Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2010-2011 (archived)

Module MUSI2331: ELECTROACOUSTIC STUDIES

Department: Music

MUSI2331: ELECTROACOUSTIC STUDIES

Type Open Level 2 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2010/11 Module Cap 24 Location Durham

Prerequisites

  • Contemporary Music (MUSI1201).

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To provide an introduction to the techniques of electroacoustic music composition, building upon the foundation skills acquired in the Preliminary Honours module 'Techniques of Composition'.

Content

  • Introduction to the resources of the electroacoustic music studios.
  • The operational principles of microphones, the studio mixing desk, hardware and software recording systems, synthesisers and signal processors.
  • The study of the nature of musical sounds and their spectral and dynamic characteristics, and the significance of acoustical considerations in the generation and propagation of electroacoustic music.
  • The construction of studies that apply these principles to demonstrate technical competence and musical creativity.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Students will acquire a practical knowledge of the electroacoustic resources available in the Department's studios and an understanding of the primary acoustical and technical characteristics that govern their use.
  • This knowledge will embrace the key issues of technical quality and how this is achieved, and the choice and use of resources for the purposes of electroacoustic composition.
  • On completion of the module students will be able to embark upon a major electroacoustic project at Level 3, following the degree pathway in Composition.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Students will be able to demonstrate practical skills in the use of technology to analyse, synthesise, and manipulate sound material in a creative context.
Key Skills:
  • Students will be able to demonstrate advanced information technology skills, the ability to work independently and show critical self-awareness.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • The practical study of electroacoustic music demands the acquisition of considerable technical knowledge that is not normally encountered in purely instrumental composition.
  • This knowledge is best taught in a 'hands on' environment, learning specific skills step by step through directed exercises which gradually progress from being purely instructive in nature to those of a more hybrid nature, where the use of the technology is increasingly driven by creative imperatives.
  • This accumulation of knowledge requires a highly interactive teaching and learning environment with a significant degree of immediate group and one-to-one feedback through studio-based seminars and supporting tutorials.
  • The balance between studio-based seminars and tutorials adjusts from a bias towards the former to a bias towards the latter during the year in order to reflect the transition from a predominantly instructive academic environment to a predominantly creative academic environment.
  • This is reflected in the nature of the two major summative components over the first consisting of three task-directed assignments completed during the first two terms, and the second a self-contained compositional project completed during the third term.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Tutorials 6 2 per term 1 hour 6
Seminars 19 Weekly terms 1/2 1 hour 19
Preparation and Reading 175
Total 200

Summative Assessment

Component: Practical Assignments Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
practical assignment 1 33.4%
practical assignment 2 33.3%
practical assignment 3 33.3%
Component: Electroacoustic Study Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
electroacoustic study 100%

Formative Assessment:

Weekly feedback (Terms 1 and 2) in seminars on weekly practical assignments, plus tutorials on work in progress.


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University