Course Catalogue

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This course is designed to encourage students to develop a distinctive musical voice and practice in their live performances.

■ Individual lessons, normally 12 hours total over 20 weeks, at times arranged between student and teacher

■ 3 individual progress meetings with staff, at the beginning of each semester and at the end of semester 2

■ 9 unsupervised rehearsals on Tuesdays and 10 supervised rehearsals on Thursdays as scheduled over 10 weeks in MyCampus in semester 1

■ 9 taught sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays as scheduled over 10 weeks in MyCampus in semester 2

Grade C3 or above in MUSIC2009 or MUSIC4029, and admission into third or fourth year of BMus, MA Music, or BEng/MEng, and by arrangement to visiting students who have passed an audition at the beginning of the session.

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The standard assessments for this course are:

semester 1:

■ Group Performance Exercise (15 minutes stage time), and Portfolio (rehearsal diary, PR plan and materials) - 30% (20% individual mark, 10% group mark)

semester 2:

■ Concert Programme, and Commentary (1000 words) - 15%

■ Solo or Collaborative Concert (20 minutes stage time) - 55%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ Student's contribution to the management and/or preparation of the performance as an alternative to the group performance exercise.

■ There is no alternative to the solo or ensemble concert, but use of an adapted or alternative performing space and a reduced audience can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

This course aims to:

■ provide a framework for students to plan and to give musical performances for a live audience in real time, curating any collaborative elements and embodying an appropriate mode of presentation

■ enable and support students to refine their practice discipline and technique with the aid of an individual teacher

■ allow students to develop effective roles and strategy within a collaborative performing group

■ focus their participation in the organisational and entrepreneurial aspects of music making

■ encourage students to critique the learning processes, and reflect on their experience of them

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ prepare a curated selection of music representative of their developing musical identity

■ perform this music to a live audience, with technical precision, stylistic awareness and some presentational confidence

■ plan, rehearse and realise a collaborative musical project, which pays attention to musical and aesthetic coherence while representing all members of the group

■ influence performances by listening and responding critically to their peers and to professional musicians

■ focus their attention on specific aspects of administration, management and entrepreneurial skills within a group context