| Semester 2, 2021 Springfield On-campus | |
| Short Description: | Musical Contexts: Pop Music |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Creative Arts |
| Student contribution band : | 2021 Grandfather Funding Cl 2 |
| ASCED code : | 100101 - Music |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Enrolment is not permitted in MUI1006 if MUI2006 has been previously completed.
Other Requisites
Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.
Rationale
Creative artists working within the contemporary popular music industry benefit from an understanding of the historical context in which their work is situated. Critical, scholarly reflection on, and analysis of popular music are therefore important skills for musicians. As increasing emphasis is placed on popular music in school syllabi, this course will allow students to continue their secondary studies in popular music to the tertiary level and, in turn, provide input to potential private and classroom music teachers. This course is also designed for students interested in music as recreation or wishing to cultivate cross-disciplinary interests.
Synopsis
With a focus on key musical works and trends from throughout the twentieth century, this course will provide an overview of the musical development, principal styles, and the social and cultural contexts of contemporary Western popular music including Australian popular music and Indigenous popular music. Students will explore, through discussion and research, the societal, technological and musicological aspects of popular music in order to better know the context of the music that they will play and listen to throughout their musical careers.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- Outline the historical development of Western popular music from 1950 to the present;
- Research, reproduce, and critically evaluate different Western popular music styles;
- Apply analytical skills to identify and interpret musical elements of important songs and styles;
- Evaluate the social, cultural, technological and ethical issues in popular music;
- Interpret music in a way that can be developed into further music scholarship, criticism and music journalism.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Introduction: An overview of major trends in Rock music from 1950s to the present |
10.00 |
| 2. |
The roots of Rock and the musical characteristics of early Rock. Its manifestations and proponents in Australia |
10.00 |
| 3. |
Societal influences and effects of rock & roll |
10.00 |
| 4. |
An overview of developments of the ‘60s, ‘70s,’ 80s & ‘90s |
30.00 |
| 5. |
The Australian pop and rock story |
10.00 |
| 6. |
Pop and rock musicians’ influence, musical activism |
10.00 |
| 7. |
Technological changes and their influence |
10.00 |
| 8. | The rise of ‘World Music’ and Indigenous contemporary music in Australia | 10.00 |
Text and Materials
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2021&sem=02&subject1=MUI1006)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference Materials
Student Workload Expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 26.00 |
| Independent Study | 139.00 |
Assessment Details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REFLECTIVE FORUM POSTS & ESSAY | 100 | 20 | 07 Sep 2021 | |
| ESSAY 2000 WORDS | 100 | 40 | 12 Oct 2021 | |
| ONLINE EXAMINATION | 100 | 40 | End S2 | (see note 1) |
Notes
- This will be an online exam. Students will be provided further instruction regarding the exam by their course examiner via StudyDesk. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the Alternate Assessment Schedule has been released.
Important assessment information
-
Attendance requirements:
Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.
External and Online:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students’ responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
On-campus:
It is the students’ responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade, a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. -
Examination information:
An Online Examination is one in which candidates may have access to any printed or written material. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Deferred and Supplementary examinations will be held in accordance with the Assessment Procedure . -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Other Requirements
-
Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.
-
Students are required to attend all classes and workshops.