Music Performance (Pro Skills)
Bring your music to life — in the studio and on stage. This 6-month professional course is designed for creators who want to develop both their production and performance skills at a professional level. You’ll learn to produce original tracks using Ableton Live, master one instrument of your choice, and prepare a full live set. With expert mentorship and hands-on training, this course helps you build a complete creative identity — ready to perform, release, and grow.
Duration
6 months
Start
Jan 2026
Difficulty
Professional
Award
Certificate of Professional Retraining
Course overview
This integrated course is designed for creators who want to combine technical production skills with live musical performance. Whether you’re a producer ready to bring your sound to the stage or a performer looking to own your studio process, this course offers a full-spectrum journey. You’ll gain fluency in a DAW (Ableton Live), choose one performance disciplines from piano, guitar, bass or drums, and explore composition, arrangement, and stagecraft. The course concludes with a final performance and recorded project.
How will you learn
Structured weekly modules combining theory, practice, and creative tasks
Studio sessions and live performance training
Mentorship from experienced producers and musicians
Final live performance and portfolio project with faculty feedback
Learning outcomes
- Confidently produce and perform original music
- Navigate Ableton Live for production and live sets
- Play fluently on one instrument
- Build full arrangements from chords to live structure
- Prepare and execute a professional live performance
- Deliver a polished portfolio for career or artist promotion
Upon successful completion, you will receive a Certificate of Professional Retraining, verifying your professional skillset.
Course structure
Reimagine traditional music theory inside a DAW. This module teaches melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic concepts through real-world musical examples to help you build creative confidence and fluency.
- Introduction and Basic Concepts
- Intervals and Triads
- Voicing and Keyboard Mapping
- Major Tonality and Harmonic Function
- Writing Functional Melodies
- Rhythm Fundamentals and Konnakol Practice
- Minor Tonality
- Modes and Diatonic Scale Variants
- Chord–Scale Relationships in Major Key
Learn everything from creating your first beat to arranging, editing, and mixing a complete track.
- Introduction to Ableton Live Interface
- Audio Techniques
- MIDI Fundamentals
- Core Audio and MIDI Effects
- Automation and Envelopes
- Sound Design with Wavetable and Samplers
- Session View and Live Jam Techniques
- Arrangement Techniques
- Routing and Signal Flow
- Library, Groove Pool and Final Review
Piano
- Introduction to the Keyboard and Basic Technique
- Intervals and Fifths Practice
- Triads and Basic Song Playing
- Seventh Chords and Coordination Development
- Triad Inversions
- Chord Connections, Cadences, and Transposition
- Seventh Chord Inversions and Accompaniment Skills
- Functional Harmony and Playing in Different Keys
- Advanced Progressions and Non-chord Tones
- Favorite Song Cover Project
Guitar
- Getting to Know the Guitar
- Single-String Playing and Right/Left Hand Technique
- Exploring the Fretboard
- Intervals and Open Chords
- Rhythm Guitar Foundations
- Major Scale and Modes
- Fretboard Fluency and Modal Improvisation
- Introduction to the Blues
- Blues Soloing Techniques
- Final Jam and Student Showcase
Bass
- Intro to the Bass
- Basic Rhythm and Right-Hand Technique
- Left-Hand Technique and Fingerboard Navigation
- Root Notes and Simple Grooves
- Scales and Arpeggios I (Major & Minor)
- Playing in Style: Rock, Pop, and Blues
- Scales and Arpeggios II (Pentatonics & Modes)
- Rhythmic Variations and Ghost Notes
- Intro to Improvisation and Group Jamming
- Final Showcase and Playback
Drums
- Intro to the Drum Kit
- Basic Coordination and Groove Foundations
- Timekeeping and Tempo Control
- Rock and Pop Essentials
- Basic Fills and Transitions
- Ghost Notes, Accents and Groove Feel
- Funk, Blues and Shuffle Rhythms
- Structure and Arrangement for Drummers
- Improvisation and Drum Solo Concepts
- Final Performance and Jam
Learn everything from writing melodies and harmonies to structuring, layering, and arranging complete tracks ready for production and release.
- Composition Foundations and Musical Form
- Melody Writing and Motif Development
- Harmony and Chord Progressions
- Groove and Rhythmic Composition
- Arrangement Foundations and Structural Thinking
- Layering, Texture & Instrument Roles
- Rhythm & Percussion in Arrangement
- Genre-Specific Composition and Arrangement Techniques
- Digital Workflow and Session Management
- Final Project: Composition and Arrangement Review
The second instrument module from the same options listed in Module 3 to deepen your skills or expand your musical versatility.
Create and present a live-ready project. This includes:
- A rehearsed live set of original/arranged work
- DAW session or multitrack recording of the set
- Visual/stage concept plan
- One-on-one feedback session
Requirements
- Prior amateur music experience required
- Familiarity with any DAW is recommended but not required
- Motivation to create and perform original music
- Open to vocalists, instrumentalists, producers, and live performers ready to develop a dual skill set in music production and stagecraft
- Admission Interview required
- Admission Portfolio Review required
Fees & scholarships
Academic Year 2025–2026
| Registration fee | AED 1,000 |
| Resources fee | AED 3,000 |
| Tuition fee | AED 16,000 |
| total cost | AED 20,000 |
|---|
All prices listed are exclusive of VAT.
From time to time, we offer individual scholarships to newly admitted students. These scholarships are awarded through a competitive application process and may cover either partial or full tuition fees.
How to apply
Step-by-step process
Ready to apply? Here’s how the process works:
- Complete the online application form below.
- Attend an admission interview as part of the selection process.
- Pay the course fees upfront to reserve your spot.
- Receive a confirmation email with your schedule and all the necessary instructions.
- Attend your first class!