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Briefing on the Home Studio Recording assessment (Trad Music)

This assessment option invites you to create a recorded performance that is a work in its own right, rather than a substitute for a live performance. If chosen, in MA (Traditional Music) or MMus (Traditional Music) 1, this component comprises 50% of your Principal Study grade. If chosen in MMus (Traditional Music) 2, this component comprises 30%.

Unlike the standard Studio Recording option, the intention is that you will engineer and produce the work yourself.

What do I have to do?​

You must submit an audio work that showcases your playing on your principal study instrument. In many cases this will be a multi-track recording of several sets or songs. The repertoire must not overlap with your Performance A programme.

Can I play more than one instrument?​

The central aim is to showcase your playing on your main instrument or related instrument/s – for instance, Highland bagpipe, border pipes and low D whistle. Singers could include both Scots and Gaelic repertoire, though you should seek the advice of department staff if unsure of your standard in one Principal Study song tradition or the other.

If you are confident that you can play a second instrument to a high standard, then that is fine, but be careful of lowering the quality of the overall recording: Masters-level fiddle playing, over which you lay a track of quite basic guitar accompaniment may not meet the appropriate standards of sound and arrangement quality.

Can I collaborate with other performers or do I have to play everything myself?​

Collaboration with other players is fine and indeed encouraged. You may wish to be accompanied by others, or your own Principal Study may be fundamentally involved in accompaniment such as bodhran, guitar or pipe band snare drum. Remember however that the main aim of the performance is to show off your own playing, so you must be clearly audible throughout the recordings, and the accompaniment must be of an appropriately high standard.

Do I have to arrange the piece myself?​

You can do, but it is also fine to use an existing arrangement or to work with peers. The recording component assesses performance skills as opposed to arrangement skills, but the arrangement should be of a high enough standard to facilitate Masters-level performance.

How does the length requirement work?​

The minimum length requirement relates to the total amount of playing in each of the individual parts you play, if more than one. For instance, a ten-minute recording involving three instruments consistently through the recording, and you play all three instruments yourself, would equate to 30 minutes. The length calculations do not include any parts or instruments played by anyone else.

What recording equipment and software should I use?​

This is entirely up to you: this option puts the responsibility for the engineering and production of the work entirely in your hands. You should not attempt this option unless you are confident that you have access to appropriate audio recording equipment, and access to and experience of suitable editing software. That said, there are staff members in the School of Music who have expertise in these areas who may be able to help: please feel free to ask for advice.

Can I record video?​

Multi-screen video is certainly possible, but there will be additional practical challenges in creating and editing both high quality audio and video. You should only attempt this if you are very certain that you have suitable equipment and access to and experience of both audio and video editing software.

How will I be assessed?​

The Learning Outcomes are the same as for any other Principal Study assessment: examiners will be looking for you to demonstrate technical and expressive mastery; a mature musical personality; and knowledge, understanding and critical thinking expressed through the process of making music.

As well as the recording, you have the choice either of submitting either a short contextualising written statement (~1000 words) or undertaking an oral examination. In both cases, the examiners will be seeking to understand your approach. Why did you choose to record this repertoire in this way? How did you go about it? What musical and technical obstacles did you hit, and how did you get around them? What would you do differently next time?

Where can I get help?​

You should seek musical advice from your Head of Department and Principal Study tutor.

There are many projects of this type online that you may wish to look at for inspiration: there are also many online tutorials. Be critical: are there flaws in intonation, timing problems, or inexpert playing? Does the technical advice appear accurate and up-to-date?

We expect you to engineer and produce the work yourself, so we cannot teach you how to use the recording equipment or software. However, there are staff members within the School of Music who have expertise in these areas who may be able to help: please feel free to ask for advice.

Deadline​

There are two possible deadlines, in March and May respectively. Which of these deadlines you are working to must be negotiated with your Head of Department and/or the Head of MMus Programme and recorded on your online student record. Once a deadline is agreed, it may not be changed unless there are mitigating circumstances.

If you choose to produce a written commentary, it must be submitted at the same time as the recording. The oral examinations, where agreed, will normally be held between a week and a fortnight after the submission of the recording.