This module involves tutorials led by three instrumental lecturers at the Conservatoire. Each lecturer will present a tutorial on composing for their instrument, including displaying extended techniques used by contemporary composers. After the tutorial the students will be required to write a sketch of a short solo piece. These sketches will be discussed at a second tutorial and following this, the students will complete their solo instrumental piece. A third tutorial will consist of performances and discussion of each short solo piece, considering suitability for the instrument and use of extended techniques. The completed works will then be assessed. The second and third tutorials provide a platform for peer review of the compositional sketches and solo pieces.
Four instruments will be studied in this module. The choice of instruments will be tailored to the particular compositional focus of the particular student cohort. Each instrument will be studied in three workshops with the following structure:
Step 1 will primarily be led by a lecturer in this instrument and will consist be a blend of technical descriptions of the possibilities of extended techniques on the instrument and demonstration of these techniques. The participants will be encouraged to experiment with some of these techniques. Contemporary compositions utilising these techniques will be presented and the lecturer will provide a reading list specific to the instrument in question.
Step 2 will be self-directed learning where the students will study the scores presented is week 1 and explore the reading list for the instrument. The students will work on a compositional sketch using extended techniques.
Step 3 The students will present an outline sketch of the piece they envisage writing for the instrument. These will be assessed by the lecturer and small sections will be performed to verify the practicalities of the techniques and the aesthetic effect.
Step 4 In the light of the recommendations made at the second tutorial, the students will develop their initial sketches into a completed short solo piece for the instrument
Step 5 the completed pieces will be presented to the lecturer for discussion and performance and assessment.
Steps 1 to 5 will normally take place over a 6 week period and are then repeated three more times on 3 other instruments to give a 24 week cycle spread over 2 Semesters.
The presentations/demonstrations and follow up tutorials will be given in workshop format with students having the opportunity to engage critically with the lecturers’ presentations and in some instances to be active as a performer in the workshops. As the maximum number of participants in the workshops will be 10 there is ample scope for each participant to contribute in a very active role and to benefit from peer review and assessment. This will enable the student to reflect critically on his/her own use of contemporary extended techniques in both solo and ensemble works. Students will work closely with both the individual instrumental lecturers and their composition supervisor in the preparation for their compositional submissions.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |