Leeds College of Music

Leeds College of Music
Established	1965
Type	Music college (HE & FE; Limited Company)
Principal	Philip Meaden
Students	1,000 full-time
Location	Leeds, West Yorkshire, England Coordinates: 53°47′50″N 1°31′58″W / 53.79722°N 1.53278°W / 53.79722; -1.53278
Former names	Leeds Music Centre (1965-1971), City of Leeds College of Music (1971-1997)
Website	http://www.lcm.ac.uk/

Leeds College of Music, located in Leeds’ Quarry Hill cultural quarter, is the largest music college in the United Kingdom, with over 1,000 full-time and 1,000 part-time students.^{[1][clarification needed]} The college is best known for its leading role in jazz education and started one of the first jazz degrees in Europe.^[2] It is also the only music conservatoire in the UK to offer both Higher and Further Education courses, ranging from BTEC Extended Diploma courses to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.^[1] It was formerly known as Leeds Music Centre (1965-1971) and City of Leeds College of Music (1971-1997). Since August 2011, Leeds College of Music is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leeds City College.

Courses

Leeds College of Music building

Leeds College of Music offers an undergraduate degree course - BA (Hons) Music - with specialisms/pathways available in Jazz, Classical Music, Popular Music and Music Production. A Combined pathway will also be available from September 2011 (i.e. Jazz & Classical; Pop & Production). A Foundation degree is available in Music Production. The BA and FD are validated by The University of Bradford.

In January 2011, the College launched a two year BA (Hons) Music (Accelerated) degree for 2011/12 entry. The College will make available 30 additional places across the BA Music (Popular Music) and BA Music (Production) pathways, for students who wish to enrol on the accelerated programme. The BA (Hons) Music (Accelerated) is validated by The University of Bradford.

Launched in February 2011, a brand new Foundation Certificate awarded by Leeds College of Music is designed to provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge for successful degree level study at a specialist music institution.

The College also offers a Postgraduate Diploma/MA/MMus in Performance and a Postgraduate Diploma/MA/MMus in Composition. These two brand new postgraduate degrees are validated by The University of Bradford for 2011 entry.

Further Education courses available include BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music (Classical, Jazz and Pop pathways) and Music Technology.

Until September 2011 the College's Further & Continuing Education Department attracted around 1,000 part-time students to the College, participating in a range of evening instrumental, vocal and technology courses and ensembles.

Notable alumni

• Jazz Pianist — David Newton (1979)
• Jazz Saxophonist — Alan Barnes (1980)
• Jazz Composer and Trumpeter — Richard Iles (1980)
• Jazz Trumpeter — Chris Batchelor
• Jazz Composer and Pianist — Nikki Iles (1984)
• Singer and Song writer — Damon Gough aka Badly Drawn Boy (1991)
• Jazz Saxophonist and Vocalist — Pete Wareham of Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear (1995)
• Pop Saxophonist — Snake Davis
• Trumpeter — Johnny Thirkell
• Jazz guitarist — Nick Webb of Acoustic Alchemy
• Composer, Pianist and Vocalist — Adrian Snell
• Trumpeter — James Lynch of Touch and Go
• Composer and Pianist — Matthew Bourne (2001)
• Saxophonist — Jim Corry (Saxophonist for Haggis Horns, Jamiroquai, Corinne Bailey Rae & Mark Ronson) (1998)
• Trumpeter and Perrier Young Jazz Musician of the Year 1999 — Andrew Colman
• Saxophonist and Composer (A Tribute To Atlantic Jazz) — James Russell (Saxophonist for Jamiroquai) (1998)
• Composer and Pianist — Jamil Sherif (1998)
• Dubstep Producer — Rusko (2002)
• Drummer — Michael Spearman of Everything Everything (2008)
• Drummer — Mark Holub of Led Bib
• Saxophonist — Athol Ransome (Haggis Horns, John Legend, The Roots, Mark Ronson)
• Spoof Popstar — Rob Madin aka Brett Domino
• Pianist and Singer — Victoria Christina Hesketh aka Little Boots

Notable Staff (current & former)

• Neil Yates - Jazz Trumpet (current)
• Nikki Iles - Jazz Piano (former)
• Mornington Lockett - Jazz Saxophone (former)
• Dave O'Higgins - Jazz Saxophone (former)
• Matthew Bourne - Piano and Composition (former)
• Omar Puente - Jazz Violin and Latin ensemble director (former)
• Dame Fanny Waterman - Classical Piano (former)
• Kathy Dyson (Jazz Educator of the Year 2010, Parliamentary Jazz Awards) - Guitar (former)

