MUSPMACT 3112 - Popular Music Ensemble 3B

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2015

The culmination of rehearsal, performance and improvisation techniques developed through Popular Music Ensemble 1, 2 & 3A, this course develops advanced strategies for the preparation and performance of live original music. Comprising of a series of workshops, student autonomy is a key focus as students prepare for their Graduation Recital, where they will perform a full set of their original music. All aspects of the Recital series including event management, and promotion are organised by small teams of students in collaboration with the class tutor, with students attending a combination of large group workshops, and small group intensive sessions to facilitate this process.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MUSPMACT 3112
    Course Popular Music Ensemble 3B
    Coordinating Unit Elder Conservatorium of Music
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites MUSPMACT 3111
    Restrictions Priority is given to music degree students but course is available to non-music students (by audition)
    Course Description The culmination of rehearsal, performance and improvisation techniques developed through Popular Music Ensemble 1, 2 & 3A, this course develops advanced strategies for the preparation and performance of live original music. Comprising of a series of workshops, student autonomy is a key focus as students prepare for their Graduation Recital, where they will perform a full set of their original music. All aspects of the Recital series including event management, and promotion are organised by small teams of students in collaboration with the class tutor, with students attending a combination of large group workshops, and small group intensive sessions to facilitate this process.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Luke Harrald

    Staff:

    Prof. Mark Carroll
    Phone: 83133672
    Email: mark.carroll@adelaide.edu.au
    Office: Schulz 9.15
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    Through successful completion of this course, students will develop:

    1) advanced understanding of the roles, responsibilities and activities involved in live contemporary music performance at a professional level;
    2) project management skills - including creating a project proposal, identifying overall goals and milestones & creating a plan;
    3) evaluation skills - including Self-assessment, Peer-assessment and the evaluation of the performance as a whole; &
    4) a polished and entertaining performance of each student’s compositions.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1, 2, 3
    The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1, 2
    An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 1, 2, 3, 4
    Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 1, 2, 3, 4
    A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    • Class handouts and materials placed on MyUni.
    • Each week students will be required to bring their instruments, or other technology they require to realise their group work. Students will have access outside class time to rehearsal spaces to prepare for their recitals.
    Recommended Resources
    Library
    The Music Library located in the Hartley building is an excellent source for music, literature and recordings: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/branch/eml/ 

    Music Resources Guide
    The Music Resources Guide contains quick links to key music databases for scholarly research and online listening. It also contains links to websites of publicly available online scores, collected editions, and professional associations. Here too you can find a regularly updated list of new books, scores, CDs and DVDs available in the Elder Music Library: http://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/music
    Online Learning
    This Course Profile, along with learning materials and assessment will be placed on MyUni – refer to http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The course is delivered through a combination of fixed and flexible workshops, and on campus performances. Students will have periodic large group workshops with their tutor to work through concepts and topics applicable to all students – these will be in fixed weeks. In between these fixed sessions, students will flexibly work with their tutor in small groups (groups of 3 or 4) to plan their recitals, develop rehearsal strategies, perform for their tutor and develop themes and marketing concepts for their recitals. Students will receive feedback from both their tutor and peers within their small group. The main emphasis of these sessions will be to ensure that each night of the recital series at the end of the semester works as an individual event, containing 3 – 4 student recitals of approximately 30 minutes each. Each student will have 4 to 5 small group sessions with their tutor depending on year on year enrolments. In-between these small group sessions, students will be expected to rehearse and plan for their recital in their own time.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Workshops 12 x 3 hours per week = 36 hours per semester
    Reading 3 x 12 hours per week = 36 hours per semester
    Rehearsal 4 x 12 hours per week = 48 hours per semester
    Self initiated learning & creative practice 3 x 12 hours per week = 36 hours per semester
    = 156 hours per semester
    Learning Activities Summary
    This course is split between small and large group workshops where a tutor mentors the students in preparation for performing their original work live. Utilising a “just in time” teaching model, tutors will remain responsive to student needs as they arise and to new developments the contemporary music industry.

    Topics covered will include: creating a project proposal and plan, rehearsal strategies, in-class performances with lecturer and peer feedback, promotion and marketing, stage management, self-reflection, critical writing and thinking.

    Students will undertake large-scale individual performances of their work in week 13. The individual performances will form a recital series, held in Scott Theatre.

    Students will also attend and critique performances of their own choice out in the local music industry in order to encourage in order to maintain their engagement with the local music industry, and garner further techniques that they may apply to their own performances.
    Specific Course Requirements
    This course will involve off-site performances. Previous venues have included The Promethean and The Wheatsheaf.

    Access and use of EMU is based upon the following:

    Users must complete and pass the EMU Guide Assessment (EGA). In order to pass the EGA users must receive a 90% or above grade. Users will have a maximum of 3 attempts at passing the EGA before being prohibited from taking the assessment further. If a user fails to pass the EGA after 3 attempts, or doesn’t pass by the end of week 4 of the course, they will not be permitted to continue the course and won’t be provided access or permission to use any of the EMU facilities.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Summative Assessment Summary
    Recital 60% (objectives 1, 2, 3, 4), TBA
    Reflective Journal 25% (objectives 1, 2, 3), Due week 13
    Concert Attendance & Critiquing 15% (objective 4), Due week 13

    Formative Assessment: Both Large and Small Group Workshops will contain embedded formative assessment tasks that will enable students to engage with the practical and theoretical concepts presented in order to complete their summative assessments.
    Assessment Related Requirements
    As per Conservatorium policy, active and positive participation in 100% of classes is expected, any student who attends less than 100% of required classes without approved leave may result in a 5 (five) mark penalty for each unapproved absence. The penalties will be applied to the final total percentage mark for the year for the relevant component i.e. after all other assessments have been completed and calculated. Arrival after the scheduled starting time or departure before the scheduled finishing time may, at the lecturer or Co-ordinator’s discretion, be regarded as an unapproved absence.
    Assessment Detail
    Recital (60%)
    Students will be assessed on their contribution and participation in preparation for and delivery of a 20 - 30 minute public recital of their work. Central to this assessment is the role they play in the organisation and development of their work – particularly their leadership role in their ensemble - in preparation for the recital, and the quality of their individual performance and effectiveness of their group overall in the presentation of their creative work. They will also be assessed on their contribution to the organisation of the overall event on the evening of the recital, of which their individual recital will form approximately 1/5th.

    Reflective Journal (25%)
    Students will document, consider critically, and reflect on the development and rehearsal phase of the recital through their Journal. At the beginning of the semester, students will develop a project proposal and plan, which will also be part of the submission. Students will also evaluate following their recital the success of the event, and how well they achieved what they set out to do in the original plan.

    Concert Attendance & Critiquing (15%)
    Students will attend two performances of their choosing out in local industry and write short 300 – 350 word critiques of each performance in order to encourage them to engage with the local industry and to think more critically about live performance, and how they might improve their own performances. Students will be encouraged to attend a variety of performances.
    Submission
    The Reclective Journal and Convert Attendance & Critiquing assessments will be submitted digitally through the Assignments section of MyUni. Feedback on the assessments will be also be sent to students through the MyUni system.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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