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Unit outline_

MUSC2614: Composition Workshop

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Composition Workshop is designed as an opportunity for students from all musical backgrounds to play, write and perform music together. Each student will write a new piece for an ensemble of classmates that will be performed in an end of semester concert. Set topics studied in this course include: Creative and Resourceful Instrumentation (body percussion, mobile phones as instruments, the human voice and found percussion instruments), Soundscape, Indeterminacy and Loops. The first four weeks of the course are spent exploring these topics through lectures and creative group composition exercises. Students will also look notating their music using one-page scores, graphic notation, time-space notation and text scores. From Week 5 onwards, students will workshop and rehearse their own concert piece for an ensemble of musicians from their class.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Analysis, History and Cultural Studies
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
18 credit points of 1000-level units
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Amanda Cole, amanda.cole@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Amanda Cole, amanda.cole@sydney.edu.au
The census date for this unit availability is 2 April 2024
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Final Composition Project
Workshop in class -final composition on the topics covered during semester.
40% Formal exam period
Due date: 30 May 2024 at 23:59
3-5 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Small continuous assessment Discussion Forums
Add research, opinions and reflections to discussion forums.
10% Multiple weeks Contribute to online discussion forums.
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO7
Assignment Mini Composition Assignment 1
Workshop in class. One-Page Score composition and performance
20% Week 03
Due date: 07 Mar 2024 at 23:59
1-2 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO9 LO6 LO5 LO3 LO2
Assignment Final Project Research
Research one or more aspects of your final composition idea.
10% Week 08
Due date: 18 Apr 2024 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO7
Participation Participation in weekly class workshops and performances.
Participation in weekly class workshops and performances.
20% Weekly n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO5 LO6

Assessment summary

 

Mini CompositionTask 1 Composition for voice, phones and/or body percussion. 20%
Written Task Project Proposal for Final Composition  10%
Discussion Task Contribute to online discussions 10%
Final Composition Project Final composition reflecting the topics covered during the semester. 40%
Participation Participation in class and online activities. 20%

 

 

 

Assessment criteria

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

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

EXCEPTIONAL STANDARD

Creativity =  Convincing, confident, imaginative, personal, bold, risk-taking, engaging.

Craft = Obvious and unequivocal command of resources. Technique is matched to creative intentions 

Presentation = The standard of a professional commercial publication or with coherent visual identity.

Distinction

75 - 84

VERY HIGH STANDARD

Creativity = Convincing musical logic and direction. Engagement with repertory goes beyond imitation.

Craft: Musical structure is fluent and lucid throughout. Displays sophisticated ability to develop and manipulate material. Advanced use of colour.

Presentation: The work demonstrates awareness of user-friendliness and attention to consistent and individual visual style.

Credit

65 - 74

GOOD STANDARD

Creativity: Influences of other composers are evident, and display steps towards taking such influences into a new, personal direction.

Craft: Displays coherent structure and convincing clarity in orchestration/standard of production.

Presentation: Attractive score presented with clarity.

Pass

50 - 64

ACCEPTABLE STANDARD

Creativity: Engaged with contemporary music culture and ideas but may parrot rather than seek to extend the ideas of other composers.

Craft: Capacity to express musical ideas with appropriate instrumental and/or digital media.

Presentation: Notation legible but may still include unnecessary ambiguity. 

Fail

0 - 49

UNACCEPTABLE STANDARD

Creativity: Generic, hackneyed, pastiche.

Craft: Fundamental technical errors evident in notation, digital production, understanding of instruments, musical form, etc.

Presentation: Illegible scores. Audio format errors.

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.

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:

As per the Sydney Conservatorium of Music resolutions (1) It is expected that unless an application for Special Consideration has been approved, students will submit all assessment for a unit of study on the due date specified. If the assessment is completed or submitted within the period of extension, no academic penalty will be applied to that piece of assessment. (2) If an extension is either not sought, not granted or is granted but work is submitted after the extended due date, the late submission of assessment will result in an academic penalty as follows: (a) For work submitted after the deadline, 5% of the total possible mark will be deducted per day (b) For work submitted after 10 days, a mark of 0 will be given.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Making Music with Available Instrumentation: voice, body percussion, computer, found percussion and phones. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO6
Week 02 Making Music with Available Instrumentation (add class instruments): One page scores, open instrumentation, text notation and indeterminacy. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 03 Making Music with Available Instrumentation: Adventures in pitch, rhythm and texture. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 04 One-page score class workshops Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 05 Soundscape: Acoustic Ecology, Field Recordings and Data Sonification (listening to the world around us). Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Week 06 Soundscape: Interacting with and Creating Environments Using Musical Instruments (Graphic notation, time-space notation and indeterminacy). Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Week 07 Creative Loops: Chaconne & Passacaglia (Looping chords and bass lines) Canon, Phasing and Isorhythm (Looping melody and rhythm). Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO6
Week 08 Creative Loops: Indeterminacy and Textures. Lecture and tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO6
Week 09 Workshopping and Rehearsal of Final Works. Workshop (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
Workshopping and Rehearsal of Final Works. Workshop (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 10 Workshopping and Rehearsal of Final Works. Workshop (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 12 Presentation of Finished Final Works. Performance (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9

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.

Required readings

  • Music Composition Toolbox ; Hindson, Matthew, 1968-; Barbeler, Damian.; Blom, Diana, 1947-

    c2007

  • Musical Environments: A Manual for Listening: A Manual for Listening, Composing and Improvising ;                                  Richard Vella, 2000. 

 

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. Research composition methods and repertoire.
  • LO2. Experimentation with musical concepts.
  • LO3. Notate and score creative ideas for a diverse range of musicians.
  • LO4. Complete an original musical composition
  • LO5. Lead workshops and rehearsals of your own composition.
  • LO6. Collaborate with other composers to workshop, rehearse and perform their work.
  • LO7. Write about your creative work.
  • LO8. Present and share an original composition with an audience.
  • LO9. Document creative work and be able to digitally distribute it.

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.

The course description, activities and assessments were altered in response to student feedback.

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.