Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2012-2013 (archived)

Module MUSI3591: Arranging for Band (Wind, Brass & Percussion)

Department: Music

MUSI3591: Arranging for Band (Wind, Brass & Percussion)

Type	Open	Level	3	Credits	20	Availability	Available in 2012/13	Module Cap	None.	Location	Durham

Prerequisites

A Level Music or equivalent.

Corequisites

None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

None.

Aims

To provide students the opportunity to gain the specialist skills needed to arrange music for wind and brass bands
To provide students with an understanding of the world of commercial music publishing and to equip them with the skills to become employable in this field.

Content

An in-depth study of the constitution of modern wind and brass bands and key aspects of their history.
The study of the playing techniques of individual band instruments
The study of significant contributions in a variety of styles to the repertories for these ensembles
The study of techniques of arranging music for these ensembles

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

Students will gain a practical understanding of how to write effectively for the constituent instruments in wind and brass bands and arrange music for them.
Students will deepen their knowledge of the existing repertory and the approaches of leading practitioners to arranging music for the mediums of brass and wind bands.

Subject-specific Skills:

Students will develop the necessary aural, intellectual and practical skills to write idiomatic arrangements for brass and wind bands of varying composition.

Key Skills:

Students will gain a historically informed understanding of how to write effectively for the mediums of band and wind bands, drawing extensively on the academic literature on this topic.
Students will gain the ability to work under the pressure of time constraints and dead-lines.
Students will gain an understanding of the required standards of the publishing business.
Students will gain an understanding of the commercial value of their work in the world of music.
Students will gain personal skills in initiative and drive.

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

Students will have the opportunity to obtain feedback on a continuous basis by completing regular formative assignments.
They will also have the opportunity to evaluate the success of their arrangements when the summatively assessed arrangements are performed at workshops.
Type of Class: A mixture of lectures, seminar, tutorials and workshops

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Tutorials	11	Fortnightly	1 hour	11
Lectures/Seminars	11	Fornightly	1 hour	11
Workshop	2	1 per term (first two terms	3 hours	6
Preparation and Reading				172
TOTAL				200

Summative Assessment

Component: Portfolio of arrangements		Component Weighting: 50%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
A brass band arrangement (approved by the module leader) involving a score and a set of individual parts plus a 750 word commentary, reflecting critical analysis		50%	No
A wind band arrangement (approved by the module leader) involving a score and a set of individual parts plus a 750 word commentary, reflecting critical analysis		50%	No
Component: Take-away arrangement project plus a 1,000 word commentary		Component Weighting: 50%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Take-away arrangement project plus a 1,000 word commentary, reflecting critical analysis		100%	No
		%

Formative Assessment:

Weekly set exercises in arranging for smaller groups and full band.

■ 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