MUSPOP 2202 - Song Writing & Performance 2B

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2019

Building on concepts introduced in Song writing and Performance 2A, this course enables students to further develop their creative and technical skills in composition and music production in a contemporary popular music context. Seminars introduce compositional techniques for more complex work including advanced considerations for arranging, instrumentation, electro-acoustic materials and approaches to a variety of contemporary genres. A particular focus will be on creative use of the recording studio, blending composition and production. Students will develop key skills critical for composers and producers including reflective practice, and critical listening in a music production context. Workshops focus on more advanced strategies for the preparation and performance of live original music. Students will work in small groups in the recording studio to create small-scale works that will aid in the creation of their song writing portfolio, and prepare their work for public performance.

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Course Details

Course Code	MUSPOP 2202
Course	Song Writing & Performance 2B
Coordinating Unit	Elder Conservatorium of Music
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 4 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	MUSPOP 2201
Incompatible	MUSPMACT 2012
Restrictions	Available to BMus, BMedia (Pop Music major), DipMus students only
Assessment	Research essay 30%, Portfolio 40%, Recital 30%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Luke Harrald

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will develop:

1	An understanding of compositional and music production principles
2	An understanding of contemporary popular music idioms
3	Creativity and individuality as an artist; leading to the development of their own compositional voice
4	The ability to interpret and perform the compositions of others
5	A thorough understanding of the roles, responsibilities and activities involved in live Contemporary Music performance; both live and in the studio
6	Time and project management skills relating to music production in order to manage creative and technical requirements and meet deadlines

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 4, 5
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	4, 5, 6
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	5, 6
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	3, 5, 6

Learning Resources

Required Resources

• Class handouts and materials placed on MyUni.
• Each week students will be required to bring their instruments, or other technology they require to realise their group work.

Headphones and personal file storage such as a portable hard drive or USB flash drive for use in the EMU Audio Lab.

Recommended Resources

Reading

Beall, Eric (2009) The Billboard Guide to Writing and Producing Songs that Sell. Billboard Books: Crown Publishing Group, New York.
Braheny, John (2006) The Craft and Business of Songwriting. Writer’s Digest Books, F+W Publications, Cincinnati.
Chase, Wayne. (2006) How Music Really Works. Roedy Black Publishing, Vancouver.
Clark, Rick. Mixing, Recording, and Producing Techniques of the Pros Insights on Recording Audio for Music, Video, and Games. 2nd ed. Boston Independence: Course Technology CENGAGE Learning [Distributor].
Covach, John (2009) What’s that sound: an introduction to rock music and its history. Second edition. W.W. Norton & Company, New York.
Gilreath, Paul (2010) The Guide to MIDI Orchestration. Focal Press, London.
Kachulis, Jimmy (2005) The Songwriters Workshop: Harmony. Berklee Press, Boston.
Katz, Robert (2007) Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science. Second Edition. Focal Press, Burlington.
Perricone, Jack (2000) Melody in Songwriting: Tools and techniques for Writing Hit Songs. Berklee Press, Boston.
Stavrou, Michael Paul. (2003) Mixing with Your Mind : Closely Guarded Secrets of Sound Balance Engineering. First Edition. Flux Research, Mosman, NSW.
Wood, Clement (1936) The Complete Rhyming Dictionary and Poet’s Craft Book. Dell Publishing, New York.

Websites

Gary Ewers – The essential secrets of songwriting http://www.secretsofsongwriting.com/author/genwps/
Mix Magazine http://mixonline.com
ProTools Software http://www.avid.com
Waves Plugins http://www.waves.com
Sound on Sound Magazine http://www.soundonsound.com

Online Learning

Learning materials and assessment will be placed on MyUni. Usage of MyUni will include Announcements, Digital readings, External web-links and Recordings of classes; particularly student performances to enable students to critically reflect on their experiences in class.

Learning & Teaching Modes

The course structure and content is delivered through a range of classes and materials. Class delivery modes include a weekly seminar and practical workshop. The classes in this course use a format where students are presented with theoretical and/ or practical content through the seminar. The theoretical content creates a topic framework that students then expand theoretically through discussions and exercises during the seminar, and practically through performing their work in the workshop. Students will also be expected to further expand the topics presented using out-of-class resources that are presented online, improve their studio skills through regular bookings of the recording studio, and rehearsing in their own time. The online resources and additional rehearsals will compliment, reinforce and extend the concepts presented.

The classes provide theoretical explanations of composition, production and song writing techniques; discussion of their creative and technical application in various styles and genres; and their practical application to creativity through students preparing their work for both studio recording and performance.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

WORKLOAD	TOTAL HOURS
1 x 2-hour seminars per week	24 hours per semester
1 x 2-hour workshop per week	24 hours per semester
6 hours rehearsals & readings per week	72 hours per semester
1 hours research per week	12 hours per semester
2 hours assignment preparation per week	24 hours per semester
	TOTAL = 156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

The course structure and content will examine the areas below through weekly theoretical and/or practical demonstrations and exploration. The following list of topics is supplied as a guide, and may change depending on needs arising through the semester. Further detail regarding weekly content can be found on MyUni.

