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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2015/2016

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Edinburgh College of Art : Music

Undergraduate Course: Musicianship 1 (MUSI08066)

Course Outline
SchoolEdinburgh College of Art CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryMusicianship 1 addresses the inter-connected aspects of ear training and score-reading, skills which are most useful when based on solid music theoretic knowledge. The course aims to develop students' practical (aural and analytical) skills through a combination of practical exercises, score study, and analysis of recorded examples.
Course description Instrumental technique aside, great musicians hone many skills in order to create, interpret and communicate compositions and other musical ideas. Attributes of really good musicianship include great aural discrimination; a wealth of internalised music theoretic knowledge of keys, harmonic structures, symbolic conventions of notation; and ¿ crucially ¿ the ability to apply this knowledge in practise. A great deal of music scholarship (particularly the disciplines of musicology and music analysis in the classical Western European tradition) also demands fluent notation and score-reading abilities.
BMus Music students (for whom this is a core course) develop these key skills throughout their pre-Honours study. In Musicianship 1, we focus on the inter-connected aspects of ear training and score-reading, skills which are most useful when based on solid music theoretic knowledge. At the very start of your degree, you will already have travelled on an individual musical education journey, and we anticipate that there will be both strong and weak areas in your music theoretic knowledge. This course (which takes place concurrently with courses in keyboard skills and composition studies for BMus students) provides an opportunity for you to identify these for yourself, so that you can build on strengths and ¿ importantly ¿ fill in the gaps.

The course is taught during Semester 1 in a weekly lecture led by the Course Organiser, Dr Nikki Moran. These classes use a combination of practical exercises, score study, and analysis of recorded examples. The classes last 1¿50h and include a short break.
The lectures are supported on the course Learn page, with links to interactive self-test materials and additional ear training exercises. The online resources provide continued support in Semester 2 while you rehearse the skills that you have learned in Semester 1. This is important, since the course assessment includes an aural exam in the May exam diet.
Small group tutorials take place every fortnight. These support the main group teaching by guiding the second part of assessment, the portfolio assignment.

The overall aim of Musicianship 1 is to develop the practical (aural and analytical) skills relevant to the needs of Music degree students through a combination of practical exercises, score study, and analysis of recorded examples.
Practical skills such as aural discrimination and fluent score-reading cannot be learnt in the way that you might learn a simple mathematical formula. No-one else train your ears else any more than they can practice your musical instrument for you. What this course is designed to do, however, is to guide you in establishing good habits for continuing development throughout the rest of your studies (and beyond!). Here are some specific outcomes that you should aim for on successful completion of the course. To be able to:
¿ Apply analytical and theoretical knowledge to respond to questions delivered in an aural music test
o Aurally discriminate various contextualised and abstract harmonic, melodic and rhythmic structures
o Connect musical sounds and forms with various conventional notations (score and part-reading, figured bass, chord symbols)
¿ Describe musical form and structure by talking and writing about compositional components and their interactions
¿ Undertake effective self-directed learning for continuing musicianship skills development
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Students must have Grade 5 ABRSM Theory or equivalent.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesGrade 5 ABRSM Theory or equivalent.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  34
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5, Formative Assessment Hours 1, Summative Assessment Hours 1, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 169 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 50 %, Practical Exam 50 %
Additional Information (Assessment) There are two components of assessed work: a listening exam, and a portfolio of written work. The portfolio is created concurrently with teaching (see schedule). Portfolio items include guided music analyses which are based on set works.
The second component of assessment is a graded listening exam, which takes place in the May exam diet. The pause between teaching and final assessment allows you to integrate what you have learned, and carry out the individual rehearsal necessary to improve aural skills. The online course Learn page includes resources to support your continued development.
1. PORTFOLIO: Compilation of three short analysis essays plus commentary (c.2000 words, week 12, 50%)
2. LISTENING EXAM: c. 1¿15h examination (e.g. melodic and rhythmic dictation, chord function identification, harmonic progression, mode identification exercises and free listening response) (May exam diet, 50%)
Feedback There are four opportunities during Semester 1 to submit portfolio tasks for formative feedback (see schedule). The final submission consists of a revised compilation of three out of the four prior submissions. You will receive summary feedback and a grade for this final assessment. Portfolio work is submitted and returned electronically via Learn.
Feedback on your ear-training progress comes in various forms. Class time includes participation in practical, hands-on exercises which are inherently interactive. Many of the online resources include immediate corrective feedback. A complete practice version of the listening exam is held in class time towards the end of Semester 1, and marked immediately. The outcome of the practice exam does not contribute to your final grade.
The small-group tutorials focus mainly on preparation for portfolio tasks; however, they also offer an opportunity to raise particular questions about topics where you require more clarification. The Course Organiser also has office hour times to see students individually on request (email Dr Nikki Moran n.moran[at]ed.ac.uk, Room 304, Alison House: Mondays and Wednesdays 1.00-1.30pm).
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)Musicianship 11:00
Resit Exam Diet (August)Musicianship 11:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate an understanding of the importance of listening skills for good musicianship
  2. demonstrate an understanding of the need for integration of their aural skills with analytical and theoretical knowledge, and develop the awareness required for effective self-directed learning
  3. demonstrate an ability to describe musical form and structure by talking and writing about compositional components and their interactions
Reading List
Recommended: Eric Taylor, The AB Guide to Music Theory, Part I & Part II. Published by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

This course does not use a compulsory text book. However, a plethora of text books as well as online and audio resources exist for practical musicianship development, and students are encouraged to discover and to use these alongside the course!

For example, use the search term "ear training" to discover many items held in the University library, such as:
Mayfield, Connie. (2003). Theory essentials: an integrated approach to harmony, ear training, and keyboard skills. California & London: Thomson Schirmer.
Phillips, Joel. (2005). The musician's guide to aural skills. New York & London: W.W. Norton.
Pratt, George. (1990). Aural awareness: principles and practice. Milton Keynes & Philadelphia: Open University Press.
ABRSM publications are also very helpful. Not only the handbooks as recommended above (The AB Guide to Music Theory, Part I and II), but also the graded music theory and ear training workbooks.

Finally, there are now many online resources to support your musicianship training. Two good examples:
http://www.musictheory.net/ is very helpful, includes online exercises as well as lessons
http://www.musictheoryhelp.co.uk/ - includes links to ABRSM practice papers and mark guides

The Resource List for the course can be found here: http://resourcelists.ed.ac.uk/lists/C527DEFE-75E1-C6E9-C01D-0EFD6406815A.html
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills 1) Develop an awareness of personal strengths and areas for development; develop techniques for continual improvement.
2) Develop an ability to be flexible and to participate in a diverse range of musical contexts.
3) Manage time, and work effectively and realistically to schedules and deadlines.
4) Communicate effectively with other people, using audible, graphic, verbal and written means.
Keywordsmusic,analysis,ear training,score reading
Contacts
Course organiserDr Nikki Moran
Tel: (0131 6)50 2423
Email: n.moran@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Noureen Ehsan
Tel: (0131 6)50 9179
Email: Noureen.Ehsan@ed.ac.uk
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