MUSPOP 1004 - Contemporary Musicianship 1B

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020

This course builds on skills introduced through Contemporary Musicianship 1A, continuing students' development of notational, theoretical and analytical skills with an emphasis on contemporary popular music. Lectures focus on with notion systems, intervals, chords and tonal harmony, simple and compound rhythm and diatonic voice leading. Students will systematically work through the development of tonal and non-tonal theory in Western music, learning the theoretical aspects of music making while developing the key skills in music literacy and harmonic analysis that are integral to contemporary music practice. Aural classes will focus on the development of secure listening and reading skills. Keyboard musicianship classes focus on developing skills centered on the practical application of theoretical and compositional content, and beneficial for the use of Digital Audio Workstations in their creative work.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MUSPOP 1004
    Course Contemporary Musicianship 1B
    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 MUSPOP 1003
    Assumed Knowledge Basic music literacy. Students not enrolled in a BMus/DipMus program must have some previous musical experience
    Restrictions Available to BMus, BCtveArts, DipMus students only
    Course Description This course builds on skills introduced through Contemporary Musicianship 1A, continuing students' development of notational, theoretical and analytical skills with an emphasis on contemporary popular music. Lectures focus on with notion systems, intervals, chords and tonal harmony, simple and compound rhythm and diatonic voice leading. Students will systematically work through the development of tonal and non-tonal theory in Western music, learning the theoretical aspects of music making while developing the key skills in music literacy and harmonic analysis that are integral to contemporary music practice. Aural classes will focus on the development of secure listening and reading skills. Keyboard musicianship classes focus on developing skills centered on the practical application of theoretical and compositional content, and beneficial for the use of Digital Audio Workstations in their creative work.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Luke Harrald

    Teaching Staff:  Dr Luke Harrald, Mr Grayson Rotumah & Dr Jesse Budel

    Full contact details available on MyUni.
    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) musical literacy, fluency in notation and an understanding of pitch, rhythmic and harmonic organisation;
    2) skills in musical transcription and analysis, making use of appropriate terminology;
    3) aural and critical listening skills as relevant to contemporary music; &
    4) an understanding of various composers' and performers' approach to melody and harmony in songs through musical analysis.
    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)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 2, 3, 4
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1, 2, 4
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    3
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1, 2, 4
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    3, 4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Textbook: Turek, Ralph and Daniel McCarthy. 2014. Theory for Today’s Musician, second ed. London: Routledge / Taylor and Francis.

    This is available for purchase at Co-op books, in the Student Hub. It is also available from Barr Smith Library in hard copy, and eBook format (accessible online with your student i.d. and password). Audio listening examples are included in a CD which accompanies the hardcopy book.

    Lecture Recordings will be posted in MyUni with additional supporting materials related to the lectures and tutorials.
    Recommended Resources
    Bryce, E. (1997) Harmony: a new bridge from traditional to jazz-related harmonic concepts. Noble House Publishing, Oakbank.
    Cooper, G. & Meyer, L. (1963) The Rhythmic Structure of Music. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
    Dorrite, F. & Jones, S. (2000) Essentials of Music for Audio Professionals. Mix Pro Audio Series, Mix Books, North Hollywood.
    Fitzgerald, J. (2003) Popular Music Theory and Musicianship. Hazelmount Publishing, Fortitude Valley.
    Sturman, P. (2005) Harmony, Melody & Composition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Online Learning
    In addition to the materials and interactives available via MyUni, all students are strongly encouraged to make use of the excellent online resources available through the Conservatorium’s subscription to “e-learning resources”.

    In addition to comprehensive information that is clearly presented, there are numerous practice questions for aural and theoretical questions, as well as a wide range of other support information. Students who are deficient in certain areas presumed knowledge/skills will be directed to work through relevant portions of the e-learning site in order to bring their knowledge/skill up to the required level.

    Some tutors may also utilise the e-learning resources as a basis for specific tutorial assignments or exercises.

    The e-learning resources website is located at: e-lr.com.au

    Access the site using the following username and password:
    User Name: student.elder.sa
    Password: stave
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Lectures will explore a topic each week, which will be expanded practically and aurally through the tutorials.
    Workload

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

    In addition to the 3 contact hours per week, it is anticipated that students would spend 8 hours per week in reviewing lecture notes, preparing for tutorials, listening to repertoire, preparing for tests and exams, undertaking suggested listening, reading, or viewing, and practising musicianship skills.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Weekly Lecture Topics (note that these are indicative, and may change depending on needs arising during the semester)

    Class 1: Course overviw & a brief introduction to analysis
    Class 2: Melodic Concepts
    Class 3: Rhythmic Notation: Syncopation, Beats and Grooves
    Class 4: Rhythmic Notation: Odd Time Signatures
    Class 5: Cadences
    Class 6: Alternate Notation: Tablature, Drum Notation & Graphic Scores
    Class 7: Extended Chords: 7ths, 9ths and 11ths.
    Class 8: Alternate Scales
    Class 9: Chart Writing - considerations of form
    Class 10: Text setting & developments in 20thC Harmony
    Class 11: From set-operations to automated and immersive music
    Class 12: Revision
    Specific Course Requirements
    Where tutorials are held in the computer lab, students will need to ensure they bring their own headphones and data storage to use as needed.
  • 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
    ASSESSMENT TASK DESCRIPTION / DATES WEIGHTING OUTCOMES
    Ongoing Assessment Due fortnightly, at the beginning of the tutorial from week 3 25% 1, 2
    Analysis Assignment Due Friday of Week 8, online submission 25% 2, 4
    Mid-semester Aural Test Will be conducted during the week 7 tutorial 10% 2, 3
    End-semester Aural Test Will be conducted during the week 12 tutorial 20% 2, 3
    Final Exam Monday, Week 14.  Hartley Concert Room or Online (TBC). 20% 1, 2, 3, 4
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Lectures: Although attendance at all lectures is expected, leave applications will not be required to be submitted to the lecturers due to logistical reasons. Students are advised that poor attendance at lectures will very likely have a significant negative impact on their ability to complete assessment tasks. Lectures will be recorded and made available in Echo360 (via MyUni). Note: some lecture materials may be excluded from the lecture recording due to copyright restrictions.

    Tutorials: Full attendance at tutorials is expected and students will be required to attend at least 8 of 10 tutorials.  Note that due to the frequent nature of the class quizzes, non-attendance beyond 2 classes will cost marks for the Quizzes assessment.

    Test and Exam Attendance: All students are required to attend the Aural Tests and end-of-semester Exam on the scheduled dates. No exceptions will be made except on certified medical grounds or on professional/compassionate grounds if approved by the coordinator well in advance of the scheduled exam.
    Assessment Detail
    Ongoing Assessment

    During the tutorials, students will undertake a short quiz at the start of the tutorial fortnightly from Week 3, which will cover the previous two weeks of content. No extensions will be possible on the quizzes. All students will be able to drop their lowest grade for one of the quizzes, so if you are absent for a class you will receive a zero for the quiz but will be able to drop the mark so your grade is unaffected. Students who take all quizzes will gain the advantage of being able to drop the quiz they did worst in.

    Multiple absences will impact on your grade for this assessment as you will receive zero for each absence.

    Quizzes will be marked immediately in class, so that students can receive ongoing feedback on their progress within the course, and highlight which topics they need to focus on for further study.

    Analysis Assignment

    Students will complete a short Analysis of a contemporary work.  Further information on the assignment is available on MyUni.

    Aural Tests

    Students will be tested on the Aural content of the class during the week 7 and 12 tutorials.  The Aural test in week 7 will test skills learned in weeks 1 - 6, while the test in week 12 will test skills learned from week 7 - 12.


    Final Exam

    The Final Exam will be held in the Examination Period at the end of the semester.

    The exam will focus primarily on the lecture content for the whole semester, and will give students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned through the course. It will be made up of 40% short answer and notated questions, 30% multiple choice, and 30% aural questions.
    Submission
    Submission for the analysis assignment will occur digitally via MyUni, while the other assessments are either practical or paper based and will be completed in class or during the exam period.

    All component grades and feedback will be distributed to students via MyUni, and formal final grades available via Access Adelaide.
    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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