Aims

This module recognises that many students will need to engage with and apply Common Practice musics through a variety of lenses and may begin to find speciality in one area. For example, this could be from the perspective of analysis, composition, or music education. The content of the module prepares the students to consider, evaluate and compose Common Practice musical materials. By the close of the module the student will have chosen an area in which to specialise their engagement with the musical materials and be able to critically think and communicate the musical materials of Common Practice musics to a third party. Students will also undertake an e-learning journey, using the software Musition in support of the weekly lectures to enable the students to practice and embed their skills outside of the immediate learning environment, and to monitor their own learning gain through weekly and incremental formative assessments.

Outline Of Syllabus

The module begins by showing students how to produce music notation both by hand and digital notation software to a publishable standard, and moves on to short and full score musical examples with annotations, cadences in major and minor key signatures, second inversion chords, the seventh degree note and chord, circle of fifths and modulations, Soprano Alto Tenor Bass (SATB) and the Bach Chorale, and closes with SATB and the String Quartet.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Students will engage with the core materials of Common Practice music through the lenses of analysis, composition, and music education. This methodology asks the student to apply their Common Practice theory and skills across and then potentially select one of these lenses for assessment in recognition of their likely career portfolio.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Students will be asked to demonstrate their understanding of Common Practice musics including cadences, second inversions, 7ths, circle of fifths, or modulations which are intended knowledge outcomes 1-4 and intended skill outcomes 1-5, and the cultural and theoretical presentation of a Bach chorale which are intended knowledge outcomes 1-5 and intended skill outcomes 1-5 and 6.

The presentation of the assessment might reasonably be in the form of an analysis paper that could act as a poster at an analysis conference, or the form of a performance ready score which contains a written introduction to the music and detailed instructions for the performers in regard to the Common Practice techniques being used, or in the form of a detailed lesson plan designed for teachers at Key Stage 4 (GCSE).

The assessment is designed to contextualise and enable the student to consider the materials outside of the University learning environment and in real world situations. Whilst these templates for presentation are different, the briefs will be written to ensure consistency of required musical materials and their discussion across the templates to ensure parity of assessment across the cohort.