BA(Hons) Music

Programme Specification from the Faculty of Arts & Humanities

(pending departmental ratification)

Version: 2015/6.1

Last updated: August 2015

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Programme Specification

Key Facts

1. Study mode(s) and period of

registration

Full-time or part-time

Minimum 3 years maximum 6 years (full-time)

Minimum 4 years maximum 10 years (part-time)

2. Frequency of Intake

Annually in September

3. Awarding body

Liverpool Hope University

4. Teaching location(s)

Creative Campus

5. Final award(s), including any

interim awards

BA Music (360 credits, achieved by successfully

completing three years of study); Diploma HE (240

credits, achieved by successfully completing two

full years of study); Certificate HE (120 credits,

achieved by successfully completing one full year

of study)1

6. Relationship with Subject

Benchmark Statement

The benchmark for Music (the national

expectations of what a good degree in this subject

should contain) has been fully used in the

development of this provision.

7. FHEQ level(s) 4, 5 6 (first, second and third year at University)

8. Date of initial validation 2007

9. Date of first intake 2007

10. Date of last Review (if

applicable)

2013

11. Additional Costs to Students

(£estimate)

Purchase of books as necessary, c.£100

12. Professional Statutory or

Regulatory Body (PSRB)(s) (if

applicable) with date/outcome

of last PSRB approval

N/A

1 Note that interim awards are only given if for some reason students end their studies after one or two years.

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Aims and Learning Outcomes

PROGRAMME AIMS:

The programme aims to provide student with:

1. The ability to research and explore: gathering, synthesis, and evaluation of evidence, including

the ability to quote from and acknowledge written sources.

2. Understanding of theoretical and aesthetic systems and the ability to relate theory and practice

to each other.

3. The ability to confront, explore, and assimilate unfamiliar musical sounds, concepts, repertoires

and practices.

4. The ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and reflect critically on work in progress.

5. The ability to call upon a wide knowledge and experience of the repertoire(s) studied, and

assimilate relevant scholarly literature and relate its insights to the practice and

experience of music.

6. The ability to relate music to its historical, social, cultural, political, philosophical, economic,

spiritual, and religious context, and to relate processes of change in music to historical, social,

and other factors.

LEARNING OUTCOMES for this provision

Note that here and in the Curriculum Diagram below the degree is shown in two halves, as Core – what every

student of the subject should be able to experience – and Additional, which presents the deepening and

enhancement that students taking it as a Single Honours programme will additionally be able to experience.

CORE: By the end of this year all students taking the Core should be able to:

Year One L1 - utilize skills in the use of musical notation and apply the foundations of

counterpoint and tonal harmony in a range of exercises.

L2 - show knowledge of both classical and popular music created at particular

times and in particular places, the capacity to research, evaluate and contextualise

this, and the ability to articulate findings clearly in an appropriate written or oral

format.

L3 - reflect upon and learn from musical experiences, from the perspective of both

the listener and the performer.

L4 - consolidate and develop their abilities as individual performers on a selected

instrument (or voice).

L5 - compose to given projects with voices or acoustic instruments.

L6 – develop core study and research skills.

Year Two L1 - demonstrate knowledge and critical appreciation of specific pieces of music

from the classical or popular genres, and their social and historical contexts.

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L2 - demonstrate critical awareness of the process, possibilities, purpose, and

conventions of music in a range of settings (e.g., the concert hall, the rehearsal

room, popular music venues, therapeutic or community situations, the recording

studio).

L3 - demonstrate critical engagement and applied skills in two of the following

fields: A) composition or electroacoustic music or songwriting; B) topics in

musicology (classical or popular); C) musical performance (solo or

group/ensemble).

Year Three L1 - demonstrate advanced knowledge and critical appreciation of music in either

classical or popular genres and of the context in which it has been written.

L2 - demonstrate critical engagement and applied skills in two of the following

fields: A) composition or electroacoustic music or songwriting; B) Musicology

(classical or popular); C) musical performance (solo or group); d) Negotiated

Learning Project.

L3 - demonstrate advanced critical understanding and applied knowledge in a

selected specialist field of study.

L4 - reflect upon and synthesize their skills and knowledge in the form of an

independent research project.

