Higher National Diploma (HND) in Music Performance (Professional Practice)


  • Start Date: 16/09/2025
  • Course is for: Adult
  • Course Length: 1 Year
  • Funding Support Funding Support:
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Do you aspire to run your own band or music label, have a great idea for a music business or project?

Do you want to keep developing your vocational skill? Instrumentalist, singer or composer?

Do you want to work in the Music industry but don’t know where you fit in?

HND Professional Performance Practice is a programme designed with our industry partners to develop not just your craft at the next level, but also to give you the opportunities and experience of applying your skills in a professional environment ultimately with a view to setting up your own enterprise.

There is a perception that sustainable employment in the Music sector is based solely on chance and happenstance – this is not necessarily the case! There are many small to medium sized enterprises thriving, not only in the region but nationally, due to vision, drive and expertise, such as record labels and live venues.

We have spent time consulting with our industry partners to develop a programme that allows you to build on the skills you have, provides an opportunity for you to gain experience applying them in the real world and gives you the understanding to develop and launch your own business.

The qualification is structured under 3 broad areas for development:

  • Practice
    Develop your personal acting skills at the next level, through workshops, masterclasses, independent and group work.
  • Performance
    Whatever your specialist vocational area you will need to develop a CV through credible industry application of your skill. You will work on internal and external projects, producing work for potential employers from schools to the live commissions of industry partners.
  • Professional
    We will enhance your entrepreneurial spirit and channel it into developing your own business model. You will develop the know how to set up and sustain your own enterprise, from applying for funding to completing your tax return. Don’t consider your second year as your last year of education, think of it as your first year in the industry.

Assessment

This is a vocational qualification so you will learn and be assessed by doing – experience is key.

Key activities include:

  • Practice

Developing your vocational skills at level 4/5 through workshops, masterclasses and practical seminars.

  • Performance

You may be involved with performing, designing workshops, projects or fulfilling commissions – as many creatives will teach at some point in their career this will inevitably include some educational practice.

You will learn to develop and deliver sessions, workshops and work as a facilitator.

This is about how you use your vocational skills to successfully complete projects, live briefs or commissions.

You will produce a Major Project or your own design within your vocational field; this project may use some of the learners from lower levels to be your ‘staff’, talent or performers.

  • Professional

You will develop an understanding of managing finances including bidding for funding and managing budgets.

Creating a business plan is a necessary skill that you will develop in relation to projects and enterprise as well Health and Safety management.

You will learn how to deliver a successful pitch to your desired audience – your Major Project could depend on it!

The success of your business is dependent on your mastery of marketing including website creation and using social media to promote your business.

A one-off £40 cost for DBS.

We have developed ‘CoLab’ to make the best use of our industry specification resources so that you can work within integrated creative teams to fulfil your brief – this could be dancers, musicians, actors, composers/arrangers, production arts specialists, technical theatre practitioners and media.

£5,995

This programme has a dual progression opportunity – onto a level 6 programme with one of our partner institutions or straight out into the industry.

We will enhance your entrepreneurial spirit and channel it into developing your own business model. You will develop the know-how to set up and sustain your own enterprise, from applying for funding to completing your tax return. Don’t consider your second year as your last year of education, think of it as your first year in the industry.

Audition/Interview

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

You will need some vocational ability in your chosen area.

UCAS Tariff – 96 points

Relevant Level 3 qualification, plus GCSE Maths and English grade A*-C (9-4 in new grades).

Mature candidates with some relevant experience will be considered without the above formal qualifications.

We work extensively with partners such as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (formerly Sage Gateshead) and recording studios such as Blast Studios and Overall Studios, as well as Creative and Cultural Skills to ensure our qualifications are credible and current.

School Leaver Course Guide 2025/2026

View or download our course guide for 16-18 year olds.

Gateshead College School Leavers guide for 2025 - 2026