Module: MUS5106-20 Community Music Practice

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Prof Roger Heaton

Module Tutor Contact Details: r.heaton@bathspa.ac.uk

This module is a pre-requisite of the Level 6 module MUS6103-20 Community Music - Professional Music Leader.

1. Brief description and aims of module:

This module provides you with an understanding of the broad area of community music and its application across a wide range of community situations, age groups and abilities. The delivery emphasises the community music ‘experience’ in practice but also gives insights into the theories behind inclusion, accessibility, ways of learning and the therapeutic elements of community music. The module also develops your musical confidence in improvisation as a means to create music in a workshop environment.

The module aims to:

• present and explore a range of important areas of community music practice

• provide an opportunity to develop skills in workshop leading across all age groups

2. Outline syllabus:

The course is a series of lecture/workshops particularly from visiting Music Leader professionals introducing the range and scope of community music. These sessions include topics/areas such as healthcare, special educational needs and disability (SEND), community singing, the justice system and formal education among many others. The workshops also contain practical ensemble improvisation sessions as a basis for working creatively in a group.

3. Teaching and learning activities:

A weekly three-hour lecture/workshop. Sessions are focused on introducing the topics with discussion and interaction between the visiting facilitator and students. Students display knowledge and show engagement by participation and a reflective journal response (ILO 1, formative assessment 1 and summative assessments 1 and 2). Sessions also include a practical musical session based on improvisation and musical games – these use many improvisational and compositional techniques including rhythm and pulse, ostinato, pentatonic and Dorian modes, chord progressions etc. These sessions are led by the module coordinator where the formative assessment tasks lead on to the summative workshop leading task (ILO 2, formative assessment 1 and summative assessment 1).

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description:Process (attendance and contribution) and leading a short workshop

• % Weighting: 60%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Reflective research journal (2000 words)

• % Weighting: 40%