Studying at York
Combined Practical Studies I (for Visiting Students) - MUS00022C
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2023-24 |
Module aims
The module develops practical music-making skills and critical reflection upon those practices through engagement with ensemble rehearsal and performance, and engagement with the practice of live music-making in a concert setting.
Module learning outcomes
Students should develop:
- a broader knowledge of relevant repertoire, including repertoire that might feature in professional auditions;
- an increased awareness of style and performance practice;
- punctuality, preparation, focus and attention;
- an understanding of rehearsal organisation, direction and conducting, and an ability to respect and follow the musical decisions of a director or conductor;
- technical solutions for performance challenges that differ from those presented by solo work;
- an enhanced awareness of both intonation and micro-rhythm as problems requiring collective solutions;
- an awareness of balance, blend, and foreground-background relationships through attentive listening to the total ensemble;
- an awareness of the social dynamic of performance within a collective;
- the individual responsibility that is needed for effective team work;
- the confidence and judgment necessary to evaluate the individual's role in the collective performance, especially in cases where individual decisions are governed by knowledge of what others are playing - decisions that can only be determined within the ensemble.
Students will become aware:
- that live music making creates immediate communities of listeners that operate differently from the communities that are constituted by listeners to recorded music;
- that music is a social activity, of which the music itself is only a part;
- that modes of listening that are electronic and private miss out on the true acoustic sound of some music, the visual aspect (as music is physical gesture as well as sound) and the social dimension (as music is presentation, interaction - between performers and between them and the audience, etc.);
- that the act of performance itself can be the focus of attention, not just the 'musical work'; this will especially be the case in improvised performances;
- that hearing new music, or familiar music in a new way, provides the 'wow' factor of shared human excitement. The listener's reaction to the live occasion is unpredictable. The listener discovers their own 'space' in what is happening.
Students will:
- become aware of a range of interpretations and to the expressive skills of different performers, who will probably take more risks in live performance;
- widen knowledge of repertoire - both standard classics and rarer items.
- learn about performing issues by listening to and watching experienced performers.
- learn nuances of technique and interpretation that can't be gleaned from recordings - e.g. baton technique for conductors, bowing technique for string players;
- become more aware of how to respond to an acoustic;
- partake of the long tradition, in Western art music, of the culture of concert-going;
- learn how to engage critically with the process of musical perception.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| University - project | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| University - project | 100 |
Module feedback
Confirmation of Pass / Fail within 6 weeks of submission of final folio
Indicative reading
Readings will be advised by the module coordinator depending on the focus of each student taking this module.