Additionally by the end of this year students on Single Honours should also be able to::

Year One L7 – demonstrate understanding of the approaches and sub-disciplines of music

studies, the methods and techniques used to understand different musical

practices, and key issues and ideas within music studies.

L8 – develop key skills in analysing both score-based and recorded music.

L9 - compose to given style projects with voices or acoustic instruments, including

work in the style of J.S. Bach’s Chorales, Corelli’s Trio Sonata, and the Minuets of

Haydn’s String Quartets.

L10 - identify the main components of the modern studio environment for audio

recording and electroacoustic music composition, and compose short pieces

demonstrating the use of these.

Year Two L4 – develop understanding of key aesthetic concepts within music studies, from

both a classical and a popular aesthetic.

L5 - engage with established analytical approaches appropriate to both score-

based and recorded music, and be able to apply relevant conceptual models to

specific pieces of music.

L6 - demonstrate critical engagement and applied skills in two of the following fields:

A) composition or electroacoustic music or songwriting; B) orchestration and

arrangement; C) musical performance (solo or group).

L7 - Show an integration of theoretical insights with creative skills and

demonstrate understanding of the value of studying the work of others in relation

to their own outputs as musicians.

L8 - demonstrate imagination and technical competency in musical composition

and/or performance.

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Year Three L5 – develop a critical understanding of advanced aesthetics concepts within music

studies, from both a classical and a popular aesthetic.

L6 - demonstrate the ability to handle with confidence analytical methods

appropriate to specific examples of score-based and recorded music.

L7 - demonstrate advanced skills in two of the following fields: A) composition or

electroacoustic music or songwriting; B) musical performance (solo or group); C)

Negotiated Learning Project.

L8 - reflect upon and synthesize their skills and knowledge in the form of an

extended Honours Project.

Curriculum Diagram – summary overview

Level Topics Studied

Level C, Core Curriculum Introduction to Classical Music Studies

Introduction to Popular Music Studies

Musical Foundations

Music Theory

Composition

The Practice of Music

Study and Research Skills

Level C, Additional Curriculum Introduction to Issues and Ideas in Music

Introduction to Analysis

Style Composition

Electroacoustic Composition

Music in Context

Level I, Core Curriculum Intermediate Classical Music Studies

Intermediate Popular Music Studies

Two choices from:

- Composition (Acoustic Composition, Electroacoustic

Composition, or Songwriting)

- Topics in Musicology

- Solo or Group/Ensemble Performance

Level I, Additional Curriculum Intermediate Analysis and Aesthetics

Two further choices from:

- Further Composition (Acoustic Composition, Electroacoustic

Composition, or Songwriting)

- Orchestration and Arrangement

- Further Performance (Solo or Ensemble/Group)

Level H, Core Curriculum Either Advanced Classical Music Studies or Advanced Popular

Music Studies

Two seminar choices from:

- Advanced Solo or Group/Ensemble Performance

- Advanced Composition (Advanced Acoustic Composition,

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Advanced Electroacoustic Composition, or Advanced Songwriting)

- Advanced Topics in Musicology

- Negotiated Learning Project

Level H, Additional Curriculum Advanced Analysis and Aesthetics

Two further seminar choices from:

- Advanced Solo or Group/Ensemble Performance

- Advanced Composition (Advanced Acoustic Composition,

Advanced Electroacoustic Composition, or Advanced Songwriting)

- Negotiated Learning Project

Curriculum detail and Teaching pattern

Because of the degree of guided choice available to students the full curriculum map is presented below. It

is based on the normal pattern of teaching, which is that lectures, where all students are taught together,

provide six hours of contact time in the first year, and four in subsequent years; seminars, in smaller

groups (typically 15-20) provide four hours per week, and tutorials (smaller groups, typically no more then

10) two one-hour sessions in all years. In addition tutors are available every week at designated times for

one-to-one discussions.

