Plymouth University strikes a chord with Royal Marines School of Music

Plymouth University has struck up a major new partnership that will see some of the military’s most talented musicians studying under its banner.

The University’s School of Humanities and Performing Arts has signed an agreement with the Royal Marines School of Music (RMSoM) meaning the BMus (Hons) Degree course delivered alongside the practical and academic music training to Royal Marines musicians will be awarded and accredited in Plymouth.

It is another feather in the cap for the University, which already has a number of military tie-ups across a range of faculties.

Professor Dafydd Moore, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Plymouth University, said: “We leapt at the opportunity for a partnership with the Royal Marines School of Music.

"We are particularly pleased that RMSoM identified the ethos and content of our Music courses at Plymouth as major attractions in wanting to work with us. I am confident this new agreement, between two organisations of international renown, will benefit current and future students at both our institutions.”

The RMSoM, based at HMS NELSON in Portsmouth, trains musicians for the Royal Marines Band Service (RMBS) covering a range of duties including musical ceremonies for the UK both at home and abroad.

The new partnership means students from the RMBS will enrol with Plymouth University and have access to resources available at the city campus and online. Academic staff will act in an advisory role to the students, and their assessments will be ratified through a panel linked to the School of Humanities and Performing Arts.

It is also hoped Peninsula Arts, which coordinates the University’s music events programme, will benefit from the new partnership.

Major Jason Burcham, Director of the RMSoM, said: “In establishing this link, we are building on the existing military and maritime links at the University and in the city as a whole. Plymouth University also has an impressive musical reputation and our talented and versatile musicians can learn a huge amount from the depth of knowledge already held there.”

Around a dozen people enrol on the course each year and it can involve a lot of distance learning, with many of the students being stationed in the Middle East.

Dr Liz Le Grove, Academic Professor of Higher Education at the RMSoM, said: “There are already two Royal Marines Bands based in the Plymouth area, at Lympstone and HMS Raleigh, and that was a big part of the attraction when we were looking to create a new partnership. This will enhance the programmes we already provide, but in turn we are confident we will be able to benefit the University at the same time.”