Briefing on the Independent Project assessment

What is the Independent Project assessment?

The Independent Project is an opportunity for you to create your own unique assessment mode for the Principal Study module. This assessment is in general only available to Stage 2 students, and is compulsory for Stage 2 of the Traditional Music programme. For students on other performance programmes, it is a chance to pursue a strong and original idea for a performance-based project that does not fit easily into one of the pre-defined performance assessments.

What do I have to do?

The independent project assessment is available to all of the departments within MMus Performance, as well as Conducting and Jazz. In all of these cases, it may be taken as a 50% A assessment (externally assessed) and/or a 25% B assessment (internally assessed). Within MMus Performance it is possible to combine these into a single project with a weighting of 75%. As noted above, it is mandatory as an A assessment for Traditional Music, with a weighting of 70%.

Although the assessment details will vary from project to project, there must be a performance outcome of some sort: this might be live, recorded, or some combination of the two. In many cases an oral examination will form part of the assessment process, and it may also be appropriate to produce a reflective account of the project, possibly accompanied by documentation.

As every project will be different, there is no stipulation as to the length or nature of the performance outcome. In agreeing the arrangements for this assessment with your Head of Department, the ‘challenge’ presented by the project needs to relate to the weighting assigned to it within the module (25%, 50%, 70% or 75%).

What are the examiners looking for?

Whatever the nature of the project, examiners are looking for a fine performance, assessed according to the standard criteria for performance given in the Principal Study module descriptors. Examiners will also look for the synthesis of different kinds of knowledge, which may be assessed by, for instance, an oral examination, a reflective account, or documentation.

Whatever modes of assessment are agreed, a single holistic grade will be awarded for the project as a whole.

Strategies

During the course of the project, you are advised to keep in touch with your Head of Department and/or the Head of MMus programme. In particular, it is important to let us know if any factors emerge outwith your control which are likely to affect the completion of the project. If this happens, some renegotiation of your assessments may be possible: such changes require a minimum of six weeks notice.

You should keep detailed notes on the progress of the project, for example: a record of meetings and rehearsals, annotated scores, audio and video of work in progress, photographs and scans, and notes on recording sessions. These materials might be brought to an oral examination, or submitted as part of a portfolio of evidence.

Deadline

If you choose to be assessed in live performance, you will need to agree the timing of your assessment with your Head of Department. If you choose to be assessed in whole or part through a portfolio of evidence (for example, recordings, reflection, documentation), the deadline for submission of the portfolio will be recorded on your online student record, usually no later than mid May.

Where there is an oral examination, this will normally be held between a week and a fortnight after the performance or recording submission.