Undergraduate Course: Practical Music Workshops (MUSI08062)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The primary mode of study in this course is through musical participation. We all learn in different ways, yet the ways we share and acquire knowledge seem so 'natural' that we are often unaware of the cultural assumptions and structures that underpin them. This course is predicated on the notion that there are as many ways to learn music as there are musics in the world.
Supported by a tutor, you will take part in a music ensemble from a tradition outside your own - either a North Indian Sitar, Javanese Gamelan, Balkan and Eastern European, or Film Orchestra ensemble. Through participation in one of these groups, you will learn new skills within the specific musical community while also interrogating and expanding the ways you already learn, share, and play music. Participation will require weekly rehearsals, as well as a minimum 4-hours practice per week outside of scheduled workshops.
Alongside workshop participation and private rehearsal, six whole-class seminars will explore topics such as repertoire, performance convention, pedagogy, theory and appraisal. Over the duration of the course, you will identify particular skills and knowledge required to participate in an appropriate ensemble for a given musical tradition, and you will develop some of the practical and intellectual expertise behind the act of 'musicking' (Small, 1998) within that tradition.
No previous music experience is required for participation in the ensembles, with the exception of the Film Orchestra. |
| Course description |
To play or to sing is a normal human activity. To perform well in any given tradition requires a specific array of skills and knowledge, based on rehearsed, practical expertise; an understanding of the conventions and context of a given practice; and acquired sensitivity to the actions of other musicians. This course provides students with practical performance opportunities to support the experiential learning through which all students may acquire a common disciplinary understanding of technical accomplishment in music performance. This learning is contextualised through theoretical understanding, via seminars and guided reading/study addressing such questions as: How is musical knowledge acquired and shared among musicians participating in a given tradition? What constitutes essential knowledge and theoretical framework for that music? On what grounds (aesthetic, technical, functional) is a given music appraised? This is a core course for the MA Music degree programme.
Musical Ensembles: North Indian Sitar, Javanese Gamelan, Balkan and Eastern European, Film Orchestra
Seminar topics:
- Musical encounters (formal, informal and non-formal learning)
- The importance of repertoire
- Performance context and conventions
- Pedagogy and apprenticeship
- Appraising performance: what matters, and what doesn't?
Workshops (second half of seminars):
-North Indian Rhythm
-West African High Life
-Javanese Gamelan
This course is taught during Semesters 1 and 2. There are eight rehearsals, three seminars, and three tutorial sessions per semester. Rehearsals are led by specialists in each musical tradition. Seminars and tutorials are lead by the Course Organiser, Dr Tom Wagner.
Rehearsals: Tuesday or Thursday evenings, 18:00-20:00, in Alison House or Moray House, depending on the ensemble.
Seminars: Thursdays, 11:10 ¿ 13:00 in Alison House Lecture Room A (Weeks 3, 7, 11)
Tutorials: Mondays, 30 minutes on the half hour between 14:00 and 16:00 in Alison House Seminar Room. Exact time slot will be determined by the ensemble you join.
Prioritised reading (and listening) lists are available. You are required to prepare for
seminars by completing at least the Essential reading and listening material. Preparation for tutorials involves specific study tasks (see schedule). If you wish to receive effective feedback on your progress and to progress well, it is wise to complete them.
This course is designed to help you acquire skills in practical, critical and analytical music scholarship. You should also benefit from greater insight and enjoyment of your own musical listening and engagement. See Learning Outcomes.
There are three components of assessed work.
1. Group Presentation (Week 11, Term 1, 30%): A Critical assessment of enculturated modes of learning, based on seminar material, outside research, and ensemble participation.
2. Take-Away Exam Paper (May Exam Diet, 60%): Reflective Essay analysing your growth as a musician in relation to your participation in a different musical culture.
3. Participation Grade (10%): You are expected to be a contributing member of the ensemble, which includes attending rehearsals and practicing outside of rehearsals. Participation will be assessed throughout the year by Ensemble Leaders. The participation grade will correlate to the maximum mark you may receive for the Take-Away Exam Paper.
The most successful assignments show evidence of study, reading and listening that exceeds the Essential reading list... past Recommended... into Further Reading territory and - in the best cases - beyond!
The small-group tutorials provide the most effective opportunity for feedback. Your tutor will offer advice on preparing the presentation and essay. Tutorials also provide space to reflect on the formal feedback you receive for assessed work. You are encouraged to contact your tutor for any extra help you might need, especially in regards to the essay.
The Group Presentations receive immediate informal feedback and responses from staff and peers, followed by an agreed grade and summary written feedback. Essays are submitted electronically. Graded essays are returned electronically.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students not enrolled on the MA Music programme should seek permission for entry via the Course Organiser
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 50 |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 12,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 16,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 16,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
152 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
70 %,
Practical Exam
30 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1. TUTOR REPORT: End-of-year report on level of engagement and attainment of practical competence (10%).
2. PRESENTATION: Identify three concepts raised during the seminars and relate these to your practical learning. (30%, Week 11, Semester 1).
3. ESSAY (3000 words): Write a reflective account of your individual learning, specifying new knowledge (practical and theoretical) that you have acquired in your chosen musical workshops tradition. (60%, Week 11, Semester 2).
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate practical performance competence at a level appropriate to the opportunities presented through the course.
- Identify some of the skills and knowledge required to participate in an appropriate ensemble.
- Describe distinguishing features of repertoire, performance convention and pedagogy for the given musical tradition.
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Reading List
Required Course Reading:
Moon, Jennifer A. 2013. A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge. Pgs. 186-217. (e-book)
Small, Christopher. 2011. Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan. Pgs. 1-18.
Further Course Reading:
Blacking, John. 1973. How Musical is Man? Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Brinner, Benjamin Elon. 1995. Knowing Music, Making Music: Javanese Gamelan and the Theory of Musical Competence and Interaction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Green, Lucy. 2002. How Popular Musicians Learn: A Way Ahead for Music Education. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Kingsbury, Henry. 1988. Music, Talent, and Performance: A Conservatory Cultural System. Philadelphia. Temple University Press.
Lave, Jean and Wenger, Etienne. 1991. Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Moon, Jennifer A. 2013. A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge. (e-book)
Rice, Timothy. 1994. May It Fill Your Soul: Experiencing Bulgarian Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Small, Christopher. 2011. Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan.
Talis Aspire: http://resourcelists.ed.ac.uk/lists/F7E6B755-CD54-9DB7-B1EF-49F1E0D2A5BF.html |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge of technical specialism. Individually-motivated practice/rehearsal.
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| Keywords | Music,Performance,Ensemble,Practical skills |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Thomas Wagner
Tel: (0131 6)50 2423
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Noureen Ehsan
Tel: (0131 6)50 9179
Email: |
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