This course will offer students an overview of some moments of critical change in the recorded history of music. These turning points will be examined in terms of their historical, cultural and musical significance, and in terms of the resulting changes in musical language. The course will continue to develop students’ skills in researching and communicating about musical issues.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. critique historical developments in music since 900 AD through the examination and discussion of significant changes in the historical, social, and aesthetic contexts of music and its languages
2. demonstrate listening skills through the study and discussion of selected works
3. undertake research and analysis of musical topics
4. communicate about music using written, visual, oral and multimedia forms

1. Collaborative group research exercise building a wiki entry on a  musical turning point (1500 words)  (30%) [learning outcomes 1-4],
2. 50 minute Listening test on set works and styles (30%) [learning outcomes 1-2]
3. 1500-word individual essay or presentation (40%) [learning outcomes 1,3-4]

130 hours of total student learning time made up from:

a)39 hours of contact:

1. 26 hours of lectures (typically one per week)
2. 13 hours of tutorials or online equivalent

b) 91 hours of independent student research, reading and writing

Nil

None

Grout, Donald J A history of Western music. Norton 2009

Taruskin, Richard Oxford History of Western Music (Oxford UP, 2008)