Curriculum Map for Core provision (60 credits, taken by all students)

Lectures Seminars Tutorials (Small groups )

Level C Lecture 1: Introduction to Classical Music Studies (1 hour per week, all year) Lecture 2: Introduction to Popular Music Studies (1 hour per week, all year)

Seminar 1 : Musical Foundations (1 hour per week, all year) Seminar 2a: Music Theory (2 x 1 hour per week, Term 1) Seminar 2b: Introduction to Acoustic Composition (2 x 1 hour per week, Term 2) The Practice of Music 1. (Compulsory) participation in Choir or Orchestra 2. Individual lessons in the students’ chosen instrument or voice. Further (non-timetabled) study Level C concert series January Intensive Projects

Tutorials: Study and Research Skills (1 hour per week, all year)

Level I Lecture 1: Intermediate Classical Music Studies (1 hour per week, all year) Lecture 2: Intermediate Popular Music Studies (1 hour per week, all year)

Students choose two out of the following three seminar options, and also attend the corresponding tutorials in each chosen option. Seminar 1: Composition (1 hour per week, all year) Students taking composition specialise in one of three areas: - Acoustic Composition - Electroacoustic Composition - Songwriting Seminar 2: Topics in Musicology (1 hour per week, all year) Seminar 3: Solo or Group/Ensemble Performance (1 hour per week, all year) Students taking Performance specialise in either: - Solo Performance - Group/Ensemble Performance

Students attend the tutorials which correspond to their two chosen seminar choices. Tutorial 1: Composition (1 hour per week, all year) Students taking composition specialise in one of three areas: - Acoustic Composition - Electroacoustic Composition - Songwriting Tutorial 2: Topics in Musicology (1 hour per week, all year) Tutorial 3: Solo or Group/Ensemble Performance (1 hour per week, all year) Solo Performance is also further supported by individual lessons in the students’ chosen instrument or voice.

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Level H Lecture 1: Advanced Classical Music Studies (2 x 1 hour per week, all year) Lecture 2: Advanced Popular Music Studies (2 x1 hour per week, all year) Nb. Attendance is expected in both lecture series, but students choose which to be assessed in.

Nb. Students choose two, out of the following four, seminar options. Seminar 1: Advanced Solo or Group/Ensemble Performance (2 x1 hour per week, all year ) Students taking Advanced Performance specialise in either: - Advanced Solo Performance - Advanced Group/Ensemble Performance Solo Performance is also further supported by individual lessons in the students’ chosen instrument or voice. Seminar 2: Advanced Composition (2 x 1 hour per week, all year) Students taking Advanced Composition specialise in one of three areas: - Advanced Acoustic Composition - Advanced Electroacoustic Composition - Advanced Songwriting Seminar 3: Advanced Topics in Musicology (2 x 1 hour, all year) Seminar 4: Negotiated Learning Project (2 x 1 hour per week, all year)

Tutorials: Research Project Preparation and Supervision (1 hour per week) Level H tutorials are dedicated to research preparation and supervision, intended to support the compulsory level H Research Projects.

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Curriculum Map for Additional provision (60 credits, taken only by Single Honours students)

Lectures Seminars Tutorials (Small Groups)

Level C Lecture 1: Introduction to Issues and Ideas in Music (1 hour per week, all year) Lecture 2: Introduction to Analysis (1 hour per week, all year)

Seminar 1: Style Composition (1 hour per week, all year) Seminar 2: Electroacoustic Composition (2 x 1 hour per week, all year) Additional Concerts Level C concert series Additional Intensive Projects January Intensive Projects

Tutorials: Music in Context (1 hour per week, all year)

Level I Intermediate Analysis and Aesthetics (2 x 1 hour per week, all year)

Single Honours Music students choose a further two, out of the following three, seminar options, and also attend the corresponding tutorials. Seminar 1: Further Composition (1 hour per week, all year) The Further Composition seminars allow students wishing to specialise in composition to study an additional type of composition offered by the Department: - Acoustic Composition - Electroacoustic Composition - Songwriting Seminar 2: Orchestration and Arrangement (1 hour per week, all year) Seminar 3: Further Performance (1 hour per week, all year) Students taking Performance specialise in either: - Solo Performance - Group/Ensemble Performance

Students attend the tutorials which correspond to their two chosen seminar choices. Tutorial 1: Further Composition (1 hour per week, all year) Students taking Further Composition specialise in a further area of composition offered by the Department: - Acoustic Composition - Electroacoustic Composition - Songwriting Tutorial 2: Orchestration and Arrangement (1 hour per week, all year) Tutorial 3: Further Performance (1hour per week, all year) Students opting for Solo Performance are also entitled to 15 hours of individual lessons on their chosen instrument or voice.