Visiting Professorships

Leeds College of Music has appointed^[when?] a number of world class musicians and music technologists to Visiting Professorships. The Visiting Professorships will play a leading part in the development and dissemination of good practice in HE performance and composition. The following Visiting Professors have been appointed:

• Dennis Rollins - Visiting Professor in Trombone
• Alan Hacker - Visiting Professor in Clarinet
• Wen Zhou Li - Visiting Professor in Violin
• Paul Archibald - Visiting Professor in Trumpet
• Mick Glossop - Visiting Professor in Music Production
• Ian Capel - Visiting Professor in Music Production
• Stuart Nicholson - Visiting Professor in Music Journalism
• Malcolm Toft - Visiting Professor in Music Production
• Chris Watson - Visiting Professor in Sound Recording

Merger proposals

It was announced that the college was to merge with Leeds Metropolitan University in April 2009,^[3] however, discussions broke down due to issues with the provision of further education courses at the college.^[4] In September 2009 the University of Bradford announced that it was to merge with the college, with its further and higher education courses maintained.^[4][5] The college would retain its name and Leeds campus; provided the proposal was accepted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the merger was to be completed by August 2010.^[5] It was later announced^{[citation needed]} that this proposed merger was not to go ahead, although the University of Bradford now validates the college's degree programmes as of September 2011.^[6]

In October 2010, Leeds College of Music and Leeds City College announced^{[citation needed]} that their plans to enter into a strategic alliance have received approval from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). HEFCE has approved an application to the Strategic Development Fund (SDF) for funding to support the alliance, in which Leeds College of Music will become a wholly owned subsidiary within the Leeds City College group.

On 1 August 2011, Leeds College of Music became a wholly owned subsidiary of Leeds City College.^{[citation needed]}

The Venue

Leeds College of Music contributes significantly to the artistic life of the region. The Venue, a 350-seat concert space based on campus, hosts the majority of the College’s Concert Season, which runs from September to May each academic year. The annual programme includes a wide variety of styles encompassing jazz, classical, contemporary, folk, popular and world music, ranging in scale from orchestras, choirs and big bands to small ensembles and solo recitals/concerts. Concerts also take place in the College’s Recital Room. Full-time LCM students are offered discounted tickets on many of the concerts in the season.

Since opening in 2003, The Venue has brought leading national and international artists to the city, ranging from established artists to newcomers including Michael Nyman, Jamie Cullum, Courtney Pine, Manchester Camerata, Soweto Kinch, Tord Gustavsen Trio, Stacey Kent, Kenny Wheeler, Corinne Bailey Rae (workshop), Norma Winstone, Led Bib, IDST, Matthew Bourne, Joanna McGregor, Amy Winehouse, London Sinfonietta, Enrico Rava, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Solveig Slettahjell, Gaggle, Mike Gibbs, Gilad Atzmon and Claire Teal. Festivals and organisations such as the BBC, Live at Leeds, FuseLeeds, Opera North, The Leeds Jewish International Performing Arts Festival and South Asian Arts UK have programmed content in The Venue.

From January 2011, the concert season will focus mainly on the College’s flagship ensembles, free twilight concerts, a small number of high profile guest artists and concerts programmed by Leeds International Concert Season and Leeds Lieder+.

See also

• Music school

Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b} "Leeds College of Music - Why Choose LCM?". http://www.lcm.ac.uk/about-lcm/. Retrieved 2006-09-28. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Leeds College of Music - Why Choose LCM?". http://www.lcm.ac.uk/about-lcm/about/. Retrieved 2006-09-28. 
3. ^ Rosser, Ian (2009-04-27). "Leeds music college in merger discussion". Yorkshire Post. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Leeds-music-college-in-merger.5207538.jp. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
4. ^ ^{a b} McTaggart, Suzanne (2009-09-10). "Leeds Met and College of Music talks break down". Yorkshire Post. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Leeds-Met-and-College-of.5633656.jp. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Rush, James (2009-09-10). "Leeds College of Music to come under university umbrella". Telegraph & Argus. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/4589510.University_of_Bradford_in_college_merger/. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
6. ^ "University of Bradford Validation". Leeds College of Music. http://www.lcm.ac.uk/Validation.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-13. 

External links

• Leeds College of Music
• Ofsted Report for LCM FE courses