Composition portfolios are assessed according to three criteria with the following weightings which account for 80% of your principal study mark:

• Creativity: 40%
• Craft: 30%
• 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. Please remember to confer with the UoS Outline for full details including the duration of portfolio.

Creativity (40%)

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

Craft (30%)

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

Presentation (10%)

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

The remainder of your composition mark is based on Application: 20%

This is arrived at via:

1. Your individual tutor: reporting on your engagement throughout the semester (ie. punctual attendance, consistency of progress, willingness to learn, etc) AND

2. Your principal study coordinator: attendance at composition seminar and engagement in special projects, concerts, etc

Application (20%)

• Unacceptable (F): Unmotivated, fails to work in a consistent fashion.
• Acceptable (10-13): Attends lessons, seminars, workshop opportunities and demonstrates openness to learn from tutors although somewhat inconsistently. Only somewhat engaged with the composition community.
• Competent (13-15): Demonstrates independent motivation and works consistently throughout the semester. Engaged in generating opportunities for public dissemination of work.
• Superior (15-17): 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.
• Exceptional (17-20): Is consumed by his or her artform and actively contributes to the music community at large.