Ian Tomlin School of Music


The Ian Tomlin School of Music, established 1968, is situated within the grounds of Merchiston campus at Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland. The school is home to the BMus and BA Music courses. The courses are taught over three or four years. The school also offers research PhDs within its Applied Music Research Centre, primarily around composition and technology.

Origins

Course benefactor Dr Ian Tomlin had a long association with the music programme offered at Edinburgh Napier University. After initially making a donation to the establishment of the programme, he set up a permanent endowment that benefits students on the classical study stream. In addition, he set up the Malta/Napier Music Scholarship Trust, which gives young Maltese music students the chance to study performance and composition in Edinburgh. Upon his death in 2016, he left a further £750,000 bequest to the university.

Course Structure

The first two years of the BMus course are divided equally between performance and academic study. All students take music history and harmony classes for the first two years as well as a one-hour weekly one-to-one instrumental/singing/composition lesson.
Both the BMus and BA courses afford students the opportunity to customise their programme to their own particular interests and talents.
YearCompulsoryOptional
1Principal Study; Western Art Music; General Music SkillsGeneral Music Skills 2; Music Cultures; Music Technology
2Principal Study; Western Art MusicPopular Music Culture; Core Music Skills ; Jazz 1 - America; The Business of Music
3Western Art MusicPrincipal Study; Jazz 2 - Europe; Instrumental/Vocal Teaching; Ensemble Performance; Music in a Globalised World; Introduction to Music Therapy; Applied Music Skills ; The Business of Music
4A major project, taking the form of either a Music Analysis portfolio, a Dissertation or a Public RecitalMusic and Aesthetics; Dissertation, Entrepreneurship in the Music Industries; Music Analysis; Principal Study; Instrumental / Vocal Teaching; Jazz 3 – Local; Music Psychology; Ensemble Performance; Music Research Project.