The Songwriting major series of units involves a series of one-on-one tutorials with a songwriting ‘mentor’ that will guide the student to achieve their creative vision in words and music. It is essential for a songwriter to constantly develop, re-think, and re-examine their abilities, and be open to influences and the world around them to ensure a future career in music. The unit will move towards developing a portfolio of original material that can then be used by the student to showcase their craft.

Ensemble I

It is essential to constantly develop as a member of a band and as an individual player to ensure a future musical career. The Ensemble sequence of units has been designed to provide the time and guidance required for the maturation of students’ performance abilities. In Ensemble 1, students will begin to develop their expertise in their principal instrument and awareness of repertoire through ensemble sessions (1 x 2-hour session per week). Stage performance technique as ‘stage presence’ is introduced and students are given the opportunity to explore, rehearse and develop musical skills in a group or ensemble environment. Students will be able to demonstrate their craft during two formal ensemble performances. To assist in the development of their professionalism, students will begin to develop planning skills and the ability to set specific, timely and achievable goals. Attention is placed on learning basic communication and interaction skills.

Collaborative Recording Project 1

In the first unit in the Collaborative Recording Project sequence, students are introduced to the practices of collaborative music-making. For musicians developing a specialist skill as a creative technologist, replication of music elements via digital environments is an integral foundation skill for a digital creator. This unit includes aspects of group music creation and replication using software, piano skills via industry DAWs, and basic stylistic replication. Across a 1 x 2-hour supervised group class per week (and additional self-organised follow-up sessions), students will develop planning skills and the ability to set specific, timely and achievable goals. Attention is placed on learning basic communication and interaction skills.

This unit continues developing the student’s knowledge and understanding of Music Theory, in preparation for musicianship at a professional level. Skills and understanding achieved in the unit will include knowledge of written theory, and extended understanding of notation and harmonic relationships at an intermediate level. This expanded level of musicianship will eventually allow students to compose or arrange successful compositions and help develop technical musical skills on a chosen instrument. This is the second of four units (Music Theory 1-4) that will build the students’ ability and knowledge within practical components of written music theory, and increase their overall musical awareness.

This subject provides development in the student’s aural musicianship skills. In undertaking this subject, students will gain an understanding of fundamental musical principles and strengthen their aural perception of musical elements. Skills and understanding achieved in this subject create the foundation of any professional musician, which will be further developed during the duration of the course. This fundamental level of musicianship will allow students to better appreciate music and explore sonic textures. Emphasis is given to three main area including rhythmic perception and performance, solfege, performance and recognition of harmonic and melodic elements.

This unit provides an overview of Western contemporary popular music styles and the evolution in production of recorded and performed music since the 1950s. Students investigate major musical styles and periods from the 1950s to the present, and develop the ability to define key characteristics of each. The unit introduces the broad themes of what constitutes popular music, and elements of music production, with an emphasis on musical events, key artists or industry figures, and institutions which contributed to the development of different musical movements. Students are exposed to the structure of the music industry, developing their understanding of the inter-relationship between the different sectors and key historical developments, and gain an appreciation of the music tradition within which they will work. The unit provides a context and preparation for the concepts which are explored further in subsequent units and is essential for future professional practice in the music industry. Basic academic writing skills and assignment planning will also be covered in this unit.

This unit introduces students to the capacity of music technology to enhance their potential as musicians, composers, and recording artists. Students will investigate the fundamental range and features of music technology available and gain an understanding of its potential in the creative process. Students will learn the fundamentals of the technology underlying all stages of music creation and distribution. They will also investigate the operations and parts of a computer; set-up and operation of small music home recording systems; operation of industry-standard software program (Pro Tools, Logic Pro, or Ableton Live) and program using Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). Students will acquire (or reinforce) basic musicianship and keyboard skills. Academic writing skills with research and referencing methodology will also be covered as part of preparation for the first assessment task.

Students will continue to develop the necessary skills, craft, techniques, and methodology to become a capable, adaptable, and versatile songwriter, under the guidance of their songwriting ‘mentor’ (1 x 30 min lesson per week it is expected that the student will be able to exhibit a level of musicianship and craft superior to that demonstrated in Songwriting Major 1. More attention is placed in this unit on developing a portfolio of strong original material in the form of enhanced demos that can then be used by the student to showcase their craft.

