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This module introduces you to a range of ways in which music has been, and can be, used to construct and convey meanings. You will be guided in explorations of the connotations of sounds, and other cultural/experiential signifiers, and will develop an understanding of the ways in which you can use the findings of your analyses to develop your own approach to composition in a variety of contexts. This module will provide you with the opportunity to develop a range of practical and analytic approaches to experiment with the ways in which you can engage listeners and manipulate some aspects of their aesthetic/emotional experience of your music. Through practical exercises, analytic activities, and group collaborations, you will develop a range of knowledge, skills, and conceptual frameworks, to help you to understand your work and how you might effectively communicate your personal artistic intentions. In fortnightly lecture-workshops and tutorials you will be encouraged, (through listening, analysis, experimentation, and group discussion) to consider a range of music analytically, to create music frequently, to provide critique on the work of your peers, and to receive and reflect/act on critique of your own work.
The delivery/experience of the module will largely be practice-based and driven by an ethos of exploration; you will be expected to write/produce music regularly and share it with peers. This will be used as a basis for group discussion, peer-feedback sessions, and formative feedback from staff.

LO1: Utilise a range of techniques and strategies to analyse signs and signifiers in various musics (including your own).

LO2: Examine and exemplify ways in which meaning can be expressed through, or gleaned from, music.

LO3: Critically reflect on the use of signs and signifiers in a range of compositions.

LO4: Communicate your artistic intentions and your rationale for compositional decisions with audiences and peers.