CREATIVE MUSIC TECHNOLOGY PRACTICE A - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module is one of two at Level 5 within the Creative Music Technology degree that builds on the understanding of creative practice and technical skills in relation to making electronic music acquired at Level 4. The module deepens your knowledge and understanding of contemporary compositional repertoire involving technology, enabling you to further develop your creative practice in an informed manner. In the module we also examine a varied range of technical skills in order to enrich your understanding of the aesthetic, technical and theoretical basis of historical and contemporary electronic music.

Module provider

Music & Media

Module Leader

THOMPSON Bill (Music & Med)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): 28

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

CMT1007 Composing Electronic Music B 

Module content

Indicative content includes:
- Readings and discussions related to historical and contemporary composition involving music technology
- A review of a range of historical and contemporary practitioners, reflecting upon their aesthetic, technical, and creative approaches to music making
- A study of technical aspects of music making involving a varied selection of experimental techniques and compositional approaches to electronic music.
- Exploration of and guidance on non-idiomatic techniques for electronic music composition

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate ability in artistic and musical creativity and contextual knowledge. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Project: Composition Portfolio and Reflective Commentaries (addresses LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

The portfolio format is the most appropriate assessment type for this module, as it is designed to include heterogeneous types of creative electronic music practice that demonstrates appropriate learning at this level.

Formative assessment

Students work on regular compositional and technical tasks, which inform their summative assessment. Tutorials (individual and group) will be offered both for general guidance and for coursework assessments. Regular discussion around critical listening tasks and repertoire aim to inform students¿ compositional practice.

Feedback

Compositions and technical tasks are shared in class and will receive formative feedback in the form of individual tutorials, email, and online discussion forums as appropriate. Students will also receive feedback in class from their peers as part of the learning strategy.

Module aims

• - Develop knowledge of a range of historical and contemporary creative practices.
• - Deepen your knowledge of the aesthetic, technical and stylistic and structural basis of a range of contemporary electronic music practice.
• - Provide you with a critical foundation for developing individual compositional practice.
• - Develop an understanding of the relationships between theory and creative practice in electronic music.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to extend learning around electronic and computer-based compositional practice and develop further strategies for its implementation.

The learning and teaching methods include interactive seminars in which students are encouraged to respond to questions in class. Guided reading and listening is also an important aspect of the teaching and learning strategy as part of independent learning.

Group discussions and peer feedback help test and develop students understanding of the module content Supporting materials on SurreyLearn and elsewhere as appropriate supplement the learning that occurs during the weekly seminars

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CMT2011

Other information

The Department of Music and Media is committed to developing graduates with attributes encompassing employability, digital skills, global and culture awareness, sustainability as it relates to music and the wider arts and, finally, resourcefulness and resilience.

Digital capabilities

In the Creative Music Technology programme, our focus and ways of working inherently involve digital capabilities, using computers with specialist software for digital audio. During the course of this module you will continue to be encouraged and supported to use a range of specialist hardware and software, including DAWS, audio plug-ins, synthesizers and effects units. Specifically we will use these technologies with a higher degree of criticality than in Level 4, analysing and exploiting the ways in which they can be used for more experimental compositional practices.

Resourcefulness and resilience

This module fosters students' capability to create electronic and computer music outside many of the conventions of traditional music making. Therefore resourcefulness and resilience is a required attribute for this module, and is facilitated via the regular introduction of experimental music repertoire, compositional tasks and group feedback to support students in their learning and assessment.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.