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Level H Advanced Analysis and Aesthetics (1 hour per week, all year)

Nb. Single Honours Music students choose a further two, out of the following three, seminar options. Seminar 1: Advanced Further Composition (2 x 1 hour, all year) The Advanced Further Composition seminars allow students wishing to specialise in composition to study an additional type of composition offered by the Department: - Advanced Acoustic Composition - Advanced Electroacoustic Composition - Advanced Songwriting Advanced Further Performance (2 x 1 hour per week, all year) The Advanced Further Performance seminars allow students wishing to specialise in performance to study an additional type of performance offered by the Department: - Advanced Solo Performance - Advanced Group/Ensemble Performance Solo Performance is also further supported by individual lessons in the students’ chosen instrument or voice. Seminar 3: Negotiated Learning Project (2 x 1 hour per week, all year) Nb. Single Honours Music students may only undertake at most one Negotiated Learning Project. They can choose it as one of their options in either the Core or the Additional Curriculum.

Tutorials: Honours Project Preparation and Supervision (1 hour per week, all year) Honours Project tutorials are dedicated to further research preparation and supervision, intended to support the compulsory level H Research Projects.

Further Information

Assessment

The assessment is linked to the topics studied, and to the mode of study. Lectures are assessed by an end-of-

year formal written examination in each year. Assessment of the seminar options is, in each case, appropriate to

the disciplines which the student has chosen to follow. Assessment methods include portfolios, of both written

pieces and compositions etc, practical examinations, in-class tests (to enable early feedback and guidance in

development), written reports and essays

Development of Key Generic (transferable) and Subject-specific skills for both CORE and additional

curriculum at each level.

Subject Skills

This degree course aims to provide students with the following subject-specific skills:

Core

At Level C:

Historical awareness and understanding of a range of classical and popular music genres.

Core skills in musical notation, including the fluent reading of bass and treble clef, and an

understanding of the foundations of harmony and counterpoint.

Awareness of contemporary techniques used in acoustic composition.

Practical performance skills in a chosen instrument or voice.

Core study and research skills, including writing, study, and presentation skills.

At Level I:

A developed historical and cultural understanding of range of classical and musical genres.

A development of skills and knowledge in selected practical aspects of the study of music

(composition and/or performance).

At Level H:

Advanced knowledge, understanding, and the critical appreciation of music and the context in

which it has been written in classical and/or popular genres.

Advanced skills in selected practical aspects of the study of music (composition and/or

performance).

Advanced skills and knowledge of selected practical aspects of the study of music and/or the

capacity to research independently and report the outcomes in the form of a dissertation of

practice-based research project.

Additional (subject-specific) skills

At Level C:

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Awareness of the broad range of areas encompassed by music studies, techniques used to

study different musical practices, and contemporary ideas and issues within music scholarship.

Core skills in analysing score-based and recorded music.

Core skills in style composition, specifically in the style of J.S. Bach, Corelli, and Haydn.

A critical introduction to the scope, history, and repertoire of the field of electroacoustic music,

developing a theoretical and practical engagement with current technology.

At Level I:

Knowledge of a range of musical aesthetic issues.

Skills in and an understanding of selected aspects of the analysis of score-based and recorded

music.

An opportunity to acquire and develop skills in and knowledge of a (second) selected practical

aspect of music (composition and/or performance).

At Level H:

Advanced skills in analytical methods appropriate to specific examples of score-based and

recorded music, and an understanding and awareness of the nature and aesthetics of

contemporary approaches to classical and/or popular music.

An opportunity to acquire and develop advanced skills in and knowledge of a (second) selected

practical aspect of music.

Generic (Transferable) Skills

Tutors work systematically across the three years of study to help students build up a range of key

generic (transferable) skills. By and during Honours (third) year these should include a capacity to:

• have developed an appropriate level of competence in the analysis and formulation of complex

problems.

• have demonstrated independence in outlook in the consideration of particular musical issues.

• communicate information, ideas, principles, and theories and develop an argument effectively by

appropriate oral and visual means, relating materials to an intended audience.

• identify, gather, and analyse relevant primary and secondary sources.

• attend to, reproduce accurately, reflect on, and interact with the ideas and arguments of others.

• work collaboratively as a member of a team or group in a way which allows each individual's talents

to be utilised effective.

