Outline

Overview

Music educators today must be equipped to teach from a perspective that acknowledges the cultural dimensions of music. Contributing to the development of such a perspective, this unit of study provides students with the opportunity to encounter a musical culture and non-familiar music system through direct practical experience, and to consider the implications this presents for teaching and learning. Issues including methodologies of teaching and learning; ethical considerations; and the availability and application of resources are covered in the unit. This is taught through immersion in a single non-western instrumental ensemble (such as Balinese Gamelan). In some years, this unit may be offered as a voluntary option in a field location.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Music Education
Credit points	3
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Gary Watson, gary.watson@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Gary Watson, gary.watson@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small test	Weekly tests Written tests with non-written elements	40%	Multiple weeks	15 minutes (50-100 words per test)
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Web-based gamelan transcription of Baris Cycle Hand-written transcription	20%	Week 07	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Guided group composition task and performance Composition and performance	20%	Week 09	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	Listening test based on listening and reading research Written identification and description of recorded gamelan extracts	20%	Week 12	250 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Weekly tests: Four short class tests held in sessions 3-6, based on assigned weekly readings. Each test contains true or false, multiple choice questions and written answers.
Web-based gamelan transcription of Baris Cycle: Your transcription, submitted at the conclusion of session 7 (10%), and an impression mark based on your performance in the second ‘recreation’ phase of the task in session 8 (10%) make up the overall assessment for this unit of study component.
Listening test based on listening and reading research: In the listening test in session 12 (May 25), you will be asked to identify four (4) recorded extracts taken from different gamelan compositions that are, nonetheless, representative of four of the five genres recorded on Canvas (1% for each correctly identified genre). You will also be asked to describe at least two features of each extract, in terms of instrumentation, texture, modality and musical form, that enable you to identify the genre (1% for each unambiguously described feature).
Self-directed performance of notated Baris cycle: Your transcription, submitted at the conclusion of session 7 (10%), and an impression mark based on your performance in the second ‘recreation’ phase of the task in session 8 (10%) make up the overall assessment for this unit of study component.
Guided group composition task and performance: Small groups compose a short melody, following teacher guidelines (5%). With further teacher input, each group elaborates a kotékan pattern for its melody (10%). Each group then presents its melody and kotékan to the class, who, with teacher guidance, supply the missing lower parts to create a full ensemble performance.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas

Assessment criteria

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

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Comprehensive and outstanding technical control and musical integrity in relation to developmental expectations. Musical individuality consistently projected to create a persuasive personal representation of the work. Performance flair indicative of soloist standard. A mark of 95 or above indicates extraordinary technical virtuosity and musical artistry.
Distinction	75 - 84	Excellent technical, musical and stylistic achievement. Consistently coherent and expressive performance. Some personal interpretation of the work suggesting soloist potential.
Credit	65 - 74	Confident technique with evidence of solid musicality and some stylistic achievement. Occasional lapses indicative of unresolved technical, artistic and/or stylistic issues. Projects potential for further development.
Pass	50 - 64	Satisfactory level of preparation and musical engagement. Some inconsistencies in musicianship, style and/or technique. Musical imagination and overall performance sense developing though some insecurity in this area.
Fail	0 - 49	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.

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 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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

n/a

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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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	1. Introduction to gamelan instruments, their tuning and playing techniques; 2. Gilak Dung - learn principal parts plus gangsa polos part (kotékan têlu)	Online class (2 hr)
Week 02	Gilak Dung - add gangsa sangsih part (kotékan têlu), plus learn polos and sangsih réong parts (ocak-ocakan)	Online class (2 hr)
Week 03	Gilak Dung - review and combine all parts	Online class (2 hr)
Week 04	Baris Cycle 1 - learn core parts, plus gangsa polos and sangsih (kotékan norot) and rotate	Online class (2 hr)
Week 05	Baris Cycle 1 - learn basic réong polos and sangsih patterns (kotékan êmpat) and rotate	Online class (2 hr)
Week 06	Baris Cycle 1 - review and combine all parts and perform with kêndang (drum). [If time permits, demonstrate/perform Baris Cycle 1 as baléganjur]	Online class (2 hr)
Week 07	Transcription Task (Part 1): notate Baris Cycle 2 from website (individual task)	Online class (2 hr)
Week 08	Transcription Task (Part 2): perform Baris Cycle 2 from your notated transcriptions (group task)	Online class (2 hr)
Week 09	Compose 8-beat cyclical melody in bapang form; devise kotékan têlu elaboration of your melody on gangsa; add supporting parts (minus réong) and perform with full ensemble (group task)	Online class (2 hr)
Week 10	1. Adapt your cyclical bapang melody for performance on Orff Schulwerk instruments; 2. Class review: Discuss the value of substituting Orff (or other) instruments for gamelan instruments when teaching gamelan music in schools	Online class (2 hr)
Week 11	Review and analyse recorded examples on Canvas in preparation for Listening Test	Online class (2 hr)
Week 12	1. Class discussion and feedback: The benefits and shortcomings of rote learning versus learning with notation; 2. Unit of study survey	Online class (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

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 3 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 60-75 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

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. perform simple cyclical pieces of Balinese gamelan music in an ensemble setting
LO2. have a basic knowledge of Balinese terminology used to describe instruments and both musical and extra-musical concepts associated with gamelan practice in Bali
LO3. have an understanding of various tuning systems used in Balinese gamelan music
LO4. analyse the formal structure of simple cyclical pieces of Balinese gamelan music
LO5. distinguish between a variety of genres of gamelan music based on their distinctive musical forms and ensemble characteristics
LO6. have an understanding of how Balinese gamelan instruments and gamelan music embody and reflect social, religious and cultural beliefs and practices of the Balinese people
LO7. transcribe and notate Balinese melodies and rhythms using a modified form of western 5-line staff notation; perform from notation on gamelan instruments
LO8. compose a cyclical gamelan melody in the style of pieces studied in class and elaborate the melody into full ensemble performance with all major instrumental parts
LO9. adapt gamelan music for classroom performance on substitute Western instruments where Balinese instruments are unavailable
LO10. have a working knowledge of the underlying principles and practical application of teaching and learning music without the aid of notation using a model-and-copy rote learning method
LO11. have improved ensemble skills and be better able to listen for and respond to aural cues in an ensemble setting
LO12. have improved overall aural skills, hand-eye coordination and longterm memory of melody and rhythm
LO13. be a more active learner through having had to choose which aspect of the music to focus on (melody, rhythm or articulation) when copying the teacher and endeavouring to commit parts to memory
LO14. be a more ‘physical’ performer due to the absence of a notational intermediary between your body (as performer) and the music (as performance) experienced during the learning process
LO15. have a practical awareness of the benefits and shortcomings of both the use and non-use of musical notation as a teaching aid
LO16. have an enhanced appreciation and understanding of a musical culture significantly different from the Western one you are familiar with
LO17. have an expanded awareness of the global contexts in which music exists, of what is possible in terms of how music can be made, and of the cultural purposes for which music can be created and performed.

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.

By popular request, a group composition task, beginning with the creation by a small group of 4 students of an 8-beat cyclical melody, and culminating in the elaboration of each group's melody into a full ensemble performance, has been added to the assessment tasks for this UoS.

Additional information

More information can be found on Canvas.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

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

MUED1004: Non Western Music

Semester 1, 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