Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has launched Hong Kong’s first Bachelor of Music in Creative Industries programme to provide professional training to talented students in scoring and popular music performance.
The new programme will provide students with two concentrations: Scoring for Film, Television and Video Game, and Popular Music Performance and Songwriting. Students will study and develop skills in scoring for film, television, video games, and visual media. They will also hone their contemporary performance and songwriting skills, while learning more about music technology and media production. The programme will start in the 2019-20 academic year, pending formal approval from the University.
Professor Johnny Poon, Head of the Department of Music at HKBU, says music is an essential element in film, television and video game production. It also plays a crucial role in storytelling and enhancing the visual experience of the audience. In cinema, the score is one of the most important components of a successful film, and can even take audience to another level of immersive experience and sensation. He says that although the Hong Kong film industry reached its peak in the 1980s, there have not been any degree programmes which specialised in scoring until now.
“As a liberal arts university, HKBU has a strong focus on arts and culture,” says Professor Poon. “Our in-depth, broad-based curriculum will enrich the cultural content of our students’ creative works.”
Professor Poon believes that the new programme can not only nurture students with a solid musical foundation, but can also inspire them from a multidisciplinary humanistic perspective. This includes lyric writing, multimedia production, and even a deep understanding of science, society and culture.
While the Scoring for Film, Television and Video Game concentration aims to produce a perfect combination of music and images, and set a high standard in storytelling through music and visual media, the Popular Music Performance and Songwriting concentration puts an emphasis on pop music and aims to nurture aspiring performers and songwriters. Graduates will be provided with a wide range of career opportunities in the creative and entertainment industries, functioning as film and video game composers, songwriters, popular music performers, and music producers.