Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Music

The Bachelor of Arts Honours (BA Hons) in Music degree is a postgraduate degree in creative work, practice, and research that can be undertaken full-time, in one year, or part-time, over two years.

Overview of the Programme

The Bachelor of Arts Honours (BA Hons) in Music degree path features compulsory courses in Music Research (Methods and Long Essay), Music Business, and an area of creative work and practice in which the applicant already has some training/experience. The research, creative work, and practice can be undertaken in one of three fields: music performance, composition, or community music.

Community Music

Community Music is an international field of practice and study that concerns music teaching and learning in informal settings and which gives students opportunities to apply their own musicianship in diverse social and educational contexts. The course first focuses on Community Music theory and scholarship; and then on creative, professional development, aimed at developing students group facilitation, creative leadership, and critical reflective skills. A service-learning community engagement research project in HaMakuya forms an integral part of the course, with student placements in arts and music NGOs in the second semester.

The course is taught through a combination of seminars, workshops, site-visits, and supervised student teaching placements. It comprises four modules, taught over two semesters:

• Module 1: Critical perspectives of Community Music theory and scholarship
• Module 2: Community Music approaches in diverse contexts such as health and well-being, music therapy, and disability, with case-studies taught by specialists in the field
• Module 3: Creative leadership and music facilitation skills development
• Module 4: Applied learning in Community Music participation in a week-long service learning/community engagement research project; and a ten-week student placement in a community arts organisation

The main assessment output is a portfolio of work, including article reviews, music project reports, academic essays, and reflective accounts of teaching, observation, and facilitation. The exam equivalent is a substantial research essay and practical teaching assessment based on student placements.

Composition Studies

The composition specialisation consists of two year-long courses: Theory and Analysis, and Portfolio of original compositions. Within the year, four areas of music composition are offered, focused on different contemporary sets of compositional tools and the analyses of works and techniques from their respective oeuvres. The Theory and Analysis courses engage with the genres and styles taught, including a consideration of historical, analytical, theoretical, technological, and aesthetic matters. The four components are:

• Western art music composition
• Jazz composition and arranging
• Electronica musics and their technologies
• Composition for moving images

Performance Studies

Music Performance Studies aims to develop music performance professionalism and expertise. By the end of the course, the student-performer should have attained a level of performance ability equivalent to that required of the Performers Licentiate of the external examining bodies: UNISA, The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, and Trinity College London. The course culminates in the presentation of a public recital of approximately 50-60 minutes duration in solo, accompanying, or ensemble performance. The recital must present a coherent, varied programme that demonstrates both knowledge of the range of canonical repertoires of the tradition within which the performance is located, and also a diversity of technical skills expected of performance at this level. The inclusion of more recent and experimental work and (South) African works in the programme is encouraged.

Curriculum

The BA Hons consists of practical work and a written research essay that is related to the practice, and follows a set curriculum:

1. Music Research Methods (1st semester, compulsory)
2. Long Essay (whole year, compulsory)
3. Music Business Studies (1st semester, compulsory)
4. One of the following three specialisations (year-long):

• Performance Studies
• Community Music
• Composition Studies, which consists of two courses: Portfolio and Theory & Analysis

Entry Requirements

Applicants for the BA Hons must typically have graduated with a three-year undergraduate diploma or degree in music, having focused on the area in which they tend to do the specialisation. In addition:

• Applicants who tend to pursue performance will be required to perform an audition consisting of two or three different works of a combined duration of 15 minutes for a panel, in addition to demonstrating technical work or musicianship skills.
• Applicants who wish to pursue creative work under the rubric of composition may be required to present a portfolio consisting of samples of original work.
• Applicants may be required to present a sample of writing typically done for their undergraduate degree or diploma.
• An applicant may be called for an interview.

University Application Process

Applications are handled centrally. Once an application is complete in terms of requested documentation, it will be referred to the relevant School for assessment.

University Fees and Funding

The current average tuition fees are available upon request. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, please inquire within the University.

Programme Details

• Programme Code: AHA00
• Faculty: Humanities
• School: Wits School of Arts
• Qualification: BA(Hons)
• Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
• Study Mode: Full-time; Part-time