Module MUSI41830: Electronic Music

Department: Music

MUSI41830: Electronic Music

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To develop a critical understanding of the history and the current research frontier of electronic music, including both live and studio composition
• To develop advanced skills and techniques through a series of practical electronic music exercises
• To inculcate contextually aware evaluation of students’ own compositional research

Content

• This module treats the exciting and rapidly developing field of electronic music, covering both live performance and studio composition. The emphasis is for students to gain confidence and ability commensurate with engagement with the research frontier of electronic music. Learning contexts may include live electronic music, new musical interfaces, laptop performance, interactive music software, sound synthesis and analysis, electroacoustic studio composition, and algorithmic music. Research in historical electronic music will inform treatment of present day compositional and performance topics. Students will be guided through various means of producing compositional studies, which will develop and exploit specific skills, such as computer music programming and studio lore. The student will be able to tailor aspects of the module to their own compositional strengths, interests and learning needs, such as through their individual research towards a seminar presentation, and choice of final portfolio works.

Learning Outcomes

• familiarity with a range of electronic music techniques, as well as the perspective and critical understanding required to apply them to their own compositional research.
• critical understanding of theories and methodologies pertinent to the composition and performance of electronic music.
• advanced knowledge of relevant musical repertories from a range of historical periods and geographical locations.

• students will develop computer music programming skills and their awareness of the potential of music software to electronic music tasks. There will also be opportunity to work on approaches to electronic music which get away from the standard computer, such as the building of DIY interfaces and hardware hacking.
• compositional skill in electronic music will be developed in line with students’ own particular needs, where this may include aspects of generative and interactive music as well as more traditional fixed studio composition.
• an advanced ability to engage critically with theories and methodologies pertinent to the academic study of electronic music.
• an advanced ability to describe and analyse electroacoustic works from a range of musical repertories, informed by an understanding of the socio-cultural matrices from which they emerged and of their specific formal and stylistic features.
• an advanced ability to draw upon appropriate theoretical perspectives and methodologies to study electronic music while simultaneously deriving independent intellectual and creative insights from this activity.
• advanced competence in musical literacy.
• advanced competence in engaging with musical materials in electronic formats (e.g. recordings, new musical interfaces, musical programming code) .

• The module will facilitate the development of those compositional techniques most appropriate for the articulation of each student's musical ideas.
• Through an independent research project and leading a seminar presentation, students will develop transferrable research skills
• Students will also develop the ability to:
• engage in close readings of a wide range of challenging texts (musical, verbal, audio-visual, as appropriate)
• deploy independent research skills using appropriate specialist tools and resources;
• synthesise complex materials from a wide range of sources and to present them cogently in the form of written documents, oral reports, presentations, and musical performances, as appropriate
• demonstrate competence in information technology skills to support MA learning and research (e.g. by means of: word-processing and music-processing software; databases; presentation software; audiovisual editing and analysis software; graph- and image-processing; web-based resources; relevant technologies)
• deploy advanced knowledge of professional conduct in meeting academic standards, including appropriate use of relevant ethical codes of practice and correct referencing of sources
• deploy problem-solving skills
• deploy organisational skills, including time management.

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

• The seminars will promote a research-led approach to composition, flexibly supporting student interests whilst presenting core topics in current electronic music and their historical context. There will also be opportunity for feedback on progress towards the final summative. Students will take part in an independent research project agreed with the module leader, reporting back through a presentation in a seminar.
• Typically, directed learning may include assigning student(s) an issue, theme or topic that can be independently or collectively explored within a framework and/or with additional materials provided by the tutor. This may function as preparatory work for presenting their ideas or findings (sometimes electronically) to their peers and tutor in the context of a seminar.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Electronic music exercises will be prepared for certain seminars and discussed in class. The independent research exercise will require students to prepare a seminar presentation on a topic agreed with the module convener.

■ 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