Composition (B-MUS_MAJOR_1)

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Overview

The Composition major provides a carefully designed sequence of projects, building technique and craft in the service of articulating an emerging individual voice.

Students learn skills in writing for instrumental, vocal and electronic media, as well as how to communicate musical ideas clearly and fluently.

Students may major in Composition from first year, or apply to transfer from Performance after year 1.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this major, students should be able to:

situate their creative practice and aesthetic position in the contemporary compositional context;
synthesize influences from diverse musical sources in their compositional practice;
engage critically and productively in aesthetic dialogue within the new music community;
apply a fluent and flexible technique to musical composition;
collaborate effectively with other musicians on their work;
uphold rigorous intellectual and ethical standards in composition planning, preparation and documentation;
make confident and idiomatic compositional use of sonic resources – vocal, instrumental and electronic;
apply critical intelligence, self-reflection and creative problem-solving to their development as composers.

Last updated: 8 November 2024

Structure

225 credit points

To obtain a major in Composition students will need to complete:

175 credit points of Composition core subjects including
- 50 credit points of Level 1 Composition core subjects
- 50 credit points of Level 2 Composition core subjects
- 75 credit points of Level 3 Composition core subjects
50 credit points of Music elective subjects including
- A maximum of 25 credit points of Level 1 Music elective subjects

Transfer Major Rules:

Students may apply to transfer into the Composition Major from the Performance Major OR Performance (ANAM) Major at the end of the calendar year.
To transfer to Composition Major Year 2 students must:
- complete all Level 1 core subjects in the Performance Major OR Performance (ANAM) Major; and
- complete a successful folio audition for the Composition Major.
Note: Students who commenced the degree mid-year may need to extend the duration of the degree and reduce their study load in some semesters after transferring into the Composition Major.

Subject lists

Level 1 core subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI10047	Music History 1: 17th & 18th Centuries	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10231	Composition 1	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10023	Music Language 1: the Diatonic World	Summer Term (Online) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10232	Composition 2	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Level 2 core subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI20055	Composition 3	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20198	Music History 2: The Long 19th Century	Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20056	Composition 4	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20061	Music Language 2: Chromaticism & Beyond	Summer Term (Online) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Level 3 core subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
		Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)
MUSI30249	Music History 3: 20th & 21st Centuries	Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30025	Orchestration	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30031	Electro-Acoustic Music	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30213	Composition 5	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30046	Music Language 3: Modern Directions	Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30214	Composition 6	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Please refer to the following pages for all available music elective subjects:

Music Electives

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/components/b-mus-infspc-4

Music Ensemble Electives

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/components/b-mus-infspc-6