ideals?
Media

International Exchange

For information on the Erasmus options available in the third year of study please see this link.

Contact

Enquiries in relation to the course can be made to:

Dr Matthew Noone

Course Director (Acting), BA World Music

Room No: IW2.10,

Irish World Academy of Music and Dance,

University of Limerick,

Limerick, Ireland.

Tel: +353-61-202918

E-mail: matthew.noone@ul.ie