In this subject, students will develop their performance skills through participating in three modularised workshops. The first two workshops will run in parallel with each other and will be rotated: module 1 will focus on improvisation; and module 2 will focus on (western or non-western) music from an oral tradition. Module 3 will then extend students' skills in reading and arranging music, utilising their preferred performing media (voice or instrument). In this third module, they will perform set technical tasks (such as scales and arpeggios) and, in groups, they will arrange and perform one set piece of music from a basic notated score, and they will choose, arrange and perform another piece. They will perform one piece chosen from modules 1, 2, or 3 in a public venue on campus. The subject will also introduce basic music business skills, such as how to advertise and mount a public performance.

Students will extend their performance skills acquired in Music Performance 1 through participating in three modularised workshops. The first two workshops will run in parallel with each other and will be rotated: module 1 will focus on free and notated improvisation; and module 2 will focus on choral performance. Module 3 will extend the skills of reading and arranging music in students' preferred performing media (voice or instrument). In this module, they will perform set technical tasks (such as scales and arpeggios), adding to the skills acquired in Music Performance 1 and, continuing to work in small groups, they will arrange and perform one set piece of music from a basic notated score, and choose, arrange and perform another piece that is different from the music performed in Music Performance 1. They will perform one piece chosen from modules 1, 2, or 3 in a public venue on campus. The subject will also introduce music business skills, such as how to publicise and mount a performance, and how to upload a sample of work to YouTube.

This subject presents an overview of the basic concepts and applications of electronic and digital music production technology in current music and media arts practice. Students will learn the fundamentals of musical acoustics, stereo recording and mixing techniques, and they will be introduced to MIDI systems and sequencing. Technical concepts are contextualised within a survey of current music production practice.

This subject introduces basic theoretical knowledge such as scales, intervals, chords and progressions. It provides musicianship training in aural, reading and keyboard skills and an introduction to Finale software. Students will learn to analyse harmony and to compose melodies and simple chordal accompaniments in song and theme and variation forms. Keyboard and aural classes will build on the theoretical content presented in lectures.

Students will explore some of the most significant trajectories of popular music of the last 100 years. Each week will look a different facet of popular music history, stretching from the stars of the early years of the recorded music industry to the development of electronic dance music. The subject will touch upon folk, jazz, blues, rock, soul, funk, pop, disco, metal, punk, and hip hop to offer a necessarily incomplete tapestry of music scenes, chains of influence, and theories on the points of origin of styles and genres. Indigenous Australian artists are included in this historical survey. Concepts that will be investigated include the relationship of recording and dissemination technologies with popular music creation; the notion of a “mainstream” and its margins; and the idea of a grand narrative of popular music history, including the problems of canonicity.

This subject explores a range of musical works, styles, genres and composers from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century. It shows how music evolved through the centuries, suggesting that stylistic changes are linked to innovative musical thinking on the one hand and conformity to established practices on the other. The subject asks how and why different genres and styles in different periods in western art music history come to the foreground while others recede into the background. Within a socio-historical context, the subject investigates the practices that produce musical innovation and considers how the various historical epochs have shaped our understanding of music. The subject includes some rudimentary music analysis and key terminologies and music vocabularies.

This subject studies harmony and musical techniques used in a variety of styles, and applies these in the development of song-writing and composition skills. Keyboard and aural classes include practical musicianship training related to the lectures.

The subject builds on the conceptual and practical work presented in Music Production, deepening students' understanding of technology in contemporary music and media arts practice. Students will study the digital field recording for sound design and composition, the basic principles of sound synthesis procedures and musical acoustics, and creative sound design and synthesiser patch editing. Technical concepts are contextualised within a critical survey of contemporary music and sound design practice.

This subject introduces concepts and skills necessary to arrange music in popular-commercial and orchestral contexts. Lectures provide background on the use of instruments, harmony, timbre and texture, and tutorials provide practical exercises in preparation for the assignments.

This subject provides students with a firm grasp of creative principles and practical experience in the range of compositional techniques and skills required as a composer within a range of commonly employed artistic media and genres (classical, world, popular and avant-garde styles). These skills will provide the basis for professional compositional activity. Students will cover creative and technical issues with reference to a wide range of genres to stimulate across boundary thinking towards personal voice within lectures and tutorials. Practical workshops using compositional principles through student improvisation within creative groups will provide sonic demonstration of compositional ideas. The assessments will include both notated scores and recordings (improvisations; one notated score), in keeping with the Internet distribution age.

