Students

MUS 306 – Musical Creativities: Projects and Directions

2014 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Adrian Renzo
Contact via adrian.renzo@mq.edu.au
Y3A-155
By appointment
Diane Hughes
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(39cp including 3cp in MUS units at 300 level) or admission to GCertArts
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit enables students to consolidate their musical learning through research, individual artistry, production and/or advanced performance. Collaborative projects will focus on musical creativities, performance and production. In addition, individual projects will be student initiated and project proposals will be followed with faculty consultations. The unit will conclude with a showcase of individual projects and/or performances. A written report on the process and realisation of the individual project will be submitted at the conclusion of the unit. Students will also be required to submit an integrative portfolio of their key achievements in music studies and documentation in relation to career aspirations.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Proposal 10% 25 August 14 (Week 4)
Musical collaboration 30% 20 October 2014 (Week 10)
Portfolio 25% 3 November 2014 (Week 12)
Showcase 35% Week 13; TBA by 13-10-14

Proposal

Due: 25 August 14 (Week 4)
Weighting: 10%

This assessment requires students to critically analyse their musical learning and goals. Students are required to submit a proposal (maximum of 1000 words) for the final performance or project. Proposals need to include the aim of the performance/project, the scope of the performance/project, the people involved and their roles, a proposed budget, technical requirements and staging plan.

Assessment criteria:

  • plan and preparation
  • effective communication of ideas 
  • writing style, structure of proposal and referencing
  • musical creativity
  • musical concepts
  • individuality

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Musical collaboration

Due: 20 October 2014 (Week 10)
Weighting: 30%

This assessment entails musical collaboration and an ensemble performance in which individual sections allow each student to create, communicate and collectively perform their section. Each section is to be no less than 1 minute. Students are required to write lyrics, construct a melody and engage in devising group harmony/percussion/accompaniment for their segment. Production students may integrate created segments within the ensemble.

Students will be assessed individually on their contribution, musical creativity and performance. Students should actively participate, as a component of their mark will reflect this. The sections are to be finalised prior to Week 6 as recording sessions will record sections for group learning purposes. 

Assessment criteria:

  • Musical collaboration
  • Communicating within an ensemble
  • Musical creativity
  • Performance craft
  • Communicating musically
  • Musical understanding

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding

Portfolio

Due: 3 November 2014 (Week 12)
Weighting: 25%

This assessment documents individual musical artistry and creativity. The portfolio should be prepared progressively and may include research, promotional material, photographs, statements and recordings that consolidate an individual program of study. The portfolio may be in hard copy or submitted electronically. The final portfolio will begin with a synopsis. The portfolio should be presented in a professional manner and should be referenced where appropriate.

The portfolio is to contain an artist synopsis, evidence of consolidated learning, be professional in presentation, show evidence of musicality and creativity, with clear articulation in written and visual formats.

Assessment criteria:

  • Communication of ideas and learning
  • Presentation, including structure and referencing
  • Musical creativity
  • Musical understanding
  • Individuality

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Showcase

Due: Week 13; TBA by 13-10-14
Weighting: 35%

This assessment entails an individual performance or project to be presented in front of an audience. CD backings or musical accompaniment are to be provided by students. Students will be assessed on their creativity and individual artistry in the showcase with a maximum of 15 minutes performance time (including set-up). Students also need to submit a written reflection (maximum of 1000 words) on the process and outcomes (including presentation/performance) of their performance or project by the end of Week 13.

Assessment criteria:

  • Effective collaboration
  • Performance or presentation structure, preparation and reflection
  • Communication in a musical context (including ideas and spoken elements)
  • Integrate musical understanding
  • Individuality

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Collaborate musically
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Delivery and Resources

MUS 306 Tutorial

12:00

Monday

Y3A 187 Drama Studio

MUS 306 Tutorial

10:00

Monday

Y3A 187 Drama Studio

MUS 306 LECTURE

9:00

Monday

Y3A 187 Drama Studio

Both lecture and tutorial attendance is compulsory. As some lectures involve workshops, attendance at lectures and tutorials will be recorded weekly. Students missing lectures or tutorials without submitting a Disruption to Studies application will automatically have marks deducted from their musical collaboration mark.

Assessments submitted or undertaken after the due or scheduled date without a Disruption to Studies application will automatically be deducted 10% per day (weekends included).

Students are expected to undertake independent research relating their findings in their written assessments and in their performances.

All performance assessments must be from memory – no reading of lyrics or music is permitted. Students are required to use technologies approriate to the projects; production students are required to use their own programs and laptops. A PA system will be supplied for the final performance/project.

Students will need to supply their own backing tracks or musical accompaniment, including rehearsal tracks. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that backing tracks do not breach copyright legislation (obtained legally; not pirated copies or illegal downloads).

In addition, students should bring bottled room-temperature water to all lectures and tutorials.

Required readings:

Burnard, Pamela. 2012. 'A framework for understanding musical creativities.' In Musical Creativities in Practice, 213-236. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. 1990. 'The Domain of Creativity.' In Theories of Creativity, eds Mark A. Runco and Robert S. Albert, 190-212. Newbury Park: Sage Publications.

McIntyre, Phillip. 2001. 'The Domain of Songwriters - Towards Defining the Term "Song."' Perfect Beat 5/3: 100-112.

Toynbee, Jason. 2000. 'Making Up and Showing Off: What Musicians Do.' In Making Popular Music, 34-67. London: Arnold.

Research projects should include at least 4 additional scholarly references relevant to the aims of the performance/project/musical creativity.

Unit Schedule

Weekly readings will be available through e-resources and suggested readings for further research will be discussed in lectures. Full readings lists will be available on iLearn.

 

Week 1

 

 

Unit introduction and overview

 

 

Week 2

 

 

Proposal type and structure

 

 

Week 3

 

 

Musical creativity 1

 

 

Week 4

 

 

Musical creativity 2

 

 

Week 5

 

Musical collaboration

 

 

Week 6

 

 

Recording procedures

Recording sessions

 

 

Week 7

 

 

Music copyright

 

 

Week 8

 

 

Public Holiday

 

Week 9

 

 

Integrating musical learning and artist traits

 

 

Week 10

 

 

Musical collaboration

 

 

Week 11

 

 Individuality

 

 

Week 12

 

 

Effective performance

 

 

Week 13

 

Showcase

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Additional information

MMCCS website https://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/faculties_and_departments/faculty_of_arts/department_of_media_music_communication_and_cultural_studies/

MMCCS Session Re-mark Application http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914

Information is correct at the time of publication

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Proposal
  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Proposal
  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Proposal
  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Proposal
  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Proposal
  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Proposal
  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Proposal
  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate musically
  • Communicate interpersonally within an ensemble
  • Create and perform a musical performance/project
  • Communicate in a musical context
  • Research, develop and document musical creativity
  • Apply and integrate musical understanding
  • Demonstrate individuality

Assessment tasks

  • Musical collaboration
  • Portfolio
  • Showcase