WEEK	SEMINAR TOPIC
1	Course Introduction & the producer's role / Recording Studio Workshop 1
2	Composing using modern mix techniques / Recording Studio Workshop 2
3	Session Singing / Recording Studio Workshop 3
4	Pitch Editing: Compositional Uses / Recording Studio Workshop 4
5	Manipulating Drum Tracks / Recording Studio Workshop 5
6	Techniques for Jingle Writing / Recording Studio Workshop 6
7	Top 10 Discussion / Band Rehearsal
8	Producer Series: 60s – George Martin, Phil Spector / Band Rehearsal
9	Producer Series: 70’s – Georgio Moroder, Quincy Jones, Brian Eno / Band Rehearsal
10	Producer Series: 80’s – Rick Rubin, Andy Wallace / Band Rehearsal
11	Producer Series: 90’s – Steve Albini, Buch Vig / Band Rehearsal
12	Producer Series: 2000’s – Dr. Dre, Timbaland / Band Rehearsal

Specific Course Requirements

EMU Facilities

This course will involve using the resources of the Electronic Music Unit (EMU). This includes facilities such as studios, recording spaces and digital audio workstations. For more information about these facilities and how to make bookings go to the EMU website:
Access and use of EMU is based upon the following:

Users must complete and pass the EMU Guide Assessment (EGA). In order to pass the EGA users must receive a 90% or above grade. Users will have a maximum of 3 attempts at passing the EGA before being prohibited from taking the assessment further. If a user fails to pass the EGA after 3 attempts, or doesn’t pass by the end of week 4 of the course, they will not be permitted to continue the course and won’t be provided access or permission to use any of the EMU facilities.

Users agree to and sign the EMU User Agreement (EUA). Users found in breach of the EUA will automatically have their access and booking privileges suspended. An initial breach will result in a 4-week suspension. Any subsequent breach will result in suspension until the start of the next academic year. Information is available on the EMU website:
Rehearsal Spaces

This course will also require that students rehearse both individually and as a part of their group. For individual practice, students may book and use any of the rehearsal rooms contained within the Conservatorium with a limit of two hours per day for any individual space as per the Conservatorium’s Rehearsal guidelines. For more specific group work, rehearsal space with a backline (Drumkit, Guitar and Bass Amplifiers and an electric piano) and PA system has been provided in Schulz B14. Bookings of this space may be made through the EMU online booking system:
A dB meter is installed in this space. If you exceed the set dB limit for the space, the lights will flash. Levels should not exceed the 88dB limit, which is considered the safe working limit for venues around Australia. Students found exceeding these levels will have their booking privileges revoked for two weeks, and repeat offenders may have their booking privileges revoked for the remainder of the academic year.

All spaces must be left in a neat and tidy state ready for the next user when you finish rehearsing.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Through this course, students will compose original creative work. In small groups, students will prepare their original compositions for live performance. Through this process, students will learn collaborative and research skills, enhance and further develop their creative process, and disseminate their new work publicly through live performance. Students will meet with mentors each week during weeks 8 – 12 in small groups of 5.

Groups rehearse simultaneously in individual rehearsal spaces, with the mentor moving between the groups as required.

A variety of performance venues are used semester-to-semester, including on-site venues such as UniBar and Scott Theatre, and off-site venues such as The Wheatsheaf Hotel, The Promethean, Jive, and The Jade Monkey.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

ASSESSMENT TASK	TASK TYPE	WEIGHTING	COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Research Essay	Summative	30%	1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Portfolio	Summative	40%	1, 2, 3, 5
Recital	Summative	30%	1, 2, 4, 5, 6

Assessment Related Requirements

Expectation & Penalty

As per Conservatorium policy, active and positive participation in 100% of classes is expected. Any student who attends less than 80% of required classes without approved leave may result in a 5 (five) mark penalty for each unapproved absence. The penalties will be applied to the final total percentage mark for the semester for the relevant component i.e. after all other assessments have been completed and calculated. Arrival after the scheduled starting time or departure before the scheduled finishing time may, at the lecturer or co-ordinator’s discretion, be regarded as an unapproved absence.

Leave

The Conservatorium recognises that extenuating circumstances may occasionally affect a student’s ability to participate in a rehearsal, workshop, class, lecture, tutorial or performance. In such cases leave may be approved by the relevant staff member - students should contact the lecturer and gain approval prior to taking the leave.

Assessment Detail

Research Essay: 1500 words, not including Bibliography and Referencing. Students will research a topic from a variety of set topics that will contribute to their creative portfolio, giving their creative work more depth and research impetus.

Portfolio: The Portfolio represents the major practical assessment for the semester and will involve the creation of a minimum of three songs, one of which will be a set work; ie. students will be required to write to a brief. All creative works will be required to be recorded for submission, either through groups assigned in the workshop, or alternatively students may organise their own groups. As a major focus of this class is music production, all students will be expected to produce and record their own music in the recording studio.

Recital: Students will be assessed on their contribution to the preparation and delivery of a public recital of their work, held during the examination period. Central to this assessment is the role they play in the delivery of both their work, and that of other students, and their level of performance in the Recital. As part of this assessment, students will be required to keep a log of all out of class rehearsals, including day, time, length and personnel in attendance, and 10% of their grade will be tied to workshop participation.

Submission

All written and recorded materials will be submitted online via MyUni. Practical assessments will take place either in-class, or at the off-campus performance. Note that due to practicalities, extensions for practical assessments are not possible.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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