MUS2059 : Creative Performance in Music, Film & Media
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr William Edmondes
- Technician: Mr Fred Hollingsworth
- Owning School: Arts & Cultures
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
Pre Requisite Comment
N/A
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
Creative Performance in Music, Film & Media aims to develop individual and collaborative composition skills realised (and assessed) through the medium of live performance, in a way that most closely reflects and responds to the multiplicity and interdisciplinarity of contemporary professional practice. With online digital media making contemporary music an unprecedentedly interdisciplinary field, film and moving image media are nowadays totally integrated into how music is conceived, published and promoted.
Outline Of Syllabus
During semester one students will work in various collaborative settings designed to introduce key concepts in contemporary performance and expression. After two weeks students are assigned specific groups in which they will work collaboratively for the remainder of semester one in preparation for a directed and devised, assessed performance at the end of the semester, which takes the form of a live score for a cinematic film presentation.
Ahead of semester two, students are usually reorganised into new groups (although groups who wish to continue working together may do so) in order to prepare for the final assessments before Easter and in May, a public performance and/or public presentation of a collaborative work (possibly multimedia depending on the direction taken by a given group). This is assessed by a live performance.
After the Easter vacation, students prepare individual critical reflective written submissions worth 10% of the overall mark,
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 18 | 1:00 | 18:00 | Includes off-campus gig nights at local venues |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 20 | 1:00 | 20:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 16 | 1:30 | 24:00 | Thursday student concerts |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 16 | 2:00 | 32:00 | Comprises in-studio group 'crit' tutorials guiding development work. |
| Guided Independent Study | Skills practice | 1 | 92:30 | 92:30 | Includes collaborative group work. |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 18 | 0:45 | 13:30 | Thursday lunchtime concerts |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Seminars (in-studio) introduce and develop performance, arranging and collaboration skills; this is reinforced by group learning where students practise and improve these skills; lectures introduce vernacular (predominantly non-notated) music skills, contextualize repertoire and critical frameworks for situating practice; off-campus gig nights, which are student-run, allow students to gain experience presenting new work in a professional setting; 1:1 instrumental lessons are available to students also taking MUS2058 and allow students to work intensively on their own technical skills on their instrument or voice. Lunchtime and student concert attendance gives the performance students regular opportunities to experience and reflect on professional and peer level performances. Students taking MUS2059 without MUS2058 may receive instrumental tuition upon request subject to module leader and performance committee discretion.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 10 | 1 | M | 30 | Multimedia group performance [film soundtrack] 5-10 minutes |
| Performance | 15 | 2 | M | 60 | Band/group performance [ca. 15 minute set] |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 2 | A | 10 | A short critical-reflective essay responding to content in lectures as well as experience of creative collaboration. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The first (semester 1) public performance (live scored film soundtrack) demonstrates musical, creative and collaborative skills in a finished professional level of group performance within an audiovisual context. The group mark is the same for all members of the band, reflecting the collaborative aspect of the performance.
The second (semester 2) public performance demonstrates musical, creative and collaborative skills in a finished professional level of group performance or collective presentation of collaborative multi-media work. Students receive individual marks for this component: individual marks are arrived at through a combination of assessing a student’s contribution within the performance itself and regular observation by teaching staff during group tutorials (in rehearsal) providing a more established view of a given participant’s role and contribution.
The final, short essay (500-1000 words), provides an opportunity for students to articulate a position or insight in response to the critical frameworks explored during lectures in semester 2. The task provides a step towards the more research-oriented requirements of final-year specialisms in creative practice which demand a more substantial, critically reflexive written component.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MUS2059's Timetable