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Unit of study_
CMPN1003: Composition Through Improvisation 2
2025 unit information
This unit continues to develop through performance and investigation into experimental modes of presentation, to help students develop vital aural and improvisational skills which will significantly enhance their compositional process. As the student gains experience improvising, skills are developed for making informed 'split-second' decisions based on intuition and musical responsiveness. The ‘Sounds of Surprise’ performance provides a thrilling close to this essentially two semester experience of spontaneous music creation.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Composition and Music Technology |
| Credit points | 3 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
|
CMPN1000 |
|---|---|
|
Corequisites:
?
|
None |
| Prohibitions:
?
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
?
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Demonstrate the ability to improvise with awareness, creativity, and responsiveness particularly in ensemble contexts, drawing on a developing personal musical vocabulary
- LO2. Engage in collaborative musical dialogue with openness, sensitivity, and generosity, showing an ability to listen deeply and contribute constructively to group improvisations
- LO3. Consider and reflect on a range of global and historical improvisatory traditions, recognising their distinct vocabularies, cultural contexts, and compositional frameworks, with a view to integrating relevant elements into one’s own evolving musical language.
- LO4. Articulate the characteristics of one’s own evolving musical language using appropriate terminology for describing rhythm, harmony, melody, timbre, texture, and form
- LO5. Apply improvisational strategies to explore compositional thinking, including form-building, motivic development, constraint-based creation, and real-time decision-making
- LO6. Contribute thoughtfully to verbal and written discussions on improvisation, demonstrating curiosity, critical reflection, and a respectful engagement with the work of others
- LO7. Develop an embodied understanding of musical expression by cultivating awareness of the body as the primary instrument through which improvisation is performed and experienced.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
|
Normal day | Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
Find your current year census dates
Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
Important enrolment information
Additional advice
students should have 3-4yrs experience in playing music and with a passion to improvise.
