Music and Music Technology BA

Consolidate your knowledge of the fundamental building blocks of music across all periods and genres.

Together we'll look at notation, mode, chord, time and texture.

You'll also develop aural awareness of harmony, melody and rhythm and gain proficiency in techniques such as figured bass realisation, counterpoint and harmonisation.

Students arrive on our degree with different backgrounds and knowledge. By the end of this module you'll start to have developed a common body of knowledge and skills for further study of music analysis, theory and history.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Build on your knowledge of the fundamental building blocks of music developed in Elements of Music 1. You'll use a variety of analytical theories and interpretative methods and look across a range of periods and genres. Example topics include:

• partimento
• jazz harmony
• approaches to form

We know our students come from different backgrounds and with different theoretical knowledge. By the end of this module you'll have a common body of knowledge and skills to take into more specialised study for the rest of your degree.

This module is worth 20 credits.

You'll get a thorough knowledge of European musical repertoires from the Renaissance to the turn of the twentieth century.

As well as learning about composers, styles and genres, you’ll develop an appreciation of how musical traditions have been shaped by their cultural contexts – and how cultures have been shaped by their musical traditions.

Topics covered will include:

• early opera and oratorio
• chamber music
• choral and religious music
• programme music
• historical instruments and period performance
• the invention of ‘Classical Music’
• women in music history
• histories of amateur participation
• global perspectives on European music

You'll also learn about how music history is researched and studied today, and how the stories we tell have changed over time.

As this is one of the first modules you will take at university you'll also get an introduction to the skills required to research and write essays effectively.

This module is worth 20 credits.

You'll be exploring a wide range of genres and stylistic trends in key repertoire from the late nineteenth century to the present day.

Topics covered will include:

• impressionism
• modernism
• neo-classicism
• atonality and its consequences
• nationalism
• film music
• jazz
• the work of female composers
• cross-cultural influences
• minimalism

You'll also develop an appreciation of the cultural contexts in which these repertoires developed.

As this is one of the first modules you will take at university, it will also help you develop the general skills required to research and write essays effectively.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Topics include:

• Examining recording technologies; e.g. digital and analogue workflows; their respective advantages and limitations
• Sampling and tape loops, plunderphonics • programming, development of computer technology, MIDI
• Rights and ownership and relation to creativity
• Recording spaces; acoustics
• Performance technology, haptics

Explore a range of musical cultures beyond the traditional canon of Western art music.

Introduce the fields of ethnomusicology and popular music studies. You'll look at different:

• meanings
• practices
• theories of music

from a diverse range of cultures and communities.

We delve into musical traditions and popular culture from around the world, including case studies from Asia, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Pacific.

As well as ethnomusicological theory and method you'll get an overview of key issues and debates in Anglophone popular music. You will also develop critical skills for the analysis of musical practice in diverse contexts.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Develop your performance skills towards a professional level.

You will work with a dedicated tutor, agreeing pieces to work on at the appropriate level.

Repertoire:

• instrumental: at least one item at DipABRSM level or equivalent (Trinity, Rockschool)
• vocal: at least two items at DipABRSM level or equivalent (Trinity, Rockschool)

You will combine 16 hours of individual tuition with group masterclasses and workshops, and personal practice using our specialised facilities. Workshop topics covered will include rehearsal strategies, diversifying repertoire choices, musician’s wellbeing, and writing programme notes.

Final assessment is through an end of year recital and supporting programme notes, in which you will have the opportunity to work with a collaborative pianist, funded by the department.

This module is worth 10 credits.

You would normally be expected to have Grade 8 ABRSM or equivalent standard before starting this module.

Explore the relationship between musical raw materials and the realisation of their creative potential.

You'll examine a wide range of compositional techniques and musical styles.

Topics you will cover include:

• melody
• scales and modes
• contrasting harmonic idioms

By the end of the module you will have the ability to structure a piece of music within either a received or original style. You'll also develop a greater awareness of technical and aesthetic issues in selected periods of music history.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Develops core skills in digital composition.

