PRODUCTION AND SCORE STUDIES - 2025/6

Module Overview

In this module, you will be introduced to the skills needed for professional music production across a variety of genres.

 

Over the two semesters of this course, through seminars and practical sessions given by a number of tutors, you will develop and test your abilities in score-based music, and less formal genres, culminating in creating a pair of edited and post-produced recordings given some raw material in two differing styles.

 

You will not only learn about the practical use of music stores in a number of styles (including from very early music through orchestral scores to modern lead sheets), but also the ways to manage recording budgets, time, sessions, post-production and the musicians themselves.

Module provider

Music & Media

Module Leader

WARBURTON John (Music & Med)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Score reading and interpretation from different musical periods


• Use and interpretation of outline scores (lead sheets) for improvised or partly improvised music


• Performance comparison and evaluation


• Recording session planning


• Recording session etiquette and decision making


• Post production workflow in different contexts


• Editing both using a score and by ear


• Addition of parts and arranging for pop production


• Aural training with end-of-year formal test

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide you with the opportunity to develop your abilities in core skills relating to production and score studies, and to demonstrate these skills by applying them to professionally relevant tasks.  

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Coursework 1 - Score-based plotting and editing exercise


• Coursework 2 - Non-score-based exercise


• Continuous assessment - online aural training exercises


• Aural assessment - musical aural test

Formative assessment

Formative assessment in Aural skills will be given as part of the continuous assessment. Formative feedback will be given to individual students in tutorials and during practical seminars.

Feedback

Written feedback will be given for all coursework assignments.  

Module aims

• Provide the opportunity for improving aural skills
• Develop deep score reading skills across many historic periods and musical styles
• Develop the interpersonal and practical skills needed for the production of a variety of musical genres

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• develop your practical and critical listening skills


• develop and guide your ability as a score reader


• develop and guide your skill in a production role, leading and making decisions within a session


• develop and guide your expertise in post-production including session correction, basic mixing, score marking-up and editing


• develop and check your aural skills through the regular use (and tutor monitoring) of a software-based training package, freely available on virtually any device

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures with several lecturers very experienced in music production


• Aural training software to be used as tracked self study


• Workshops to include session observation


• Guided reading/listening

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: TON2021

Other information

Throughout this module, you will be guided in the following broad skillsets:

• Digital Capabilities. All your production skills will be developed across a set of exercises and assessments that are entirely conducted on digital platforms, as is the industry standard. Your submission will also be entirely digital, as if you are delivering a packge for onward distribution to a record company or a consumer. Additionally, through experimentation with the teaching material, you will discover methods of incorporating supplied multimedia examples in your own, personal and private, learning collections of media.
• Global and Cultural Capabilities. Your critical listening skills in terms of your musical judgement, form a very important link to your understanding of highly developed culture. Your digital skills will be globally valuable, helping you gain the respect of other musicians and engineers especially those who might hire you as a producer, an important role that Tonmeisters play. 
• Employability. A fundamental skill of a Tonmeister is their ability to produce recording sessions across many genres, with varying degrees of formality and across all eras in music history. This is the prime aim of the module. You are also encouraged to contribute novel approaches to musical questions and evaluations from your production and editing work.
• Resourcefulness and Resilience. Many of the examples given to you in seminars are accompanied by the three lecturers' own experiences of how problems were overcome and solutions produced. Your own thoughtfulness, to produce your own solutions or explanations, is positively welcomed in the sessions.

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.