Popular Music
Home to the UK’s only four-year conservatoire-based undergraduate degree and exceptional postgraduate programmes, the RNCM is the premier training ground for students aspiring to be original artists, freelance musicians, and music industry professionals.
Empowering you to be ambitious and imaginative with no boundaries to your creativity, our courses focuses on artist development and teaches the essential skills of the 21st-century 3D musician: performance, composition and production. Through a combination of intensive individual and group study and real-world experience, you’ll develop your creative, technical and entrepreneurial skills, regularly showcasing your music for and receiving guidance from international guest artists and music industry experts.
Professional development is central to our curriculum, and our strong partnerships with pioneering organisations across the UK and enviable global network of educators, practitioners and students at conservatoires worldwide open doors to outstanding industry experience and inside knowledge. You’ll also gain unrivalled opportunities to learn and make music with students from all RNCM Schools of Study, perform within our flagship Session Orchestra and Big Band, and work as a signed artist with our independent label, Norther Quarter Records.
We’re seeking to recruit students from around the world with the talent, creativity and passion to be a part of our diverse and inclusive community.
For more information on the audition process and requirements for our Popular Music programmes, click here.
Further Information
Popular Music Staff
Professor Andy Stott
Head of Popular Music
Dr Stuart McCallum
Deputy Head of Popular Music
Performance Tutor (Guitar/Bands)
Composition Tutor
Production Tutor
Dr Rodrigo Constanzo
Curriculum Lead – Popular Music Masters
Performance Tutor (Bands)
Composition Tutor
Production Tutor
Musicianship Tutor
Electives Tutor
Jenn Clempner
Curriculum Lead – Artist Development
Artist Development Tutor
Electives Tutor
Hannah McGuigan
Curriculum Lead – Performance
Performance Tutor (Voice/Bands)
Composition Tutor
Production Tutor
Musicianship Tutor
Matt Steele
Curriculum Lead – Production
Performance Tutor (Keyboards)
Composition Tutor
Production Tutor
Electives Tutor
Jasper Wilkinson
Curriculum Lead – Composition
Performance Tutor (Bass Guitar)
Composition Tutor
Production Tutor
Electives Tutor
Nicki Allan
Creative Multi-Specialist
Performance Tutor (Voice/Bands)
Wayne Ellington
Creative Multi-Specialist
Performance Tutor (Voice/Bands)
Luke Flowers
Creative Multi-Specialist
Performance Tutor (Drums/Bands)
Richard Hammond
Creative Multi-Specialist
Performance Tutor (Bass Guitar/Bands)
Bryan Hargreaves
Creative Multi-Specialist
Performance Tutor (Drums/Bands)
Johnny Heyes
Creative Multi-Specialist
Performance Tutor (Guitar/Bands)
Eric Karsenty
Artist Development Specialist
Artist Development Tutor
Electives Tutor
Soyeon Kim
Creative Multi-Specialist
Performance Tutor (Voice/Bands)
Musicianship Tutor
Jonni Musgrave
Creative Multi-Specialist
Performance Tutor (Keyboards/Bands)
Suki Pardesi
Artist Development Specialist
Artist Development Tutor
Sam Vicary
Creative Multi-Specialist
Composition Tutor
Production Tutor
Musicianship Tutor
Ali Roocroft
Musicianship Tutor
Steve Berry
Pop Double Bass / Cello Tutor
Dan Carpenter
Pop Trumpet Tutor
Carol Jarvis
Professor of Pop Trombone
Simon Willescroft
Professor of Pop Saxophone
Visiting Tutors
Snarky Puppy International Artists in Popular Music
Michael Adex (CEO NQ/Music Entrepreneur) Music Industry
Anomalie (Original Artist) Keyboards
Charlie Andrew (AltJ/London Grammar/Madness) Producer
Callum Beattie (Original Artist) Singer/Songwriter
DJ Mark One (Original Artist) DJ
JP Bouvet (Childish Japes) Drums
Matt Bramhall (Rita Ora/Nicole Scherzinger) Musical Director
India Carney (Lady Gaga/Billie Eilish/H.E.R.) Vocals
Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams/Mark Ronson) Songwriter
Kim Chandler (Bee Gees/Neil Diamond) Vocals
Yolanda Charles (Paul Weller/Robbie Williams) Bass Guitar
Scott Cohen (CEO The Orchard) Music Industry
Vinnie Colaiuta (Session Musician Frank Zappa/Sting/Joni Mitchell) Drums
Lewis Cole (Original Artist/Knower) Producer
Chris Cooke (Editor, Journalist and Media Entrepreneur) Music Industry
JP Cooper (Original Artist) Singer/Songwriter
Kimberley Davis (Original Artist/Chic) Vocals
Scott Devine (Entrepreneur – Scott’s Bass Lessons) Bass Guitar
Dirty Loops (Original Artist) Band
Everything Everything (Original Artist) Band
Tim Ferrone (CEO Wrapped Up Music) Music Industry
Dave Fidler (Original Artist/Producer) Music Industry
Mark Furman (Senior Director Virgin EMI Records) Music Industry
Steffen Geldner (Social Media Professor) Digital Promotion
Jon Harris (Behind the Beat) Drums
Rob Harris (Jamiroquai/Kylie Minogue) Guitar
Elliott Henshaw (West End Musical Theatre) Drums
Lucy Heyman (CEO Elevate Music/Author) Music Industry
Julian Hinton (Trevor Horn/Seal) Keyboards/MD
Trevor Horn (Original Artist/Producer) Artist/Producer
Matt Johnson (Jamiroquai) Keyboards
Ben Jones (Behind the Beat) Bass Guitar
Rhian Jones (Music Journalist / Author) Music Industry
Mario Jose (Prince/John Legend /PMJ) Vocals
Andrew Kesler (John Mayer/Jacob Collier) Arranger/Producer
Bill Laurance (Snarky Puppy) Keyboards
Michael League (Snarky Puppy/Bokante) Bass Guitar
Mark Lettieri (Original Artist/Snarky Puppy) Guitar
Barry Manilow (Original Artist) Songwriting
Shaun Martin (Kirk Franklin/Snarky Puppy) Keyboards/MD
Michael Mayo (Original Artist/Herbie Hancock) Vocals
Gretchen Menn (Original Artist/Zepparella) Guitar
Merck Mercuriadis (CEO Hipgnosis) Music industry
Dominic Miller (Sting/Phil Collins) Guitar
Stanton Moore (Galactic) Drums
Simon Moran (SJM Concerts) Promoter
Ida Nielsen (Original Artist/Prince) Bass Guitar
Jamie Norton (Take That/Lily Allen) Keyboards/MD
Tessa Niles (The Police/Eric Clapton/Paul McCartney) Vocals
Aimee Nolte (Original Artist) Piano
Mike Patrick (JP Cooper/Jake Bugg/The Streets) Keyboards/MD
Mo Pleasure (Earth Wind & Fire/Michael Jackson) Keyboards/MD
Jason Rebello (Sting/Chaka Khan) Keyboards
Stefan Redtenbacher (Amy Winehouse/Mica Paris) Bass Guitar
Kat Reinhert (Original Artist/Educator) Vocals
Nile Rodgers (Original Artist/Chic) Guitar/Producer
Patrice Rushen (Stevie Wonder/Quincy Jones) Composition
Steve Sidwell (BBC Concert Orchestra) Musical Director
Luke Smith (George Michael/Eric Clapton) Keyboards
Ash Soan (Adele/James Morrison) Drums
Richard Spaven (Jose James) Drums/Producer
Becca Stevens (Original Artist) Singer/Songwriter
Paul Turner (Jamiroquai/Sister Sledge) Bass Guitar
Hannah Vasanth (Rhianna/Jessie J) Keyboards/MD
Mike Walker (The Impossible Gentlemen) Guitar
Pete Waterman (Producer) Music Industry
Rachel Wood (Woodwork Music) Music Industry
Aaron Williams (Becky Hill/Little Mix) Keyboards/MD
Anni Williams (Al Jarreau/CeeLo Green) Vocals
Cory Wong (Original Artist/Vulfpeck) Guitar
Joe Armon-Jones
Pete Ray Biggin
Dave Elitch
Sam Greenfield
Jake Isaac
Philip Lassiter
Sput Searight
Principal Disciplines
Cello
Clarinet
Cornet
Double Bass
Drumkit
Euphonium
Flute
Guitar (Bass)
Guitar (Electric)
Harp
Horn (Baritone)
Horn (French)
Horn (Tenor)
Music Production
Oboe
Percussion (Orchestral) & Timpani
Piano/Keyboards
Pop Instrumentalist
Saxophone
Trombone (Bass)
Trombone (Tenor)
Trumpet
Tuba
Viola
Violin
Voice
Available Courses
Contact Us
Popular Music Administrator
E [email protected]
T 0161 907 5471
Admissions and Course Enquiries
E [email protected]
T 0161 907 5465
