Students are required to research, prepare and perform vocal exercises. Students research and select a range of vocal exercises suited to their individual needs and are required to include those for:

1. Warming the voice

2. Individual vocal development

3. Stylistic development

4. Cooling down

Each student is required to upload a list of their exercises (including references) under the four headings above to Turnitin prior to the practical assessment in Week 5. This list is due by 11:59PM on 26/8. 

The exercises students select should be discussed in tutorials with the tutor and implemented in vocal practices during Weeks 3 and 4, and performed for assessment in Week 5. Students need to ensure that they bring their exercises as backing tracks on a USB to the practical assessment. Students will also be required to sing exercises for the assessment from the set MUS206 exercises available on iLearn. Students may also be required to engage in a viva voce following their exercises.

Assessments of exercises will occur where possible within scheduled tutorial times. However, students may also be required to book an individual time for assessments outside tutorial times. 

Assessment criteria

Implementation of vocal technique and stylistic integrity including:

• Research and preparation
• Vocal technique
• Musicality
• Stylistic integrity
• Evidence of the learning process 

For a full assessment rubric, please refer to iLearn.

For this assessment, students are required to individually write lyrics and melody to a group theme consistent with a 12 bar blues structure, and to collectively structure a musical arrangement of those segments in tutorials. Individual ensemble segments will be recorded in Week 7 tutorials on 10/09/19. Students will be marked individually on their respective contributions including creating, recording, performing (20% weighting of the 25% assessment task weighting); a group mark will also will be awarded (5% weighting of the 25% assessment task weighting).

This assessment entails a group recording during tutorials (10/09) and a group performance during the lectorial (8/10) of the 12 bar blues ensemble. This ensemble, in addition to group sections, should feature each student singing individually their 12 bar section. 

For this assessment, students are encouraged to either legally obtain a 12 bar blues backing track for the group performance or to develop and utilise their own accompaniment in a 12 bar format. The use of live looping is also allowed.

​Students are required to prepare for and to actively participate weekly in tutorials, iLearn forums and additional ensemble rehearsals. An iLearn forum will be set up for each group for ALL ensemble communication so as to effectively track the group process. 

Each student is required to upload their final lyrics for their individual section to Turnitin prior to the performance in Week 9. The lyrics of their 12 bar section are due by 11:59PM on 7/10. 

Each group is to keep a record of attendance of all practices held outside tutorial times in the format provided on iLearn. Each group member is to indicate their contribution to the group process and overall ensemble structure in the format provided on iLearn.  This information is to be handed in together with a stage plot just prior to the ensemble performance. Each group is then to introduce their ensemble, process and work at the beginning of the performance. Students will engage in a viva voce following their performance.

Ensemble assessments will occur where possible within the scheduled Week 9 lectorial time.

Assessment criteria

Evidence of:

• Blues stylistic integrity in the creative component
• Implementation and understanding of blues vocal nuances in performance
• Implementation of appropriate vocal technique in performance
• Contribution to group process
• Effective ensemble preparation and performance

For a full assessment rubric, please refer to iLearn.

This assessment begins in Week 2 and concludes in Week 8. It requires weekly reflection on the questions asked in each lectorial. This involves critical reflection, individual research and examples of individual critical listening using the template provided. In addition to referencing unit readings and lectorial content where appropriate, students are required to include at least one appropriate reference each week from their own individual research and at least one completed listening template relevant to the weekly style.

Students are required to write progressive entries (total maximum of 400 words each week, excluding the reference list and completed critical listening templates). The critical listening templates are available as a word document on iLearn so that they can be easily completed and compiled into the journal.

Please head weekly entries as Week 2, Week 3 etc. Diligent sequential entries are required. The format of journals is left to each student, however, students must adhere to academic writing principles including diligent referencing The journal entries should include in-text references and contain one end-of-document reference list in APA style. Critical listening examples must also be listed in the end-of-document reference list. 

Journals are required to be submitted via Turnitin by 11:59PM on the due date. 

Assessment criteria:

Evidence of:

• A process of learning with a focus on unit content and individual research
• Ongoing critical listening (e.g., examples of style and/or to one's own voice)
• Critical reflective thinking and reflexive implementation of strategies in relation to individual development
• Effective practice; Vocal health and vocal care strategies
• Academic writing and referencing 

For a full assessment rubric, please refer to iLearn.

This assessment requires a solo performance of 2 contrasting songs, spoken introductions to each song and associated stagecraft. The songs are to be performed in front of an audience from memory. Students are encouraged to purchase the sheet music for the songs. Musical accompaniment or CD backing tracks are to be obtained and provided by students. No melody, either sung or played, is to be heard in the accompaniment or backing tracks, and backing tracks must not breach copyright. Students may accompany themselves for this assessment; original songs may be performed. The songs students are considering for performance should be discussed in tutorials with the tutor in Week 6 and implemented in vocal practices by Week 7. 

Students will be marked on their performance of two songs representative of two contemporary musical styles/genres. As part of their performance and assessment, students are also required to discuss the style of their songs as introductions to each song (from memory), detailing the style and the vocal nuances they will perform that represent their chosen styles. Students must acknowledge their sources in their introductions. In addition, performance/song introduction outlines and references, together with song titles, must be uploaded to Turnitin prior to the performance in Week 13. This outline is due by 11:59PM on 4/11.

Students have up to 10 minutes performance time (including song introductions and set-up time).

Assessment criteria

Evidence of:

• Informative and effectively communicated spoken introductions detailing both the styles and the songs
• Stylistic integrity
• Performed vocal nuances relevant to each style 
• Implemented appropriate vocal technique
• Musical integrity 
• Stagecraft including performance skills and confidence
• A process of learning with a focus on unit content

For a full assessment rubric, please refer to iLearn.

Students will either be assigned assessment times during the scheduled lecture and tutorial times, or will be assigned additional assessment times during Week 13.