Ensemble II

It is essential to constantly develop as a member of a band and as an individual player to ensure a future musical career. The Ensemble sequence of units has been designed to provide the time and guidance required for the maturation of students’ performance abilities. In Ensemble 2, students continue to develop their expertise in their principal instrument and awareness of repertoire through ensemble sessions (1 x 2-hour session per week). The focus for this Ensemble unit is on working with a new group of musicians to develop an extended repertoire for live and recorded performances. Specialist tutors guide students through this process, from increasing technical proficiency, creativity and the development of their personal playing styles. Their stage persona also continues to be refined, with increasing emphasis on movement, stage dialogue, microphone technique, musicianship and stage image. To prepare for the live performance and live recordings, a number of rehearsal sessions are organised where students will be given ‘real time’ feedback from their tutors, as well as discussing and critiquing performances with their peers.

Collaborative Recording Project 2

In Collaborative Recording Project 2, students are expected to apply superior knowledge proficiently at a level higher than they demonstrated in Collaborative Recording Project 1. To achieve this, students will be encouraged to explore different models for creative collaboration in the design and realisation of a group-based music technology project, with a focus on a model that allows them to best communicate with each other. The scope of the creative work in this unit is potentially limitless, however students will have to work together to articulate, refine and justify their creative choices so that the production achieved is a thought-provoking combination of musical interests, talent and skillsets. Students may also participate in a collaborative live recording assessment with student ensembles from PSP215 Ensemble 2, which will require the application of professional communication skills and sharing of knowledge and skills.

This unit continues developing student knowledge and understanding of music theory, in preparation for musicianship at a professional level. Skills and understanding achieved in the unit will include knowledge of written theory, and extended understanding of notation and harmonic relationships. This expanded level of musicianship will eventually allow students to compose or arrange successful compositions and help develop technical musical skills on a chosen instrument. This is the third of four units (Music Theory 1-4) that will build the students’ ability and knowledge within practical components of written music theory, and increase their overall musical awareness.

It is essential to constantly develop as a member of a band and as an individual player to ensure a future musical career. The Ensemble sequence of units has been designed to provide the time and guidance required for the maturation of students’ performance abilities. In Ensemble 1, students will begin to develop their expertise in their principal instrument and awareness of repertoire through ensemble sessions (1 x 2-hour session per week). Stage performance technique as ‘stage presence’ is introduced and students are given the opportunity to explore, rehearse and develop musical skills in a group or ensemble environment. Students will be able to demonstrate their craft during two formal ensemble performances. To assist in the development of their professionalism, students will begin to develop planning skills and the ability to set specific, timely and achievable goals. Attention is placed on learning basic communication and interaction skills.

This unit develops students’ conceptual knowledge and technical skills in songwriting, focusing on songwriting technique and practice methods, harmonic and melodic analysis, lyric content, form, and structure, and the ability to present their songs using industry standard lead sheets. Students will investigate the links between music and lyrics (prosody), form and structure of contemporary song, and analyse influential songwriters and their works during class time. Following the first assessment, the unit goes on to develop the students’ understanding of the process of music arranging. This begins by learning the idiosyncratic notation techniques and musical features of instruments within a basic contemporary music ensemble of vocals, guitar, piano/keyboard, bass and drums. Then students move on and further develop an understanding of writing for front line instruments - specific brass and reed instruments that are known in contemporary music as the ‘horn’ section. Each section of the ensemble requires a specific writing technique, and students create an arrangement of their original song submitted for the first assessment, demonstrating an understanding of harmony, melody, rhythm, structure and stylistic devices. Throughout this unit students work with the notation program Sibelius, learning techniques to craft clear scores and parts.

The purpose of this unit is to give students an introduction to the music industry enabling a basic understanding of key sectors, roles and structures within it. It will also introduce students to copyright as it applies broadly to musical, literary, dramatic and artistic works and the functions and responsibilities of publishers and publishing companies. All areas relating to the application of copyright and the workings of publishing are considered. This unit also introduces music publishing contracts, distribution deals, and opportunities that are emerging with the development of digital technology and the practices of independent artists. It will also explore the fundamentals of band management, including use of an ABN and basic business principles.