MA Music and Sonic Media Validated Spring 2011 Portfolio Review Stage 2

Student Profile: who are our students? Current student numbers: 3 FT 8 PT All Home/EU Courses are cross-listed with other MA programmes and have additional students numbers. Our students are drawn from a two main backgrounds: 1.Recently graduated BA students, some of whom are considering longer term academic study (two in the current cohort). 2.Mature students with professional experience who wish to develop their knowledge and understanding of current practices and thinking about such practices (four in the current cohort).

Programme Aims 1. To respond to the rapidly expanding fields of current practice in music and sonic arts, in particular with regard to developments in new media and technologies. 2. To explore contemporary developments in music and sonic arts through both creative and critical engagement. 3. To develop understanding of practice and theory of contemporary music and sonic arts in relation to wider social, cultural and historical contexts (‘The acoustic turn in contemporary theory’). 4. To position music and sonic arts at Sussex within the context of creative media and film theory and practice in MFM, and to draw on, and contribute to, the strengths of those programmes.

Programme Learning Outcomes 1.Evaluate critically the roles of music and sonic art in interdisciplinary and broader cultural contexts. 2.Evaluate critically methods and issues in creative musical and sonic work, informed by current scholarship. 3.Adopt a professional approach to preparing and presenting examples of original work for different constituencies. 4.Critically assess the utility and artistic merit of specific examples of contemporary artistic practice in music and sonic art. 5.Evaluate critically new technologies including music and sound applications (computer software). 6.Develop and complete an extended creative or theoretical project informed by current key developments in music and sonic art.

Mapping core courses against PLOs

Learning, Assessment & Feedback Learning through a combination of practical exercises (workshops), critical encounter with relevant practices (seminars), engagement with relevant critical and theoretical ideas (seminars), and undertaking extended creative or critical-theoretical projects (one-to-one supervision). Non-contributory assessment through practical exercises (group and individual), seminar presentations (group and individual), and project proposals. Contributory assessment through creative projects with written critical evaluations (short or extended) or essays and dissertation. Formative feedback on practical exercises, on seminar presentations and project proposals (oral). Summative feedback (written) on creative projects, and essays.

Issues/challenges Recruitment – dichotomy between emphasizing specialism or breadth Programme designed to be integral to the ACCA (SJ Norman teaches one course) but is a bit unlocated until the ACCA is open How to connect with Brighton as an important creative centre Integrating part-time students