MUSI3071: Portfolio of Compositions (single)

• For 100% acoustic portfolio: MUSI2311 Composition 2: New Directions in Art Music. For 100% electroacoustic portfolio: MUSI2641 Creative Music Technology. For combination portfolio: MUSI2311 Composition 2: New Directions in Art Music AND MUSI2641 Creative Music Technology.

• MUSI3312 Portfolio of Compositions (double)

• To provide an opportunity for students to express their creativity at an advanced level, through the production of a suitably differentiated portfolio of musical compositions, using compositional techniques to facilitate a competent and individual compositional voice, capable of demonstrating versatility in terms of musical expression and context.
• In so doing they will need to demonstrate that they are receptive to the work of other creative artists and yet have the confidence and authority to develop their own ideas within the chosen medium, whether acoustic (vocal and/or instrumental) and/or electroacoustic.

• The production of a composition folio employing the techniques of acoustic instrumental and/or electroacoustic compositions that may include or consist wholly of electroacoustic compositions.
• The format and content of the portfolio is agreed with the module tutor, subject to the approval of the module director.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Students will become familiar with a range of compositional techniques that are available for the creation of new music, and be able to demonstrate how these may be used creatively and effectively to establish a distinctive compositional repertory of their own.

Subject-specific Skills:

• In so doing they will acquire the skills necessary to compose with maturity, authority and originality.
• They will prepare the ground for compositional studies at a more advanced level and also via workshops and/or other presentational environments both formal and informal, engage directly the practicalities of creative communication via the medium of music composition.
• These experiences will build directly on the aesthetic considerations and compositional techniques they have encountered in their studies at Levels 1 and 2.

Key Skills:

• Compositional techniques used in an appropriate way to articulate each student's musical ideas.

• The tutorials will enable the students to express their own creativity and develop their own compositional voice in response to a range of ideas associated with the development of new music.
• Through tutorials they will acquire additional skills to those obtained at lower levels of study and learn how to articulate their musical ideas clearly and authoritatively, preparing score and parts and/or electroacoustic materials to a professional standard.
• Opportunities will arise for works or extracts thereof to be performed in the context of workshops and/or equivalent auditory environments such as listening sessions.
• These experiences will facilitate suitably critical, reflective and research aware appraisals of what has been achieved and provide important guidance as to how such creative outputs may be improved both technically and musically, and how different approaches may be used to extend the nature and scope of their musical language.

Fortnightly tutorials where work on the composition portfolio is assessed and discussed. Individual comments on materials (text, notation, structure etc.) submitted by students for tutorial sessions.

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our FAQ webpages, Help page or our glossary of terms. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the FAQ, or a query about the on-line Undergraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.