The aim of this module is to enable performers, composers and aspiring music educators to develop and deliver effective and imaginative engagement projects as emerging leaders; to link theoretical knowledge with practical skills and/or compositional technique, and enable their development as informed and sophisticated leaders in the musical world. The course provides a forum to present an articulate and reasoned advocacy of performance, compositional and teaching/learning initiatives and activities. Skills will be explored and refined to enable the combination of advanced discipline-specific skills with oral communication of complex subject matter in an informative, imaginative and accessible manner, bolstered by research and critical self-reflection. Professional development is an aim of the module alongside industry awareness and presentation skills.    

• Develop knowledge and understanding of musical leadership and a range of presentation skills relevant to musicians in public and over the internet;   

• Link theoretical knowledge and practical skills as emerging musical leaders (performers, composers and aspiring music educators);   

• Increase fluency and confidence to deliver engaging in mixed-media performances and collaborate with musicians from different backgrounds;   

• Attain competence in a range of presentation skills and communication techniques for the emerging professional musician;  

• Be aware of some of the problems facing musical leaders in the modern world, and develop an ability to be creative and collaborative when finding solutions.   

This is a core module for students on the composition, performance and music education MA pathways.   

Teaching on this module takes the form of weekly sessions of face-to-face and/or blended learning activities, including seminar discussions, interactive ‘workshop’ activities, group discussions and guided study. The module concludes with a ‘Leadership & Engagement Showcase’ for students to demonstrate evidence of practical and/or collaborative group work.   

Seminars will require active participation of class members.  

Full details on the delivery mode of this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the academic year. 

• Public presentation to a variety of audience types;  

• Oral skills, discussing and justifying findings with accuracy and clarity;  

• Problem solving, articulation and interpretation;  

• Communicating the relationship of theory to performance and/or compositional techniques;  

• Relating one’s specialism to broader issues within the discipline.  

Coursework   

100%    

Digital portfolio evidencing collaborative and individual leadership and engagement projects throughout the semester with accompanying report. You must also choose one example from your portfolio to present as part of the end-of-module ‘Leadership and Engagement Showcase’.   

[End of teaching week 10]   

The potential for reassessment in this module    

Should a candidate fail the module, reassessment will take place via independent study over the summer reassessment period at the end of Stage One subject to the approval of the Postgraduate Taught Examination Board.  

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE: 

Opportunities for re-assessment is only permitted provided you have not failed more credit than in the resit rule adopted by your programme.  If the amount of credit you have failed is more than permitted by the relevant resit rule, you may be permitted to repeat study if you are within the threshold set for the Repeat rule adopted by your programme.  You will be notified of your eligibility to resit/repeat any modules after the Examining Board in the Summer period. 

All seminars are compulsory. Indicative topics include:   

• Learning, adaptability, participation and leadership in the arts;   

• Collaboration – composers working with performers, and vice versa;   

• Developing creative and/or educational projects, workshops (within a research context);   

• Curatorship;   

• An insight into the industry of freelance performance, composition and teaching;  

• Introducing contemporary music to non-specialist audiences;  

• Negotiation: Conflict, complaints and compromise;  

• ‘Going viral’, handling social media and the virtual environment.   

Students will:   

• Attend seminars on key issues relating to the preparation and delivery of public music presentations, including communication skills and strategies, styles of delivery, the use of multi-media resources and examples of best practice;   

• Participate in and develop small-scale individual presentation projects which develop abilities to extrapolate meaningful arguments from theoretical knowledge;   

• Receive instruction for how best to prepare presentation proposals, research methods and practical implementation issues.