Last modified: 05 Oct 2023 08:46
In this course you will explore ways of writing and talking about music. Lectures will focus on recent work in music studies, showcasing the kind of scholarship you will encounter later in your degree. Tutorials will provide opportunities for experimenting in a range of formal and informal styles, working both individually and in small groups. By the end of the course you will gain a deeper understanding of both established writing conventions and emerging forms of multi-media communication.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session | Second Sub Session | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Whatever you go on to study in your degree, and wherever your degree leads you in your career, you will need to be confident in written and spoken communication. This course will help you to build that confidence by exploring different ways of writing and talking about music. Through focussing on recent work in music and sound studies you will become familiar with the kinds of scholarship required later in your degree. This will include examples of historical, analytical, ethnographic, and self-reflective writing. You will learn well-worn techniques for crafting concise, compelling prose, and you will experiment in a range of formal and informal styles. You will spend time in silence redrafting your sentences as well as time in front of a microphone preparing a podcast. By the end of the course you will gain a deeper understanding of academic writing conventions in music and sound studies, e.g., providing evidence in support of an argument, incorporating examples from printed or recorded sources, and providing references in line with library guidance. At the same time, you will also be encouraged to rethink existing conventions in light of new ways of communicating about our subject via social media and short-form videos.
A running theme throughout the course will be how to combine big ideas and small details. It is no good having a moment of genius if you make a mess of putting it on the page. By the same token, it is not enough for your writing to be neat and tidy; it should also be ambitious and engaging. We will demystify the process of arriving at a finished piece of work by addressing the different sorts of tasks that go into it: e.g., reading, listening, thinking, note-taking, drafting, editing, responding to feedback, etc. These different stages may not always happen in the same order, so we will emphasise the importance of trying things out to see what works for you.
This course makes few assumptions about your prior experiences of writing about music and sound. Whether you have recently written a lot or a little, we will support you based on your needs and encourage you to challenge yourself through formative assessments (e.g., weekly assignments that do not count toward your course grade). We will also help you to work both independently and with your peers. While writing is often a solitary activity it can also be a social one, and this course includes collaborative exercises in annotation, drafting, and editing.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 40 | Feedback Weeks | 43 | |
| Feedback |
Podcast on an agreed topic. Feedback provided in writing within three weeks of submission. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | By the end of the course students should be able to identify unique challenges in writing about music and sound. |
| Procedural | Apply | By the end of the course students should be able to record and edit speech using university-provided computer software. |
| Procedural | Create | By the end of the course students should be able to work independently on devising a script for a podcast. |
| Procedural | Create | By the end of the course, students should be able to write about music in different ways and tailor writing styles to audiences. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 40 | Feedback Weeks | 43 | |
| Feedback |
The portfolio of writing will respond to approaches outlined and analysed in the course. Students should show variety, imagination, and rigour in their submission. Feedback provided in writing within three weeks of submission. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | By the end of the course students should be able to identify unique challenges in writing about music and sound. |
| Procedural | Create | By the end of the course, students should be able to write about music in different ways and tailor writing styles to audiences. |
| Reflection | Analyse | By the end of the course students should understand the merits and limits academic writing conventions and exhibit a critical approach to academic writing. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 26,27,28,29,30,32,33,34,35,39 | Feedback Weeks | 40 | |
| Feedback |
Tutorial leaders will provide informal feedback midway through the course with the final grade at the end of the course. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | By the end of the course students should be able to identify unique challenges in writing about music and sound. |
| Procedural | Apply | By the end of the course students should foster habits of independent and social reading/writing. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
3,000-word portfolio of writing responding to approaches outlined and analysed in the course. Students should show variety, imagination, and rigour in their submission. Feedback provided in writing within three weeks of submission. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | By the end of the course students should be able to identify unique challenges in writing about music and sound. |
| Procedural | Create | By the end of the course, students should be able to write about music in different ways and tailor writing styles to audiences. |
| Procedural | Apply | By the end of the course students should be able to record and edit speech using university-provided computer software. |
| Procedural | Create | By the end of the course students should be able to work independently on devising a script for a podcast. |
| Reflection | Analyse | By the end of the course students should understand the merits and limits academic writing conventions and exhibit a critical approach to academic writing. |
| Procedural | Apply | By the end of the course students should foster habits of independent and social reading/writing. |
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