Using Logic Pro software you'll gain professional technical skills in:

• creation of sounds using synthesis
• audio recording and sampling techniques
• audio and MIDI programming and editing
• scoring (inc. exporting to Sibelius)
• mix techniques such as dynamic processing, time-based effects (reverb, modulation), equalisation and automation to attain width, height, space and depth
• audio files and formats
• mastering (metering, loudness)

As well as technical skills you'll also:

• look across genres at how different techniques are used in particular settings
• learn to work in a professional way using industry specific composition briefs.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Examines sound theory, acoustics, wave shapes and sonic husbandry in order to cultivate a fresh approach to sound creation. Considers to what extent these sounds can be subsequently shaped to communicate a narrative to an audience. Explores artistic considerations and technical standards in the field of sound to picture. Questions fundamentally what sound is, and attempts to define if there are cultural rules which govern our understanding of it. Topics will include:

• Instrument design, propagation of sound
• Building blocks of sound: Fourier, wave shapes, harmonic series, tonal content
• Sum and difference: how sound waves interact; phase shifts, Frequency and Ring Modulation.
• Shapes and contours: Envelopes and Filters
• Sonic Husbandry: growing and cultivating fresh, organic sound
• Rules of music and generative audio
• Effects: Time-based and Modulation effects
• Spaces and Reverb, Manipulation of space, depth and dimension
• Impulse Responses - use and abuse
• MIDI - interface, control - keyboard vs touch (haptics and creativity)
• Recording original sounds as sources for manipulation.
• Sampling and manipulation of samples, transforming found sounds
• Working with Video; sync points, SMPTE code,
• Understanding industry standard file formats

This module offers the opportunity for intensive development of ensemble performance skills. Students are required to pre-form small instrumental or vocal ensembles before the module commences, agreed with the Director of Performance. If students have a specific instrumental or vocal formation in mind that cannot be formed within the module, they may invite guest performers, normally up to one un-assessed member per ensemble. Please note that the department does not provide accompanists for this module. Collaborative pianists should be regarded as an integral part of an ensemble. They are required to participate fully in regular rehearsals and workshops within the framework of the module. Ensembles will remain intact for the duration of the module. Should any member of the ensemble be unable to continue, this should be confirmed before the module transfer deadline and the other members will be required to find a replacement. No changes to the ensemble are permitted after the module transfer deadline. Pianists will have the option to choose collaborative piano (accompanying) as their specialism within the module. Students will receive a weekly coaching workshop/rehearsal session as well as further individual coaching. Ensembles are encouraged to explore existing repertoire during weeks 1–3, and thereafter to work on their performance of the work(s) selected by the group. All ensembles are assessed by performance and must also complete a log documenting rehearsals.

Build on your performance abilities developed in the first year.

You will work with a dedicated tutor, agreeing pieces to work on at the appropriate level.

Repertoire:

• one item at DipABRSM level or equivalent (Trinity, Rockschool)
• one work by a female or female-identifying composer

You will combine 18 hours of individual tuition with group masterclasses and workshops, and personal practice using our specialised facilities. Workshop topics covered will include rehearsal strategies, diversifying repertoire choices, musician’s wellbeing, and writing programme notes.

Final assessment is through an end of year recital and supporting programme notes, in which you will have the opportunity to work with a collaborative pianist, funded by the department.

This module is worth 20 credits.

There is also a 10 credit version of this module available for part-time students and students who take the opportunity to study abroad for one semester in their second year.

This module involves part-time placement (1 day a week, or equivalent, for 8 weeks) in an external organisation, and is aimed at developing hands-on work experience and employability skills in a workplace relevant to Music graduates. Each placement will be arranged by the Department, and will be provided by organisations involved in music or other areas of the creative and cultural industries. Departmental mentoring will take the form of a fortnightly seminar, where experiences are shared and work is undertaken on the assessment tasks.

We currently offer more than 20 placements at music-related organisations in Nottingham and the East Midlands, including:

• Royal Concert Hall
• NottinghamSinfonia
• Viva orchestra
• DHP Family – a leading concert promoter
• I’m Not From London – an independent record label
• Dance4 – a contemporary dance company
• Derby Cathedral

a host of local music hubs, schools, and recording/mastering studios. We will also help you arrange placements with non-music related organisations if you feel you would like to gain experience in other industries.

