The University of Salford's Musical Arts Programme (Classical & Band Studies) has congratulated students who recently graduated at this year's winter ceremonies.

PhD

One of those was Canadian musician Hummie Mann, who graduated with a PhD in Composition, which focused on 'Composing for Film' supervised by Professor Stephen Davismoon.

Hummie is already an experienced composer working in film and television and is a two-time Emmy Award winner who has collaborated with many Hollywood directors including Mel Brooks on 'Robin Hood Men in Tights' and Peter Yates on 'Year of the Comet'.

Pathway

Meanwhile, the University has introduced the new 'MPhil in Music' to its portfolio of available courses.

This increasingly popular pathway targets graduate Musical Arts students who are looking to continue postgraduate study, and has the benefit of enabling them to progress onto the full PhD qualification.

Entry onto the course is available at four separate points throughout the year and course content and direction is tailored to suit individual's needs. Currently the University has students studying conducting and performance, but the course is also available to prospective students wishing to specialise in composition or musicology.

Students interested in this opportunity should contact Dr Brett Baker: b.baker@salford.ac.uk

2016 is also important year for the School of Music & Dance as it marks the 40th anniversary since the first music, specifically band musicianship courses were offered as a formal qualification4BR

Milestone

2016 is also important year for the School of Music & Dance (formerly Music & Performance) as it marks the 40th anniversary since the first music, specifically band musicianship courses were offered as a formal qualification.

Pioneered by the late Roy Newsome, Goff Richards and David Loukes, over the years it has facilitated the careers of many of the banding movement's finest performers, conductors, composers, arrangers and teachers.

The milestone makes the Musical Arts programme at Salford the longest running such course in the world, and the university will be celebrating the achievement with a celebration concert held at Peel Hall in the Autumn.

Unrivalled

The concert will also provide an opportunity for alumni and potential students to look around 'New Adelphi,' the university's multi-million pound investment in music, performance and arts which is on schedule to open in mid-2016, and which will offer facilities unrivalled by any other music department in the UK.