New College Nottingham, in the UK, is slated to offer a two year degree studying heavy metal. While the course is said to offer a rigourous academic schedule dealing with subjects such as how to compose a heavy metal song and an overview of the history of heavy metal, there has been quite a bit of criticism emerging regarding the degree.
Taken from the college’s website, the course revolves around the following:
- Focus on heavy metal music performance
- Work in bands
- Perform gigs
- Write songs
- Work on your on-stage performance
- Develop your music theory & write scores
- Gain session musician skills, such as improvision
- Recording
- Develop employability skills
- Create promotional materials
- Market yourself, your gigs, your recordings etc.
- Learn about the context of heavy metal music & the music industry
The course appears to be heavily based on the performance aspect, and students must meet certain entry requirements. These entry requirements mean nothing to me, as I’m not familiar with the post-secondary education system in the UK, but it does seem that class is offered from the point of studying music and composition, similar to a fine arts degree here.
The creator of the course stresses that heavy metal has traditionally not been taken as seriously as jazz and classical music in academic circles. While this is entirely true, many people involved in metal, either as fans or musicians, realize that there is some incredible musical talent to be found within the far-reaching and diverse genre. Metal has been alive and thriving for a long time and is not going anywhere soon, so one might question why there is a need for more widespread ‘academic’ recognition now.
Apparently the degree will allow students to become more marketable as employees in the music industry. It’s for students who aspire to work as promoters and at festivals. While having some kind of formal training in business might prove useful in such ventures, it is definitely not required. Strong networking skills and experience seem to be the more valuable tools in such situations, as well a mind for ingenuity, which can not exactly be taught in a formal way. It may be honed, but not taught.
Heavy metal is such a diverse genre that there is no formulaic way of creating compositions. I suppose you can teach the basics, but most people with any previous formal musical training would already understand. Metal is so creative that reducing it to a classroom formula seems wrong. It comes from experience and a diverse range of interests melded into something that both the artist and the fan can truly appreciate. While many metal musicians (especially those from Scandinavia) do have classical or some other form of musical training, it likely was not what turned them to metal. It might have made them better musicians overall, but I doubt it entirely defined them as metal musicians. Intelligent, informed and knowledgeable individuals can be found throughout heavy metal. Generally those who have been drawn to metal do not fit into the mould that society has created. So often, intelligence is found outside this mould anyways, and isn’t really gained from a traditional classroom. Can you teach someone how to capture an audience from the stage? I guess you can offer hints, but some people are natural performers and others just are not.
Critics of the degree are asking the same thing that I wonder: Why do you need a degree in heavy metal? With something that is so subjective, based on evoking thought and expressing emotion, can it really be studied with any objective credibility? We’re not talking about a degree in a science based field, generally relying on fact and generally having a high amount of credibility with potential employers and also the public. With increased potential to enter a competitive job market being the motivation for formal education in many cases, this does not seem like it will do the trick. There are several ways to approach studying anything to do with culture and human experience, and I guess this is another attempt.
I do not believe that heavy metal has to gain any more mainstream recognition than it has been getting recently. There are already many metal fans and musicians alike that realize the kind of gems to be found in regards to the ingenuity, diversity and talent found amongst those who love metal. Fans already study heavy metal from several aspects, just not in a classroom.
