Undergraduate Course: Three Minute Records: Case Studies in Popular Music (MUSI10107)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | In this course students will learn to apply theories and approaches relevant to popular music studies via in-depth study of particular artists, eras, genres and/or styles, etc. in popular music of the 20th and 21st centuries. |
| Course description |
In this course students will learn to apply theories and approaches relevant to popular music studies via in-depth study of particular artists, eras, genres and/or styles, etc. in popular music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will choose their own areas of research focus (artist, genre/style, development, etc.) and will learn to consider these topic(s) using relevant scholarship, theories, and approaches. These will include but are not limited to: genre studies, ethnomusicology, critical race theory, gender studies, technology, and aspects of aesthetic theory.
The course will include elements of lecture, group discussion, and peer learning. Students will be expected to complete weekly set readings, listening, and/or viewing, to discuss these in class as appropriate, and to apply them to their research-based assessments.
To facilitate contextualisation, the taught portions of the course will adopt a case-study approach using various artists, trends, and/or other topics as a means to examine and apply various theoretical approaches key to the study of popular music. While not a history course per se, the course is concerned with ensuring that students understand and can extrapolate from some of the key historical developments in popular music. While welcoming broader approaches in student work, the course takes a largely North American perspective as its jumping off point. This course does not expect or require you to read music or engage with formal musical analysis, though scope exists for you to pursue these approaches if you wish.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 20 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Formative Assessment Hours 1,
Summative Assessment Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
171 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1) 10-minute presentation and accompanying material (50%)
2) Annotated discography with accompanying 2500-word critical analysis (50%) |
| Feedback |
Students will receive ongoing feedback from staff and peers during informal class discussion. Feedback on their first assessment will be provided both via written comments and plenary discussion, and will be formative to their final assessment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of theories and concepts relevant to popular music studies
- Apply their understanding of theories and concepts relevant to popular music studies through a discrete, self-chosen research project and its findings
- Critically identify material/content relevant to their chosen area(s) of research interest
- Exercise autonomy in the development and execution of their research-based assessment tasks
- Communicate their understanding of issues relevant to popular music studies via specialised case-study findings
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Reading List
There is no set text for this course. Weekly readings will be provided via Learn, and are likely to change from year to year in response to changes in the field.
Indicative sources include:
Black Music Research Journal
Journal of Popular Music Studies
Popular Music
Popular Music and Society
Scottish Music Review
Journal of the Art of Record Production
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Enquiry and lifelong learning: the course will equip students to approach popular music and other aspects of popular culture in a critical and engaged fashion outside the classroom.
Outlook and engagement: the course will continue to embed notions of ethics with regard to scholarship and engagement with people/communities/groups; the course will provide valuable grounding and experience in applying race and gender theory, as well as discourse around decolonisation to students' everyday lived experiences.
Research and enquiry: the course will require students to develop and complete their own independent research projects.
Personal and intellectual autonomy: students will learn how to apply knowledge/theory gained in class to their own personal life experiences and research interests.
Communication: students will have to communicate their understanding via assessment, and also within informal class discussion. |
| Keywords | popular music |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Marian Jago
Tel: (0131 6)50 2426
Email: m.s.jago@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Hugh Black
Tel: (0131 6)51 5926
Email: hugh.black@ed.ac.uk |
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