Final Recital and Management Essay - MUS00133M
- Department: Music
- Credit value: 80 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2026-27
- Notes: This is an independent study module
Module summary
This module consolidates your development as a business-aware musician, allowing you to explore your independent artistic identity, culminating in the presentation of a solo recital alongside a reflective management essay. You will demonstrate advanced technique, musical communication and interpretative ability as well as the capacity to critically integrate management principles into your current and future professional practice.
Related modules
Pre-requisite modules
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Summer Semester 2026-27 |
Module aims
The module aims to consolidate your ability to independently design, prepare and present a substantial solo performance that reflects your interests and identity as a performing artist. You will also demonstrate critical understanding of how management principles can be integrated into your professional practice in the music industry, evidencing this through the written component.
Your independent work will consolidate an advanced level of technique, exploring your artistic voice in a critical, reflective and informed way, and will link this to your management knowledge to inform the written component, showing sophistication in your critical consideration of the contemporary music industries and your professional identity within this landscape.
You will develop skills to support the performance and written components through peer-feedback and reflection as well as tutor input.
Module learning outcomes
- Design and prepare a substantial solo recital independently and efficiently through self-directed practice and rehearsal with the support of your teacher, and collaborative pianist, where appropriate.
- Demonstrate an advanced level of technique and musicianship sufficient to convey your interpretative ideas in a programme of advanced repertoire.
- Show critical, research-informed insight into a range of ideas, issues and creative possibilities relating to your chosen musical material.
- Apply the research and preparation strategies taught throughout the course to develop a convincing creative approach that reflects an emerging artistic identity.
- Perform a programme of solo music with confidence, showing a professional level of understanding of public presentation and audience communication.
- Draw on the taught module content to critically examine how management principles can be integrated into your current and future professional development in the contemporary music industries.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 25.0 |
| Practical | 75.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
30-35’ solo recital (75%) with an accompanying 2500-3000 word
management essay relating to professional music management issues
(25%)
Students will be expected to offer a coherent recital
programme of a nature suitable for a professional public
engagement.
The essay will evidence consideration of
management issues relating to music performance, such as career
development, marketing, financial planning, and other business aspects
of being a professional musician.
A formative ‘programme
proposal’ task with feedback will be used to help develop the recital
programming; a second formative task will support the development of
the essay component.
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 25.0 |
| Practical | 75.0 |
Module feedback
You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.
Indicative reading
Arditi, D., & Nolan, R. (2024). The Palgrave Handbook of Critical
Music Industry Studies (R. Nolan & D. Arditi, Eds.; 1st ed.).
Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64013-1
McPherson, G. (Ed.). (2022). The Oxford handbook of music
performance. Volume 1 and 2 / edited by Gary E. McPherson. Oxford
University Press.
Molina, K., Peters, P., & Smith, N. T. (Eds.). (2024).
Classical music futures: Practices of innovation. Open Book
Publishers.
Nieuwerburgh, C. van, & Love, D. (2025).
Your essential guide to effective reflective practice : improving
practice through self-reflection and writing / Christian van
Nieuwerburgh, David Love. Sage.
Rink, J., Gaunt, H., & Williamon, A. (2017). Musicians in the Making: Pathways to Creative Performance (H. Gaunt & J. Rink, Eds.; 1st ed., Vol. 1). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199346677.001.0001