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Independent Project for Music & Sound Recording - MUS00102H

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  • Department: Music
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Jack McNeill
  • Credit value: 40 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

During your Independent Project you will develop a substantial piece of creative, technical or scholarly work which will be presented to professional standards.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25 to Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

The Independent Project is a substantial piece of work devised and researched during the 3rd year. It gives you the experience of real research planning, establishing a scholarly or creative project and seeing it through to a finished piece of work which will be presented to professional standards.

The Independent Project topic submission occurs in Year 2, Semester 2. You submit an outline proposal, which is approved by the Music and Sound Recording course team.You are then allocated a supervisor, who oversees and guides the development of the project.

Because the Independent Project springs directly from your own interests, it often develops skills appropriate to, or even acts as direct preparation for, a number of graduate career routes. The alignment between skills encountered in the Independent Project, and those you wish to focus on for future employment is monitored by the supervisor to steer provision in relevant, employable areas. This may be of relevance in Sound Entrepreneurship.

As such, the module aims to facilitate a large-scale independent project, which identifies and directly engages with the current state of an area of Production practice, analysis and/or theory and undertakes work that employs appropriate research methods to solve problems and/or answer questions in this area. Finally, the module aims to encourage independent work, problem solving, and critical thinking with respect to music production and sound recording.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, you should:

  • Be aware of current research / practice in your chosen field, and be able to situate your own outputs within that context;

  • Be able to articulate the new ground that your approach investigates, and to evaluate its effectiveness;

  • Be able to demonstrate specific musical / audio production or software / musicological / music-administrative skills in relation to your chosen area (compositional, performance, project-management, recording, etc.).

  • Be able to demonstrate experience in devising original research projects, monitoring their progress, and carrying them through to a successful conclusion.

  • Be able to demonstrate successful strategies of time management in the production of the project over an extended timeframe;

  • Be able to demonstrate skills in recognising a professional level of achievement, and in self-evaluation of the effectiveness of your project.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark Group
Essay/coursework
Dissertation		 N/A 100 A
Essay/coursework
Empirical Research Article		 N/A 100 B
Essay/coursework
Creative/Practical Work		 N/A 100 C

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

All Independent Project submissions include a written element; and usually takes the form of one of the following scholarly and/or creative possibilities:

  • an extended essay/dissertation (of between 8,000 and 10,000 words)
    OR
  • an empirical research article including primary research (of between 6,000 and 8,000 words)
    OR
  • a substantial piece of creative or practical work, with accompanying documentation (typically, up to 45 minutes of audio, plus 3,000 – 4,000 word commentary). This can include:
    • a substantial piece of practical production work i.e. an album (45 minutes of audio, plus 3,000–4,000 critical essay)
    • a shorter piece of practical production work i.e. an EP (15-25 minutes of audio, plus 5,500–6,500 critical essay)
    • working to visual stimulus i.e. foley, short film soundtrack or short film score (15-25 minutes of audio, plus 5,500–6,500 critical essay)
    • artistic installation work i.e. sound art, AV, or electroacoustic installations (15-25 minutes of audio, plus 5,500–6,500 critical essay)
    • composition and production of an original album (45 minutes of audio, plus 3,000–4,000 critical essay)
    • development of software systems, software or an app (substantial software artefact, plus 3,000–4,000 technical report)
    • a recital or performance (45 minute performance, plus 3,000–4,000 critical essay)
    • organising and evaluating a themed event (appropriate documentation/evidence, plus 5,500–6,500 critical essay)
    • community-based project involving production (appropriate documentation/evidence, plus 3,000–4,000 critical essay)

You will be expected to deliver a formal summary of their progress, in the form of an interim report, or literature study, or preliminary sketch materials (for practical work) to be submitted as a draft in Week 7 of the Semester 2.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark Group
Essay/coursework
Dissertation		 N/A 100 A
Essay/coursework
Empirical Research Article		 N/A 100 B
Essay/coursework
Creative/Practical Work		 N/A 100 C

Module feedback

You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.

Indicative reading

Cottrell, S. (2019). The Study Skills Handbook. London: Macmillan Education UK.

Cooley, L., & Lewkowicz, Jo. (2003). Dissertation writing in practice: turning ideas into text / Linda Cooley and Jo Lewkowicz. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Richer, S. (2013). Writing a dissertation: the essential guide / Suzi Richer. Peterborough: Need2Know.

Rudestam, K. E., & Newton, Rae R. (2015). Surviving your dissertation: a comprehensive guide to content and process / Kjell Erik Rudestam, Fielding Graduate University, Rae R. Newton, Fielding Graduate University. (Fourth edition..). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publication.

Walliman, N. (2004). Your undergraduate dissertation: the essential guide for success / Nicholas Walliman. London: Sage Publications.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.