Outline

Overview

This unit aims to provide students with an historic overview of the development of the field of jazz studies and the emergence of key musicological paradigms that continue to frame contemporary jazz scholarship. In turn, it will introduce students to the most prevalent analytical approaches used to study jazz works and help them make sense of these approaches in relation to the aims of different jazz researchers. By the end of the unit, students will be able to frame new research questions about particular jazz phenomenon in relation to strains of existing musicological discourse and answer these questions using appropriate analytical tools.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	JAZZ3618
Academic unit	Jazz
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	JAZZ2017 or JAZZ2624
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Hilary Geddes, hilary.geddes@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Seminar presentation Oral presentation	30%	Multiple weeks	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Tutorial participation/demonstrated knowledge of required reading Participation	20%	Ongoing	Ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay Essay	50%	Please select a valid week from the list below Due date: 05 Jun 2023 at 23:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Tutorial participation/demonstrated knowledge of required reading: Students are expected to come to this seminar both on time and prepared. Evidence of preparation may include marginalia, insightful criticism or support of positions put forward in the required reading and questions that seek to develop a critical understanding of theoretical concepts outlined in assigned texts. Demonstrated knowledge will be assessed both formally (by way of circle quizzes) and informally (during the course of group discussions).
Seminar presentation: Each student will present an analysis of a particular jazz work (or collection of works). The presentation must include a rationale for the selection of the work(s) as well as an argument for why the particular analytical lens has been used. Students are required to use a “State of Play, Gap, Filling the Gap, So What?” argument formulation in the organisation of these presentations.
Research essay: Students will be required to write an essay contextualising and analysing a jazz work, or a series of jazz works. The essay must make the author’s theoretical orientation clear and convincingly argue for the appropriateness of utilizing such a theoretical bent. Superior essays will demonstrate original and innovative methodologies. The analytical component of the essay will likely include a combination of verbal discussion of the music, schematics and notated examples designed in accordance with the conventions discussed in class. Use of nonacademic online sources is discouraged.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The following marking rubric will be used for the presentation assignment in this unit of study:

1	2	3	4	5	Components
					State of play: You have engaged with a range of evidence, some of which must be scholarly, that paints a clear picture of current thinking or debates around your topic.
					Gap: You have interpreted the evidence presented in your state of play and identified a paradox or problem. If this is an aesthetic problem (for those doing PBR projects), you have set out a rationale for your aesthetic vision (i.e. what you want to achieve and why).
					Analysis: You have unpacked a musical work or musical process in a way that sheds new light on its significance. The data you have selected for analysis is appropriate and the way you interpret it addresses the problem or paradox set out in your “gap.”
					Significance: You have connected your findings back to the state of play. You have articulated how what you have done either changes the landscape of what is known or the methodological possibilities of how we might go about knowing/learning things.
					Presentation: You have spoken eloquently and taken us through your analysis with relevant and well designed visual/sonic aids. Your PowerPoint slides make sense and help you tell a coherent story.

The following assessment criteria are used for the research essay assignment 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	Paradoxes and musical mysteries: What is musicology and how does it make the world a better place?	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Sophisticated or primal? Understanding the roots of contemporary jazz studies	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Eurological vs. Afrological approaches to jazz studies	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	New jazz studies	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Global studies in jazz	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Intersectionality in jazz research	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Practice based research	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Comparative/contextual jazz research	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Analysis workshop	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Student presentations	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Student presentations	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Student presentations	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recording: Lectures for this unit of study will be recorded and made available to students via Canvas.
Attendance: Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for a unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned. The Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned may determine that a student fails a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items where attendance is lower than 90%.

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

Week 1: Du Bois, W.E.B. (1903) Of The Sorrow Songs. In W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk (pp. 189-200). Chicago: A.C McClurg and Co.
Week 2: Group 1: Blesh, R. (1946) Black Music. In R. Blesh, Shining Trumpets (pp. 3-24). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Group 2: Ulanov, B. (1952) What is jazz?, A History of Jazz in America (pp. 3-8). New York: Viking Press.
Week 3: Group 1: Schuller, G. (1958) Sonny Rollins and the Challenge of Thematic Improvisation. The Jazz Review, 1(1), 6-11, 21. Group 2: Jones, L. (1963) Jazz and the White Critic. Down Beat, 30(23), 16-17, 34.
Week 4: DeVeaux, S. (1991) Constructing the Jazz Tradition: Jazz Historiography. Black American Literature Forum, 25(3), 525-560.
Week 5: Atkins, T. (2001) Our Thing: Defining “Japanese Jazz.” In T. Atkins Blue Nippon: Authenticating Jazz in Japan (pp. 221-264). Durham: Duke University Press. AND ALSO READ: Evans, S. (2014) Expressive Identity in the Voices of Three Australian Saxophonists: McGann, Sanders and Gorman. Jazz Research Journal, 8(1-2), 257-276.
Week 6: Monson, I. (2008) Fitting the Part. In N.T. Rustin and S. Tucker Big Ears: Listening for Gender in Jazz Studies (pp. 267-287). Durham: Duke University Press. AND ALSO READ: Tucker, S. (2008) When did Jazz go Straight? Critical Studies in Improvisation/Études critiques en improvisation, 4(2), 1–16.
Week 7: Barker, S. (2015) Two Streams. In S. Barker Korean and the Western Drumset: Scattering Rhythms (pp. 1-20). Farnham: Ashgate.
Week 8: Givan, B. (2014). Gunther Schuller and the Challenge of Sonny Rollins: Stylistic Context, Intentionality, and Jazz Analysis. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 61(1), 167-237.
Week 9: Required Preparation: Identify a piece or collection of works you would like to analyze; On a piece of paper, write 5-10 sentences outlining the state of play around the work/s that you wish to engage; On a separate piece of paper, write out your gap and a 5 sentence description of your intended analytical approach.

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. evaluate the strengths and limitations of various musicological approaches to the study of jazz
LO2. rationalise and utilise various analytical approaches to describe jazz phenomenon
LO3. develop and answer new research questions on particular jazz topics.

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.

Based on student feedback, more emphasis will be placed on the scaffolding of research skills in this semester.

Additional information

Disability Services: The University is committed to supporting students to achieve their best possible results. The University’s Disability Services offer a range of services and adjustments to minimise the impact of any disability on your learning experience and to optimise your academic success. Please see: http://sydney.edu.au/study/academic-support/disability-support.html for more information and to register for relevant support.
Learning analytics: Participation in this unit of study permits the University to use your learning analytics for the purpose of improving your learning. This includes data from the Canvas website, and the results of the Unit of Study Survey conducted at the end of the semester. Students should complete the Unit of Study Survey at the end of this unit of study. Comments and survey results are confidential. Only the Unit of Study coordinator, the Associate Dean (Education), and the Head of School and the Dean can view student comments made in this survey. It is essential that you complete this survey so that we can maintain the highest standards of teaching at the SCM and the University.

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

JAZZ3618: Jazz Musicology and Analysis

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

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