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Unit outline_

CMPN2222: Digital Composition 2

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Sydney

Digital Composition units of study support the sustained development of compositional craft and creativity through the practical integration of music technology and digital music techniques in the preparation of sound based compositions to be submitted throughout the semester. This unit will introduce students to historical and current modular synthesis techniques and the use of computers to generate and synthesise sounds. Students will investigate a range of compositional approaches associated with different styles of digital music and apply these to their own work throughout Semester.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Composition and Music Technology
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
CMPN1221
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Alexis Weaver, alexis.weaver@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Participation and engagement
In-class and online engagement
10% Multiple weeks Throughout Semester
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4
Skills-based evaluation Portfolio of short digital music compositions
Composition portfolio with program notes
30% STUVAC
Due date: 30 May 2022 at 23:59
3 x 2-5 minute compositions
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO5
Assignment Composition Exercise 1
Composition exercise responding to skills taught in class
10% Week 04
Due date: 14 Feb 2022 at 11:00
2-5 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO4
Assignment Composition Exercise 2
Composition exercise responding to skills taught in class
10% Week 08
Due date: 11 Apr 2022 at 11:00
2-5 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3
Assignment Composition Exercise 3
Composition exercise responding to skills taught in class
10% Week 12
Due date: 16 May 2022 at 11:00
2-5 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3
Presentation Final Presentation
Students present final portfolio and reflections on creative practice
30% Week 13
Due date: 23 May 2022 at 11:00
8-10 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO5

Assessment summary

  • Participation: Take part in online discussions and class activities. Be punctual and contribute to group feedback sessions wherever possible.
  • Composition Exercises: Submit works-in-progress throughout Semester which display new compositional techniques discussed in class. 
  • In-Class Presentation: Present an original work which draws on the patches created during group tutorials. Describe the work and your compositional process with the appropriate terminology and presentation style.
  • Portfolio of short compositions: Submit three composition tasks created as part of class workshops throughout Semester.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Digital music portfolios are assessed to four criteria with the following weightings:
• Creativity: 40%
• Craft: 30%
• Application: 20%
• Presentation: 10%
The following guide provides a reference with regards marking expectations. However, it should be noted that staff may interpret the criteria as deemed appropriate to the creative form and media
of the portfolio:


Creativity (40%)
Exceptional (34-40): An original contribution to musical thinking. Convincing, confident, imaginative, personal, bold, risk-taking, engaging.
Superior (30-33): Convincing musical logic and direction. Engagement with repertory goes beyond imitation.
Competent (26-29): Influences of other composers are evident, and display steps towards taking such influences into a new, personal direction.
Acceptable (20-25): Engaged with contemporary music culture and ideas but may parrot rather than seek to extend the ideas of other composers.
Unacceptable (19 or less): Generic, hackneyed, pastiche.

Craft (30%)
Exceptional (26-30): Obvious and unequivocal command of resources. Technique is matched to creative intentions.
Superior (23-25): Musical structure is fluent and lucid throughout. Displays sophisticated ability to develop and manipulate material. Advanced use of colour.
Competent (20-22): Displays coherent structure and convincing clarity in orchestration and standard of production.
Acceptable (15-19): Capacity to express musical ideas with appropriate instrumental and/or digital media.
Unacceptable (14 or less): Fundamental technical errors evident in notation, digital production, understanding of instruments, musical form, etc.

Application (20%)
Exceptional (17-20): Is consumed by his or her artform and actively contributes to the music community at large.
Superior (15-16): Is highly committed to composition as evidenced via engagement with the repertory, attendance at concerts, etc. Generally seizes opportunities to extend learning as they arise.
Competent (13-14): Demonstrates independent motivation and works consistently throughout the semester. Engaged in generating opportunities for public dissemination of work.
Acceptable (10-12): Attends lessons, seminars, workshop opportunities and demonstrates some openness to learn from tutors although somewhat inconsistently. Only somewhat engaged with the composition community / cohort.
Unacceptable (9 or less): Unmotivated, fails to work in a consistent fashion.

Presentation (10%)
Exceptional (9-10): The standard of a professional commercial publication or recording with coherent visual identity.
Superior (8): Presentation of work demonstrates awareness of user-friendliness and attention to consistent and individual visual style.
Competent (7): Attractive scores presented with clarity and supported with recordings. Non score-based work informed by concise and compelling supporting documentation.
Acceptable (5-6): Notation legible but may still include unnecessary ambiguity. Electroacoustic and non score-based work supported with appropriate documentation.
Unacceptable (4 or less): Illegible scores. Audio format errors.

Oral presentations will be assessed against the following criteria:

Content
Shows evidence of broad research, taking into account a variety of sources
Clear argument, supported by relevant reasons and evidence
Shows evidence of critical thinking about the topic, including:
§ Considers alternative views
§ Where appropriate, questions assumptions implicit in the literature
§ Draws meaningful connections between facts and / or concepts
Uses terminology accurately and appropriately
 

Presentation
Is clearly expressed
Is interesting and engages other students
Makes appropriate use of examples and presentation methods relevant to the material presented (e.g. presentation software, handouts, recordings where relevant)
Covers the topic effectively in the available time

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Standard University penalties apply to all assignments.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Theory: Introduction to course. What is sound synthesis? Concurrent global trends in digital music and media. Lecture (3 hr) LO1
Week 02 Theory: Synthesising sound with computers – a survey of digital synthesis techniques. Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 03 Practical: Sound synthesis software Tutorial (3 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 04 Practical: Sound synthesis software Tutorial (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Theory: The modern sound – development of studio technologies for sound production & the analogue studio Lecture (3 hr) LO1
Week 06 Practical: Sound synthesis hardware Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 07 Theory: Introduction to granular synthesis. Tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO3
Week 08 Practical: Sound synthesis hardware and granular synthesis Lecture (3 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 09 Theory: Sound synthesis patching & live performance Tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO4
Week 11 Practical: Creating your own sound synthesis patch for performance Tutorial (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO5
Week 12 Practical: Creating your own sound synthesis patch for performance Tutorial (3 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 13 Final presentations Presentation (3 hr) LO4 LO5

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for a unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned. The Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned may determine that a student fails a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items where attendance is lower than 90%.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. identify the role of sound synthesis in various media contexts
  • LO2. recognise and utilise various tones and noise generators across different platforms
  • LO3. build synthesis patches using standard production software
  • LO4. Learn to reflect critically on previous work and identify new avenues for experimentation and learning
  • LO5. develop an original artistic voice by composing short studies based on synthesis techniques explored in class

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Thank you to everyone who supplied feedback. Positive feedback included the content structure, practical sessions and peer collaboration. Improvements include the addition of multi-platform teaching and stronger ties to previous Digital Composition courses.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.