Unit information: Practical Studies: Instrumentation, Conducting & Performance in 2014/15

Unit name	Practical Studies: Instrumentation, Conducting & Performance
Unit code	MUSI10050
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Professor. Ellis
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Music
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The instrumentation/conducting element of this unit comprises an introduction to two fundamental aspects of practical musicianship: instrumentation and conducting. The unit takes as its starting-point the contention that converting notated music into sound is a social act, that music is written not just for a certain instrument or voice-range but for a performer who has to produce the sound. Practical experience of turning the notated arrangement into living sound is gained in the conducting sessions (in which students conduct ensembles drawn from the rest of the group in rehearsals of the notated arrangements). The performance element aims to develop existing practical ability by means of a programme of instrumental or vocal lessons pursued throughout the year, and a test of solo performance aptitude in the summer term. Through a programme of lessons and workshops, students will learn how form a vision of how a notated work should be represented in sound and how to communicate that vision to others.

Aims:

This unit aims to develop existing practical skills in the field of instrumentation and conducting (by means of weekly workshop sessions in semester 1), a programme of instrumental or vocal lessons pursued throughout the year, and a test of solo performance ability in the summer term. The instrumentation and conducting components of this unit allow students to gain 'hands-on' experience of the social act of rehearsing a group of individuals that lies behind successful ensemble performance. It has to do with the formation of a vision of how a notated work should be represented in sound and the communication of that vision to others. The process of negotiation required in producing the desired sound from the notated scores, and communicating the individual interpretation of that score in performance, is common to both ensemble and solo performance and it is expected that the experience of the semester 1 workshop rehearsals will translate into the semester 2 solo performance (eg effective liaison of a flautist with his/her accompanist). The unit is intended to provide a secure foundation for further performance units involving solo and ensemble work at subsequent stages in the BA programme and is an essential pre-requisite for those units.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful completion of this unit will enable students to:

• make effective and practical arrangements for small ensembles showing basic competence in writing for instruments and preparing performing materials.

• show competence in basic conducting skills

• show competence in rehearsal techniques, allowing the notated arrangement to transfer into live performance

• display an ability to communicate an individual vision of a performance to other participants (eg an ensemble, or to ones accompanist)

• perform a technically-competent short recital on their principal instrument (or voice), displaying, where appropriate, effective communication with the accompanist in performance

• apply recommended principles of repertoire selection and programme planning

• develop and display a confident attitude towards presentational aspects of their recital

• master the most fruitful techniques of individual practice

• respond thoughtfully to constructive criticism of their playing (in workshops and lessons).

Teaching Information

Lectures; workshops; seminars

Assessment Information

Instrumentation & Conducting:

• Instrumentation 25%; Conducting 25%

Solo Performance:

• 10-minute test of performance (40%); lesson reports (10%)

Reading and References

• Adler, S., The Study of Orchestration (New York, 1992)

• Adler, S., Workbook for The Study of Orchestration (New York, 1992)

• Blatter, A., Instrumentation and Conducting (New York, 1997)

• Brendel, A., Music Sounded Out (London, 1993)

• Dunsby, J., Performing Music: Shared Concerns (Oxford, 1993)

• J.Rink (ed.), Musical Performance: A Guide to Understanding (Cambridge, 2003)