2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
MUSS3640 Music Technology
40 creditsClass Size: 35
Module manager: Dr James Mooney
Email: j.r.mooney@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
Pre-requisites
| MUSS2620 | Music Tech Skills & Techniques |
Module replaces
MUSI3620 Minor Music TechnologyMUSI3640 Major Music TechnologyThis module is not approved as a discovery module
Module summary
This module enables students to plan, devise, realise, and document a substantial project in an area where interaction with technology plays a significant role in creative musical activity. Through lectures, seminars, workshops, and individual and peer-group work, students will develop creative and professional identity in an area of practice relevant to music technology, technical skill, methodological rigour, and an awareness of the relevant contextual praxes and discourses. These will be applied in the realisation of the project.Objectives
1) Provide students with opportunities to engage with current and historic practice, scholarship, and critical discourse, relevant to one or more of the following (indicative) areas:a. Computer music;
b. Sound recording;
c. Interactive multimedia systems;
d. Digital live performance tools;
e. Any other topic where interaction with technology plays a significant role in creative musical activity.
2) Enable students to develop their professional identities as practitioners in one or more (or a combination) of those areas through practical and intellectual engagement with music technology in individual and peer-group settings;
3) Provide a framework within which students can plan, devise, realise, and document a substantial independent practice-based research project in one or more (or a combination) of those areas that articulates professional identity, technical skill, rigorous methodology, and awareness of the relevant contextual praxes and discourses (which might include current or historic, critical, aesthetic, theoretical, or philosophical discourse / practice).
Learning outcomes
On completing the module students will:
1) Have critical understanding, gained through individual staff supported by course tutors, of a range of current and historic practice, scholarship, and critical discourse relevant to one or more of the following (indicative) areas:
a. Computer music;
b. Sound recording;
c. Interactive multimedia systems;
d. Digital live performance tools;
e. Any other topic where interaction with technology plays a significant role in creative musical activity.
2) Be able to situate their professional and/or creative work in music technology within the context of current/historic practice and discourse in one or more (or a combination) of those areas;
3) Know how to plan, devise, realise, and document a substantial independent practice-based research project in one or more (or a combination) of those areas that articulates professional identity, technical skill, rigorous methodology, and awareness of the relevant contextual praxes and discourses (which might include current or historic, critical, aesthetic, theoretical, or philosophical discourse / practice).
Syllabus
Lectures will introduce the two coursework tasks (project proposal in semester 1, final project portfolio in semester 2) and provide context and examples of potential project topics.
Seminars will focus on:
• finding and summarising existing research on a focused topic;
• developing a project proposal;
• developing critical and evaluative skills (with respect to students’ own practice and to the practice of others);
• providing training in appropriate research methodologies;
• providing support for the development of technical skills through independent and peer-group activities.
Workshops will focus on techniques and methodologies of practice-based research.
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Lecture | 10 | 2.00 | 20.00 |
| Tutorial | 3 | 0.50 | 1.50 |
| Private study hours | 378.50 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 21.50 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400.00 | ||
Private study
• 378.5 hours roughly equates to 12–13 hours per week of private study across 30 weeks. It is recommended that this be divided roughly equally between 6–6½ hours per week technical work on the one hand, and 6–6½ hours per week critical/contextual evaluation on the other. Indicatively:o 189.25 hours technical project work. This may include development of the Project Proposal, reviewing of technical documentation, independent development of practical/technical skills, as well as fulfilling the technical realisation of the Portfolio itself.
o 189.25 hours critical evaluation. This may include locating, reviewing and critically evaluating current and historical practice including the student’s own and the practice of others; reading and reflecting upon relevant aesthetic, theoretical, and/or philosophical literature; and completing those parts of the assessed coursework that require such critical reflection.
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
The main mechanisms for the monitoring of student progress are:• Contribution to lecture-seminars
• Tutorials
In addition student progress, as appropriate to topic, may be monitored through any combination of the following:
• practical help and problem solving in seminars;
• formative assessment tasks;
• in-class tasks under the supervision of a tutor;
• online fora, discussion boards, email;
• online virtual classroom sessions.
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Assignment | 3–4000 words (proposal), 2-3 minutes (video) | 40.00 |
| Portfolio | Usually takes the form of a ZIP file containing project media (as appropriate to the project) plus 4-6 page report in the form of a conference paper. | 60.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
In some cases, due to the time and access to facilities/equipment required, it may be necessary to offer resits of practical work during the following academic session rather than over the summer period.
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 29/04/2024 16:18:37
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