Outline

Overview

The course continues a focus on musical techniques that apply the fundamentals of rhythm, melody and harmony for the practical and theoretical development of the students' improvisatory techniques across various genres and styles of music. Theoretical studies include the 4Es of cognition and music making : embodied, embedded, enacted and extended.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	IMPR1042
Academic unit	Jazz
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	JAZZ1041 or IMPR1041
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Carl Dewhurst, carl.dewhurst@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Skills-based evaluation	Skills and Fundamentals practical assessment. Technical and repertoire exam:	25%	-	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Skills and Fundamentals practical assessment Technical and repertoire exam	25%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Skills and Fundamentals written. Analysis and composition	20%	Week 13	4 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Theory and practice Literature review folio: critical abstract of selected literature.	10%	Week 14 (STUVAC)	150-250 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Skills and Fundamentals Assessment of overall preparation, participation, attitude and attendance.	10%	Weekly	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Theory and Practice Assessment of overall preparation, participation, attitude and attendance.	10%	Weekly	2 hour
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for this unit of study:

Fail: (Below 50%) Work not of acceptable standard.
Unsatisfactory technical achievement and/or unsatisfactory level of musical and artistic engagement. Limitations may be of such a scale and consistency as to call into question the student’s future direction in the programme.
Pass: (50%-64%) Work of acceptable standard.
Satisfactory level of preparation, musical engagement with some developments of an improvisatory language. Demonstrated adequate ensemble skills. Some inconsistencies in musicianship, style and/or technique. Musical imagination and overall performance sense
developing though some insecurity in this area.
Credit: (65%-74%) Highly competent work demonstrating potential for higher study.
Confident technique with evidence of solid musicality, stylistic achievement and clear consistent development of an improvisatory language. Demonstrated creative ensemble skills. Occasional lapses indicative of unresolved technical, artistic and/or stylistic issues.
Distinction: (75%-84%) Work of superior standard.
Excellent technical, musical and stylistic achievement. Consistently coherent and expressive performance. Consistently developing a solid individual creativity. Demonstrated creative ensemble skills.
High Distinction: (85%-100%) Work of exceptional standard.
Comprehensive and outstanding technical control and musical integrity in relation to developmental expectations. Demonstrated consistently innovative creativity and leadership in the ensemble. A mark of 95 or above indicates extraordinary innovtivel virtuosity and development of a unique improvisatory language.

The following assessment criteria are used for written work in this unit of study:

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Demonstrates high level of initiative in research and reading; sophisticated critical analysis of evidence; high level engagement with theoretical issues, innovative use of reading/research material and impressive command of underlying debates and assumptions; properly documented and written with style, originality and precision.
Distinction	75 - 84	Demonstrates initiative in research and wide, appropriate reading; complex understanding of question and ability to critically review material in relation to underlying assumptions and values; analyses material in relation to empirical and theoretical contexts; properly documented; clear, well-developed structure and argument with some signs of literary style.
Credit	65 - 74	Evidence of broader understanding than pass level; offers synthesis with some critical evaluation of material; coherent argument using a range of relevant evidence; some evidence of independent thought, good referencing. A high credit (70-74) shows some evidence of ability to problematise and think conceptually.
Pass	50 - 64	Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading/research; relevant material; tendency to descriptive summary rather than critical argument; makes a reasonable attempt to avoid paraphrasing; reasonably coherent structure; often has weaknesses in particular areas, especially in terms of narrow or underdeveloped treatment of question; acceptable documentation.
Fail	0 - 49	Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: Unacceptable paraphrasing; irrelevance of content; poor spelling; poor presentation; grammar or structure so sloppy it cannot be understood; failure to demonstrate understanding of content; insufficient or overlong word length.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Skills & Fundamentals Introduction; Course Overview; Guided improvisations; Revision of materials covered in Semester 1	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Inroduction to relative minor key. Harmonic and melodic minor scales. Repertoire. Drone-based improv.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Rhythm fundamentals: intoduction to the 12 beat triplet flow. 12/8 claves.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	V-I and IV-V-I minor key progressons. Bass lines & guide tone lines. Targeting strong and weak beats.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Melody and rhythm	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Revision and prep for practical exam.	Lecture (4 hr)
Week 07	Practical exam 1.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Using rhythmic and phraseal archetypes to create melodies.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Introduction to compound meter and subdivisions	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Continuing study of minor key progressions and rhythm drills.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Revision and prep for practical exam.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Further revsion and prep of skills-based exercises for final exam.	Lecture (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Full (100 per cent) and punctual attendance is a requirement in all activities where students have a role as active participants in the class or activity. Active participation includes situations wherethe student’s contribution is to perform, rehearse or direct rehearsals in a small or large ensemble, or to give seminar and tutorial papers or presentations or undertake assessment tasks. Active participation also includes all one-to-one studio teaching and supervision. Except in cases of illness or misadventure, failure to attend activities or classes where a student is an active participant will be seen as failure to meet the requirements of the unit of study.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Book Title

Author/publisher

Improvisation: its nature and practice in music

Derek Bailey, Da Capo Press, ISBN: 0306805286 (1993).

Drum Wisdom

Bob Moses Modern Drummer Publications, Inc. (1989)

The Improvising Mind: Cognition and Creativity in the Musical Moment,

Aaron Berkowitz,

Oxford University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0199590957

Free to Be Musical: Group Improvisation in Music,

Lee Higgins,

R&L Education, 2010. ISBN: 978-1607094982

Free Jazz (The Roots of Jazz,)

Ekkehard Jost,

Da Capo Press, ISBN: 978-0306805561

Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art

Stephen Nachmanovitch,

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1991. ISBN: 978-0874776317

A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music,

George Lewis,

University Of Chicago Press, 2009 ISBN: 978-0226476964

A Pure Solar World: Sun Ra and the Birth of Afrofuturism (Discovering America),

Paul Youngquist l,

University of Texas Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-0292726369

Into the Maelstrom: Music, Improvisation and the Dream of Freedom: Before 1970,

David Toop,

Bloomsbury: Academic, 2016. ISBN: 978-1628927696

Free Jazz, Harmolodics, and

Ornette Coleman

Stephen Rush,

Routledge, 2016. ISBN: 978-1138122949

In the Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation (Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology),

Bruno Nettl,

University Of Chicago Press, 1998. ISBN: 978-0226574110

Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within,

Kenny Werner,

Jamey Aebersold, 1996. ISBN: 978-1562240035

Audio culture : readings in modern music :

Christoph Cox and Daniel Warner Ed. New York, NY

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. improvise using clearly defined methods and materials
LO2. demonstrate basic practical skills relating to rhythm and meter, co-ordination, pitch, form and harmony
LO3. work as an active participant in a collaborative, group-based creative process
LO4. present clear and concise analysis of musical works and texts in both written and oral form

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

NO INFORMATION ENTERED HERE YET

Additional information

Please see Canvas for detailed information on this Unit of Study

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

IMPR1042: Improvised Music 2

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect