Bachelor of Arts in Popular Music Studies

The BA (Major in Popular Music Studies) is a module unique to Western that engages students with the interdisciplinary nature of the study of popular music. The program incorporates three dimensions practical subjects, including songwriting and analysis of popular songs and recordingsrecording practice; critical study of musical styles, recordings, artists, and genres in their broader historical and cultural contexts. In addition to courses in post-1945 popular music, musical theatre, jazz, and more advanced courses in popular music and culture, the program includes courses in global (non-Western) music, film studies, literature, and sociology. Courses in songwriting and desktop music production allow students to compose, produce, and record their own music.