MUS3009 : Case Studies in 21st-Century Music
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Richard Elliott
- Owning School: Arts & Cultures
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The aims of the module are:
-To familiarise students with the scale, history and social significance of the global recording industry in the twenty-first century
-To introduce students to a range of themes and topics that characterise global music cultures of the historical period under study via a series of contemporary case studies
-To encourage an understanding of the critical approaches to the study of global popular musics.
-To extend student knowledge of, and appreciation of, different repertoires and approaches to contemporary global music cultures
-To improve student communication and critical thinking skills
Outline Of Syllabus
The module typically covers a range of topics related to the dissemination and reception of contemporary global musics, which typically includes:
-The importance of musical media (and especially digital media) and related technologies to the global networks of contemporary music
-Discourses of the new, the retro and the present as encountered in twenty-first century musics and critical responses to them
-Music, place and mobility
-Concepts of journeying in and via sound
-21st century reappraisals of 'world music' and 'global pop'
-The challenges of curating global pop musics in a fast-moving, hyper-networked world
-Cosmopolitans and cosmopolitanisms
-Features and repertoires associated with global music genres such (e.g. global rock, hip-hop and DJ cultures)
-Methods for connecting case studies to sociocultural contexts
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Non-synchronous materials |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 40 | 1:00 | 40:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | Synchronous, present-in-person lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 30 | 1:00 | 30:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Synchronous and present-in-person |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Assessment workshop 2. Synchronous, present-in-person or online |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured non-synchronous discussion | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Non-synchronous materials and tasks |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Assessment workshop 1. Synchronous, present-in-person or online |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 77 | 1:00 | 77:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures materials present and discuss key critical concepts, musical examples and set texts and explore materials and methods of investigation. Seminars enrich and deepen student comprehension of key concepts and issues in contemporary music and significantly enhance teamwork, communication and critical skills through small group discussions with staff and other students. Workshops provide opportunities to clarify understanding of summative assessment requirements. Tasks set for small group teaching sessions focus on practical skills relevant to the analytical and curatorial aspects of the module. Student independent learning for this course involves listening, reading and reflecting on key sources and texts, which helps to develop and enrich knowledge of contemporary musical repertory and scholarly perspectives on the role of popular music in society.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poster | 1 | M | 20 | Case study presented as research poster. 500-750 words of text plus illustrations. |
| Case study | 1 | A | 70 | Choice of essay or creative project - 3000 word essay or non essay assessment to be agreed with module leader |
| Prof skill assessmnt | 1 | A | 10 | Series of short Canvas-based tasks to be completed during module and submitted at the end of the module. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Poster assesses:
-comprehension of issues, theories and concepts introduced in lecture materials
-methodology: connecting case studies to contexts
-research skills developed during PSA tasks and seminar preparation
-reflective and critical skills
-creative skills (presenting case study in concise visual format)
Written essay (Case study option 1) assesses:
-methodology: connecting case studies to contexts
-comprehension of issues, theories and concepts introduced in lecture materials
-research skills developed during PSA tasks and seminar preparation
-reflective and critical skills
Creative project (Case study option 2) assesses:
-comprehension of issues, theories and concepts introduced in lecture materials
-research skills developed during PSA tasks and seminar preparation
-reflective and creative skills
-ability to creatively respond to a case study
Professional skills assessment assesses:
-comprehension of topics presented in lecture materials and independent study
-reflective and summative skills
-tasks associated with small group sessions
-continued engagement with module
-ongoing development of methodology: connecting case studies to contexts
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MUS3009's Timetable