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Music Production - Pathway to: NQ (Level 4)

A close-up of a Marshall amplifier with red audio cables plugged in, glowing indicator light visible.
Qualification Qualifications Explained
NQ
Study Mode
Full Time
Duration

18 Weeks - 2.5 Days per week
Start date
Aug 2026
Campus
Springburn
Apply now

Course overview

Discover the world of music production and take your first step into the creative industries.

The Pathway to Music Production (Level 4) course is designed for learners who are passionate about music and want to explore the creative and technical skills behind modern music production.

Through practical workshops, collaborative projects, and industry-focused learning, you'll develop confidence, creativity, and an understanding of how music is created, recorded, produced, and shared with audiences.

You'll gain experience across music performance, sound production, live events, and the wider music industry while building valuable teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Delivered in a supportive and creative environment, this course provides an excellent introduction to the music industry and helps prepare you for further study in music performance, sound production, or related creative subjects.

This course is ideal if you:

  • Have a passion for music, creativity, and performance
  • Are interested in sound production, recording, or live events
  • Enjoy practical, project-based learning
  • Want to develop confidence and creative skills in a supportive environment
  • Are looking for a pathway into further music study or the wider creative industries

What you will learn

You’ll gain experience across performance, sound production, and music business through a range of engaging and practical units, such as:

  • Creative Industries – Builds awareness and understanding of the varied opportunities across the creative industries sector. Creative Industries: Practical Skills Development – Develop a range of practical skills applicable to careers in the creative industries
  • Creative Industries: Pre Production – Engage in structured pre-production tasks and assess their own role and input
  • Creative Industries: Production – Participate in and contribute to the full production process, then evaluate the final project. 
  • Sound Production: Recording and Editing - introduction to sound recording and editing techniques.
  • Music Theory - develops essential knowledge and understanding of music theory and notation.
  • Organising a Live Events – Organising resources, coordinating people, and managing timelines to successfully deliver planned events

Learning is interactive, combining individual creativity with group projects and live performance opportunities

Music lecturer speaking in a professional recording studio, seated beside a digital mixing desk and studio monitors while discussing Glasgow Kelvin College's Pathways to Music course.

Discover Pathways to Music at Glasgow Kelvin College 🎵

Meet Andy Phillips, lecturer on our Pathways to Music course, and take a look at what students can expect.

From rehearsing and recording in our professional studios to performing live and working together as a band, students develop practical skills in a real music environment.

The course gives you the opportunity to create original music, perform at live venues across Glasgow and gain the confidence and experience to take your next step in the music industry.

Create. Perform. Collaborate.

View on YouTube

Entry requirements

✅ No formal qualifications are required.

✅ National 3 English or above (or equivalent) is advantageous.

✅ A real interest and enthusiasm for the music industry is essential.

ℹ️ Applicants must be 16 years or older at the start of the course.

ℹ️ For this course, if English is not your first language

  • If you do not have a formal ESOL qualification but your language skills meet this level, you should apply for your course and then contact our Admissions team to organise an internal language assessment  here at the College.

Career Opportunities

This course provides a strong foundation for further study in music and the creative industries. Future pathways may include:

🎙️ Music Performance

🎚️ Music Production & Recording

🎧 Live Sound & Event Production

🎟️ Event Management

💽 Music Business & Artist Development

🎬 Media & Audio Production

Most learners progress to further study before moving into industry roles.

Future prospects

After successful completion, you can progress to:

  • NQ Level 5 Introduction to Modern Musicianship 

Other Courses You Might Consider

Find out about our Music Department

Read What Our Lecturer Said

Video Transcript – Andy: Pathway to Music

My name's Andy Phillips. I'm a lecturer on the new Modern Music: Pathway to Music course. 

On the course, you will be taking part in live events, working together with people, making music, playing music and recording music. As you can see here, we're in the studio.

We do some gigs in the event space out back, which is fully kitted. We book places like Nice and Sleazies or any other big events in Glasgow.

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