Music technology, composition teaching and employability skills

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between the creative skills taught as part of the music technology BA course at Lancaster University and the skills valued by graduates and employers in the creative industries. The study investigated ways of enhancing specific and generic employability skills intrinsic to music technology teaching while working in close collaboration with industry partners and Lancaster University graduates. A survey of students, graduates and industry experts showed that generic and discipline-based skills linked to music technology composition teaching, such as communication, planning and organizing and critical listening, are highly valued by both recruiting professionals and students. These results are in line with findings from an earlier project that showed the importance of non-disciplinary knowledge shared among students from different backgrounds for the design and implementation of successful interdisciplinary collaborations. Future developments of the project will investigate ways of enhancing generic and specific employability skills within interdisciplinary learning environments for art and science students.