Individual Music Project 1

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Structure a research project in music history, critical theory or analysis, a creative practice project, or a music technology project
• Evaluate primary and secondary literature and sources in the field of your topic
• Determine appropriate modes of presenting the results of your research

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Organise and manage basic research tasks, which may include reading and analysing a wide range of primary and secondary literature and sources
• Plan and execute research, a creative practice project, or technology orientated project within a limited time frame

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Analytical and investigative methods appropriate to the topic of your choice
• A specific topic in music analysis, history, critical theory, music technology or creative practice chosen by you in collaboration with the MMus Coordinator and specialist tutors

In-depth study of a specific area in music analysis, history, theory, music technology or creative practice. Subject areas are chosen in collaboration with the relevant Pathway Lead, and content is negotiated individually between you and the tutor whose expertise most closely matches your interests. Module content and assessment modes are agreed by the end of the second week of the semester in which the course is taken and recorded on the student’s course selection form (returned to the MMus Coordinator). This module provides students with a short, highly supervised ‘bite’ of research, creative practice or music technology focussed project on a topic of their choosing (within the range of topics for which the Department can provide expert supervision). It can be used to replace a subject-specific module in each of the three MMus pathways (Musicology, Composition, Performance) if such a replacement is advisable in order to prepare your for your final work (dissertation, composition portfolio, professional recital).

Examples of projects undertaken in this module include:

• Essay on Walton’s Violin Concerto in reflection of the crisis of modernity
• Essay on perceptual segmentation in Iannis Xenakis’ Keren
• Essay on music therapy methods for communicating for people with autism
• Short essay and 10-minute track integrating real-world sound to engage with the issues of black rights and police brutality
• Construction of 1-bit music box with accompanying instruction manual and two new compositions written for the music box
• A report comparing the capabilities of video game audio middleware solutions with accompanying set of sound/music examples developed to illustrate their application.
• A detailed comparison of classical recording approaches in a concert hall setting, using a number of microphone techniques and combinations.

Teaching methods include

• individual as in individual and / or small group tutorials

Learning activities include

• individual study/research
• managing and writing up a project

Tutorials with your IMP supervisor will help you to choose your project and manage your research over the semester. Discussion of your reading and/or listening will sharpen your evaluative skills. Your knowledge and understanding of your topic will develop through independent study and feedback from tutorials, and will be assessed in your project work for the module.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.