This course explores and activates student’s prior knowledge of popular music and introduces the element of the lyric to musical language. Through a mix of guided exercises and projects students will apply a variety of skills (analytical, written, aural, performative) in a specialised manner to create popular songs. The course also offers students a chance to participate in collaborative learning activities introducing them to new perspectives and facilitating key network building opportunities. Weekly learning activities and work created as part of assessment in this course will contribute directly to the development of a professional portfolio of creative work. Fostering the creative and critical skills required for producing original musical works in turn supports students in their development of the creative enterprise and entrepreneurial skills that are essential to early career

In addition to developing knowledge and building technical skills, it is important for the contemporary musician to cultivate the capacity to work both independently and collaboratively to initiate performance opportunities and deliver innovative creative projects. This course offers students the chance to negotiate their own ensemble outcomes and begin cultivating the capacity to support their own and each other’s ongoing musical and career development. In addition to building essential technical skills and knowledge, these collaborative ensemble projects promote the development of key interpersonal skills, present students with important new perspectives, and facilitate key network building opportunities. 

This course introduces the practical and theoretical procedures employed by musicians when recording a new musical work. Students are introduced to recording techniques and technologies. Students are then mentored through an application of their learning in generating new recorded material. The course also offers students a chance to participate in collaborative learning activities introducing them to new perspectives and facilitating key network building opportunities.

Assessment outcomes in this course will contribute directly to the development of a professional portfolio of creative work.

Operating as a professional musician requires a detailed working knowledge of a range of specific performance contexts and of the impact that these contexts can have on the way musicians prepare for and navigate performance outcomes. For example, performing in a recording studio, on stage, or for live radio or television all employ distinct approaches and specific workflows.  This course offers students a chance to work with music staff to identify and model an appropriate context to situate their ensemble project, giving them the opportunity to develop industry specific knowledge and experience, while continuing to build the practical and interpersonal skills essential for a career in music.

This course seeks to explore at an advanced level the intersection between theory and practice in music and the student’s readiness for independent creative work just prior to entering the profession or for future more advanced tertiary study. The two music project courses build on the knowledge and skill base accumulated in the first two years of study.  This course forms an intermediate phase between acquiring proficiency in music performance, theory and context and being ready to launch oneself as an independent musician.

Each student determines a practical and creative project, plans its execution and delivers Individually and/or in collaboration with peers, and under the supervision of teaching staff, an artistic or research-based outcome.  The project will demonstrate their cumulative capability and musical expertise.  This project-based learning promotes the technical, analytical and critical skill development essential to a professional creative practice in music.   The assessment will focus on the student’s capacity to formulate a ‘doable’ creative project, the stages of development of the project which could be reproducible in future creative tasks and the quality of the completed outcome based on the notion of readiness for professional work as a musician.

This course explores the important role social connection and professional networks play in successful music careers. These networks run the gamut of in-person/local relationships with student peers, fellow musicians, other collaborators, industry and other professionals, through to virtual/global networks. The course begins by comparing and contrasting today’s music industry the industry pre-digital revolution. Critical attention will then be given to the role of social media and digitization in revolutionizing musicians’ careers. Within the context of education, the course considers the ways in which digital technologies have expanded opportunities for connection via online music learning and teaching. Authentic learning activities and assessments include analysis of real-world case studies of professional musicians (using the media of vlog or podcast episode) and mapping of students’ existing networks. The course culminates in students’ designing and presenting (via youtube video) a strategy for expanding their future professional networks.

This course seeks to explore at an advanced level the intersection between theory and practice in music and the student’s readiness for independent creative work just prior to entering the profession or for future more advanced tertiary study. The two music project courses build on the knowledge and skill base accumulated in the first two years of study.  This course forms a second intermediate phase between acquiring proficiency in music performance, theory and context and being ready to launch oneself as an independent musician.  Each student determines a practical and creative project, plans its execution and delivers Individually and/or in collaboration with peers, and under the supervision of teaching staff, an artistic or research-based outcome.  The project will demonstrate their cumulative capability and musical expertise.  This project-based learning promotes the technical, analytical and critical skill development essential to a professional creative practice in music.   The assessment will focus on the student’s capacity to formulate a ‘doable’ creative project, the stages of development of the project which could be reproducible in future creative tasks and the quality of the completed outcome based on the notion of readiness for professional work as a musician.

This second project course may develop or expand the previous project topic with more advanced outcomes.

This course considers the ways in which musicians lead, the skills required to do so, the contexts in which leadership is enacted and the ways in which leadership can be leveraged to support sustainable career development.

The course explores leadership within music-specific contexts to guide students to consider how they develop their own leadership skills consistent with their personal values and career aspirations. Challenges faced by musicians when leading will also be considered, including issues relating to equity, diversity and representation.

Students will draw on their previous experiences of leadership in music practice courses and their own practice more broadly to consider at an advanced level the role of leadership in their future careers. Students will be assessed via work-integrated learning tasks (personal inventory, case studies/self-experiment and video CV) to demonstrate their understanding of the leadership role of musicians, and to apply this knowledge to their own future career development.