Get a grounding in approaches to thinking and writing about popular music critically.

You'll cover a variety of perspectives and explore key issues in relation to featured songs, music videos and performers.

We'll ask fundamental questions about the contexts of popular music and their role in forming and responding to social and political issues. We'll also explore connections with other cultural traditions and artistic media.

Overall you will develop a sense of the richness and diversity of scholarly approaches to popular music in the Anglophone world.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Jazz covers a multitude of styles from trad to free, plus any number of contemporary ‘fusions’.

We'll start by looking at its origins in ragtime and blues and then delve into a wide range of contrasting styles from 1917 to the present day. These might include:

• New Orleans and Chicago ensemble jazz
• Harlem stride piano
• swing bands
• be-bop and hard bop
• the ‘cool’ school
• modal jazz
• free jazz
• symphonic jazz
• jazz-rock and other fusion styles

We'll also take a look at jazz film scores.

Throughout the module we'll explore cultural, racial, analytical and aesthetic issues at each stage in jazz's development.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Get an introduction to composing music that responds to and interacts with work by non-musical artists.

By the end of the module you'll have composed two short pieces:

• a choral work on an English-language text of your choice
• a score for a short film clip

In past years, students have chosen a wide variety of texts for their choral compositions, from Romantic poetry to political speeches. Students have composed new scores for film clips from a range of films, from Dziga Vertov's pioneering Man With a Movie Camera to BBC nature documentaries.

For an example of the final work you might produce see this video - 'Apotheosis' by George Littlehales

This module is worth 20 credits.

This module centres on participation in primary school music teaching in partnership with the Nottingham Music Hub. Students attend weekly in-school sessions throughout the autumn and spring semesters, assisting with Nottingham First Access mentoring (In Harmony and/or Whole Class Ensemble) or contributing to the direction of post-first-access ensembles. In the spring semester, fortnightly classes will supplement the in-school experience with sessions on topics such as: the national music plan and music hubs; different teaching and learning styles; Musical Futures; musical inclusion and teaching in inner-city schools; and special educational needs.

Get a thorough introduction to the fundamental techniques and practical skills of instrumental, orchestral and choral conducting.

You'll explore the problems and challenges conducting poses from a variety of angles and gain practical experience both in class and in front of an ensemble.

Some of the topics examined will be:

• rehearsal techniques
• score literacy, knowledge and preparation
• interpretation
• psychology of conducting
• technical issues such as stance, movement, beating patterns and other relevant gestures

Through supportive workshops with your fellow students you'll practise specific pieces, with feedback coming from both group discussion and the tutor.

If you want to learn conducting this is an ideal introduction.

If you don't want to be a conductor this is a perfect way to understand more about what your conductor is doing and saying and so increase your understanding of what you are meant to be playing.

This module is worth 20 credits.

This module considers political ‘meanings’ embedded in individual operas, and examines ways in which political theories might be related to the aesthetic dimension of opera. Themes include race, nationalism, gender, religion, fascism. 

This module examines musical traditions throughout Asia, with an emphasis upon the different functions played by musical practice in different cultural contexts. Topics include K-pop, theatre in East Asia, Vietnamese minority music, Bollywood, popular music in Indonesia and Malaysia, nomadic music in central and western Asia, and music in the Asian diaspora.

Music is often integral to the success of a film. It can set the mood, heighten drama, enhance emotions and provide a sense of continuity. Together we'll look at the various styles of film music developed during the history of cinema, and consider aesthetic and technical issues around them. You'll also develop an awareness of historical, commercial and social factors in the entertainment industry, including music for television and videogames.

Topics will include:

• silent film
• the golden era of Hollywood
• characteristics of different genres (such as animation, musical comedy, film noir, science fiction, etc.)
• European cinema
• animation
• documentary film
• uses of pop, jazz and classical music in film scoring

In your coursework, you'll be encouraged to apply the general lessons learnt from seminars and lectures to specific areas of film you are particularly interested in.

