THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Edinburgh College of Art : Music

Undergraduate Course: Music 1A: Psychology of Music (MUSI08069)

Course Outline
SchoolEdinburgh College of Art CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryMusic's power to influence how we think feel and behave has fascinated thinkers since ancient Greece. This course introduces students to understanding music as a universal human behaviour, fundamental to our individual lives and social interactions.
Course description Lectures will introduce students to how and why we hear, enjoy and make music. They will explore how individual characteristics and social factors influence music consumption and performance, as well as the range of effects that music has on our health, our identities, and on other aspects of our lives. Music will be considered in its broadest sense: from infants, vocalisations to concert halls, and from indigenous music traditions around the world to the emergence of niche pop music scenes. Topics covered will include music and neuroscience, music therapy, community music, the sociology of music, the birth of rock n roll, and music and language. Students will be encouraged to reflect on implications for learning and music practice. The course also emphasises the importance of music and creative engagement for wellbeing and for a healthy society.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  220
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 22, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 6, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 165 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Two 2000 word essays (50% each), one due Week 8, the other due Week 10.
Feedback Students will receive written feedback on the essay within 15 working days of the submission date.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts and central theories that psychologists and other social scientists bring to the study of music.
  2. Demonstrate familiarity with key themes around our individual, social and cultural relationships to music.
  3. Demonstrate understanding of the implications of psychological thought for a range of musical contexts and disciplines.
Reading List
Clayton, M, Herbert, T, & Middleton, R (2012) The Cultural Study of Music (2nd ed)
Cook, Nicholas (1998) Music: A Very Short Introduction.
DeNora, T (2000) Music in Everyday Life.
Deutsch, D. (2012). The Psychology of Music, Elsevier Science.
Frith, S. (1998) Performing Rites. Harvard University Press
Hallam, S, Cross, I and Thaut, M.EDS (2016) The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology Oxford: OUP.
Hargreaves DJ, Miell D & MacDonald RAR (2012) Musical Imaginations. Oxford: OUP.
Hargreaves, DJ & North, A (2008) The Social Psychology of Music Oxford: OUP
MacDonald RAR, Kreutz, G & Mitchell, LA (2012) Music, Health & Wellbeing. OUP.
MacDonald RAR, Miell D & Hargreaves DJ (2002). Musical Identities. Oxford: OUP.
Margulis, EH (2013) On Repeat: How Music Plays the Mind. New York: OUP.
Miell, D MacDonald RAR, & Hargreaves DJ (2005). Musical Communication. Oxford: OUP.

Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Students will develop critical thinking skills, confidence and knowledge relating to independent working, knowledge in relation to the importance of creativity and creative thinking in applied contexts.
Keywordspsychology of music,sociology of music,community music,music therapy,music education,music cognition
Contacts
Course organiserProf Raymond MacDonald
Tel: (0131 6)50 2424
Email: Raymond.MacDonald@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Hugh Black
Tel: (0131 6)51 5926
Email: hugh.black@ed.ac.uk
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