University of Westminster students create original soundtrack for BBC’s Boarders to mark music degree’s 30th anniversary
A new original soundtrack for the BBC comedy drama Boarders, composed entirely by undergraduate students from the University of Westminster’s Music BA Honours degree, is scheduled for release on 2nd May 2025. The album, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the university’s music programme, features 18 tracks spanning genres such as afrobeats, R&B, soul, drill, rap and electronica. The first single, Gold by Joy & Jee Melodies, is released today, 24th April 2025.
The project is the result of a collaboration between Studio Lambert, producers of Boarders, and the University of Westminster. It provides students with a practical experience by composing for a major television series. Under the guidance of Mykaell Riley, Boarders’ musical director and associate professor at the university, 12 student composers contributed original tracks for both series one and two of the show.
Riley, who is also director of the Black Music Research Unit, said: “I’m thrilled to announce the release of the Boarders Original Soundtrack album with first single Gold by Joy & Jee Melodies. The University of Westminster music degree course champions Black British music into TV and film and this project is the first of its kind from any music degree course in the UK, where you have real time learning and work placement within a hit BBC drama across two seasons, which by the end of the course, students can achieve an IMDB credit.”
The album features work from students with diverse backgrounds, including contributors from Europe, India, Canada, the US, Mexico and the UK. According to Riley, the project has resulted in 34 IMDB credits for student composers across both seasons.
Joy & Jee Melodies’s Jewel Appiah, whose single Gold features in the closing scene of Boarders’ second season, commented: “Being involved in the production and writing process for the music used in Boarders season two has been an amazing experience. It has helped me to grow creatively as a producer and introduced me to the audiovisual field. Gold is about just letting go and going with the flow, it’s about believing in yourself and a higher power. It’s an uplifting track. Being the first single released from the project is so special, particularly as it is featured in the closing scene of season two, which makes it really memorable.”
Boarders, created by Daniel Lawrence Taylor, follows five Black students from inner-city London who receive scholarships to attend an elite boarding school. The series, produced by Studio Lambert (part of All3Media), returned for a second season on BBC iPlayer in February 2025 and will debut on Tubi in the US on 17 April.
The University of Westminster’s music degree, which offers students the chance to undertake industry placements and gain practical credits, counts artists such as Amir Amor (Rudimental), Bree Runway, and Estelle among its alumni. The Boarders Original Soundtrack will be available across major streaming platforms from 2 May.
The editorial unit
The Boarders Original Soundtrack is released on 2nd May 2025.
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