Module: MCO5100-20 Music, Media and Markets

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Andrew Brown

Module Tutor Contact Details: A.Brown@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

Music, media and markets invites you to explore how your musical likes and dislikes, ways of consuming, sharing and talking about music, are connected to a global media industry of music genre production, promotion and distribution, that stretches from major multi-national players to medium sized and small ‘independents’, including global markets of major bands and star performers all the way to national and local ‘live’ music scenes, amateur music makers and underground networks of musical performance, communication and exchange.

2. Outline syllabus:

• Exploring the charts

• Exploring the popular song

• Guide to the first assignment

• Music genre histories/artist cases studies

• Histories of music production/change

• Guide to the Essay assignment

• Majors, midis and indies: the politics of distribution

• Record label case studies

• The global metal underground

• The rise of the internet, Napster and social media

• The ‘hidden’ musicians

• Youth identities and changing musical tastes

3. Teaching and learning activities

The first part of the module will provide you with a range of resources, including examples of genre histories and band/artist case studies, to allow them to investigate a music artist/band of their choice and how they can situate their band or artist within a wider genre history, period of music production, mode of distribution and audience demographic, which will be assessed via an Investigative Report and Multi-Media presentation.

The second part of the module will explore research into the national and global music industry, including case studies of majors, midis and indies, global underground music cultures, the impact of the internet and social media, including case studies on music streaming sites and ‘bedroom musicians’ on You Tube, and then moving on to explore the changing significance of music in relation to youth identities, modes of consumption and contemporary taste hierarchies.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Investigative Report and Multi-Media Presentation (2500 words equivalent)

• % Weighting: 50%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Essay (2500 words)

• % Weighting: 50%