Course unit details:
Professional and Pedagogical Skills
Unit code | MUSC60402 |
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Credit rating | 30 |
Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
This course prepares students for careers as professional musicians and music educators. The first part of the unit develops students' understanding of the contemporary cultural, economic, institutional and technological contexts in which professional musicians operate. It introduces the practical knowledge necessary for working successfully in the sector, covering the areas of career management, self-promotion, concert programming, stagecraft and the production of demonstration recordings. The second part of the unit gives students knowledge of the principles and practices of music teaching. It explores current theories and methods of instrumental and vocal pedagogy, enabling students to develop an understanding of different learning and teaching styles and the capacity to evaluate and enhance their own communicative and educative skills.
Aims
to develop understanding of the cultural, economic, institutional and technological contexts in which professional musicians operate
to give students the practical knowledge necessary for working successfully in the musical sector
to develop knowledge of current approaches to music education, with particular reference to vocal and instrumental pedagogy
to equip students with knowledge of a range of approaches to teaching and learning
to help enable students to optimize their performance as communicators and educators
Syllabus
Professional music-making and its contexts
Career management for musicians
Self-promotion and online marketing
Principles of concert, festival and event programming
Stagecraft for musicians
Recording and editing techniques
The musician as educator
Principles of instrumental pedagogy
Principles of vocal pedagogy
Practical teaching and group evaluation (i)
Practical teaching and group evaluation (ii)
Teaching and learning methods
Weekly seminars and workshops
Weekly office hours
Knowledge and understanding
demonstrate understanding of the contexts in which contemporary professional musicians operate
display their knowledge of the principles of concert, festival and event programming
show a practical knowledge of a range of skills essential for professional musicians, including stagecraft and recording techniques
show critical understanding of current vocal and instrumental pedagogy
demonstrate the ability to describe, analyse and evaluate a range of teaching styles and methods, and an understanding of the personal qualities necessary for effective teaching
Intellectual skills
demonstrate the ability to describe, analyse and evaluate different teaching approaches in theory and practice
articulate their ideas cogently both orally and in writing
contribute to discussions and defend their viewpoints effectively
Practical skills
communicate effectively in a learning and teaching context
demonstrate a practical knowledge of stagecraft
record themselves to a professional standard; edit and upload a demonstration recording
Transferable skills and personal qualities
manage their professional careers and promote themselves effectively
show the capacity to evaluate their own effectiveness as communicators
work creatively, effectively and empathetically with others
Employability skills
- Group/team working
- demonstrate a practical and realistic knowledge of working environments
- Problem solving
- work with confidence and self-assurance as performers and teachers while possessing the capacity for reflection and self-criticism
- Other
- respond flexibly to rapidly changing professional and pedagogical environments
Assessment methods
Assessment task | Formative or Summative | Weighting within unit (if summative) | |
Seminar participation and practical work | Formative and Summative | 30% | |
Record and produce a five-minute promotional demo recording, and upload it to the Programme YouTube site | Summative | 30% | |
Reflective essay or equivalent on teaching styles and methods (2,000 words) | Summative | 40% |
Feedback methods
Feedback method | Formative or Summative |
Weekly feedback on oral contributions | Formative |
Peer evaluation of short one-to-one lesson | Formative |
Demo recording and Reflective Essay | Summative |
Recommended reading
Bauer, William I., Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing and Responding to Music (Oxford, 2014)
Browning, Birch, An Orientation to Musical Pedagogy: Becoming a Musician-Educator (Oxford, 2017)
Hallam, Susan, Instrumental Teaching: A Practical Guide to Better Teaching and Learning (Oxford, 1998)
Rink, John (ed.), The Practice of Performance: Studies in Musical Interpretation (Cambridge, 2005)
Rutter, Paul, The Music Industry Handbook (2nd edn Abingdon, 2016)
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
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Seminars | 33 |
Independent study hours | |
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Independent study | 267 |