Advanced Principal Study
This core module offers regular of individualised tuition in your discipline, which may be split between a number of tutors as appropriate, and offers a range of assessment options including public performances, recordings, practice research, and individual or collaborative negotiated projects. Your learning in this module will be informed by the choices you articulate within the Professional Development module, which will help you identify the areas of your practice you wish to expand and deepen: the repertoires, genres, techniques that you wish to pursue to further your individual artistic aims.
Module aims
This module is designed to:
- Enable the deepening of an established musical practice at the forefront of the discipline
- Provide opportunities to present solo and/or collaborative performances within a proto-professional musical environment
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module you will be able to:
- LO1 Demonstrate comprehensive technical and expressive mastery of your discipline
- LO2 Project a secure and distinctive musical personality
Assessment
Two negotiated assessments (50% or 50%)
Assessed LOs: 1, 2.
The negotiated assessments for this module are usually performances, but may also be live or studio recordings on audio or video, compositions, substantial practice research/educational projects, for example, role studies, outreach projects or written dissertations. The output would be agreed upon at the start of the academic year.
We normally expect at least one of these outputs to be arranged independently by the student outside the Conservatoire. In many cases, you will be able to take advantage of an existing opportunity, such as an engagement by an existing performing organisation or from connections established with the profession through your own practice.
We will offer advice and information to support you in planning such an event; however, we expect you to take responsibility for matters such as venue hire, marketing, travel, music hire, sets, costumes, risk assessment and technical support. Please note that the Conservatoire is not able to offer direct financial support for such projects but we may be able to provide some support in kind, such as a loan of equipment.
One of the assessments will normally be internal to Conservatoire.
At least one of these assessments will be assessed by an external panel, comprising a Specialist External Examiner, an internal specialist, and a generalist convener: the other assessment will usually be assessed by a panel comprising two internal specialists.
Examples of suitable assessable projects include, but are not limited to:
- A substantial recital, solo, collaborative or mixed
- A study of a number of roles from an opera or operas
- A freelance engagement or series of engagements with an existing professional company, such as an orchestra, opera company, new music ensemble, or theatre company
- A collaborative interdisciplinary devised performance
- A professional CD-length audio recording with associated marketing material
- A practice research project on a specific area of technique or repertoire
Assessment criteria
Assessors will look for:
LO1 – Demonstrate comprehensive technical and expressive mastery of your discipline
- technical control and freedom to fully realise musical intent
- fine understanding of style and idiom
- confident leading and sympathetic support in collaborative and ensemble contexts
- textual accuracy
- consistency and concentration in performance
LO2 – Project a secure and distinctive musical personality
- performances which can challenge both the artist and audience
- effective communication
- committed and engaging response to the music
- awareness of context and trend
- knowledge of the repertoire
- originality and creative imagination
- confidence, stage presence and rapport with the audience
Feedback
You will recieve regular formative feedback from your tutor in your lessons, and a written report twice a year. In some departments the tutor report will take the form of a mutually constructed feedback session.
You will receive a written feedback report on each negotiated assessment.
Resources
Essential
Key resources will be recommended by principal study tutors.
Recommended
Rink, J. S., Gaunt, H., & Williamon, A. (Eds.). (2017). Musicians in the making: Pathways to creative performance (Vol. 1). Oxford University Press.
Tolmie, D. (2020) 2050 And beyond: A futurist perspective on musicians’ livelihoods, Music Education Research, 22:5, 596-610, DOI: 10.1080/14613808.2020.1841133
Welch, G., & Papageorgi, I. (Eds.). (2014). Advanced musical performance: Investigations in higher education learning. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Summary details
| Module title | Advanced Principal Study |
|---|---|
| SCQF level | 11 |
| Credit rating | 80 SCQF (40 ECTS) |
| Total notional student effort hours | 800 |
| Status | Core |
| Module coordinator | Head of Department |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | Professional Development, Advanced Supporting Studies |
| Anti-requisites | None |
| Learning modes | Indicative hours |
| Scheduled study | 40.5 |
| Independent study | 759.5 |
| Total notional student effort | 800 |