MUS3018 : Minor Specialist Study: Performance
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Larry Zazzo
- 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 | |
Aims
1. to engage in a high level programme of instrument or vocal performance.
2. to consolidate and develop musical technical, expressive and critical skills in performance practice.
3. to demonstrate professional attitude and practice in preparation and performance.
By the end of this module you should have acquired: knowledge of performance practice issues stemming from the studied repertoire; knowledge, including an appropriate degree of memorisation, of the pieces learnt during the year; and awareness of professional performance standards (e.g. presentation, preparation, programme notes).
Because of the nature of instrumental study, tuition primarily takes place either in one-to-one sessions or ensemble coaching sessions with members of staff and/or an approved instrumental / vocal tutor (assigned to the student by the module leader and/or one of the heads of instrumental studies). Students are also required to attend some internal sessions (workshops) which might consist of instrumental master classes, guidance on performance formats, stagecraft, assessment. One-to-one or group tutorials are available with the module leader(s) in order for students to discuss their programmes. Time spent in supporting activities strengthens students' teamwork, and broadens their interpretative flexibility.
Assessment: A Specialist Study Project Proposal incorporating commentary on the previous year's recital video and examiners' feedback, to be submitted in the middle of Semester 1 (10%), and end of year performance of 25 minutes duration, together with appropriate accompanying documentation (programme notes incorporating self-reflection and critical knowledge of observed live performances and teacher's report) (90%).
Outline Of Syllabus
In addition to a Specialist Project Proposal, students prepare two public recitals: one 15 minute interim recital (Semester 1 – formative/advisory mark only) and one 25 minute final recital (Semester 2-summative mark). Students are supported in this process through consultation with the module leader(s) and a series of 12 one hour one-to-one lessons (or ensemble coaching sessions) with a specialist instrumental or vocal tutor, supplemented by occasional workshops with Heads of Studies and guest tutors, as well as tutorials on Programme Notes, Stagecraft, and Assessment.
Students electing to be assessed as solo performers are free to perform within an ensemble, but will receive an individual mark using the Performance Handbook Solo Marking Criteria
Students electing to be assessed as an ensemble will form themselves into a self-selected ensemble at the time of module choice the previous academic year, indicating this choice in writing to the ML, and then sign a learning contract to the effect that they undertake to fulfil all the module requirements including regular engagement with group rehearsals. The self-selected ensemble will then be assessed according to Group Marking Criteria, receiving a group mark inflected by individual contributions. Student electing the ensemble option will receive 12 hours of group coaching per ensemble from relevant instrumental tutors/heads of studies.
The module requires approximately 170 hours of private study (individual practice and / or ensemble rehearsal), and students will be asked to perform once each semester in the weekly Student Performances during teaching weeks.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Lectures and materials on module function, performance anxiety and programme notes. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Individual or group instrumental & vocal lessons (arranged individually with tutor) (Note: this is a maximum of 12 hours per group for those taking the ensemble option) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | Rehearsals/Performances. Participation in student concerts (once per term) |
| Guided Independent Study | Skills practice | 1 | 164:00 | 164:00 | individual practice, research, and self-reflective writing |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | Attendance and synchronous participation via Canvas Discussion Boards with live, weekly professional lunchtime concerts (minimum 4 per term--but students are encouraged to attend ALL weekly lunchtime concerts) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | Workshops on stagecraft, peer assessment and recital preparation |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 6 | 0:30 | 3:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Individual or group lessons with appropriate tutors are the mode for the development of appropriate technical and interpretative skills. Group workshops provide forums for further developing a range of performing, wellbeing, rehearsing and research skills. Individual tutorials provide opportunities for performance feedback and review, as well as programme planning.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 25 | 2 | A | 90 | Final Recital (live, open to public). 25 minutes (please see below Assessment Rationale for defined potential recital length penalties). To be accompanied by programme notes. |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 10 | Specialist Project Proposal Form (see below) |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 1 | A | Interim recital (15 minutes) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The summative Specialist Project Proposal will encourage students to reflect critically on the video of their previous year's final recital, and to better understand examiners' marking criteria. It also requires creative research and the formulation of a plan of study leading to two professional level performances. Recitals accessible to the public provide a forum in which to display technical, musical, expressive and presentational skills developed in the course of the module.
The formally- written programme notes (with Bibliography) accompanying your final recital will aid a potential audience and examiners in appreciating your performance and in understanding your choice of repertoire, and will provide a narrative of your development over the year under an appropriately formulated plan of study; these notes may document your working processes in tuition, practice and outside research, and include examples of how your regular participation in student performances and workshops and your active engagement with professional concerts may have impacted on these working processes.
For those taking the individual option, a tutor's report will be available to the assessment panel for consultation at the time of your end-of-year recital.
In accordance with practice at UK conservatories, the Dean has approved the use of fixed penalties in marking for recital length underruns and overruns, as follows:
1.Recitals that over-run by more than 10% will lose 3 points off their final mark and will be stopped in order to try and keep to the published schedule.
2.Recitals that under-run by more than 10% but less than 20% will lose 3 points off their mark.
3.Recitals that under-run by 20% or more will lose 10 points off their mark.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MUS3018's Timetable