This subject will provide students with an understanding of the historical framing and cultural re-framing of Indigenous Australians in the live arts. Students will be provided with a theoretical understanding of the politics of representation through examining and reflecting on the transitional shifts that Indigenous artists' have made from: cultural performance to theatre productions; 'traditional' storytelling to telling of stories through poetry and writing; ceremonial sounds to music and spoken word performance; documentary film to screen based drama to exploring new technologies and moving image performance. Students will be introduced to a variety of Indigenous artists and their creative works.

This subject replaces 101521- Collaboration and Live Music Performance. Through a series of lectures and workshops, students will pursue two main threads of practical study imperative to any working musician. The first is collaboration, which will be practised in workshops (with repertoire determined by lecturers) and probed in a written task. The second area of study is the development of a suite of onstage skills and strategies including physical gesture, audience communication and facility with musical equipment.

This subject looks at the psychosocial importance of music to our wellbeing throughout our lives and during each day. Delivered in a lectorial format (lecture with practical activities throughout), the subject explores the relationship between music and the body, mind, emotions, mood, memory, communication and creativity from experimental studies through to practice-based evidence. This subject is not necessarily about performing music, although some music making will take place. Rather, it is focused on how music can improve our wellbeing throughout our lives. The ideas and approaches discussed are important across the humanities, the social sciences and the health sciences, as well as to musicians who are looking to use their music in the therapeutic context.

Students are required to both perform and compose in this subject. While students may choose to perform their own work, this subject also offers the opportunity for students to experience the particular challenges and rewards offered by the close collaboration entailed in both sides of the composer/performer interface. Each student will choose a balance of performance and composition tasks appropriate to her/his specific musical path. The subject presents basic compositional techniques and canvasses issues regarding the composer/performer relationship through a series of lectures, tutorials and workshops. Students will also continue to develop their event administration skills.

This subject examines music from diverse cultures, such as African, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Asian, and the Australia-Oceania region, focusing on the performance, production, and transmission of contemporary fusion music. It explores the cultural-political ways in which the West represents world music as a commodity and considers how the music is inflected with notions of identity, modernity, globalisation, displacement and migration. It charts the ways in which, as a social practice, world music engages politics to promote change, giving voice to marginalised groups. Students will have the opportunity to perform selected rhythms from different cultures. Additionally, they will learn elements of music theory that pertain to the cultures studied in the subject.

In small groups, students will develop a creative music/sound and multimedia project. The multimedia aspects can include any subset of video, art, text, lighting, digital technology, installations, sound spatialisation, and algorithmic sound/music generation. Students will learn how to integrate music and sound with multimedia; develop their skills in audio and video software; and create interactions between software and hardware devices. Students will gain experience in collaborating on a creative project and contextualising and promoting their work within a broader cultural and intercultural context. Students will be exposed to ways in which music multimedia is used in professional contexts such as web-design, public art, and music software development. The teaching material comprises pre-recorded lectures and guided workshops undertaken on campus.

This subject offers the opportunity for students to apply musicological skills and knowledge to real-world contexts, such as writing program notes, music reviews, and blogs, researching and retrieving music repertories for performance in various ensemble configurations, researching, analysing and critically writing about music from a range of genres, and adopting key analytical strategies for considering music in its cultural, intercultural and historical contexts. The teaching materials and content in this subject will be designed to closely align with and support the practical projects being chosen and designed by students in two project subjects (1 and 3) in the Bachelor of Music. The subject will provide students with a broadly informed view of current issues in music practice.

From Autumn 2024, this subject is replaced by PERF 2033 Recording Studio Practices. In this subject students will be given an overview of the music industry, applying music industry theory to real-life situations, and working on real-world projects such as creating a unique image for an artist or band, and promoting and marketing a live gig. Responsibilities, and the pros and cons of going solo or working as a group will be explored together with income generation through record sales, live performance, song publishing, merchandise, and sponsorship. Other aspects, such as artist management, copyright, and contracts, will be covered along with the independent musician and new DIY models for the fast-paced, high-tech world of the future.

