Creative Musicianship

As the third and final module on the Pathway to Music, you will specialise in an area of creative musicianship.

You will have the opportunity to extend pre-existing skills, and to develop knowledge and understanding through communicating music. During ‘day school’ events, interactive workshops will involve discussion of creative musicianship issues that relate to both performance and composition activities.

You will gain insight into the links between the two art forms and how musicians can learn from one another.

The workshops will be an opportunity for you to demonstrate your work in progress (whether performance or composition) and feedback will be offered from the course leader and peers.

Learning and teaching

The module will be delivered through 3 day schools and a series of online tutorials.

Depending on your specialism, you will focus in one of the following areas:

• Solo performance;
• Ensemble performance;
• Improvisation;
• Composing (using notation);
• Composing (using technology).

On completion of the module you will be able to:

• Demonstrate an awareness of what ‘creative musicianship’ means and how this can be applied to various musical activities, including solo and group performance, improvisation, and composition;
• Apply the understanding of conventions, traditions and techniques in your own compositions [composition pathway];
• Understand and interpret musical notation with confidence to aid the presentation of a stylistically aware solo/group performance [solo/ensemble performance pathway using a notated score];
• Demonstrate melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, textural and expressive variety to aid the presentation of an improvised performance [improvisation pathway without the use of a notated score];
• Develop the ability to work independently and plan, implement and evaluate your own practice and performance, and/or compositional technique and outputs.

Coursework and assessment

To award credits we need to have evidence of the knowledge and skills you have gained or improved. Some of this has to be in a form that can be shown to external examiners so that we can be absolutely sure that standards are met across all courses and subjects.

The most important element of assessment is that it should enhance your learning. Our methods are designed to increase your confidence and we try very hard to devise ways of assessing you that are enjoyable and suitable for adults with busy lives.

For this course, you will provide a recording of your chosen area of creative musicianship. You will agree your chosen option with the course tutor at the start of the module. Full details of the assessment will be available after enrolment.

Reading suggestions

You will be provided with comprehensive reading suggestions before the course begins.

Library and computing facilities

As a student on this course you are entitled to join and use the University’s library and computing facilities. Find out more about using these facilities.

Accessibility

Our aim is access for all. We aim to provide a confidential advice and support service for any student with a long term medical condition, disability or specific learning difficulty. We are able to offer one-to-one advice about disability, pre-enrolment visits, liaison with tutors and co-ordinating lecturers, material in alternative formats, arrangements for accessible courses, assessment arrangements, loan equipment and dyslexia screening.