School: Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Techniques of Composition
  • Unit Code

    MUS2625
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Lindsay VICKERY

Description

This unit examines concepts and techniques employed by composers to manipulate and develop musical material in the creation of new original work. Techniques will be discussed for both tonal and post-tonal composition, how these are represented in the score, and the extension of these approaches to create novel musical textures. Students explore selected concepts and techniques within the creation of new original work. In addition, students develop strategies to avoid performance-related injuries and improve their general wellbeing.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Compose original music works using digital technologies, diverse compositional techniques, and knowledge of musical perception.
  2. Present their work in various written and oral formats, including neat and notationally correct scores and/or representations of their work.
  3. Independently develop a personal artistic practice informed by the concepts and techniques encountered in this unit.
  4. Evaluate and select sustainable strategies to improve well-being and overcome identified barriers to delivering effective performances.

Unit Content

  1. Creating original works for instruments with or without electronics.
  2. Compositional techniques from the post-tonal era.
  3. Approaches to idiomatic writing for instruments and electronics in combination.
  4. Post-Common Practice compositional techniques.
  5. The role of music perception in compositional techniques.
  6. Oral presentation skills.
  7. Ergonomic self-evaluation.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 1Not Offered14 x 2 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 1Not Offered11 x 2 hour practical classNot Offered
Semester 1Not Offered11 x 2 hour workshopNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students attend a series of classes where they will explore, present and evaluate their compositions, as well as listen to and evaluate other students' composition work. Students also attend workshops and take a module focusing on the health and wellbeing of the artist.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Creative WorkPortfolio of compositions60%
Reflective PracticeComposition Journal40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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