This subject assists you in developing your musical competency with a view to applications in education and therapy, since particular types of music skills and applied competencies are required for music teachers and music therapists as they work with students and clients. If you want to develop your musical skills to engage more actively in musical interaction with people, then this is the subject for you! This very practically oriented subject explores applied music literacy and aspects of using music as a tool within the social/educational context, engaging you in vocal, guitar, piano/keyboard and aural activities, as taught by experienced music therapy and education staff. This subject helps you expand your musical potential and career options, supporting you in developing skills to set you up for success in entering your chosen field of study, completing your studies and ultimately being career-ready for your future in the musical context.

This subject builds on concepts and practical work from Music Production and Sound Design. It prepares students creatively and technically to undertake self-directed technology-based projects as composers, sound designers and producers. Students will study professional-level sound studios, multi-track, hard disk recording systems, critical listening, and principles of sonic composition and studio production. Students will propose and complete a major studio-based creative project.

This capstone musicology subject will consolidate approaches to research transferable to a variety of music careers and post-graduate study. Students will learn to critique various methods, considering their strengths, weaknesses and appropriateness to a self-devised research project. Delivered in a workshop format, each week students will consider a method or aspect thereof and develop skills in pursuing these towards their research outcome. Methods canvassed in the subject include practice-led research, where creative practice can be both the starting point and the research outcome; primary research (where the researcher gathers information from interviews, surveys and so on), music science (cognition and computation); ethics in research; identifying appropriate fields of research; and quantitative and qualitative methods.

Analysis enables students to acquire a deep and rich understanding of music. This subject will focus on the formal designs, rhythmic, melodic and harmonic structures of notated music, and the structures, contexts and processes of non-notated music. It will include notated and recorded music from the popular song traditions, as well as studio recordings, electronic music and improvisation. It will consider the strengths, weaknesses and cultural biases of various modes of analysis, including the use of musical notation. Students will learn to apply these methods in lectures and tutorials.

Music and Critical Thought considers definitions of music and how music is constituted. It asks how we encounter and experience music, and what makes a piece of music aesthetically pleasing and who decides. It asks whether the meanings attributed to music are as much intrinsic as they are cultural. The subject considers emotions and feelings in music, and why we would listen to music if it makes us feel sad. When music is used as an instrument of torture is it still music? How do we view the composer in the musical work? Where does creativity reside in a musical work? Is there a difference between musical thinking and thinking about music? Is music representational or immanent or both? Is music political? The subject provides an historical overview of the important debates and considers the poststructuralist critique of these debates. Students will design a question chosen from the topics covered in the subject, and retrieve and critically evaluate the appropriate literature for their project.

This subject is the final stage in the Composition and Music Production sub-major sequences. The subject is also available to Media Arts Production and Creative Industries students. The subject aims to prepare students creatively and technically to undertake self-directed sound composition projects for screen media. The areas to be examined include: sound studio techniques, mix processing for sound recording and screen media, an introduction to surround audio techniques, sound composition (score-based and/or sound-scape) for screen, film spotting for sound, audio-visual interactions, and professional communication/pitching of sound composition proposals. Each student produces a complete sound-composition for screen package including sound composition, sound recording, screen media product (including film), and promotional documentation and samples.

This subject extends on the creative principles and practical experience in the range of compositional techniques and skills in the preceding subject Composition and Creativity. It will have two focuses: songwriting in both popular and art-music traditions to allow for the exploration of lyrics/texts; and composer collaborations with large scores for film, photography and dance. Students will work in a wide variety of commonly-employed artistic media and genres at a higher level than in the preceding subject. They will acquire the ability to write for larger instrumental combinations in cross-artform collaborations and songwriting skills. Practical workshops using compositional principles through student improvisation within creative groups will provide sonic demonstration of compositional ideas in relation to songwriting and other media. The assessments will include both notated scores (with visual media options) and recordings (improvisation; one notated score), in keeping with the Internet distribution age.

In small groups, students will plan, prepare, and perform a substantial artistically and technically challenging live performance project. Students’ performance practices will be expanded by integrating any thematically linked subset of software, hardware (controllers and synths), video and other multimedia, stagecraft, lighting, spatialisation, algorithms, theory, and improvisation. Students will learn how to integrate music and sound with multimedia and technology; develop their skills in digital audio software and interactive technology; gain experience of working collaboratively on a creative project; and contextualise their work within a broader cultural context. The teaching material comprises lectures and guided workshops, which are undertaken on campus.

In this capstone subject students collaboratively research and create an intercultural music performance, incorporating Diaspora and Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) Australian musics and their interaction with global intercultural music perspectives. Collaboration may include musicians from diverse communities in relation to the UN cultural diversity mandate. Activities such as performance, composition, arranging, sound engineering, music administration and other industry-related work will occur in integrated learning contexts and/or placement opportunities that have practical creative or project management outcomes. This subject provides training in music business and personal branding towards creating visibility of cultures and personal creative identity, and it allows students to work as individuals or in groups to build on skills and knowledge developed through their degree.

Performance as a Professional Musician builds upon preceding subjects in the Performance sub-major to equip students for performance opportunities in real-world environments. Subject matter canvassed includes arrangement and interpretation, real-world writing about performance, stagecraft and event production. With the guidance of the subject coordinator/tutors, vetted through a professional project proposal process, students will prepare and mount a 30-minute performance project as featured performer. The type of repertoire, instrumentation and personnel will be up to the student and will reflect acquired strengths and aspirations. Through a workshop process, students will be encouraged to refine their performance and to further develop their capacity to give colleagues measured and constructive feedback. Short written tasks reflect real-world expectations of the professional musician in the form of project proposal, program note and festival pitch.

This subject extends concepts and skills necessary to arrange music in popular-commercial and orchestral contexts. Lectures provide background on the use of instruments, harmony, timbre and texture, and tutorials provide practical exercises in preparation for the assignments.

The cultural frameworks of this subject’s title are both the lenses through which we receive and critique music (gender, class, postcolonialism, sexuality, power etc) and the various types of writing through which we perform these critiques. Through this subject, students will be immersed in literature that engages with music through those big lenses, but will also consider various types of writing. Journal articles, conference papers, liner notes, program notes and reviews each do a distinct kind of cultural work. The assessment tasks will enable students to think about their subject positions and develop both their cultural engagement and capacity to choose appropriate forms for their writing.

Music Therapy Foundations & Approaches provides a background to the historical development and theoretical underpinnings of music therapy, with focus on a broad range of music therapy approaches and orientations including Culture-Centred Music Therapy and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. Human development through the lifespan is studied, along with an overview of disability and disorders. The fundamental principles of self-care and supervision for music therapy practitioners and students are introduced within this subject and continued in later subjects of the Master of Creative Music Therapy program.

This subject focuses on the delivery of music therapy to infants, children and adolescents with various approaches and settings being explored across the semester. There is an emphasis on the eclectic music therapy approach and how current psychotherapy approaches, practice approaches and music therapy approaches can be successfully combined to meet the therapeutic needs of the music therapy participant/s. An introduction to music therapy research, with particular attention to writing a literature review, is included. The Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) standards of practice are overviewed and explored through active group work. In addition, musical analysis, teamwork approaches, creative arts therapy models and group work in music therapy are also explored.

This subject focuses on the development of creative therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to individual and group participants across the lifespan. Students learn, practice, and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can be applied within their practicum placements as appropriate. This subject utilises creative active learning experiences within a lectorial (a synthesis of lecture and tutorial) format and addresses focus areas including: practicum placement; therapeutic music skills; music therapy methods (improvisational); technology in music therapy; and culture-centred music therapy.

This subject focuses on the creative development of therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to individual and group participants across the lifespan. Students learn, practice, and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can be applied within their Registered Music Therapist Practicum Placement or Independent Placement as appropriate. This subject utilises creative active learning experiences within a lectorial format and addresses focus areas including: practicum placement; therapeutic music skills; music therapy methods (re-creative); technology in music therapy; and culture-centred music therapy.

This subject focuses on the development of creative therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to individual and group participants across the lifespan. Students learn, practice, and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can be applied within their Simulated Music Therapy Practicum or Registered Music Therapist Practicum Placement as appropriate. This subject utilises creative active learning experiences within a lectorial format and addresses focus areas including: practicum placement; therapeutic music skills; music therapy methods (compositional); technology in music therapy; and culture-centred music therapy.

This subject focuses on the development of creative therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to individual and group participants across the lifespan. Students learn, practice, and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can be applied within their Registered Music Therapist Practicum Placement or Independent Placement as appropriate. This subject utilises creative active learning experiences within a lectorial format and addresses focus areas including: practicum placement; therapeutic music skills; music therapy methods (receptive); technology in music therapy; and culture-centred music therapy.

In 2023, this subject replaced by PERF 6001 - Music Therapy Foundations & Approaches. Music Therapy Method provides a background to the historical development and theoretical underpinnings of music therapy, with focus on a broad range of music therapy approaches and orientations including Culture-Centred Music Therapy and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. Human development through the lifespan is studied, along with an overview of disability and disorders. The fundamental principles of self-care and supervision for music therapy practitioners and students are introduced within this subject and continued in later subjects of the Master of Creative Music Therapy course.

This subject focuses on music therapy professional practice issues including ethics, standards of practice, starting a music therapy business, developing new music therapy positions, working within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and working within interprofessional workplaces. Of equal focus is the further development of research knowledge with an emphasis on research proposal development as relevant to applied music therapy practice across a wide range of settings. Students are engaged in further developing reflective practice and critical thinking skills for effective music therapy practice. The principles of self-care and supervision for music therapy practitioners and students are re-visited within this subject in preparation for completion of the Master of Creative Music Therapy, and graduation as a career-ready music therapist.

In 2023, this subject replaced by PERF 6002 - Music Therapy Theory & Practice 1. This subject focuses on the delivery of music therapy to infants, children and adolescents with various approaches and settings being explored across the semester. There is an emphasis on the eclectic music therapy approach and how current psychotherapy approaches, practice approaches and music therapy approaches can be successfully combined to meet the therapeutic needs of the music therapy participant/s. An introduction to music therapy research, with particular attention to writing a literature review, is included. The Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) standards of practice are overviewed and explored through active group work. In addition, musical analysis, teamwork approaches, creative arts therapy models and group work in music therapy are also explored.

This subject focuses on the delivery of music therapy to young adults, adults and older adults with various approaches and settings being explored across the semester. There is an emphasis on the role that music therapy plays in addressing the therapeutic goals of adult participants within settings including: community, medical, mental health, rehabilitation, and aged care. Verbal skills for music therapists and facilitating music therapy group work are also explored. The next steps in music therapy research are covered, with particular attention to conducting a systematic literature review. Students are guided in how to draw on evidence and examples from music therapy and related fields, through developing applied critical thinking skills and gathering knowledge in a systematic manner. Abstract writing and introduction to writing a research proposal is also included.

From 2024 this subject will be replaced by PERF 6003 Music Therapy Skills & Practice A. This subject focuses on the development of therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to individual and group participants ranging in age from infants to the elderly. Students learn, practice and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can be applied within their SiMPrac field work or Practicum Placement as appropriate. This subject utilises active learning methods within a lectorial format and addresses focus areas including: methods; goals; technology; culture and improvisation.

In 2024, this subject is replaced by PERF 6004 Music Therapy Skills & Practice B. This subject focuses on the development of therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to participants ranging in age from infants to the elderly. Students practice and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can then be applied within their practicum placement as a major component of this subject. Considerations when planning and delivering individual and group programs are explored, along with technology, composition and cultural issues within music therapy. This subject utilises active learning techniques within a lectorial format.

From 2023, this subject will be replaced by PERF 6005 Music Therapy Skills & Practice C. This subject focuses on the development of therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to individual and group participants ranging in age from infants to the elderly. Students learn, practice and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can be applied within their SiMPrac field work or Practicum Placement as appropriate. This subject utilises active learning methods within a lectorial format and addresses focus areas including: methods; goals; technology; culture and improvisation.

In Spring 2023, this subject replaced by PERF 6006 - Music Therapy Skills & Practice D. This subject focuses on the development of therapeutic music skills to support the delivery of music therapy to participants ranging in age from infants to the elderly. Students practice and demonstrate a diverse range of skill sets that can then be applied within their practicum placement as a major component of this subject. Considerations when planning and delivering individual and group programs are explored, along with technology, written case study report writing and cultural issues within music therapy. This subject utilises active learning techniques within a lectorial format.