Outline

Overview

This unit comprises an introduction to the music and dance expressions of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in their various geographical, historical, social and cultural settings, with an emphasis on recent, mass mediated expressions. The Unit provides students with a broad understanding of Australian First Nation societies, past and present, and introduces them to issues of ethical responsibility involved in the study of Australian Indigenous music and dance. It addresses a range of practical issues related to collaborating with First Nations musicians and the incorporation of Australian Indigenous music within school music education programs.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Music Education
Credit points	3
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Thomas Fienberg, thomas.fienberg@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Creative assessment / demonstration	Co-composition project Co-composition Participation (10%), Reflective Essay (40%)	50%	Multiple weeks	Reflective Essay: 1200 Words
Outcomes assessed:
Creative assessment / demonstration	Sell the song Song performance, score and contextual information	50%	Week 06	8 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ? = group assignment with individually assessed component ?

Assessment summary

Sell the song – performance (25%), contextual information (10%), song score/lead sheet (15%) In pairs, choose and rehearse a song by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist.Perform your version of the song from memory (no lyrics) live for the class (5 mins maximum). The performance must include singing. Prepare and submit (via CANVAS) a ‘score’—melody line with chords and lyrics. Attempt to contact the artist for additional information and permission to perform the song (include references to your efforts). Present this information in a clear and informative spoken introduction to the song and its possible meanings.

Co-composition Project – Co-composition participation (10%), Reflective Essay (40%)

Co-composition Participation: Students are required to actively participate and engage creatively in all stages of the co-composition process. They will be expected to participate on an instrument or voice. Active participation and engagement includes, verbalising and demonstrating compositional ideas, performing within the ensemble, discussing issues and solving problems, responding to feedback from group members and facilitators.
Reflective Essay: While participating in the project, students should individually keep a reflective journal/blog/e-portfolio. This should include jottings/fieldnotes from sessions and workshops, quotes from participants (students are strongly encouraged to audio record sessions), ideas for the composition and connections with wider literature. The journal will form the basis of a first-person reflective narrative essay. Within the essay students should comment on their role within the co-composition process and the importance of Eric’s involvement in the project. The essay should also draw upon existing literature to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy and the extent to which it impacted your personal understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music. Students must finally draw conclusions about the project’s implications for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music in school contexts. The word limit for the essay is 1200 words. Students are required to upload the essay on CANVAS.

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for written work in this unit of study:

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Demonstrates high level of initiative in research and reading; sophisticated critical analysis of evidence; high level engagement with theoretical issues, innovative use of reading/research material and impressive command of underlying debates and assumptions; properly documented and written with style, originality and precision.
Distinction	75 - 84	Demonstrates initiative in research and wide, appropriate reading; complex understanding of question and ability to critically review material in relation to underlying assumptions and values; analyses material in relation to empirical and theoretical contexts; properly documented; clear, well-developed structure and argument with some signs of literary style.
Credit	65 - 74	Evidence of broader understanding than pass level; offers synthesis with some critical evaluation of material; coherent argument using a range of relevant evidence; some evidence of independent thought, good referencing. A high credit (70-74) shows some evidence of ability to problematise and think conceptually.
Pass	50 - 64	Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading/research; relevant material; tendency to descriptive summary rather than critical argument; makes a reasonable attempt to avoid paraphrasing; reasonably coherent structure; often has weaknesses in particular areas, especially in terms of narrow or underdeveloped treatment of question; acceptable documentation.
Fail	0 - 49	Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: Unacceptable paraphrasing; irrelevance of content; poor spelling; poor presentation; grammar or structure so sloppy it cannot be understood; failure to demonstrate understanding of content; insufficient or overlong word length.

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.

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.

Learning support

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction: Definitions and themes; assessments outlined; curriculum trends. Teaching songs and Pedagogical considerations	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	Building cultural understanding and connecting with your local community: Walking Together, Working Together. Led by Anthony Galluzzo – K-6 Advisor Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships, NSW Department of Education	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	Performing popular music I: Female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Musicians Language through music at Ti Tree School. Guest Lecturers: Associate Professor Myfany Turpin and April Ngampart	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	Perspectives on Gumbayngirr Musicking with the Donovans Guest Lecturer: Emma Donovan	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	Identity, language and Collaboration Guest lecturer: Professor Clint Bracknell Performing popular music II: Male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Musicians	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Sell The Song session (student performances)	Performance (2 hr)
Week 07	Classical Aboriginal Music. Guest Lecturer: Associate Professor Myfany Turpin	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Collaboration in action at the Conservatorium: Baraygal Choir. Guest Musicians: Nardi Simpson and Kevin Hunt	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	An introduction to co-composition and engaging community musicians in schools. Solid Ground Program @ Evans High School Guests: Neville Williams Boney and Debbie Higgison	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Co-composition Workshop 1. Led by Eric Avery	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Co-composition Rehearsal and and Reclaiming Gudjal language through songwriting Guest Lecturers: Associate Professor Myfany Turpin and William Santo	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Co-composition Workshop 2. Led by Eric Avery	Workshop (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recording: Lectures for this unit of study will be recorded and made available to students via the Learning Management System (LMS)
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 3 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 60-75 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Barney, K. (2009). Hop, skip and jump: Indigenous Australian women performing within and against Aboriginalism. Journal of Music Research Online, 1, 1-19.

Barney, K., & Mackinlay, E. (2010). Creating rainbows from words and transforming understandings: enhancing student learning through reflective writing in an Aboriginal music course. Teaching in Higher Education, 15(2), 161-173.

Bartleet, B.-L., & Carfoot, G. (2013). Desert harmony : stories of collaboration between Indigenous musicians and university students. International Education Journal : Comparative Perspectives, 12(1), 180-196.

Bracknell, C. (2019). Identity, language and collaboration in Indigenous music. In T. Rowse, L. Bamblett, & F. Myers (Eds.), The difference that identity makes (pp. 100-125). Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.

Dunbar-Hall, P. (2005). Colliding Perspectives? Music Curriculum as Cultural Studies. Music Educators Journal, 91, 33-37.

Fienberg, T. (2015, October). Collaborative relationships: Developing a community-based approach to teaching and understanding Australian Indigenous music. Paper presented at the 38th National Conference of the Musicological Society of Australia, Sydney.

Fienberg, T. (2020, July). Reflections from learning through and from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music. Poster presented at Music in Schools and Teacher Education Commission Seminar, online.

Fienberg T. & Higgison, D. (in press). Finding Solid Ground: Industry collaboration and mentoring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Australian schools. In K. Barney (Ed.) Musical exchanges in the third space: Intercultural collaborative music making between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia. New York: Routledge.

Guy, S. (2015). Bodies, myth, and music: How contemporary Indigenous music contesting a mythologized Australian nationalism. eSharp 23, 1–21.

Locke, T., & Prentice, L. (2016). Facing the Indigenous 'Other': Culturally Responsive Research and Pedagogy in Music Education. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 45(2), 139-151. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jie.2016.1

Mackinlay, E. (2008). Making Space as White Music Educators for Indigenous Australian Holders of Song, Dance and Performance Knowledge: The Centrality of Relationship as Pedagogy. Australian Journal of Music Education(1), 2-6.

Mackinlay, E. (2010). A pedagogy of heart which beats to the rhythm of relationships: thinking about ourselves as music educators in relation to Indigenous Australia. Australian Kodaly Journal, 1, 17-23.

Mackinlay, E. (2016). A diffractive narrative about dancing towards decoloniality in an Indigenous Australian Studies performance classroom. In B.-L. Bartleet, D. Bennett, A. Power, & N. Sunderland (Eds.), Engaging first peoples in arts- based service learning: towards respectful and mutually beneficial educational practices (pp. 213–226). London: Springer.

NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc & NSW Department of Education. (2020). Walking together working together: Partnership agreement between the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc & NSW Department of Education 2020-2030. Retrieved from: https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/teaching-and-learning/aec/media/documents/partnershipagreement.pdf

Webb, M. & Bracknell, C. (2021). Educative power and the respectful curricular inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music. In A. A. Kallio, H. Westerlund, S. Karlsen, K. Marsh & E. Sæther (Eds.), The Politics of Diversity in Music Education (pp. 71-86). Cham: Springer.

Learning outcomes

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 key differences between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands music and present a strong case for prioritising them in formal music education
LO2. critique competing understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music
LO3. demonstrate awareness and understanding of the complexities inherent in concepts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands music past and present, including notions of identity, history and geography
LO4. competently perform appropriate selections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands music
LO5. describe, compare and demonstrate different pedagogical strategies for including (or increasing representation of) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands music in school learning and teaching programs in imaginative and ethical ways
LO6. identify ways music can contribute to healing from traumatic experiences

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
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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

Each year after this unit is delivered, thoughtful suggestions for improvement made through the USS and other channels are considered and incorporated into future versions of the unit.

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.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

MUED1007: Australian Indigenous Music and Education

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect