Program Overview

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MUSC284 - Ensemble Direction and Performance

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

The unit develops conducting techniques, aural skills, score reading and preparation, rehearsal planning, and leadership skills in the context of ensemble direction for school, church, community, and professional ensembles. The aim of the unit is to develop the skills that underpin choral and instrumental conducting and performance.

Campus Offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

NIL

Incompatible

MUSC272 - Ensemble Direction and Musicianship

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

• Apply musical knowledge and skills to the direction of a selected ensemble
• Understand the inter-relationships that exist between theory and practice in music performance
• Demonstrate ensemble conducting techniques including beat patterns and simple interpretive gestures
• Develop approaches to the selection, preparation, and execution of appropriate ensemble and performance repertoire
• Apply positive music leadership and communication skills through effective rehearsal procedures and techniques

Content

Topics will include:

• An introduction to basic conducting techniques
• Approaches to the selection, preparation, and execution of appropriate ensemble and performance repertoire
• A study of a variety of approaches to sight-singing, sight reading, aural perception, and accompaniment
• The development of choral and instrumental ensemble techniques applied to selected repertoire
• Research into ensemble formation and development and selection of suitable repertoire
• Considerations of performance practice tied to diverse music styles
• Strategies to practise and rehearse music and musicians
• Strategies to develop as a musician outside of a studio-based learning model (lifelong learning)
• Practical application of musical knowledge and skills

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. The assessment tasks are designed for students to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome.

Overview of Assessments

• Formative Tests of Music Knowledge and Skills (30%): Requires students to demonstrate task-specific aural and written music knowledge and skills.
• Research: Folio of selected music works with analysis (30%): Requires students to select, research, analyse, and prepare contrasting works for performance.
• Practical Presentation (40%): Requires students to successfully demonstrate skills related to ensemble direction and/or performance.

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

This unit is designed to develop skills and knowledge related to music performance and the direction of music ensembles. The unit has a practical bias, and students will practice and demonstrate conducting techniques, sight singing, and sight reading, and aspects of selected repertoire.

Representative Texts and References

• Bailey, Wayne, and Brandt Payne. Conducting: The Art of Communication. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2014.
• Bartle, Jean. Sound Advice: Becoming a Better Children's Choir Conductor. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012.
• Colson, John F. Conducting and Rehearsing the Instrumental Music Ensemble. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2012.
• Garnett, Liz. Choral Conducting and the Construction of Meaning: Gesture, Voice, Identity. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 2016.
• Gibson, Mark. The Beat Stops Here: Lessons on and off the Podium for Today's Conductor. London, UK: Oxford University Press, 2017.
• McPherson, Gary and Graham Welch. Vocal, Instrumental, and Ensemble Learning and Teaching: An Oxford Handbook of Music Education. Vol 3. Global OUP, 2018.
• Rogers, Nancy and Robert Ottman. Music for Sight Singing. 10th ed. Brisbane, AU: Pearson, 2018.
• Shaw, Brian P. Music Assessment for Better Ensembles. Oxford Scholarship Online, 2019.
• Ward-Steinman, Patrice Madura. Becoming a Choral Music Teacher: A Field Experience Workbook. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Routledge, 2017.
• Wigglesworth, Mark. The Silent Musician: Why Conducting Matters. London, UK: Faber and Faber, 2019.

Credit Points

10

Year

2026