• undertake independent/self-directed study/learning (including time management) and reflect on

their own strengths and weaknesses as a learner.

• make discriminating and sophisticated use of a full range of library resources in order to identify

appropriate source material, compile bibliographies, inform research and enhance presentations.

• use IT and computer skills for data capture, to identify appropriate source material, support

research, and enhance presentations.

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Special Features of the programme

1. Academic Specialisms

The BA Music has been developed in light of the QAA Subject Benchmark for Music (QAA, 2008), staff

expertise, the Department’s strong partnerships and outstanding facilities, and in dialogue with the

student body. The Single Honours Music provision reflects the strengths and expertise of the

Department.

The Core Music provision allows all students to engage with and develop knowledge of both classical

and popular music genres. This reflects the staff’s research interests and teaching specialisms. The Core

Music provision also enables all students to specialise in two of three key components of the discipline:

musicology, composition (acoustic, electroacoustic, or songwriting), or performance (solo or group).

The Additional provision enables Single Honours Music students to also develop (by the third year)

advanced skills in analysis and aesthetics (again encompassing both classical and popular approaches).

The Additional provision also allows Single Honours Music students to further develop their skills in the

creative or contextual areas of music in which they particularly wish to specialise. For example, a

student with particular strengths and interests in the field of composition could develop their acoustic

composition skills in the Core curriculum, and their electroacoustic skills in the Additional curriculum.

Likewise, a student with a particular interest in performance could enhance their solo performance

skills in the Core curriculum, and their Group performance skills in the Additional curriculum

Additional Enhancement

2. Partnerships

Music provision at Liverpool Hope is enhanced by our partnerships with the Royal Liverpool

Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO), Milapfest (Indian Music and Dance), European Opera Centre, The

Beatles Story, and Liverpool’s two cathedrals (Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and Liverpool Anglican

Cathedral), and our Visiting Professors: Prof Joanna MacGregor, Prof John Milsom, Prof Michael Talbot,

Prof Sim Flora, and Prof Craig Hamilton. Our partners typically contribute to both our usual curriculum,

and provide additional enhancement. For example, the RLPO offers workshops that are embedded into

our core teaching in Composition, Analysis, and Orchestration and Arrangement. Our instrumental

scholarship holders study with RLPO members, who also mentor these students when they join our

Orchestra for concerts. Liverpool Hope Music students also get the opportunity to participate in the

RLPO’s In-Harmony Project: http://www.liverpoolphil.com/193/in-harmony-liverpool/social-action-

through-music.html. Milapfest and the European Opera Centre also contribute workshops to our

provision, our students frequently attend their concerts and events, and students get the opportunity

to undertake Negotiated-Learning-Projects placements with these partners in their third year. The

Beatles Story also offers Negotiated Learning Project placements to our third year students.

The city’s two cathedrals boast excellent choirs and organs as well as archives which document their

musical activities. For students, these open up exciting opportunities for research, performance, and

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composition. Our Visiting Professors also contribute to both our usual curriculum, and provide

additional enhancement.

The Music Department also works closely with the Capstone Theatre, and its Manager. Music students

(and staff) frequently attend concerts and events hosted by the theatre, benefit from special ticket

rates and offers, and receive opportunities to perform in this professional venue. Performance classes

at levels I and H are also frequently held in the Capstone Theatre, so that students may gain additional

experience of performing within a professional space.

3. January Intensive Projects

During two weeks in January every year, all students are given the opportunity to engage in Intensive

Projects in subjects that lie outside the regular taught provision whilst out regular curriculum is

suspended. Intensive Projects are frequently delivered by, or in collaboration with, our Visiting

Professors and Partnerships. Past Intensive Projects, from the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years,

have included contributions from:

- Prof John Milsom, who led a project on his new critical edition of Thomas Morley’s A Plaine and

Easie Introduction to Practicall Musicke (1597).

- Prof Michael Talbot, who led a project on the Magnificat.

- Prof Sim Flora, who led a series of workshops on jazz and improvisation.

- Milapfest and River Niger Arts, who led a series of workshops on West African and Indian

percussion.

- Liverpool Hope’s Employability Team, who lead a series of workshops on careers with a Music

degree, job-hunting, and CV writing.

4. The Cornerstone Festival

The Cornerstone Festival (established 2001) is an interdisciplinary festival of music, drama, dance and

fine arts which takes place annually in late November at the Creative Campus. Music students (along

with their peers in the Departments of Drama, Dance and Performance Studies and Fine and Applied

Art) follow a special timetable for one week, which allows them to take full advantage of festival

events. The festival incorporates performances, workshops, masterclasses, and talks by international

artists, to which students and faculty members also contribute. Partner institutions (e.g. RLPO,

Milapfest, and the European Opera Centre) frequently contribute, and many programmed events

relate to the curriculum. In addition, students have the opportunity to work alongside the

administrators in areas such as front of house and marketing and publicity. A number of level H

students each year benefit from placements with the Cornerstone Festival team, as their Negotiated

Learning Project.

5. Facilities

The Music Department at Liverpool Hope is situated in the new purpose-built Capstone Building,

opened in 2010. The Capstone Building is based at the Creative Campus, along with the Departments of

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Drama, Dance and Performance Studies and Fine and Applied Art. The Capstone Building also houses a

new publically-accessible performance venue (the Capstone Theatre), creative-industries incubation

spaces, and external partner office space (currently occupied by Milapfest). The electroacoustic music

facilities at Hope are new and up-to-date in terms of the hardware and software on offer. The

department has two high-specification iMac computer labs installed with industry standard software

(Pro Tools, Logic, Max/MSP, GRM Tools, Metasynth, Waves). In addition to these teaching spaces, the

Department has a multi-channel surround studio (8-channel setup), two individual-use project rooms

for loudspeaker monitoring, and a further space for interactive laptop music. The Music Department

also benefits from being an All-Steinway School.

Inclusive Curriculum Design Statement

This award recognises that ‘an inclusive curriculum is one where all students’ entitlement to access and

participate in a course is anticipated, acknowledged and taken into account’ (Higher Education Academy,

Inclusive curriculum design in higher education, 2011, p. 7). It seeks to reflect the following principles, as

enunciated by the HEA:

- Anticipatory: Adopting an anticipatory approach reduces the need for reactive and individualised

responses that can arise when inclusive issues have not been considered at the design phase;

- Flexible: it is open, versatile and responsive to an evolving student population, and to changes in

circumstances that may require adaptations to accommodate student availability;

- Accountable: it encourages staff and students to be responsible for the progress they have made

against equality objectives and actions agreed;

- Collaborative: it builds on partnership between students, colleagues and other stakeholders

including professional bodies, sector bodies, international partners and employers to enrich the

curriculum content and relevance;

This translates into this provision as follows:

- Anticipatory: students are encouraged to think about maintaining a quality experience in the

classroom as a way of widening the interests and aspirations of all students. In this regard the

student voice is heard and acted upon through a number of mechanisms. These include:

o Staff-Student Liaison Committee meetings, the minutes of which are laid before the

departmental meeting;

o Monthly meetings between class representatives and the Head of Department;

o Student feedback, notably in the small group sessions;

o Student representation in the wider framework of Faculty and University Boards and

Committees

- Flexibility: Members of the teaching team – often with the support of colleagues in Student

Development and Well Being as well as Student Administration - make every effort, within the

framework of University regulations and processes, to meet with individual student needs

responsively, creatively and fairly. This approach includes meeting with students in difficulty

outside of office hours or, subject to due process, setting alternative assessment forms;

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- Accountability: The teaching team and students share a responsibility to uphold inclusivity and

fairness for everyone. Through the structure of small teaching groups, in particular, potentially

harmful or hurtful behaviour is intercepted and positive relations fostered;

- Collaborative: To ensure enhanced opportunities for students, the teaching team fosters

collaborative relations with a range of professional bodies.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

http://www.hope.ac.uk/undergraduate/howtoapply/entryrequirements gives full details. In addition,

applicants should normally have an A2 Level (or equivalent) in a music-related subject (not including Music

Technology, although Music Technology is permissible as a second subject). Applicants with practical music

qualifications will be considered. The ability to read and write music is essential and students will normally

be auditioned.

In certain circumstances the University also permits study that students have already carried out at University level to be taken into account – see http://www.hope.ac.uk/aboutus/governance/qualityassurance/accreditationofpriorlearning/

This specification last updated:

August 2015

Updated by: