Since leaving High School in 2006, Music education is something that has been very important to me. From leaving school I went straight into further education, gaining a HN Certificate and HN Diploma in Music from Aberdeen College and James Watt College respectivley. From there I entered higher education and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in Commercial Music from the University Of The West Of Scotland. While at the University I was given a host of amazing opportunities, made a lot of friends, learnt a great deal, and more importantly, re-evaluated my understanding of the Music Industry, and began to take a different approach to working in it, one that seems to be working well so far.

After graduating in June 2010 the Commercial Music department offered me a teaching post on the Degree programme. An offer that took me little to zero time to consider and accept.
The team on the Commercial Music Degree programme are absolute first class. There is a wealth of experience and knowledge on the course which really gives the course its edge. The Commercial Music degree programme takes the students from instrumental tuition right through to learning the ins and outs of working in the Music Industry and developing an understand to what can be involved, through to important and insightful music cultural studies.

Currently my lecturing duties include classes in project management, dealing with contracts, logistical and organisational management as well as working with the University's International Exchange Programme, taking student bands to perform at festivals in France, Germany, Canada and possibly more countries to be added soon and taking bands from those countries to perform in Scotland as well.

Other work I have done for the University was assist in the running of a guest lecture by Garbage vocalist Shirley Manson and also acting as principal organiser in the February guest lecture by former DEEP PURPLE and WHITESNAKE keyboard player Jon Lord. 
http://jonlord.org/2011/02/25/jon-lord-improvisation-was-the-rock-deep-purple-built-its-house-on/

Myself pictures with Allan Dumbreck, head of Music at UWS (left) and Mr Jon Lord, former keyboard player with Deep Purple/Whitesnake (Centre) after Jon's guest lecture at the University, Feb 2011

I am over the moon and delighted to be working at UWS, the staff and students are great and its a course that you don't stop learning from regardless if your a student or teaching it. A huge amount of opportunities for everyone and a really brilliant place to work.

www.uws.ac.uk

If you have any questions about the course please feel free to email me at
ross.mcewen@uws.ac.uk