This module is worth 20 credits.

The position of Beethoven and Schubert in music history will be examined from a dual perspective: as a continuation of the maturity of the Classical style and as a point of departure for the Romantic era. Their respective biographies will be studied, both psychologically and professionally, in relation to the musical life of the times and their individual creative trajectories. 

This module explores the ways in which biographical texts (written and audiovisual), by or about composers, inform the reception of composers and their work. It will examine myths that arise from biography, the construction of identities, common motifs and narrative structures in biography, and the influence of biography on reception. Case studies will be taken from the late 18th and 19th centuries.

Music Therapy is an established profession within healthcare, educational and social contexts, involving clients of all ages with a range of needs. This module will explore strategies and techniques informed by a range of psychological and developmental theories, and offer practical opportunities for creative musical activities and improvisation. Overall, the module will provide an understanding of contemporary approaches to music therapy, and a foundation for specialist training.

The recording studio is one of the key spaces where technology and creative musical practice meet.

You'll develop professional skills in:

• applications of microphones and their placement within a variety of acoustic spaces, and for a variety of instrumentation.
• mixing techniques with reference to current standards
• audio processing, signal paths and workflows
• file-types applicable to recent trends in musical consumption

You'll work in small groups to allow you to specialise in techniques and styles for your particular music interests such as chamber music, jazz ensemble, rock or ethno-music groups.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Music production covers creation, performance, recording, mixing and delivery.

You’ll look at current production processes and explore:

• artistic expression via musical direction and arrangements
• factors affecting performance (such as acoustic environment)

Through examples and discussion you’ll assess the impact of the role of Producer and its application within various genres and fields of practice.

Specific topics you'll cover include:

• Arrangement (linear and vertical)
• Sonic, stylistic and artistic considerations
• Microphones: types, polar patterns, theory and practical application of techniques
• Recording media and considerations of their respective workflows
• Signal path
• Multi-track recording technique
• Mixing: dynamics, EQ and FX; ITB and OTB
• Mastering, files and formats: recording and delivery

Practical work will give you:

• an understanding of demands and expectations of commercial project briefs
• the capacity to produce creative product to a precise brief and deadline

This module is worth 20 credits.

Build on your performance skills developed in your second year.

You will work with a dedicated tutor, agreeing pieces to work on at the appropriate level.

Repertoire:

• at least two items from DipLRSM level or equivalent (Trinity, Rockschool)

You will combine 20 hours of individual tuition with group masterclasses and workshops, and personal practice using our specialised facilities. Workshop topics covered will include rehearsal strategies, diversifying repertoire choices, musician’s wellbeing, and writing programme notes.

Final assessment is through an end of year recital and supporting programme notes, in which you will have the opportunity to work with a collaborative pianist, funded by the department.

This module is worth 40 credits.

Develop your creative voice by composing at least 15 minutes of original music.

In this module, you will receive individual support in regular tutorials, alongside group sessions exploring different aspects of composition. You will also have the chance to work with a professional guest ensemble.

The module will culminate in a performance of your own work that you'll organise yourself.

Your compositions will be judged on both technical merit and originality.

By the end of the module you will have an advanced understanding of the practical realities of contemporary composition.

This module is worth 40 credits.

This module involves student performers, composers and music technologists working together to develop a new creative project, for performance in a venue in Nottingham. Improvisation will be fundamental to the developmental stages of the project. 

This module provides you with the opportunity to prepare for an extended individual prose study of 10,000–12,000 words, on a self-selected subject, agreed with the module convenor. Credit will be given for the scope and depth of the study, for clarity of expression and thoroughness of presentation. One-to-one supervision will be supplemented by regular group classes and attendance at Department Music Colloquia.

Every year a number of research seminars are offered in subjects directly relating to staff research interests. Examples include:

• Anti-Opera: 20th-Century
• Music Theatre
• Britten and Sondheim
• Folk Music in Britain and Ireland
• Music and Media
• Verdi and Wagner