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MU1528: WRITING ABOUT MUSIC (2023-2024)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 10:44


Course Overview

In this course you will explore ways of writing and talking about music. Lectures will focus on recent work in music studies, showcasing the kind of scholarship you will encounter later in your degree. Tutorials will provide opportunities for experimenting in a range of formal and informal styles, working both individually and in small groups. By the end of the course you will gain a deeper understanding of both established writing conventions and emerging forms of multi-media communication.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 1
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Jonathan Hicks

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Either Programme Level 1 or Programme Level 2
  • Any Undergraduate Programme

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Whatever you go on to study in your degree, and wherever your degree leads you in your career, you will need to be confident in written and spoken communication. This course will help you to build that confidence by exploring different ways of writing and talking about music. Through focussing on recent work in music and sound studies you will become familiar with the kinds of scholarship required later in your degree. This will include examples of historical, analytical, ethnographic, and self-reflective writing. You will learn well-worn techniques for crafting concise, compelling prose, and you will experiment in a range of formal and informal styles. You will spend time in silence redrafting your sentences as well as time in front of a microphone preparing a podcast. By the end of the course you will gain a deeper understanding of academic writing conventions in music and sound studies, e.g., providing evidence in support of an argument, incorporating examples from printed or recorded sources, and providing references in line with library guidance. At the same time, you will also be encouraged to rethink existing conventions in light of new ways of communicating about our subject via social media and short-form videos.

A running theme throughout the course will be how to combine big ideas and small details. It is no good having a moment of genius if you make a mess of putting it on the page. By the same token, it is not enough for your writing to be neat and tidy; it should also be ambitious and engaging. We will demystify the process of arriving at a finished piece of work by addressing the different sorts of tasks that go into it: e.g., reading, listening, thinking, note-taking, drafting, editing, responding to feedback, etc. These different stages may not always happen in the same order, so we will emphasise the importance of trying things out to see what works for you.

This course makes few assumptions about your prior experiences of writing about music and sound. Whether you have recently written a lot or a little, we will support you based on your needs and encourage you to challenge yourself through formative assessments (e.g., weekly assignments that do not count toward your course grade). We will also help you to work both independently and with your peers. While writing is often a solitary activity it can also be a social one, and this course includes collaborative exercises in annotation, drafting, and editing.

 


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Podcast

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks 40 Feedback Weeks 43

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Feedback

Podcast on an agreed topic. Feedback provided in writing within three weeks of submission.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course students should be able to identify unique challenges in writing about music and sound.
ProceduralApplyBy the end of the course students should be able to record and edit speech using university-provided computer software.
ProceduralCreateBy the end of the course students should be able to work independently on devising a script for a podcast.
ProceduralCreateBy the end of the course, students should be able to write about music in different ways and tailor writing styles to audiences.

Portfolio

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 60
Assessment Weeks 40 Feedback Weeks 43

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

The portfolio of writing will respond to approaches outlined and analysed in the course. Students should show variety, imagination, and rigour in their submission. Feedback provided in writing within three weeks of submission.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course students should be able to identify unique challenges in writing about music and sound.
ProceduralCreateBy the end of the course, students should be able to write about music in different ways and tailor writing styles to audiences.
ReflectionAnalyseBy the end of the course students should understand the merits and limits academic writing conventions and exhibit a critical approach to academic writing.

Tutorial/Seminar Participation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 10
Assessment Weeks 26,27,28,29,30,32,33,34,35,39 Feedback Weeks 40

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Feedback

Tutorial leaders will provide informal feedback midway through the course with the final grade at the end of the course.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course students should be able to identify unique challenges in writing about music and sound.
ProceduralApplyBy the end of the course students should foster habits of independent and social reading/writing.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Portfolio

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

3,000-word portfolio of writing responding to approaches outlined and analysed in the course. Students should show variety, imagination, and rigour in their submission. Feedback provided in writing within three weeks of submission.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandBy the end of the course students should be able to identify unique challenges in writing about music and sound.
ProceduralCreateBy the end of the course, students should be able to write about music in different ways and tailor writing styles to audiences.
ProceduralApplyBy the end of the course students should be able to record and edit speech using university-provided computer software.
ProceduralCreateBy the end of the course students should be able to work independently on devising a script for a podcast.
ReflectionAnalyseBy the end of the course students should understand the merits and limits academic writing conventions and exhibit a critical approach to academic writing.
ProceduralApplyBy the end of the course students should foster habits of independent and social reading/writing.

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