Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE MSP2260

 
TITLE Introduction to Composition

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Music Studies

 
DESCRIPTION This is an introduction to contemporary strategies, systems, methods, and techniques of composing music for various genre and mediums. It explores compositional techniques including twentieth century approaches that helps students to find their own creative voice.

The study-unit looks at new ways of thinking about pitch organization, with a focus on melodic writing. It will also introduce modern harmonic concepts, vibrant ideas about rhythm and form, and introduces firmly mid- twentieth-century practices regarding innovations in instrumental technique and acoustic sound production.

Study-unit Aims:

This study-unit in designed to introduce the art of musical composition and to give a competent grounding, and address fundamental issues in the discipline of creativity. It will expose students to artistic themes, discussions, techniques and creative tasks linked to a variety of compositional techniques and concepts.

Students will work on basic compositional skills and aesthetic choices through the different tasks to be tackled. This will familiarise them with critical thinking skills that will concern their future contribution to the world of professional music-making, (composition, performance, musicology or education.)

This study-unit will also build on the students' capacity to focus on notation programmes and problem-solving in the preparation of scores. and demonstrate familiarity with standard issues pertaining to music composition.

Through analyses of recent music and artistic themes, discussion and creative tasks, students will be exposed to a variety of compositional techniques, concepts and aesthetics. The content and assessment of this subject will enable students to further develop critical thinking concerning their future contribution to the world of new music be it in composition, performance, musicology or education.

This study-unit will help students identify their creative voice, develop their intuition and develop their vital aural skills while learning to rely Principal Study Composition supports the sustained development of compositional craft and creative voice through the preparation of composition(s) to be submitted at the end of each semester.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

a) identify the fundamental elements of the creative process;
b) demonstrate a better understanding of compositional skills in preparation for specialization;
c) explore the creative use of different compositional skills;
d) evaluate the various modes of compositional techniques;
e) apply the current conventions of notation and score layout;
f) identify subjective outputs within a clear historical context.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

a) evaluate and contextualize subjective aesthetic needs that are to be addressed when dealing with creativity;
b) address and articulate different styles pertaining to music composition (pastiche or experimental);
c) compose works/soundscapes exploring a creative use of orchestration to express artistic ideas;
d) engage critically with the technical demands of the compositional discipline;
e) demonstrate high-level skills that will enable entry into the composition specialisation.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Boden, Margaret. A. 2010. Creativity and Art: Three Roads to Surprise (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
- Peters, Jonathan. 2014. Music Composition 1: Learn how to compose well-written rhythms and melodies (Volume 1) (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform)
- Peters, Jonathan. 2014. Music Composition 2: Learn how to compose well-written rhythms and melodies (Volume 2) (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform).

Supplementary readings:

- Whittall, Arnold. 2003. Exploring Twentieth-Century Music: Tradition and Innovation (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
- Dallin, Leon. 1977. Techniques of Twentieth Century Composition: A Guide to the Materials of Modern Music, 3rd edition/4th printing (Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Company)
- Cope, David. 1997. Techniques of the Contemporary Composer (New York: Schirmer Books)
- Helm, E. Eugene. 2014. Melody, Harmony, Tonality: An Introduction (Plymouth, UK: Rowman and Littlefield).

Other supplementary readings will be given by the lecturer on the VLE platform.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Online Learning and Seminar

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Composition SEM1 No 40%
Portfolio SEM1 Yes 60%

 
LECTURER/S John Galea

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit