Handmaid 2018

College of Arts and Law
School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music
Department of Music
MUSICK’S HANDMAID
2018/2019
A companion for students of Music at the

University of Birmingham
Welcome
On behalf of the Department of Music I would like to warmly welcome all new students as well as
old hands returning to continue their studies.
The purpose of this handbook is to inform you about the Department, its staff, resources,
modules, administrative procedures and programme requirements. You will find it an important
point of reference, as it gives detailed information about both academic and routine Departmental
matters.
Much of the information you will need is contained here. You are, of course, always welcome to
ask me or my colleagues if you have any questions, and we shall be happy to help you. However,
you will probably find that the answer is already here in this document, so it is always worth
checking it first.
We look forward to working with you this year, and we hope you find it an enjoyable and enriching
experience.
Professor Matthew Riley
Head of Department
1
Caveat
The information in this handbook is provided for your guidance and although every effort has been
made to ensure accuracy, the School reserves the right to modify or cancel any statement it
contains in light of events occurring after its production.
This handbook should be used along with, and not as a substitute for, the University Codes of
Practice, available on the University of Birmingham website. The latter is the authoritative
document and may be subject to change. Nothing in our handbook, therefore, constitutes a
formal contract between you, the student, and the University. Nonetheless, we have done our best
to supply you with the basic information you will need about your studies in an accessible and
useable form.
2
Contents
Welcome........................................................................................................................................... 1
Caveat ............................................................................................................................................... 2
Contents ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Section 1: General Information.......................................................................................................... 10
Whom should I see about …? ......................................................................................................... 11
The Department ............................................................................................................................. 15
Key contacts ................................................................................................................................... 15
Key contacts – Teaching Staff......................................................................................................... 16
Key contacts – Professional Services Staff ..................................................................................... 19
Administration Office ..................................................................................................................... 20
Bramall Music Building ................................................................................................................... 21
Arts Building ................................................................................................................................... 22
Barber Institute of Fine Arts ........................................................................................................... 22
Music(al) Places and Spaces ........................................................................................................... 23
Elgar Concert Hall, Dome Rehearsal Room and CEMPR Rooms .................................................... 23
Barber Concert Hall and Practice Rooms ....................................................................................... 24
Practice Rooms (Bramall Music Building)....................................................................................... 26
Studio facilities ............................................................................................................................... 26
Organs ............................................................................................................................................ 27
Instrument Stores........................................................................................................................... 28
Lockers ............................................................................................................................................ 28
Percussion Store ............................................................................................................................. 28
Instruments for Loan ...................................................................................................................... 30
Term dates for 2018/2019 ............................................................................................................. 31
Registration .................................................................................................................................... 32
3
My.bham ........................................................................................................................................ 32
Change of Details............................................................................................................................ 32
Not On Campaign ........................................................................................................................... 33
Social Media and Apps ................................................................................................................... 33
Contacting You ............................................................................................................................... 33
Communication between students and staff................................................................................. 33
Office Hours .................................................................................................................................... 34
Pigeonholes and Notice boards...................................................................................................... 35
Timetables ...................................................................................................................................... 35
Teaching Day & Week .................................................................................................................... 35
Cancellation of Lectures/Seminars................................................................................................. 36
Languages for All (LfA) .................................................................................................................... 36
Health and Safety ........................................................................................................................... 37
Fire Evacuation and Emergencies .................................................................................................. 38
Personal Emergency Evacuation plan ............................................................................................ 38
First Aiders ...................................................................................................................................... 39
Accidents, Incidents, Near Misses & Health Problems .................................................................. 39
Responsibilities of Individuals ........................................................................................................ 40
Security ........................................................................................................................................... 40
Lost Property .................................................................................................................................. 41
Section 2: UG Programme Information ............................................................................................. 42
The Programme Specifcation ......................................................................................................... 43
Degree programmes....................................................................................................................... 43
First Year Programme for 2018-19 ................................................................................................. 43
Widening Horizons Module’ or ‘WHM’ .......................................................................................... 45
Second Year Programme ................................................................................................................ 45
Year Abroad .................................................................................................................................... 47

4
Final Year Programme .................................................................................................................... 49
Ethical Review ................................................................................................................................ 51
Module Preferences ....................................................................................................................... 52
Joint Honours Programme Structure for 2018-19 ......................................................................... 52
Changing Modules and Programmes ............................................................................................. 53
Section 3: PGT Programme Information ............................................................................................ 54
The Programme Specifcation ......................................................................................................... 55
Music Research Events ................................................................................................................... 55
MA in Music .................................................................................................................................... 55
Module Information ....................................................................................................................... 61
Section 4: PGR Programme Information............................................................................................ 62
Staying in touch (Research Students)............................................................................................. 63
MA by Research (Musical Composition) ........................................................................................ 63
MA by Research (Historical Musicology)........................................................................................ 63
MA by Research (Performance Practice) ....................................................................................... 64
PhD in Musical Composition .......................................................................................................... 65
PhD in Music ................................................................................................................................... 65
PhD in Performance Practice.......................................................................................................... 65
Section 5:Assessment Requirements and Procedures ...................................................................... 67
Independent and Enquiry-based Learning ..................................................................................... 68
Marking deadlines .......................................................................................................................... 69
Notification of Results and Feedback............................................................................................. 69
Moderation/Second marking ......................................................................................................... 70
External Examiners ......................................................................................................................... 70
Regulations Relating to Assessment, Progression and Award ....................................................... 71
Academic Appeals .......................................................................................................................... 71
Keeping Copies of Your Work ......................................................................................................... 71

5
The Bank of Assessed Work ........................................................................................................... 72
Referencing and Plagiarism ............................................................................................................ 72
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism ................................................................................................. 72
WebLearn Interactive Plagiarism Course ....................................................................................... 73
Assignment/Dissertation Submission and Plagiarism Checking .................................................... 73
Student Reflection on Feedback Assessment Coversheet ............................................................. 74
Instructions for submitting work on Canvas via Turnitin ............................................................... 75
Penalties for Late Submission of Assessed work............................................................................ 76
Penalties for Word Length on Assessed work ................................................................................ 77
Criteria for Assessment .................................................................................................................. 78
Postgraduate Taught students ....................................................................................................... 78
Undergraduate Students ................................................................................................................ 78
Feedback......................................................................................................................................... 91
Prose-based Work .......................................................................................................................... 92
Sources, Bibliographies and Referencing ....................................................................................... 96
Additional Guidelines on writing Musicology Dissertations ........................................................ 104
Composition and other notation-based work.............................................................................. 108
Oral Presentations ........................................................................................................................ 112
Prizes ............................................................................................................................................ 115
Attendance Recording 2018/2019 – A Briefing for Students....................................................... 116
Section 6: Support ............................................................................................................................ 119
Your Welfare and Extenuating Circumstances............................................................................. 120
Personal Tutor Meetings in year 1 ............................................................................................... 122
Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) – what are they? ..................................................................... 123
Leave of Absence .......................................................................................................................... 125
Authorised Absence for Tier 4 students....................................................................................... 126
Withdrawals ................................................................................................................................. 127

6
Disability, Learning Support, Counselling and Wellbeing ............................................................ 127
Student Services ........................................................................................................................... 127
Student Mentor Scheme (SMS) .................................................................................................... 127
Birmingham Nightline................................................................................................................... 128
Student Experience Officers ......................................................................................................... 128
The University Medical Practice ................................................................................................... 128
The University Dental Practice ..................................................................................................... 129
Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) ................................................................................ 129
Academic Skills Centre (ASC) ........................................................................................................ 130
International Students Advisory Service (ISAS) ............................................................................ 130
Birmingham International Academy ............................................................................................ 130
Careers Network: Advice for undergraduate students ................................................................ 131
Taught Student Administration .................................................................................................... 135
Student Hub.................................................................................................................................. 135
Student Support Fund (SSF) ......................................................................................................... 135
M. J. West Memorial Fund ........................................................................................................... 136
Paid Employment ......................................................................................................................... 136
Council Tax ................................................................................................................................... 136
Section 7: Student Representation and Social Support ................................................................... 137
Guild of Students .......................................................................................................................... 138
Guild Advice .................................................................................................................................. 138
Student Representatives .............................................................................................................. 139
Staff Student Liaison Committee ................................................................................................. 139
Module Evaluation Questionnaires .............................................................................................. 140
NUS – the national voice of students ........................................................................................... 140
Section 8: Music Making and Concerts ............................................................................................ 141
Student music-making in the University ...................................................................................... 142

7
Auditions and allocations to ensembles (Music Society and Department) ................................. 145
Summer Festival of Music ............................................................................................................ 145
Guild-Based Music Societies......................................................................................................... 146
Student-Organized Concerts ........................................................................................................ 146
Rehearsals and Concerts (Music Society and Department) ......................................................... 146
Professional Concerts in the University ....................................................................................... 147
Music Outside the University ....................................................................................................... 149
Large-scale Concerts and venues ................................................................................................. 150
Performing in Musical Events outside the Department & Music Society .................................... 151
Section 9: University Legislation ...................................................................................................... 153
University Legislation ................................................................................................................... 154
Changes to Legislation .................................................................................................................. 155
The Student Charter ..................................................................................................................... 155
University Regulations.................................................................................................................. 156
Codes of Practice, Policies and Guidance..................................................................................... 157
Data Protection ............................................................................................................................ 157
Harassment and Equal Opportunities .......................................................................................... 158
Student Concerns and Complaints Procedure ............................................................................. 158
Student Attendance and Reasonable Diligence ........................................................................... 159
Student Conduct ........................................................................................................................... 159
Academic Misconduct and Examinations..................................................................................... 164
Section 10: Resources and Helpful Hints ......................................................................................... 165
University Library Facilities........................................................................................................... 166
City and Conservatoire Libraries .................................................................................................. 168
Centre for Early Music Performance and Research ..................................................................... 169
Centre for Composition and Associated Studies.......................................................................... 170
Research Colloquium.................................................................................................................... 170

8
MiniBEAST .................................................................................................................................... 171
Computer Clusters........................................................................................................................ 171
Music-specific software applications ........................................................................................... 171
The Internet .................................................................................................................................. 172
Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 173
Undergraduate Marking Criteria .................................................................................................. 174
Postgraduate Taught Marking Criteria ......................................................................................... 178
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Section 1: General Information
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Whom should I see about …?
1: or 2: in front of a name refers to the Semester in which a person is responsible for the task in
question.
Anything not mentioned below Start at the Music Office
Abroad, Tutor to students Alex Cannon
Absent, permission to be Advisory Tutor
Accommodation University Housing Services
Admissions, Undergraduate Daria Kwiatkowska
Appeals, Undergraduate degrees and Alex Cannon

examinations
AHRC, applications for postgraduate grants Luis Garcia
Barber Institute, all musical events in / usage of Jo Sweet
Barber Postgraduate Scholarships Paul Rodmell
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, link Michael Zev Gordon

with
Board of Examiners, Chair Alex Cannon
Canvas access Sue Miles / Charlotte Caldwell
Centre for Early Music Performance and Andrew Kirkman

Research (CEMPR)
Chamber Orchestra, Enquiries *Christina Hancock
Complaints or suggestion about my course Matthew Riley, SSC Student Representative
Computers IT Service Desk (Main Library)
Computer Cluster LG03 (equipment Simon Smith

maintenance)
Concert Hall, lighting Lucy Baker
Concert programmes (compilation/printing) Lucy Baker
Concerts Brochure, production of Jo Sweet
Conservatoire, liaison with Lucy Baker
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Departmental Committee, Chair of Matthew Riley
Disciplinary matters Matthew Riley
Early instruments (loans, and maintenance of) Andrew Kirkman
Early music performance and tuition Andrew Kirkman
Elgar Concert Hall and Dome Room, applications Jo Sweet

for use
Email, queries about or problems with IT Service Desk (Main Library)
Ensembles, performing Choral: *Gavin Allsop

Instrumental: *Christina Hancock
Evening Concerts in the Barber Institute Jo Sweet
Examinations Alex Cannon

special requirements for exams or assessment Dee Partridge
due to disability etc.
Extension applications Dee Partridge. Forms can be obtained from the

LCAHM Welfare Canvas Page then see Dee.
Extenuating circumstances Dee Partridge
Financial Hardship Dee Partridge
Financial Management Matthew Riley (academic)

Jo Sweet (concerts and performance)
Financial Administration (claim forms, payments *Jan Hutchins

etc.) *Jo Sweet (performance)
Front of House (Barber Evening and Lunchtime Lucy Baker

Concerts)
General academic matters and improving my Personal Tutor

performance
Hardship funds Matthew Riley
Head of Department Matthew Riley
Illness notifications *Sue Miles
Inter-Library Loans *Sue Miles
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Instrumental Ensemble allocations *Christina Hancock
Instrumental Tuition (CEMPR) Andrew Kirkman or Amy Brosius
Instrumental Tuition (non-CEMPR) Amy Brosius
Instruments (Early) usage/maintenance Andrew Kirkman
Instruments (non-Early), usage/maintenance *Christina Hancock
Instrument Store Keys *Sue Miles
Keys and Teaching Room Access *Sue Miles / Charlotte Caldwell
Library, Departmental liaison with Nick Attfield
Locker Keys *Sue Miles
Lunchtime concerts Lucy Baker
Module changes (see also Programme changes) Ben Curry
Module Registration Ben Curry
Music, ordering for use by Departmental *Christina Holmes (orchestral)

Ensembles *Gavin Allsop (choral)
Orchestral Repertoire Ensemble *Christina Hancock
Orchestral and Instrumental sets *Christina Hancock
Organ (Elgar Concert Hall and Great Hall), access *Jo Sweet
to
Overseas students, Tutor to Alex Cannon
Postgraduate enquiries (Research programmes) Christopher Haworth
Postgraduate enquiries (Taught programmes) Alex Cannon
Pianos, tuning Lucy Baker
Practice Rooms, maintenance *Christina Hancock
Practice Rooms, booking more than two days in *Sue Miles / Charlotte Caldwell
advance
Programme changes Ben Curry
Programme Lead, Undergraduate Ben Curry
Programme documentation Ben Curry
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Quality assurance Matthew Riley
References, getting one Advisory Tutor
Rehearsal Facilities *Christina Hancock
Room bookings, departmental teaching rooms *Sue Miles
Sick notes from students *Sue Miles
Solo Performance, Director of Paul Rodmell
Student Representatives’ Co-ordinator Matthew Riley
Studios, Director of Scott Wilson
Studios 1 to 5, maintenance and technical Simon Smith

management
Studios, issue of passes for access *Sue Miles
Submission of assessed work *Sue Miles / Charlotte Caldwell
Swipe Card Access *Sue Miles or *Christina Hancock
Tickets (printing) Lucy Baker
Timetabling (academic) Ben Curry
Tuition fees Finance Office
UCAS applications Daria Kwiatkowska
Van bookings *Christina Hancock
Vocal sets Gavin Allsop
Vocal tuition (non-CEMPR) Amy Brosius (Spring term only)
Vocal tuition (CEMPR) Andrew Kirkman
Webpages, maintenance of departmental *Christina Hancock
Welfare Tutor Dee Partridge
Year Abroad Tutor Alex Cannon

* located in the Music Office
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The Department
The Department of Music is part of the School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music which
is a part of the College of Arts and Law.
www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/lcahm/departments/music/index.aspx
Key contacts
Area of Support Name Ext. Email Address
Head of School Prof Andrew Ginger 46180 a.ginger@bham.ac.uk
Head of Department Prof Matthew Riley 43240 m.j.riley@bham.ac.uk
Director of Dr Paul Rodmell 45793 p.j.rodmell@bham.ac.uk

Performance
Director of Dr Ben Curry (sem 1-2) 46049 b.j.curry@bham.ac.uk

Undergraduate
Studies, incl Dr Annie Mahtani (study 45787 a.j.mahtani@bham.ac.uk
Timetabling leave Sem 1-2)
MA Programme Lead Dr Luis-Manuel Garcia
Postgraduate Dr Christopher Haworth 46177 c.p.haworth@bham.ac.uk

Research Lead (PGR)
Exams Officer Dr Alex Cannon 49198 a.m.cannon@bham.ac.uk
Welfare Tutor Mrs Dee Partridge 58372 lcahmwelfare@contacts.bham.ac.uk
Staff Student Dr Matthew Riley 43240 m.j.riley@bham.ac.uk

Committee Chair
Study Abroad Tutor Dr Alex Cannon 49198 a.m.cannon@bham.ac.uk
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Key contacts – Teaching Staff
If calling from outside the University or from a mobile, prefix these numbers with (0121) 41.
All rooms are in the Bramall Music Building except those marked † (Barber Institute); § (Ashley
Building)
Academic Staff
Name Role Extension Room Email
Dr Nick Attfield Lecturer 45969 § 108 n.attfield@bham.ac.uk
Dr Amy Brosius Lecturer 46743 117 a.brosius@bham.ac.uk
Dr Alex Cannon Lecturer 49198 † B22 a.m.cannon@bham.ac.uk
Dr Ben Curry Lecturer 46049 † B21 b.j.curry@bham.ac.uk
Dr Ben Earle Senior Lecturer 47962 303 b.n.earle@bham.ac.uk
Dr Luis-Manuel Lecturer 46041 214 l.garcia@bham.ac.uk

Garcia
Prof Michael Professor of 45788 119 m.z.gordon.1@bham.ac.uk

Gordon Composition
Prof Simon Halsey Director of Choral 44019 § 103 s.p.halsey@bham.ac.uk

Activities (part-
time)
Dr Christopher Lecturer 46177 § 214 c.p.haworth@bham.ac.uk

Haworth
Prof Andrew Barber & Peyton 46986 120 a.kirkman@bham.ac.uk

Kirkman Professor
Dr Daria Teaching Fellow 48573* LG32 d.d.kwiatkowska@bham.ac.uk

Kwiatkowska
Dr Ryan Latimer Lecturer (part- 46455 § 206 r.j.latimer@bham.ac.uk

time)
Dr Annie Mahtani Lecturer 45787 LG27 a.j.mahtani@bham.ac.uk
Prof Matthew Riley Professor of Music 43240 118 m.j.riley@bham.ac.uk

and Head of
16
Department
Dr Paul Rodmell Senior Lecturer 45793 310 p.j.rodmell@bham.ac.uk
Mr Daniele Rosina Director of 44019 § 103 d.rosina@bham.ac.uk

Orchestral Studies
Dr Scott Wilson Reader in 45767 LG26 s.d.wilson@bham.ac.uk

Electronic
Composition
Dr Maria Witek Birmingham 58345 §106 m.a.g.witek@bham.ac.uk

Research Fellow
Honorary Staff
Dr Jim Berrow Honorary Research Fellow
Mr Bill Fontana Honorary Senior Research Fellow
Prof Jonty Harrison Emeritus Professor
Dr Monika Hennemann Honorary Research Fellow
Dr John Joubert Honorary Senior Research Fellow
Mr Koen Kessels Honorary Professor
Dr Tessa Murray Honorary Research Fellow
Mr Andrew Parratt Honorary Senior Research Fellow
Mr Jeffrey Skidmore Honorary Research Fellow
Mr Paul Spicer Honorary Research Fellow
Professor Colin Timms Emeritus Professor
Mr Graham Vick Honorary Professor
Professor John Whenham Emeritus Professor
Part-time Academic Tutors
Mr Daniel Fardon Paper Composition
Ms Elaine Gould Notation & Editorial Practice
Mr Charlie Lockwood Studio Composition
Miss Emma Margetson Studio Composition
17
Dr Fumiko Miyachi Paper Composition
Mr James Opstad Sound Recording
Ms Niketa Sheth Studio Composition
Mr Felipe Garcia Suarez Analysis
Ms Ruth Melhuish Music Therapy
Mr Nicolo Palezzetti Tonal Harmony & Counterpoint
Mr Patrick Valiquet History and Analysis
For extra information see

www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/lcahm/departments/music/staff/index.aspx
Staff are happy to see students about any concerns they have. However, as they all have research,
administration and other professional duties in addition to their teaching, they may not be
immediately available and nor should you expect staff to work or be contactable outside normal
working hours including evenings, weekends, public holidays and university closed days.
All academic staff have regular term-time contact hours (indicated on their office door) each
week when you will be able to see them. If you wish to see them at some other time, please make
an appointment in person or by email. Please use contact hours to seek advice about
presentations, essays and to receive further verbal feedback from module tutors about
assessments. We really welcome you using our contact hours to speak to us, so do please do so.
Please use email with consideration – and when using email contact the individual member of staff
you know to be responsible for a particular issue (rather than contacting all staff in the hope that
the person responsible will answer); if you are unsure of who to contact in the first instance please
ask the Departmental Taught Programmes Administrator.
18
Key contacts – Professional Services Staff
Area of Support Name Telephone Email Address
Number
Taught Programmes Team
UG Departmental Sue Miles 45782 s.miles@bham.ac.uk

Administrator
PGT Departmental Charlotte 48127 c.a.wood@bham.ac.uk

Administrator Caldwell
Taught Programmes Andrea 0121 414 5394 a.robinson.1@bham.ac.uk

Assistant Team Robinson
Manager
Taught Programmes Karin Plimmer 0121 414 2543 k.a.plimmer@bham.ac.uk

Team Manager
University Concert and Marketing Team
Studio Manager Simon Smith 45795
University Concert and Marketing Team
Head of University Jo Sweet 45791 j.e.sweet@bham.ac.uk

Concerts and
Programming
Orchestral Projects Christina 43280 c.hancock@bham.ac.uk

and Planning Officer Hancock
Choral Music Co- Gavin Allsop 48226 g.m.allsop@bham.ac.uk

Ordinator
Concerts and Lucy Baker 44009 l.v.beech@bham.ac.uk

Marketing
Administrator
University Music Harry Grant 43381 h.j.grant@bham.ac.uk

Intern
19
Area of Support Name Telephone Email Address
Number
School Contacts
School Welfare Tutor Dee Partridge 58372 lcahmwelfare@contacts.bham.ac.uk
Student Engagement Liana Turner (0121) 414 l.m.turner@bham.ac.uk

Officer 49582
Academic Michelle 0121 414 8574 m.arnold@bham.ac.uk

Administration and Arnold
Quality Manager
Operations Manager Erin Withers 0121 414 6306 e.withers@bham.ac.uk
School Administration Sue Smith 0121 414 6180 s.smith.5@bham.ac.uk

Manager
Senior School Amy Clarke 0121 414 9581 A.Clarke.8@bham.ac.uk

Administrator
School Administrator Jan Hutchins 0121 4147014 j.hutchins@bham.ac.uk
Administration Office
The Departmental Taught Programmes Administrators are located in Room G16 on the ground
floor of the Bramall building.
This is your first port of call:
To make timetable enquiries;

To make copies of handouts for seminars and of parts of compositions
(do not leave it until the last minute!).
To register absence through illness, etc.;
To leave messages or documents (e.g. Welfare evidence) for staff
To hand in paper-based assessment and collect feedback if this is not provided electronically
The Administration Office is open during term time:
20
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 9.30 am – 1 pm and 1.30 pm – 4 pm
Wednesday 9.30 am – 1 pm and 1.30 pm – 2 pm
Friday 9.30 am – 1 pm and 1.30 pm to 3 pm
Out of term time the office is open 10.00am until 3.00pm
Please advise the Administration Office immediately of any change in your personal details during
your time at the University (particularly change of home or term-time address or phone number).
Postal Address:
Music Department
Bramall Music Building
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
Tel: 0121 414 5782
Email: s.miles@bham.ac.uk

The Music Department is based in the Bramall Music Building but also uses spaces in the Arts
Building, Ashley Building and the Barber Institute.
In the Bramall Music Building you will find the following:
Lower Ground Floor Ground Floor

Computer Cluster LG03 Costa Coffee
Noticeboards (between LG33/34) Elgar Concert Hall
Percussion Store (LG04) Music Office
Pigeonholes (opposite LG33/34)
Recording Room Second Floor
Seminar Room LG33 Bramall Building Manager’s Office 225
Seminar Room LG34 CEMPR Rooms 216 – 218
Studios 1 – 5 Practice Rooms 221, 223 and 224
21
Vending Machines (opposite LG33/34) Tutorial Room 222
Lower Ground Floor
Third Floor
Dome Rehearsal Room
Building Opening & Closing Times

The Main Entrance doors are locked after 6pm unless public events or rehearsals are
scheduled. If the Main Entrance doors are locked during normal hours you can enter the
building via the Lower Ground Floor entrance using your University ID card.
The building is open from 7.30am until 11.00pm on weekends; access is normally via the Lower
Ground Floor entrance but the Main Entrance may be open if public events are taking place.
Arts Building
The following facilities are located in the Arts Building:
Elgar Suite of Practice Rooms (East Wing, far end, separate entrance)
Mason Lounge (Café and Computers) (Ground Floor)
Lecture Theatre 1 (125, First Floor, East Wing)
Barber Institute of Fine Arts

The Barber Institute contains the following facilities of interest and use to Music students:
Art Gallery
Barber Concert Hall
Café
Concerts Office
Practice Rooms (two; basement level)
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was established for the benefit of the University by the
benefaction of Dame Martha Constance Hattie Barber and built during the 1930s. It is controlled
partly by the University, partly by a Board of Trustees, and by an appointed Director. The building
houses (for its size) an outstanding collection of mainly pre-twentieth-century art and another of
ancient coins. The galleries are visited by growing numbers of people, including large parties:
22
please bear this in mind when using the building and show consideration to others.
While the bulk of the Barber’s resources are based in Fine Arts, Music is catered for by the
provision of various rooms and facilities, funds for instruments, scholarships, concerts, opera, and
special library purchases. The facilities include the finest small concert hall in the region, which
was refurbished in 2008.
Opening Hours: The Barber Institute is open almost every day of the year; weekdays (except 1
January, Good Friday and 24–26 December) 9 am to 7 pm during term time and 9 am to 5 pm
during vacations (later if there is a public function); Saturdays 9.30 am to 5 pm (later if there is
a public functions); Sundays 11 am to 5 pm. The Galleries close at 5 pm each day but may be
open later when there is an evening function in the building.
You must sign in and out of the building after 5 pm unless there is a concert or other public
function taking place.
Queries? Go to Barber Reception first or to Jo Sweet or Lucy Baker.
For further information see: www.barber.org.uk.
Music(al) Places and Spaces
Elgar Concert Hall, Dome Rehearsal Room and CEMPR

Rooms
General Guidelines
No food or drink is to be taken into any of these rooms, except bottled water.
When using the Elgar Concert Hall, all instrument cases must be left backstage, and not placed
on audience seats
The Steinway grand piano in the Elgar Concert Hall may only be used for concerts and the
rehearsals immediately preceding them. A member of staff must supervise its move onto the
stage. The clamp key must be collected from and returned to the Office.
The backstage area of the Elgar Concert Hall must be kept tidy. All chairs, stands, and
percussion equipment must be returned to the appropriate marked area at the end of the
rehearsal.
Do not walk on the orchestral risers in either the Elgar Concert Hall or Dome when wearing
23
high heels; only flat shoes should be worn.
If you are the last person to leave any of these rooms, ensure you turn off the lights, and that
the doors close behind you. In the case of the Elgar Concert Hall, lock the front doors and then
leave via the backstage area.
How to Book
The Elgar Concert Hall and Dome can only be booked via the Music Office; you should make
any bookings as far in advance as possible.
You can check the availability of the CEMPR Rooms online at
robotbooker.com/BhamAC/WebForms/Login.aspx (see Practice Rooms (Elgar Suite)).
Occasionally bookings in the Elgar Concert Hall and Dome may be cancelled or relocated if the
Hall is needed for a high-profile external event.
Queries or Problems?
See a member of staff in the Office during normal working hours. In the evenings, a member of
staff may be available in the Bramall Building Office (225). In exceptional circumstances it may
be necessary to call Security.
Report any faulty or missing equipment by completing the form available from outside the
Music Office or from Canvas.
Barber Concert Hall and Practice Rooms
General Guidelines
Students must not move the pianos, harpsichords or Snetzler chamber organ on to or off the
stage. Requests to use these instruments should be made to Lucy Baker.
No food or drink is to be taken into the concert hall, except bottled water.
Do not change the lighting levels yourself; contact Lucy Baker or the reception Desk.
There are two practice rooms located in the basement of the Barber. Because of sound
transference, they may not be used when events take place in the Concert Hall. This includes
all Fridays during term-time between 10 am and 2.15 pm.
How to Book
Please contact Jo Sweet. There is no out-of-hours access.
24
Queries or problems?
See Jo Sweet or Lucy Baker during Office Hours or otherwise go to Barber Reception.
Practice Rooms (Elgar Suite)

The Elgar Suite contains 15 Practice Rooms.
Practice Rooms are available from 7 am to 11 pm, 7 days per week.
Access is via a swipe-card system using your University ID card. Registration is automatic for
Music students.
Do not leave anything valuable unattended at any time.
Any booked room not in use by 10 minutes past the hour is deemed to be vacant and can be
used by any other student.
You may not take any food or drink into the Practice Rooms, except bottled water.
How to book
All Practice Rooms are managed via an online booking system which can be accessed at
robotbooker.com/BhamAC/WebForms/Login.aspx. Music students are automatically
registered. Your username is your Student ID number and the default password is ‘123’; you
should change your password when you log on for the first time (via the ‘My Account’ menu).
Room availability is displayed in a variety of ways according to user preference; click on the
relevant ‘book’ icons to book a room on a particular day.
Do not change the ‘marker’ or ‘Display name’ fields in your profile as this will cause confusion
for other users (but the administrators of the system will still know who you are!)
Rooms are bookable from 8 am to 10 pm every day unless they are unavailable due to building
closure.
Music students are entitled to book up to two hours per day.
Bookings can be made up to 48 hours in advance.
If you need to book a Practice Room more than 48 hours in advance (e.g. for a lesson) contact
the Department Office. (This does not count as part of your two hours per day allowance.)
If you cannot use a room that you have booked, please delete the online booking.
25
Report any access difficulties to Sue Miles, Christina Hancock or Gavin Allsop.
Practice Rooms (Bramall Music Building)

The Bramall Music Building has three practice rooms, all located on the 2nd Floor. 223 and 224
contain pianos.
Access is via a swipe-card system using your University ID card. Registration is annual and
automatic for new and continuing Music students.
Do not leave anything valuable unattended for even the shortest time.
Any booked room not in use by 10 minutes past the hour is deemed to be vacant and can be
used by any other student.
You may not take any food or drink into the Practice Rooms, except bottled water.
How to book
As for Elgar Suite Practice Rooms (see Practice Rooms (Elgar Suite)).
Report any access difficulties to Sue Miles, Christina Hancock or Gavin Allsop.
Studio facilities
For information on general computing facilities, see Computing Clusters.
Studios 1, 2 and 3 are used by postgraduate students, visiting composers and staff only.
Information on how to book and access the rooms is circulated to approved users only.
Studio 4 is used by postgraduates and, depending on numbers, by undergraduates following
modules 312 and 322. Information on how to book and access the room is circulated to
approved users only.
Recording Room LG21 and Studio 5 (recording booth) are used by postgraduates and
undergraduates following 2nd and 3rd year studio-based modules. Information on how to
26
book and access the rooms is circulated to approved users only.
Computer Cluster LG03 Modules 112 and B11 take place here. The cluster is available to
authorized students at any time except when classes take place. Access is via a swipe-card
system using your University ID card. Registration is annual and automatic for new and
continuing Music students. (N.B. individual terminals are not bookable.)
This cluster is principally for sound and music-specific applications, e.g. studio work (including
editing for the Recording module), notation and aural training. Although other facilities are
available, please do not use this room for non-music purposes if, by doing so, you prevent
others from undertaking music-based work: this is the only room in the university in which
specialist music software is available, but there are many general-purpose clusters on campus.
All students following studio-based modules are required to read the Studio Regulations and to
sign to indicate agreement to comply with them. Any breach of Studio protocol can result in
denial of access to the Studio facilities, with potentially damaging effects on marks.
You may not take any food or drink into the Studios or LG03, except bottled water.
Please report any faults with equipment or software to Simon Smith.
For extra information see www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/BEAST/index.aspx
Organs
Students approved by the Head of Department may use the organs in the Elgar Concert Hall and
Great Hall. Bookings must be made through the Music Office as far in advance as possible, as both
rooms are often unavailable due to other functions taking place.
For access to the Great Hall instrument, organists require a special pass issued by the Music Office
in order to obtain the keys from the University Security Office (to whom your Student ID Card must
be surrendered for the duration of the booking).
An electronic practice organ is located in Room E204 in the Elgar Suite (see Practice Rooms (Elgar
Suite)).
27
Instrument Stores
There are two Instrument Stores available to students:
The store for large instruments is located on the 2nd Floor of the Bramall Building. Access is via
a swipe-card system using your University ID card. Please apply via the Music Office.
The store for small instruments is EB04 in the Elgar Suite. Access to the Suite is via a swipe-card
system using your University ID card; you will also need a key for the store itself and these can
be obtained from Sue Miles in the Music Office on payment of a refundable £10 deposit.
For Early Instruments storage see Early Music Instruments.
The Department accepts no responsibility for the instruments left in these rooms. Students are
advised to ensure that their instrumental insurance covers theft without forced entry.
Lockers
There are a small number of lockers available to rent, opposite LG34. Keys are available from the
Music Office on payment of a refundable £10 deposit. Keys are issued for a whole academic year,
on a first-come, first-served basis.
Percussion Store
The Percussion Store is located on the Lower Ground of the Bramall Building. It contains much of
the department’s stock of percussion instruments, with the remainder being kept in the Dome
Room and the Elgar Concert Hall. Access is via a swipe-card system using your University ID card
and is granted to students taking lessons on percussion instruments as part of their degree, and to
students who play percussion in departmental or Music Society ensembles. Please apply via the
Music Office. NB. Each large percussion item states on it where it should be stored/located. As
such, the instruments must be returned to this space if moved.
Failure to follow any of these may result in your access privileges being revoked.
Clean up your setup when you have finished practising or rehearsing, and return all percussion
to its normal storage location after use. Return small items to the cupboards in the ECR as
appropriate. You may only leave a setup in place by special agreement (please contact
Christina Hancock after clearing it with the other users of the store).
Do not leave personal possessions lying around the percussion store. If you do so, expect to
28
have them removed and possibly discarded.
You may only store personal instruments in the store by pre-arrangement, and with the
understanding that you do so at your own risk. They should be clearly labelled as non-
university property and stored neatly and disassembled. The University and the Music
Department accept no responsibility for personal items (including mallets) left there, and will
not compensate you for any loss or damage. NB Any equipment left in the store after results
are posted in the summer will be assumed to have been abandoned, and will be added to the
university inventory or thrown out.
Leaving non-percussion instruments in the store is not permitted, and instruments left there
will be removed. Under no circumstances may you remove any university percussion from the
building, except for use in official department/Music Society events and rehearsals.
The department does not lend or hire out percussion for non-university events. Please try a
professional hire company such as Bell percussion if you need to do this. (www.bellperc.com).
Guild Musical Theatre Group is explicitly banned from borrowing instruments due to past
abuses. Violations of this rule will treated as theft, and students involved may face criminal
charges and/or academic sanctions such as suspension or expulsion, and the loss of percussion
store access.
If you do obtain permission to move instruments you must ensure that they are transported
safely and securely. This will usually mean in a Transport Services van or (for smaller
instruments) a taxi. Rolling instruments through the rain is not acceptable! The Department
will pay for porters for official uses like recitals. Contact the office if you need to arrange this
but make sure you do so at least three weeks in advance.
Never put tape on stands, and always return stands to their correct storage location.
Please try to avoid dis/re-assembling stands. If you must do this for a particular setup please
return them to their original state when finished practising/rehearsing. You can check the
percussion inventory (on the wall) to see what a stand should be.
Always replace covers on timpani and keyboard percussion.
Never give access to anyone else. You will be held fully responsible if you grant access to
others. Under no circumstances should you lend percussion equipment to others, even music
students.
This is the workspace of first and second study percussionists, so try to keep it clean, and take
pride in it. Please let your colleagues (especially non-percussionists!) know that you expect
your workspace and instruments to be treated with respect.
29
How to book
As for Elgar Suite Practice Rooms (see Practice Rooms (Elgar Suite)).
Instruments for Loan

Some rarer orchestral instruments (including an alto flute, cor anglais, baritone saxophone, E
flat clarinet, bass clarinet and alto trombone) belong to the Music Department and are
available for loan. Please contact Christina Hancock.
CEMPR also owns many instruments, such as viols, lutes, and cornets and sackbuts, which are
loaned to those involved in CEMPR activities. See Early Music Instruments.
The Department does not loan percussion instruments or music stands to non-departmental
organizations. Any unauthorized removal of equipment may lead to disciplinary action being
taken against the students involved: unauthorized removal is theft.
30
Term dates for 2018/2019
Autumn Term Semester 1 Spring Term Semester 2 Summer Term Semester 3
Week 1 01 October 2018 14 January 2019 29 April 2019
Week 2 08 October 2018 21 January 2019 06 May 2019
Week 3 15 October 2018 28 January 2019 13May 2019
Week 4 22 October 2018 04 February 2019 20 May 2019
Week 5 29 October 2018 11 February 2019 27 May 2019
Week 6 05 November 2018 18 February 2019 03 June 2019
Week 7 12 November 2018 25 February 2019 10 June 2019
Week 8 19 November 2018 04 March 2019 17 June 2019
Week 9 26 November 2018 11 March 2019
Week 10 03 December 2018 18 March 2019
Week 11 10 December 2018 25 March 2019
University term dates can also be found on the intranet at:

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/termdates.aspx
Degree Congregations dates

See the webpage at: http://www.as.bham.ac.uk/graduation/
Examination Periods
See the webpage at https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/cladls/exams/dates.aspx
31
Registration
Don’t forget to register online via the www.my.bham.ac.uk portal. You should have received a
Student Guide to Registration during the summer vacation, which will guide you through the
registration process. Further information can be found at
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/welcome/before-you-start/online-registration/index.aspx.
My.bham
www.my.bham.ac.uk
This is a special personalised site where you can log in as yourself and access your own
information including:
Email
Online registration
Your address and personal details
Personal teaching timetable
Personal exams timetable
Your library account
Just ask – chat with a librarian
elearning – Canvas
Your module marks
Past exam papers
Support for student life
Campus facilities
Save your favourite news feeds
Live train departures
You will receive your log-on information when you are given a place at the University.
Change of Details
If there is any change to your personal details, including your address (either permanent home or
term time), please update this information promptly via www.my.bham.ac.uk
32
Not On Campaign
Not On is a joint campaign, launched by the University of Birmingham and Guild of Students on 26
January 2015. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness about sexual harassment issues and
to enable students and staff to have the knowledge, ability and confidence to report and take
action against all forms of sexual harassment. For further information and to sign the Not On
pledge, please visit: http://www.guildofstudents.com/noton/.
Social Media and Apps

Facebook is widely used by students and staff. The Department’s Facebook site is at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MusicDeptUoB/. There is also a Facebook group for the
School of LCAHM. You can also follow LCAHM on Twitter @LCAHM_UoB. We regularly post
updates about news, events, opportunities, useful links etc. on our social media channels and
encourage you to join in. As information is often disseminated via these groups, we strongly urge
you to join those relevant to you.
Contacting You
You will be contacted with important information about the programme throughout the year and
we will do this via the Canvas iVLE and email. It is very important that you check both Canvas and
your University email address regularly for any messages from us. We do not send emails to
personal email addresses.
Communication between students and staff

When you first arrive at university, you may well be puzzled as to how staff should be addressed
and referred to: first name, Mr/Mrs, academic title in front of their name; he, she, they? Your
lecturers will tell you how they would like to be addressed when they first introduce themselves to
you, and if you are unsure, just ask. It goes without saying that you are invited to let the lecturers
(and your fellow students) know if you yourself would like to be addressed or referred to in a
particular way. For people, be they staff or students, being addressed in what they consider a
respectful and professional manner, is very important, but at university you cannot assume that
everyone wants to be addressed with the same degree of formality or informality, so listen and
watch to find out what seems to be appropriate, and when in doubt, be more rather than less
formal.
33
E-mail
Outside the classroom and for one-to-one meetings, e-mail is used as the main means of
communication between you and lecturers or administrative staff. Please note that you are
expected to check your University e-mail account at least once a day.
You are also welcome to use e-mail to contact staff. Please remember that staff will not be
checking their e-mail when teaching, on weekends, on their research days or when they are on
leave. Staff will give an initial response to student enquiries within two working days. Do not
expect responses beyond normal working hours; by the same token, staff do not expect you to
respond outside normal working hours.
Please adhere to basic email etiquette:
Just because you are writing an email it does not mean that you can be informal. Staff would
like to be addressed courteously, i.e. Dear …. Always use a salutation and a sign-off.
Once you know staff a little better, and have also received a reply from them, take their lead,
e.g. how they sign off or how they address you.
As a matter of courtesy, please do not e-mail several staff members at once about the same
issue.
Fill in the subject field so that the reader of your email is aware of the kind of question or
request you are making.
Whilst your teachers will quickly work out who you are and which course you are in, please
help staff to ‘locate you’ easily, by giving your programme/your year of study/your student ID
number, as appropriate in your email. You could set those details in your signature field.
Use your UoB email address. It is only in this way that staff can verify that an email message is
from you and that a reply potentially containing sensitive information actually goes to you.
Office Hours
All members of staff (unless they are on study leave) have office hours when they guarantee to be
available to see their tutees and other students. Office hours are displayed on tutors’ doors. If you
are unable to see a tutor because their office hours conflict with your timetable, you can email the
tutor to arrange an alternative appointment.
Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of lecturers’ office hours. You can attend
either individually or in a small group. As well as providing you with the opportunity to discuss
34
material with the tutor on a one-to-one basis, office hours give lecturers important information on
how the module is progressing. You may also visit lecturers during their office hours for additional
feedback on assessed coursework.
Pigeonholes and Notice boards

The notice boards, for more general information, including important information regarding exam
dates and regulations, are situated outside the LG33/34 on the lower ground floor of the Bramall
Building. These must be checked regularly as members of staff often communicate with students
via their pigeonholes or notice boards.
YOU WILL ALSO NEED TO CONSULT YOUR PIGEONHOLE DAILY FOR URGENT MAIL AND OTHER
COMMUNICATIONS. THE STUDENT PIGEONHOLES ARE LOCATED ON THE LOWER GROUND
FLOOR OF THE BRAMALL BUILDING (OPPOSITE LG33/34)
Timetables
You will receive email correspondence prior to Welcome detailing how to access your Timetable
for the forthcoming academic period. Your School Office will be able to help you with any queries
about the content of your timetable. Technical issues with accessing your timetable should be
directed to the IT Service Desk.
Teaching Day & Week

The standard University teaching week is as follows:
Monday 09:00-19:00
Tuesday 09:00-19:00
Wednesday 09:00-13:00
Thursday 09:00-19:00
Friday 09:00-19:00
You may have teaching at any time during these periods; teaching events will appear on your
timetable.
35
Cancellation of Lectures/Seminars
If lectures or classes need to be cancelled we will endeavour to contact you as far as possible in
advance by email or through Canvas. It is important that you check your email and Canvas pages
regularly.
Languages for All (LfA)

The Institution Wide Language Programme offers Open Access language courses outside the
normal degree programme for students who would like either to take up a new language or to
progress in a language they have already studied. Depending on the language, courses run at up to
eight levels, from absolute beginners to 'A' level and beyond. All courses focus on practical
language skills, with an emphasis placed on oral communication.
The languages available include: French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin
Chinese. Courses run for 20 weeks, beginning in the second week of term in October.
All full-time undergraduate students have the opportunity to apply to study one Languages for All
course free of charge and new students to the University apply for a place on this scheme in
Welcome week. Places are limited and are subject to terms and conditions. (Please see details at
www.birmingham.ac.uk/freelfa).
Open Access language courses are also available on a fee-paying basis to all University students,
members of staff and the general public.
Further information on timetables and fees can be found on the Open Access page of the
Languages for All website www.birmingham.ac.uk/openaccesslfa or from Languages for All staff in
the Modern Languages Office (Room G13, Ashley Building) between 9.30 am and 3.00 pm,
Monday to Friday, or by email at lfa@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
36
Health and Safety
IN AN EMERGENCY:
DO
When the alarm sounds evacuate the building immediately at the nearest exit using the stairs.
Do not use the lifts.
(The main assembly point for the Bramall building is either Chancellor’s Court, immediately in
front of the building (and then wait on the grassed area); or at the back of the building using
the Lower Ground exit (and wait at the end of the paved walkway).; you should keep well away
from the areas directly surrounding the evacuated building)
Make sure you know the location of your nearest First Aiders (see below)
Follow instructions.
In Case of Fire:
If you suspect that a fire is in progress within the University you should:
Immediately actuate the fire alarm system by using the nearest
BREAKGLASS POINT
Telephone Security Control on extension 44444 and report that there is a

fire, the location of the fire within the building and whether people are
trapped.
DO NOT
Interfere with or misuse any items or materials provided for dealing with emergencies
Attempt to deal with a fire before sounding the alarm
Put yourself at risk
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER ON MAIN CAMPUS 44444
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER OFF CAMPUS 999
37
PLEASE NOTE: If you need assistance to evacuate a building in an emergency please read the
following:
Fire Evacuation and Emergencies

Fire wardens and first aiders who work in the Bramall Music Building are listed next to the
phone on the wall adjacent to Costa Coffee.
If you require first aid please go to Costa Coffee, or call one of the numbers listed for
assistance. If you are on your own please call 43000 (Security) from any of the phones in the
building and they will send someone to help you.
All accidents and near misses must be reported. If you discover any hazards in the building
then please report them immediately to the Music Office or Building Manager’s Office.
If you discover a fire, break the nearest glass alarm point to you (usually by a door) to sound
the alarm and Security will respond immediately. Remove yourself and your colleagues from
the building to one of the fire assembly points: either Chancellor’s Court, immediately in front
of the building (and then wait on the grassed area); or at the back of the building using the
Lower Ground exit (and wait at the end of the paved walkway).
When you hear the fire alarm please make your way carefully to the assembly points and a fire
warden or security person will advise you on when it is safe to re-enter the building.
Fire alarm testing takes place weekly on a Wednesday morning between 7.30 am and 8.30am.
ONLY use fire doors in an emergency.
Report immediately to the Music Office or the Building Managers any mishandling of or
damage to any of the fire/emergency equipment, including fire doors.
Do not block fire doors or escape routes.
Do not leave laptops, mobile phones or handheld computing devices unattended and switched
on as they represent a significant fire risk especially when charging from mains electricity.
Personal Emergency Evacuation plan

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans are for people who need assistance in evacuating a building
in an emergency, for example in the event of a fire alarm. The aim of a Personal Emergency
Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is to provide people who cannot get themselves out of a building unaided
with the necessary information to manage their escape to a place of safety, and to give the College
the necessary information to ensure that the correct level of assistance is available.
38
In many cases, the individual will be the best qualified to identify the ways of addressing any
issues. If you feel that you may need assistance in such an emergency, please contact Facilities on
(0121 41) 43399 who will contact you to discuss your needs and, if necessary, develop a personal
plan. When considering if you need assistance, you should be aware that normal ways out of the
building may not be available and, in particular, lifts will not be available.
The University has recently appointed an Employee Disability Adviser, Angela Breen, who can be
contacted on 58799, A.M.Breen@bham.ac.uk and who will be happy to discuss any concerns that
you may have.
First Aiders
The following first-aiders can be contacted in an emergency:-
Name Room Extension
Christina Hancock Music Office 43280
Sue Miles Music Office 43280
Yuliya Rogers Ashley G16 43324
Amy Clarke Ashley 419 49581
Peter Jagielnicki Barber 47336
If you need FIRST AID out of office hours please contact Security (tel. 43000).
Accidents, Incidents, Near Misses & Health Problems

DO
Report all accidents, incidents and near misses to your tutor;

Contact the nearest first aider if necessary;
Ensure your tutor is aware of any medical condition that may put your health and safety at risk
or which might necessitate specialised first aid/medical treatment.
39
Responsibilities of Individuals
Individuals have at all times a duty to:
Conduct themselves and do their work in a safe manner so as not to endanger themselves and
others around them;
Co-operate with the University on health and safety matters.
For further information and advice please refer to the University Health and Safety web page:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/hr/wellbeing/worksafe/index.aspx
Security
University of Birmingham Security Services operate 24 hours a day all year around and is always
available to offer assistance and advice to Students, Staff and members of the public.
The role of Security Services is to provide a secure campus environment by protecting people,
property and safeguarding the University's reputation as a safe place to live, work and study.
The Security Office is located at the rear of Aston Webb in B Block courtyard next to the Great Hall
just off the Ring Road South (between R5 and R6 on the campus map) and is staffed 24/7.
The University has invested in a new security App called Callmy to help keep staff, students and
visitors safer on campus and when they are out and about.
The University Campus is an open public space and inevitably experiences break-ins and
burglaries. It is therefore important that everyone marks all their belongings clearly and makes
sure that valuables are properly insured.
Do not leave instruments unattended, and ensure that bicycles are securely locked. If you are
issued with a key to a building or room, ensure that outer doors are closed behind you on entering
and that all doors are closed and/or locked on leaving. Secure all windows and draw all blinds.
Please ensure that all doors close behind you.

Do not let others follow you through swipe-card controlled doors.
CCTV is fitted throughout the building for your security.
If you see any suspicious packages please inform the Music Office staff or the Building
Manager immediately.
40
If you see anyone acting suspiciously please inform the Music Office staff or contact one of the
Building Managers immediately.
Any lost property will be taken to the Music Office; please keep your belongings safe and do
not leave bags or valuables unattended.
If you lose your swipe card please see the Music Office staff for advice.
Do not lend your swipe card to others.
Lost Property
To report or search for lost property please contact Security Reception in person or by phone
(43114).
41
Section 2: UG Programme Information
42
The Programme Specifcation
The educational aims of the programme and the programme learning outcomes can all be found in
the University Programmes and Module Handbook at:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/programmemodule/handbook/index.aspx
Degree programmes
Music may be studied as part of three different degree programmes:
1) In a Single Honours programme leading to the degree of BMus (a workload of about 90 - 95%
Music)
2) In a Joint Honours programme leading to the degree of BA (typically a workload of 50% in each
of two subjects; the proportions can be varied in Years 2 and 3 (Maths in Year 3 only)).
3) As an optional subject in BA Liberal Arts; the proportion of the workload varies according to
the choices of each student).
Modular Values (Credits)

All modules have a credit value expressed as a multiple of 10. The minimum value of a module in
Music is 10 credits, and the maximum is 40. A full-time student takes modules with a total value of
120 credits each year.
First Year Programme for 2018-19

Module Code Module Title Credits Semester
11042 Studio Composition 10 credits Semester 1 or 2
11043 Paper Composition 10 credits Semester 1 or 2
23452 Solo Performance 20 credits Semesters 1 and 2
2345 Tonal Harmony and Counterpoint 20 credits Semesters 1 and 2
25158 Medieval and Renaissance Music 10 credits Semester 1
25160 Romantic and 20th-Century Music 10 credits Semester 1
25158 Baroque and Classical Music 10 credits Semester 2
43
Module Code Module Title Credits Semester
25159 Popular and World Musics 10 credits Semester 2
Widening Horizons Module (non Music) 20 credits Semesters 1 and 2
Programme Requirements
BMus (Single) BA (Joint)
Credits required from MUSIC 120 40 or 60
11042 Studio Composition
11043 Paper Composition
23452 Solo Performance
23451 Tonal Harmony and Counterpoint 60 credits: All Compulsory
25158 Medieval and Renaissance Music Compulsory 40 credits: 23451 + two of

25160 Romantic and 20th-Century Music 25157/25160/25158/25159,
one in each semester
25157 Baroque and Classical Music
25159 Popular and World Musics
Widening Horizons Module (non Music)
Optional Additional Element (Joint Instrumental or vocal

Honours) lessons (see below)
* Joint Honours students take 60 credits in Music except those selecting the two languages plus
Music option in Modern Languages & Music, who take 40 credits in Music.
Optional Additional Element (Joint Honours)

Joint Honours students may opt to take a course of 10 hours’ instrumental or vocal lessons on one
study as an unassessed element. You are also advised to work on developing aural skills, to attend
Barber Evening Concerts, and to keep a Performance Diary. In order to be allowed to take 214 Solo
Performance in Year 2, you must receive a satisfactory report from your teacher, take and pass the
aural exam, attend two Platform sessions (one in each term) and submit five performance
44
journals.
Widening Horizons Module’ or ‘WHM’

All BMus students take a ‘Widening Horizons Module’ during Year 1. This comprises study in
another department of a module worth 20 credits. Students choose their WHM at the beginning of
the Autumn Term.
Second Year Programme
Module Codes, Titles and Values

All modules are worth 20 credits
Module Code Module Name
Core Modules Semesters 1 & 2
25657 Critical Musicology
25658 Music Analysis
Optional modules:
Semester 1
30259 LI Experimental Music and Sound Art
30262 LI Film Music Techniques and History
30115 LI Local Musicking in Asia
28580 LI Music and Globalisation
31047 LI Music Education
29016 LI The Broadway Musicals from Show Boat to Sondheim
28176 LI The Romantic Piano: Chopin and his Legacy
26807 LI The Symphony: Sammartini to Sibelius
Semester 2
30765 LI Classical Composition
45
29011 LI Electronic Music Studies
17934 LI Glinka to Glazunov
27206 An Introduction to Jazz Styles
30833 LI Gustav Mahler: The Philosophy of Music
30768 LI Music and Emotion
29058 LI Music Festivals
24279 LI The Sixties
23590 LI Music in the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich
25273 LI The Singer’s Survival Guide
30262 LI Film Music Techniques and History (Sem 2)
Semesters 1 & 2
23573 LI Paper Composition
23574 LI Studio Composition
23575 LI Orchestration
28323 LI Small Ensemble Performance
23576 LI Conducting
26093 LI Arts Management in Practice
23578 LI An Introduction to Sound Recording Techniques
19888 LI Eighteenth Century Counterpoint
27210 LI Studies in Performance Practice
28319 LI An Introduction to Music Therapy
29154 LI Notation and Editorial Practice
23572 LI Solo Performance
46
Credits required from MUSIC 120 40, 60 or 80
Credits required from JH 80, 60 or 40 from the ‘other

Department subject’ (For students reading
Music & Maths the split must be
60/60)
You may not take more than 70 credits in one semester (across both subjects for JH students)*
25657 Critical Musicology Compulsory Two, three or four modules. In all

cases you must take a minimum
25658 Music Analysis Compulsory
of one core module (25657
Optional Modules (Lists A1, A2 Four modules with a
and/or 25658). Music/Maths
and B) minimum of one from List
students must take three modules
A1/A2.
including a minimum of one core
module.
*For year-long modules divide the credits in two, i.e. a 20 credit module is worth 10 credits in each
semester.
BMus students may not take more than 40 credits of performance-based modules; JH students
may not take more than 20 credits of performance-based modules.
Year Abroad
Year Abroad (BA Music & Modern Languages)

BA Music & Modern Language students spend their third year of study abroad before coming
back to take Final Year modules. The Year Abroad is devoted to study of the language and
there is no Music-related requirement.
Depending on the facilities offered by the overseas university, some music tuition/activity may
be available. The Department has a modest amount of money available to support students
who wish to take instrumental/vocal lessons whilst abroad; for further details contact Amy
47
Brosius.
The work undertaken as part of the Year Abroad contributes to the overall degree
classification.
Year Abroad (options for BMus and non-Language Joint Honours students)
The University offers BMus and non-Languages JH students the opportunity to study abroad
for one year with one of the University’s many partner institutions between the 2nd and Final
years of study at Birmingham.
Details of the application procedure, institutions, and practical arrangements are circulated
during the Autumn Term.
You must attain a minimum overall average mark of 60 in Year 1 in order to be considered for
study abroad.
With effect from the 17/18 cohort the Year Abroad counts towards the degree classification.
The weighting of the year abroad will be 12.5%, with the corollary that year 2 will weigh 12.5%.
For further details, contact Paul Rodmell.
Intercalated Year in Computer Science

Students may study in the School of Computer Science for one year between the 2nd and Final
Years of normal study at Birmingham. The programme comprises a full-time workload of 120
credits of modules specifically designed for non-Computer Science students.
You must attain a minimum overall average mark of 55 in both Years 1 and 2 in order to be
admitted to the intercalated year.
Intercalation is taken on a ‘pass/fail’ basis and does not contribute to the overall classification
of your degree; if you pass 100 credits, your degree certificate will include the phrase ‘with an
Intercalated Year in Computer Science’, and the marks will appear on your transcript.
For further details, please see www.cs.bham.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/icy.php
48
Final Year Programme
Module Codes, Titles and Values

Special Subjects are worth 40 credits; all other modules are worth 20 credits.
Module Code Module Name
Independent Studies Semesters 1 & 2
22642 Musicology
Special Subjects Semesters 1 & 2
23477 Musicology
Semester 1
30258 LH Experimental Music and Sound Art
30260 LH Film Music Techniques and History
30114 LH Local Musicking in Asia
28581 LH Music and Globalisation
31052 LH Music Education
29015 LH The Broadway Musicals from Show Boat to Sondheim
28177 LH The Romantic Piano: Chopin and his Legacy
26804 LH The Symphony: Sammartini to Sibelius
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Semester 2
30764 LH Classical Composition,
29010 LH Electronic Music Studies
17935 LH Glinka to Glazunov
27205 LH An Introduction to Jazz Styles
30834 LH Gustav Mahler: The Philosophy of Music
30766 LH Music and Emotion
29056 LH Music Festivals
24205 LH The Sixties
23585 LH Music in the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich
25274 LH The Singer’s Survival Guide
30260 LH Film Music Techniques and History (Sem 2)
Semesters 1 & 2
23580 LH Orchestration
28322 LH Small Ensemble Performance
23581 LH Conducting
26092 LH Arts Management in Practice
23583 LH An Introduction to Sound Recording Techniques
19889 LH Eighteenth Century Counterpoint
27209 LH Studies in Performance Practice
28317 LH An Introduction to Music Therapy
29153 LH Notation and Editorial Practice
22028 LH Solo Performance
TBC LH Paper Composition
TBC LH Studio Composition
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Credits required from MUSIC 120 40, 60 or 80
Credits required from JH 80, 60 or 40 from the ‘other

Department subject’
You may not take more than 70 credits in one semester (across both subjects for JH students)*
Special 40 20, 40 or 60 credits of All students see note b

Subjects Special Subjects and 40 cr: EITHER: 1 x SS
Independent Studies (note OR: 1 x IS + one option
Independent Studies 20
a). The remaining credits OR: two options
Optional Modules (Lists A1, 20
(60 to 100) is made up of 60 cr: EITHER: 1 x SS + one option
A2 and B)
optional modules, of which OR: 1 x IS + 2 options
a minimum of one must be OR: 3 options
taken from List A1/A2. 80 cr: EITHER: 1 x SS + two
options
OR: 1 x 1S + 3 options
*For year-long modules divide the credits in two, i.e. a 20 credit module is worth 10 credits in each
semester.
You may not take the same Special Subject and Independent Study other than Musicology. You
may not take the same module more than once (even with, for example, different dissertation
subjects).
You must take a minimum of 20 credits of Independent Study modules; these can be taken in
either subject. It is your responsibility to ensure that you fulfil this university requirement. See
below for further information on the Joint Honours linked dissertation.
Ethical Review
Prior to undertaking any research project, it is essential that a review of the ethical issues arising
from the proposed work is undertaken.
In conjunction with your academic supervisor you should complete the checklist. This is available
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at https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/arts-law/i/quality/documents/staff/ethical-review/Ethical-
Assessment-Form.docx
If the research project does not raise any ethical issues (after completing the checklist), the
checklist will be placed on your student file and no further action is required.
For those projects which do raise ethical issues, an ethics review is required.
For further information, please visit the CAL intranet page (login required) at:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/arts-law/i/quality/ethical-review.aspx
Module Preferences
Module Preference forms are circulated in the Spring Term of Year 1. The subjects tend to reflect
the research interests of tutors, so musicological options in particular tend to be selective. All List
A and B modules are taught jointly with Final Year students, who are given priority in their choice
of modules, except in the case for modules B10 and B11 where Year 2 students are given priority,
and 214, which is not available to Final Year students. If modules are oversubscribed, Year 2
students may be allocated to reserve preferences.
You may not take any module in the Final Year which you took in Year 2, unless you are required
to do so by the Board of Examiners in order to retrieve a failure; if this is the case, you will be
taking the repeated module in addition to your normal 120 credits.
Joint Honours Programme Structure for 2018-19

As a Joint Honours student, you join a community of 300 other Joint Honours students spread
across 36 different programmes within the College. You will have a personal tutor based in your
Home Department, who will be your first point of contact for most matters.
The College Joint Honours team (College Joint Honours Liaison Lead and Joint Honours Senior
Administrator) are here to coordinate and oversee Joint Honours programmes and to ensure that
your experience of University matches that of Single Honours students. Working with the Joint
Honours Tutors and Heads of Education within your School the team is here to advise and support
you throughout your studies.
You can contact the College Joint Honours team at

caljointhonoursteam@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Joint Honours students also have access to the
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Joint Honours Canvas section where you will find information including key contacts, and
information about the pathways you may take through your degree (e.g. switching distribution of
credits between your two subjects).
Home Department
All JH students are allocated to a ‘Home Department’ which is responsible for the overall
administration of your studies. Your Advisory Tutor will be located in your Home Deparment and
its Board of Examiners will also determine your end of year results and final degree classification.
Your ‘non Home Department’ will have a named JH Point of Contact who can deal with issues
relating specifically to matters arising in that subject. Music is the Home Department for Music &
Maths. Modern Languages is the Home Department for Modern Languages and Music; your JH
Point of Contact in Music is Annie Mahtani.
Linked Dissertation
In your Final Year of study you can choose to do a ‘Linked Dissertation’. This enables students to
combine independent study and research in your two disciplines into one project. You will register
for the dissertation module managed by your Home Department and supervision is solely provided
by the Home department.
Changing Modules and Programmes

Occasionally students decide that they would prefer to take a different optional module than the
one to which they have been allocated. Such transfers are permissible if the student’s preferred
course is not oversubscribed and, in the case of courses which have already started, it is not
thought that so much of the module material has been covered that the student would be unable
to complete the course satisfactorily.
Students wishing to change programme should see their Undergraduate Programme Director and
Personal Tutor, and should be aware that such changes are not always possible. Ultimately they
will need the permission of both the ‘receiving’ and ‘surrendering’ departments.
The deadline for module transfer requests is Friday 05 October 2018.
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Section 3: PGT Programme Information
54
The Programme Specifcation
The educational aims of the programme and the programme learning outcomes can all be found in
the University Programmes and Module Handbook at:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/programmemodule/handbook/index.aspx
Music Research Events

The Music Research Events series is comprised of Research Workshops and Research Lunches. The
Research Workshops will be held three times a semester on Wednesdays in the Dome Rehearsal
Room, from 2pm onwards, with variable lengths, but not going beyond 5 pm. These events will
include a variety of topics and formats, but most will involve workshop sessions on a given theme,
with short position papers given by a mixture of guest speakers, resident academic staff, and
research students in the Department. Presentations will be followed by questions and discussion,
to which student contributions will be warmly encouraged. All MA (Taught) students are required
to attend the Research Workshops as a module requirement (see below), and students are
required to write short written summaries of all workshops. MA (Taught) students are also
welcome to attend the department’s Research Lunches, also held on Wednesdays, although
attendance at these is not mandatory. Research Workshops will take place on Wednesdays in even
weeks of term; Research Lunches on Wednesdays in odd weeks of term. Dates will be confirmed at
the start of each semester.
MA in Music
The taught MA is a flexible programme designed to cater for those with a wide range of interests
and specialisms. It is conceived as a ‘next step’ after the undergraduate degree, either as a
stepping stone to research, as a qualification for teaching in the FE sector or simply to satisfy a
thirst for development.
The programme comprises 180 credits, of which 120 are ‘taught’ and the remaining 60 are
‘research-based’ (the ‘Major Project’). The programme comprises several pathways; some contain
internal choices which you can make in consultation with the Programme Lead. Where
appropriate to your research interests, this can include modules from outside Music, such as
language study or ethnography. The ‘Major Project’ comprises either a dissertation, edition of
edited music, recital, or composition portfolio.
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Performance-based pathways require the payment of an additional ‘bench fee’ to fund
instrumental/vocal/conducting tuition.
Modules, Pathways and their Requirements

(NB Not all optional modules run in all years)
Pathways Modules Credits
British Music Studies
Compulsory 22042 Musicology Dissertation 60
Compulsory 27053 Introduction to Musicology 30
Compulsory 24594 British Music Studies 30
Optional 24824 Advanced Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Music 30
24997 Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art 30
24596 Contemporary Music Studies 30
30263 Electronic Music Studies 30
29059 Fieldwork Methods 30
29012 Introduction to Global Popular Musics 30
Choral Conducting
Compulsory 28413 Major Project: Choral Conducting 60
Compulsory 24595 Choral Conducting 30
Compulsory 28618 Arts Management in Practice 30
Optional 24594 British Music Studies 1850 - 1975 30
27053 Introduction to Musicology 30
26090 Studies in Performance Practice 30
Critical Musicology
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Compulsory 24997 Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art 30
24594 British Music Studies 1850 - 1975 30
Early Music
Compulsory 24824 Advanced Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Music 30
Optional 24594 British Music Studies 1850 - 1975 30
Electroacoustic Composition/Sonic Art
Compulsory 22039 Composition Portfolio 60
Compulsory 24590 Advanced Studies in Electroacoustic Composition 30
Compulsory 27055 Composition Tutorials 30
Optional 24997 Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art 30
29059 Fieldwork Methods
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24586 Laptop Ensemble 30
Global Popular Music Studies
Compulsory 29012 Introduction to Global Popular Musics 30
Compulsory 29059 Fieldwork Methods 30
Instrumental/Vocal Composition
Compulsory 24585 Advanced Studies in Instrumental/Vocal Composition 30
Mixed Composition
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Open Pathway without Performance
Compulsory choose one module: 60

22042 Musicology Dissertation OR
22039 Composition Portfolio
Optional 24590 Advanced Studies in Electroacoustic Composition
24585 Advanced Studies in Instrumental/Vocal Composition
24824 Advanced Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Music 30
24997 Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art
24594 British Music Studies 1850 - 1975
27055 Composition Tutorials
30263 Electronic Music Studies
29059 Fieldwork Methods
29012 Introduction to Global Popular Musics
27053 Introduction to Musicology
24586 Laptop Ensemble
Open Pathway with Performance
Compulsory choose one module: 60
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22039 Composition Portfolio OR

22042 Musicology Dissertation OR
24591 Recital OR
28411 Recital with Commentary
Compulsory 22043 Advanced Performance 30
Optional 24590 Advanced Studies in Electroacoustic Composition 30
24585 Advanced Studies in Instrumental/Vocal Composition 30
24824 Advanced Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Music 30
27055 Composition Tutorials 30
30786 Performance Skills 30
Performance Practice
Compulsory 22044 Recital with Commentary 60
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30786 Performance Skills 30
Performance Pathway
Compulsory 24591 Recital 60
Compulsory 30786 Performance Skills 30
Module Information
Module information will be posted onto Canvas for you to access when you need to. You should
refer to Canvas so that you are fully aware of what is expected of you during your course for each
module that you study.
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Section 4: PGR Programme Information
62
Staying in touch (Research Students)
The easiest way to keep in touch with your supervisor is by email.
If you live locally or come to Birmingham regularly we encourage you to become involved in
scheduled department activities, e.g. Music Research Colloquium and workshops, and
performing ensembles run by the Department or the UMS.
MA by Research (Musical Composition)

This one-year programme (two years part-time), with the possibility of upgrading to PhD, is
intended for students of proven ability as composers. Students are required by the Department to
attend a training programme as prescribed.
Students are assessed on the submission of a portfolio of compositions with a total duration of
between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the nature and size of the forces used, to be agreed
with the supervisor. (The portfolio normally contains a variety of works amounting to the total
duration, but may exceptionally comprise a single large-scale work.) Portfolios of compositions
should be accompanied by a short written commentary; for details consult either Annie Mahtani
or Michael Gordon.
Full-time students who wish to transfer their registration to the degree of PhD in Musical
Composition without submitting their MA portfolio should present, by early March of their first
year of postgraduate study, compositions with a total duration of between 10 and 20 minutes.
This submission will be assessed by the student’s supervisor and one other member of the School,
who will recommend whether or not the transfer should be approved. Part-time students follow
the same procedure, except that they submit their work by early March in their second year.
MA by Research (Historical Musicology)

This one-year programme (two years part-time) leads to the submission of a thesis of not more
than 40,000 words, normally within two years (full-time) or three years (part-time) of the initial
registration date (i.e. including the ‘writing-up’ year). The thesis should contain ‘research work of
merit’. The word limit excludes supplementary material such as tables, diagrams, appendices,
references and the bibliography. Students are given regular supervision.
Full-time students who wish to transfer their registration to the degree of PhD without submitting
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their MA thesis should present, by a specified date in their first year of postgraduate study, a
substantial chapter of their thesis, together with a detailed research proposal. This submission will
be assessed by the student’s supervisor and one other member of the School, who will
recommend whether or not the transfer should be approved. Part-time students follow the same
procedure, except that they submit their work by early March in their second year of postgraduate
study.
MA by Research (Performance Practice)

The principal aims of the MA in Performance Practice are to equip performers of proven ability to
give historically-informed performances of western art music at a professional level of
competence and to support such performances with written work that demonstrates a high level
of ability in presenting, and reasoning from, historical evidence relating to performance practice.
Supervision in Performance Practice is offered for medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and
Romantic music. Students are normally encouraged to follow no more than 20 credits of training
offered in the Department’s Taught MA programme and to participate in departmental
workshops, seminars and master classes on performance. The Department can provide some
funding to enable students to take consultation lessons and/or participate in workshops at an
advanced level with professional performers at the University or elsewhere.
The MA is a one-year programme (two years part-time). Students are examined by (a) a thesis of
20,000 words (b) a performance not exceeding 45 minutes’ actual performance time (30-35
minutes for wind and brass players) which illustrates, at least in part, ideas raised in the thesis,
and (c) a written programme note for, and detailed critical commentary on, the performance; this
last part of the submission may include musical editions prepared for the performance by the
candidate.
Full-time students who wish to transfer their registration to the degree of PhD without submitting
their MA thesis should present, by early March in their first year of postgraduate study, a
substantial chapter of their thesis, together with a detailed research proposal. This submission will
be assessed by the student’s supervisor and one other member of the School, who will
recommend whether or not the transfer should be approved. Approval is also subject to successful
completion of any taught elements. Part-time students follow the same procedure, except that
they submit their work by early March in their second year of postgraduate study.
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PhD in Musical Composition
This is a three-year programme (six years part-time), intended for composers capable of producing
work of international standing. Students are normally registered on the MA by Research
programme initially, and ‘upgrade’ during their first year. Students are required to attend a
training programme as prescribed by the Department. At the end of three (six) years (with the
option of an additional ‘writing-up’ year) students present a substantial portfolio of compositions
displaying a range of genres and resources to be agreed by the supervisor, which is not derivative
and contains original work that is worthy of performance at a professional level and worthy of
publication. Portfolios of compositions should be accompanied by a written commentary; for
details consult Annie Mahtani or Michael Gordon. As part of the examination process, students
take an oral examination (‘Viva voce’) during which issues arising from their portfolio are discussed
with the examiners.
PhD in Music
This three-year programme (six years part-time) leads to the submission of a thesis of up to 80,000
words, normally within four years (full-time) or seven years (part-time) of the initial registration
date (i.e. including the ‘writing-up’ year). The word limit excludes supplementary material such as
tables, diagrams, appendices, references and bibliography. The thesis should make ‘an original
contribution to knowledge, worthy of publication in whole or in part in a learned journal’.
Students may be required to undertake no more than 60 credits of training offered in the
Department’s Taught MA programme.
PhD in Performance Practice

The PhD in Performance Practice (3 years full-time: 6 years part-time) is examined in two stages.
At the end of Year 2 (normally Year 4 for part-time students), the candidate gives a live ‘Minor
Performance’ of 30 minutes’ duration (20-30 minutes for wind and brass players), together with a
written programme note for, and critical commentary on, the performance; this last part of the
submission may include musical editions prepared by the candidate for the performance. The
performance and commentary should demonstrate the candidate’s awareness of general issues of
performance practice. This performance is examined by two internal examiners and is not
recorded; it is followed immediately by a short viva focusing on issues of performance. If the
performance is deemed by the examiners to be the equivalent of ‘major corrections’ or lower
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(allowing for the fact that only 2 years of registration have passed), the candidate may be advised
by the examiners not to proceed to the PhD in Performance Practice, but rather to transfer to a
normal research PhD (the material already gathered for the written element of the degree being
expanded to a standard length thesis). By the fourth anniversary (or seventh anniversary for part-
time students) of the initial registration date, candidates are examined by (a) a thesis of 50,000-
60,000 words; (b) a ‘Major’ performance of one hour’s actual performance time (40-50 minutes
for wind and brass players); (c) a written programme note for, and detailed critical commentary
on, the performance; this last part of the submission may include musical editions prepared for
the performance by the candidate. The performance will be given as a standard live recital, of
which a recording will be made and a copy on CD submitted with the library copy of the thesis.
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Section 5:Assessment Requirements and
Procedures
67
Independent and Enquiry-based Learning
One of the biggest changes you will encounter at University compared to studying at school is the
emphasis on independent study. In order to to realise your full potential, you will have to read,
listen and explore independently, beyond the material covered in seminars and lectures. While
tutors are here to help and advise you as you plan and execute your work, the greater part of the
responsibility – especially later on – lies with you. Your tutors will help you develop and refine your
thoughts and ideas, but they will not supply you with the thoughts or ideas themselves!
Although staff in the Department teach within a common syllabus and framework of standards,
they do so as individuals using their own techniques and drawing on their own particular
specialisms and approaches. Class sizes vary considerably depending on the module. This variety of
styles and methods of teaching are fundamental aspects of the controlled flexibility that is a
strength of university teaching and learning.
Central to learning and teaching is critical enquiry, debate and self-motivation, summed up by the
term ‘enquiry-based learning’.
Enquiry-based learning describes an environment in which learning is driven by the shared

enquiry of students and tutors. Depending upon the level and the discipline, it can encompass
problem-based learning, evidence-based learning, small-scale investigations, fieldwork, projects
and research. This approach enables you to take control of your own learning as you progress
through your degree. Moreover, it encourages you to acquire essential skills that are highly valued
by employers: creativity, independence, teamwork, goal-setting and problem-solving.
Enquiry-based learning places you at the centre of your own learning process so that you learn
through involvement and ownership and not simply by listening to the lecturer.
You will expected not to be a passive vessel into which information and skills are ‘poured’ (!) but
to:
engage with complex and challenging problems;

be proactive in your use of available resources in addressing problems, constructing solutions,
identifying new questions and creating new knowledge;
question, reason, and think critically about what you experience, weighing up evidence and the
opinions of others to reach your own conclusions;
reflect constructively on your own learning, with the help of feedback;
68
share your knowledge and experience with fellow students and staff;
manage effectively your own learning processes, individual and collaborative;
understand and communicate effectively with individuals from differing backgrounds and be
open to new perspectives;
be equipped through your learning, skills and personal development for the demands of your
future career.
Workload
All modules have credit values. One credit is intended to equal approximately 10 hours of ‘student
effort’, be that attending classes, preparing for a seminar, preparing assessments, individual or
group practice etc.. Therefore, a 10 credit module should require about 100 hours of work in total.
Depending on how the module is taught, this effort may be more intense at certain points of the
year than others – please plan carefully!
Marking deadlines
The 15-working-day marking period for assessed work will commence from the official submission
date for that piece of work, or from the date on which it is actually submitted, if this is later. If
assessed work is handed in before the stipulated submission date, the 15-working-day marking
period will not commence on the date of submission, but from the deadline date for submission.
There may be a second date for a given module where assessment of ALL work handed in late will
begin; where applicable, this will normally be 15 working days after the original submission date,
and the 15-day marking period will commence from this date. This will enable all work submitted
late for whatever reason to be marked in a single batch.
Notification of Results and Feedback

Feedback comments and unconfirmed marks will normally be returned to you within 15 working
days from the deadline date for submission. Where work is marked on line, it will normally be
returned to you online. Please note that these marks are provisional and all results are subject to
ratification by the External Examiner and may be amended accordingly prior to confirmation at the
relevant Board of Examiners in the Summer Term.
Whilst every effort is made to comply with this 15-day turnaround time for the return of
assignment work, it may be necessary on occasions to extend the period. If for any reason the
69
return of work has to be delayed, you will be informed of the revised date by email.
You will be notified of confirmed results as soon as these have been approved by the Board of
Examiners.
Moderation/Second marking
As indicated in the Code of Practice on Taught Programme and Module Assessment, “Moderation
refers to a range of processes conducted by an academic member of staff (i.e. an Internal
Examiner) to ensure that assessment tasks and marking are accurate, appropriate to the level of
the assessment and comparable with equivalent assessments. It is additional to the checking of
the accuracy of marks recorded.” As well as internal moderation, a subsequent process of external
moderation is carried out by External Examiners. Moderation of assessed work within the School
follows the requirements laid down in Appendix 1 of the Code of Practice on Taught Programme
and Module Assessment which may be accessed via:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/legislation/codesofpractice/index.aspx
These documents are cohort-specific, so select the correct version according to the year you
began your degree.
External Examiners
The name, home institution and post held for our External Examiners is indicated below.
Subject area Name
BMus and BA Joint Dr Byron Dueck, Senior Lecturer and Head of Music, The Open
Honours with Music University
MA Music Professor John Pickard, Professor of Composition and Applied

Musicology, University of Bristol
Under no circumstances should you attempt to contact the external examiner (as per University
regulations). If any such contacts are attempted, the external examiner will report the details
immediately to the University, through the Director of Education.
The University Code of Practice and other documentation regarding External Examiners can be
70
found here https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/externalexaminers/index.aspx.
A Guide for Students on the Role of the External Examiner

The guidance notes for students on the role of the External Examiner can be found at
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/documents/public/external-examiners/ee-
guidance-for-students.pdf.
Regulations Relating to Assessment, Progression and

Award
Section 7 of the Regulations sets out the regulations for assessing Registered Students, the
requirements for progression from one stage of a programme of study to the next, the regulations
on the granting and calculation of awards, and the conduct of Degree Congregations.
Please consult the following link on the University intranet to access the Regulations; these are
cohort specific so please select the correct version according to the year you began your degree:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/legislation/regulations.aspx.
Academic Appeals
The academic appeals process allows you to appeal against a progress decision. This process is
right for you if you want to challenge a progress decision you received at the end of a module or
course of study, either because something demonstrably went wrong with the University’s
procedures or because you had difficulties that the University didn’t know about (and you have
good reason for not having submitted extenuating circumstances)
You are only able to appeal against a progress decision (e.g. resits, failing your course, being
granted an alternative qualification) or degree classification. You may only appeal once the
progress decision has been published.
Further information about academic appeals can be found at

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/complaint-appeal/index.aspx
Keeping Copies of Your Work

You must keep a copy (electronic and paper copy) of all the written work you undertake each
year.
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The Bank of Assessed Work
The Bank of Assessed Work is a collection on Canvas of anonymous essays and exam answers
written by College of Arts and Law students with feedback from academics. The Bank has been
created to help you get to know how the marking criteria works, to help you understand the
academic standards expected at different levels and to provide you with examples to work with
to help improve your own writing. With examples from all languages and across a range of marks,
this resource is very popular with students and new modules are being added all the time.
You will have received a Canvas invitation by email for the Bank of Assessed work. If you have any
queries please email Helen Murray, Student Experience Manager at
calengagement@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
Referencing and Plagiarism

The University has a strict code on plagiarism (the unacknowledged use of someone else’s material
as if it were your own work, for example from another student, from a book, or from the World
Wide Web). Where you derive information from a source, you must acknowledge this source and
make it clear that you are incorporating someone else’s words and/or ideas into your own work.
Failure to do so can have serious consequences.
Referencing and plagiarism are covered within the induction materials on the Department of
Modern Languages Canvas pages. A useful University guide to referencing sources is available at:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/icite/index.aspx. If you need any further
guidance on aspects of referencing, please ask your personal tutor or course tutor.
See further information on the ‘Plagiarism’ section on the university website:

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/conduct/plagiarism/index.aspx
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of a student claiming as their own, intentionally or by omission, work which
was not done by that student. Plagiarism also includes a student deliberately claiming to have
done work submitted by the student for assessment which was never undertaken by that student,
including self-plagiarism.
The University of Birmingham provides guidance on plagiarism. Guidance can be found on:
72
the student conduct page at
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/conduct/plagiarism/guidance-
students.aspx
the library referencing page at
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/referencing/index.aspx
Your Tutor or Programme Director will be happy to advise if you are unclear on any aspect of what
constitutes plagiarism.
By submitting work to the Department of Music, you are undertaking that the work has not been
plagiarised.
WebLearn Interactive Plagiarism Course

As part of your induction, we strongly recommend that you complete the interactive WebLearn
plagiarism course. You can self-enrol for this course at
https://birmingham.instructure.com/enroll/P98FHY.
Assignment/Dissertation Submission and Plagiarism

Checking
We are moving towards online marking in 2018-19. This means that for standard essays that count
towards your module mark, we will ask you to upload an electronic copy of your work to Canvas,
but you do not usually need to submit a paper copy. The exception to this will be your final-year
dissertation (if applicable). Essays will be scanned for plagiarism via Turnitin. You should ensure
that you retain your own copy of your work, and you should print off or take a screenshot of the
submission confirmation screen when you submit. You will also then receive your feedback online
via Canvas.
There may be other modules where we will ask you to submit your work via Canvas. Your module
tutor will advise on submission requirements nearer the time
All assignments are due by 12.00 (noon) on the date of submission. The date and time of handing
in the work will be the upload date on Turnitin. Please note the maximum file sizes for
submissions: essays to be processed via Turnitin should be no bigger than 20MB, while other
media uploads (e.g. non-text submissions, audio or video files) should be no bigger than 500MB.
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Please ensure that you the file format that you use is permitted by Turnitin.
We mark all examination scripts and assessed work (i.e. work which counts towards your degree
result) anonymously to prevent unconscious bias (either in favour of or against students) which
might occur in the marking process. For this reason:
Put your student number, but NOT YOUR NAME, on assessed work. Work not submitted
anonymously will be returned to you to be resubmitted in an anonymous form.
Ensure the title of the essay and the name of the module are on the front pages of the work.
Declare the word-length on the front page of the work.
Complete the ‘Student Reflection on Feedback Assessment Coversheet’ as the first page of
your assignment
For work which only exists in electronic form (e.g. studio compositions) your module tutor will
give you guidance on how the work is to be submitted.
Please note: submission of formally assessed work falls within the university’s Code of Practice on
Student Attendance and Reasonable Diligence
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/legal/student-attendance-reasonable-
diligence.pdf
Student Reflection on Feedback Assessment Coversheet

The University’s Code of Practice on Assessment and Feedback requires of students that they
‘indicate in summative coursework how they have used feedback from previous formative and
summative assignments’, and requires of staff that they put in place a way in which this can
happen.
You will find the ‘Student Reflection on Feedback Assessment Coversheet’ on Canvas and the
sheet has been designed to serve as the first page of any summative assignment. It asks you to
include some of the details that form part of cover sheets across the School; and it then stages the
reflection required by the new Code of Practice; first by asking you to identify the feedback you
have received, and then to indicate how you have responded to it.
This process of reflection will not contribute to the mark that your assignment may receive and the
text on this Coversheet does not count towards the overall word-limit for any assignment. The text
has been presented as an image file, which also means that the text will not be picked up as part
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of the Turnitin plagiarism scanning process.
Instructions for submitting work on Canvas via Turnitin

1) Navigate to your assignment, this can be done via the Assignments option at the top of the
screen, or via the Assignments menu option in your course.
2) Follow any instructions provided on this screen; the Due date is displayed here.
3) Click the Submit Assignment link on the right of the screen.

4) Click the Browse button to upload your file(s). Locate each file separately on your computer
and click Open.
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5) Tick the box to confirm “This assignment submission is my own, original work”.
6) Click Submit Assignment.
7) On the right of the screen, there is a box confirming that your work has been “Turned In”, with
a date and time displayed. You may wish to print this page or take a screen shot for your own
records.
Penalties for Late Submission of Assessed work

Part of your training for your degree entails learning to prepare and submit written work on
schedule. For this reason and also in the interests of fairness to other students, the College and
your School/Department expects you to meet the published deadlines for the submission of your
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written work or penalties will be applied.
Deadlines for submission of all pieces of assessed work are specified on Canvas. Work submitted
later than the published deadline and where no extension has been granted will be marked as
normal and then the following penalties will be applied to the mark achieved:
For all late work submitted with no prior formal approval, or insufficiently acceptable reason* for
lateness, then:
A penalty of 5% on the mark actually achieved will be imposed for each day the assignment is
late until 0 is reached.
For example, a mark of 67% would become 62% on day one, 57% on day two and so on. Penalties
do not include weekends, public holidays and University closed days. This is a University-wide
penalty for late submission of assessed work and all Schools/Departments in the College are
bound to abide by it.
In certain circumstances, for example, where assignments or the content are to be discussed in
class shortly after the deadline, then the School/Department will need to apply other penalties as
appropriate and you will be informed of these.
Special penalties apply in the case of work which must be submitted but which does not attract an
individual mark (for example, 114 Solo Performance concert diaries, 311 and 321 Musicology
Preliminary Statements, and 314 and 324 Programme Notes). See the relevant module
descriptions for further information.
*For example: minor computer problems; lost assignments; desired books not in the library or
unverifiable travel difficulties are all insufficient reasons for lateness.
Penalties for Word Length on Assessed work

Your work must not exceed the stated maximum word-length for any assignment.
Markers will penalize work that exceeds the permitted length, guided by the assessment criteria
approved by the College of Arts and Law. This length excludes the bibliography and any
appendices containing textual or numerical data, interview transcripts, concordances, etc., but
includes footnotes and endnotes. Assessments that are much shorter than the stated maximum
word-length will tend to penalise themselves by their shortness
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Criteria for Assessment
The College of Arts and Law Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Marking Criteria can be
found in the appendices.
Postgraduate Taught students

Please consult with your Module Tutors or the MA Programme Lead (Luis Manuel Garcia) for
further information on the PGT assessment criteria
Undergraduate Students
Introduction
Assessing the quality of a piece of work and converting that assessment into a quantitative
statement (a number!) is a complex process. Examiners take many aspects of the work into
consideration and, unlike at ‘A’ level, universities rarely work on a prescriptive system of mark
accumulation (i.e. if you make a specific point you get a mark, and so on, leading to a grand total).
In schools this system is adopted in order to ensure that a piece of work could be submitted in any
school and marked by any assessor and get the same mark, thus achieving a fair assessment across
thousands of schools and tens of thousands of students following a common syllabus. In higher
education, however, every institution formulates its own syllabus and scheme of assessment, and
there are different arrangements in place to ensure parity between institutions. While the ‘mark
accumulation’ method employed in schools is appropriate in some subjects, where answers tend
either to be right or wrong, in a subject such as Music, where many different answers or
approaches may be equally valid, a more flexible approach is needed. The nature of the
assignments you are set will change too, meaning that different assessment methods have to be
used within the over-arching framework provided by clear assessment criteria and the rules set
down by the University and overseen by the College.
When assessing a piece of work, the examiner takes a number of elements into consideration,
including:
1) The year of study (referred to as the ‘level’);

2) The factors a piece of work may be expected to exhibit (depending on the task), and their
presence, absence, and quality;
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3) The overall achievement, i.e. the balance of the different factors and their level of attainment
relative to each other.
The examiner then converts this qualitative assessment into a quantitative one, i.e. a number
Disciplines, Factors and Levels

Assessed work in the Music Department is broadly divided into four disciplines (musicology,
composition, performance, and technical). These disciplines are generally self-explanatory but
they often include common factors, overlaps, and subdivisions, depending on the nature of the
work; for example musicology includes both history and analysis, while a subject like Performance
Practice requires an interaction between musicology and performance. The factors taken into
consideration vary from one discipline to another but, within a discipline, they also vary: for
example, the factors one takes into consideration in solo performance vary from study to study
and whilst some are (almost) always present (e.g. accuracy – except in passages of improvisation),
some are family or study specific (intonation does not apply to pianists), or vary in proportion (far
more stage presence and communication is expected from a singer than from an organist).
Compositions and essays vary in the same way according to the task set and also depending on the
way the student has chosen to approach an assessment. This latter point is very important: at ‘A’
level assignments tend to be very prescriptive and clear in what they expect you to do. In higher
education you are expected to make a judgment yourself as to what a task requires when the
‘question’ set is much more open-ended and may allow you to choose from a number of different
approaches which are not specified; part of the assessment is then a judgment on the
appropriateness and success of the approach you have chosen.
Consequently, giving a comprehensive list of factors taken into consideration for each piece of
assessed work set is impossible. Furthermore, each factor is not assigned a fixed proportion of the
marks available: the examiner makes a balanced judgment according to the nature of the task set
and the work presented.
Five over-arching principles can, however, be put forward:
1) Each discipline contains a number of ‘core factors’ which are examined at all levels of the
degree. An examiner will take all of these into consideration in all pieces of work unless they
are absolutely non-applicable (e.g. breath control for string players).
2) Core factors are expected to develop and mature through the duration of the degree.
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3) Each discipline contains a number of ‘additional factors’ which are taken into account in higher
levels of study; these indicate the acquisition and/or development of skills and knowledge. If
your work displays these factors successfully at a level lower than they are expected, you will
be given credit for this. If you have failed to display ability in these additional factors at the
appropriate level then you are likely to gain fewer marks.
4) A set number of marks is not allocated to each factor for the reasons given above; additionally,
when a factor is taken into consideration, a consistently poor performance in it may lead, in
the examiner’s judgment, to an increasing importance being assigned to it, e.g. persistently
bad intonation has a cumulative effect which detracts from other strengths of a performance.
In extreme cases a piece of work may become ‘fatally flawed’, which is to say that performance
in one factor is so poor that the strengths shown in others are persistently undermined.
5) As you progress through your programme of study you are expected not only to develop new
skills, but also to consolidate existing ones. Therefore, examiners expect, at higher levels, a
more consistent performance across all assessed factors and are more likely to penalise
relatively minor infringements. In other words, you are expected, over the duration of the
degree, not only to build on your strengths, but also to address, reduce, and preferably
eliminate your weaknesses, rather than hiding them
Factors taken into consideration

Musicology
Core factors research into topic; discriminating use of sources; methodological approach to the
(assessed at all task; understanding of historical context; musical analysis; selection,
levels) appropriateness and provision of music examples; evidence of critical (i.e.
considered and reasoned) thought; construction of a logical argument; clarity of
thought and expression; presentation of evidence; essay style, planning and
construction; written English; referencing and bibliography; presentation
Additional use of sources found independently; original or unusual insights into the topic;
Factors accuracy of identification and interpretation of musical texts; independent
Level 2 musical analysis; analytical insights; prioritisation of material; ability to précis
complex arguments; ability to reach balanced and independent conclusions
Additional employment of primary sources; awareness of different methods of musical
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Factors Level 3 analysis; ability to sustain argument and coherence over extended pieces of work.
Composition
Core factors imagination; creation/selection of materials; development of materials; technical

(assessed at all assurance; competence in handling instrumental, vocal or electroacoustic
levels) resources; evidence of compositional control; presentation
Additional originality; individuality; construction of musical argument over the duration of a

Factors piece; ability to sustain the listener’s attention; coherence of musical ideas.
Level 2
Additional an understanding of where the piece is situated in contemporary music; idiomatic

Factors Level 3 use of all resources
Technical
Core factors accuracy; appropriateness of choices; coherence; presentation.

(assessed at all
levels)
Additional production values; imagination; understanding of available resources.

Factors
Level 2
Additional Idiomatic use of all resources.

Factors Level 3
The following table shows: firstly, the relative descriptors which are frequently associated with
each band; secondly, supplies a broad guide as to how an examiner converts his/her qualitative
assessment of a piece of work; thirdly, the numerical marks associated with each level of
achievement.
Remember that, when undertaking this process, the examiner has to take into account that not all
factors may be relevant in an individual piece of work, and that nearly all pieces of assessed work
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display strengths and weaknesses, so there will almost certainly be a mixture of different levels of
achievement: some elements might be deemed to be first class in quality, others may be deemed
to be average. At this point examiners use their experience and judgment.
The table below attempts to show a typical distribution of factors for work at Level 2. Remember
that this is a guide, not a prescriptive formula, and that it cannot cover every eventuality. And, as
stated above, you are expected to consolidate your skills over the duration of the degree, so at
Level 1 the factors may be more widely dispersed in terms of their qualitative assessment, and at
Level 3 may be less so.
Class, ‘Centre of Relative and

Gravity’, and Subjective Typical distribution of factors at Level 2
stepped marks Descriptors
90 professional; Most factors in this mark range; some minor factors only at
85 original the lower end of the class; no factors outside this class.
Class 1: Excellent
82 individual; Factors consistently in this class; one or two minor factors

78 imaginative only in the class below.
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displays insight; Factors consistently at the lower end of this class, or a
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impressive mixture of this class and the one below it, but with the
majority in this class. No factors two classes or more below
displays advanced Factors consistently at the higher end of this class, or a
68
understanding mixture of this class and the one above it, but with the
Class 2.1: Good
majority in this class. No more than two minor factors below

thorough, Factors consistently in this class, or a mixture of this class and
65
coherent those either side of it, but going no further than the middle
of the class either side.
displays good Factors consistently at the lower end of this class, or a
62
understanding mixture of this class and the one below it, but with the
majority in this class. No factors two classes or more below
Factors consistently at the higher end of this class, or a
Class 2.2: Average
58 competent, solid
mixture of this class and the one above it, but with the
Factors consistently in this class, or a mixture of this class and
55 average (!)
those either side of it, but going no further than the middle
of the class either side.
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Factors consistently at the lower end of this class, or a
52 adequate
mixture of this class and the one below it, but with the
majority in this class. No factors below Class 3.
just about Factors consistently at the higher end of this class, or a
48
adequate mixture of this class and the one above it, but with the
Class 3: Poor

Factors consistently in this class, or a mixture of this class and
45 basic
those either side of it, but going no further than the middle
of the class either side; minor factors only might be deemed
very basic; Factors consistently at the lower end of this class, or a
42
borderline mixture of this class and the one below it, but with the
majority in this class. All major factors deemed to show basic
38 borderline, poor, Some factors will reach basic competence, but some do not,
Fail: Inadequate
35 impractical although they will generally be close to doing so. Desirable

30 factors may be missing entirely.
20 grossly All or most factors clearly below basic competence; only one
10 inadequate, or two minor factors may be deemed to be meet the level of
incompetent basic competence. Some desirable or essential factors
How good is ‘good’?

Words such as ‘good’ and ‘average’ are used freely in everyday conversation and in assessment
feedback, but do not in themselves tell you much about how work can be improved or how much
you have achieved; while ‘good’ may produce a feeling of satisfaction, ‘poor’ will be worrying. For
examiners, who have many years’ experience of marking, this is not an issue: if you have assessed
several hundred solo performance recitals, for example, it is fairly easy to work out how good a
performance is and how that translates into a mark, as you draw on accumulated knowledge
always informed by the Marking Criteria in force. For students, though, having a sense of what you
have achieved in any piece of work, and how ‘good’ it is, is a harder task.
The following tables set out, without reference to relative terms such as ‘average’, how each
factor translates into a classification; in other words to state in fairly absolute terms, what a 2.1
achievement is in prose style, or level of technical facility in performance, or instrumentation in
paper composition. Do not forget that pieces of assessed work usually show different levels of
achievement in relation to different factors. Again, this summary is set at Level 2.
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A few words about the 2.1/2.2 divide
Examiners recognize that students are under pressure to achieve a 2.1 degree overall, and are
even under pressure to achieve 2.1 results in individual modules in order to enhance employment
prospects. Consequently attaining 2.2 marks can be disappointing.
You should, therefore, be aware of the following:
1) In the table above, a mid 2.2 is deemed to be ‘average’ – in terms of academic standards a
mark in the mid 50s is not a bad mark even if it disappoints you. It does not mean that the
work submitted is of a poor standard, but that it is of an average standard for the level of your
degree.
2) In order to gain a 2.1, work has to be substantially better than ‘average’. The mean mark
attained in most Music modules at Birmingham is between 60 and 62, but this does not imply
that 60-62 is the mark attained for average standard work; rather it means that most
Birmingham Music students work sufficiently hard and are sufficiently intellectually capable to
submit work which is above the average standard on most occasions
Musicology
Musicology Summary of achievement (not all aspects are applicable at all Levels)
research into topic includes evidence of resources found independently;
evidence of wide reading and listening; supplied sources (i.e. those contained in
a course bibliography) correctly understood, employed, interpreted and
presented;
methodology and approach to subject are intellectually mature, coherent, and
insightful;
argument comprehensive and logical, showing evidence of independent and
Class 1
reasonable interpretation of evidence;
different elements of argument appropriately balanced;
conclusions develop from argument and display insight;
(almost) no extraneous material;
correct and broad understanding of wider historical context;
musical analysis correct and insightful;
comprehensive citation and provision of musical examples;
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fluent and consistent prose style;
references and bibliography comprehensive and correctly presented.
general presentation professional and user-friendly
evidence of wide reading and listening; supplied sources correctly understood,
employed, interpreted, and presented;
methodology and approach to subject are intellectually sensible and coherent
but not always insightful;
argument broad (but not necessarily comprehensive) and logical, showing
evidence of reasonable interpretation of evidence;
different elements of argument mainly appropriately balanced;
conclusions develop logically from argument;
Class 2.1
material wholly or overwhelmingly relevant;
correct understanding of wider historical context but which could be usefully
broadened, omissions possibly leading to minor misinterpretations;
musical analysis correct although minor details may be at fault;
citation and provision of musical examples fairly comprehensive;
fluent and generally consistent prose style;
references and bibliography comprehensive and formatting predominantly
correct.
general presentation almost professional and user-friendly.
evidence of adequate reading and listening; supplied sources usually correctly
understood, employed, interpreted, and presented;
methodology and approach to subject are acceptable and mainly coherent but
not notably insightful;
argument fairly broad but with clear omissions, and generally logical, showing
Class 2.2 evidence of reasonable interpretation of evidence;

different elements of argument may be out of balance and some material may
be irrelevant;
conclusions mainly develop logically from argument but there may be minor
faults;
material predominantly relevant;
understanding of wider historical context limited and sometimes erroneous,
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leading to minor misinterpretations;
musical analysis is without error except in minor details but descriptive rather
than discursive;
citation and provision of musical examples sufficient for comprehension but not
comprehensive;
prose style easily comprehensible but clearly capable of improvement;
references and bibliography for the greater part correct but contains
formatting errors and/or omissions.
general presentation of a high standard but with minor slips.
evidence of over-reliance on a limited number of literary and musical sources;
supplied sources are intermittently understood, employed, interpreted and
presented; other sources are injudiciously selected (e.g. use of webpages which
are not independently scrutinized for accuracy);
methodology and approach to subject are flawed but still have some validity;
they lack coherence to a significant extent, and are naïve;
major sources are omitted;
argument is partial and contains a small number of major omissions and/or
errors;
conclusions essentially valid but not necessarily developing from preceding
argument;
Class 3
material predominantly irrelevant, although a substantial minority remains of
use;
understanding of wider historical context severely limited, sometimes
erroneous, and containing some major misinterpretations;
musical analysis contains persistent minor errors or some major failures of
understanding, and is descriptive rather than discursive;
citation and provision of musical examples partial which hinders
comprehension of points made;
prose style contains faults which make it time-consuming and difficult to read
but essentially comprehensible;
references and bibliography contain many formatting errors and/or omissions.
general presentation inconsistent and untidy in a minority of places.
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evidence of over-reliance on an inadequate number of literary and musical
sources; supplied sources frequently misunderstood, misemployed,
misinterpreted, and badly presented; an over-reliance on injudiciously selected
sources (e.g. use of webpages which are not independently scrutinized for
accuracy);
methodology and approach to subject are deeply or fatally flawed and (almost
entirely) lack validity; they are incoherent for the greater part and are naïve
and immature;
major or essential sources are omitted;
argument is partial with a large number of major omissions and errors;
Fail conclusions invalid in whole or part, or absent entirely;
little or no relevant material;
understanding of wider historical context limited and predominantly faulty,
containing many major misinterpretations, or absent entirely;
musical analysis contains major failures of understanding, or absent entirely;
overwhelming or total failure to cite or provide musical examples;
prose style contains faults which make it time-consuming and difficult to read
and at times incomprehensible;
references and bibliography contain many formatting errors, omissions, and
inconsistencies, or absent entirely.
general presentation unsatisfactory and creates difficulties for the reader.
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Composition
Composition Summary of achievement (not all aspects are applicable at all Levels)
material and its treatment are imaginative and varied;

a coherent, traceable argument is built and sustained through the piece;
use of resources (instrumental, vocal, electroacoustic) is idiomatic and diverse;
Class 1 persistent display and/or treatment of original ideas;
derivative and conventional elements treated in non-derivative and
unconventional way(s);
score and parts are correctly presented, easy to read and use.
material and its treatment is varied and with some imagination;

a coherent argument is built and sustained through most of the music;
use of resources (instrumental, vocal, electroacoustic) is idiomatic and diverse
Class 2.1
but contains occasional lapses or infelicities;
some evidence of original ideas and their treatment;
derivative and conventional elements treated cogently;
score and parts are correctly presented, easy to read and use.
material and its treatment is mechanical for the greater part, although there
may be occasional evidence of imagination;
the structure of the music lacks coherence for a substantial minority of the
time;
use of resources (instrumental, vocal, electroacoustic) at times infelicitous or
Class 2.2 inappropriate but generally competent;
ideas are predominantly derivative and conventional;
derivative and conventional elements treated mainly in derivative and
conventional way(s);
scores and parts are neatly presented but contain persistent minor errors or
need clarification due to lack of explanation or incorrectly employed
notation/terminology.
material and its treatment is mechanical and unimaginative;

Class 3
musical structure is diffuse but not entirely incoherent;
use of resources (instrumental, vocal, electroacoustic) contains major errors
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and persistent infelicities, but still demonstrates basic competence;
ideas are entirely derivative and conventional
derivative and conventional elements treated wholly in derivative and
conventional way(s);
scores and parts are usable but contain many errors and may be
incomprehensible in small part.
material and its treatment is perfunctory;

musical structure is barely coherent at best;
use of resources (instrumental, vocal, electroacoustic) contains errors which
Fail may render the music unperformable;
ideas are derivative to the point of being clichés
ideas are treated unsuccessfully;
score and parts contain so many errors as to verge on the unusable.
Technical
Technical Summary of achievement (not all aspects are applicable at all Levels)
resources are idiomatically and sensitively used;

comprehensive understanding of resources available and
Class 1 wholly judicious selection of resources;
choice of approach original, sensible and appropriate;
professional standard of presentation of materials for others’ use.
resources are idiomatically and sensitively used but with some minor
misunderstandings or lapses;
Class 2.1 understanding of resources available is broad but not comprehensive;

selection of resources is judicious for much the greater part of the exercise;
choice of approach sensible and appropriate;
professional standard of presentation of materials for other’s use.
resources are competently used but with misunderstandings or lapses;

Class 2.2
understanding of resources available is diverse but with gaps;
selection of resources is appropriate for most of the exercise but may
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contain persistent minor errors or clear lapses of judgement;
choice of approach is sensible and appropriate but contains minor errors;
material for others’ use is clear but contains minor errors and/or lacks
necessary explanation of some points of execution.
resources are used competently for the most part, but with many
misunderstandings or lapses;
understanding of resources available is limited;
Class 3 selection of resources is limited by lack of understanding and/or major

contains lapses of judgement;
choice of approach is periodically flawed but not wholly invalid;
material for others’ use is acceptable but contains many errors, needs
explanation at times, and may be incomprehensible in small part.
resources are often used incompetently;

understanding of resources available is severely limited;
selection of resources is greatly constrained due to lack of understanding and
Fail contains major lapses of judgement;
choice of approach is flawed more often than not;
material for others’ use is barely usable due to the number of errors, unclear
notation/terminology, and untidiness.
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Feedback
Academic feedback plays an essential role: its purpose is to give a sense of your level of
performance and indicate why you received the marks you did and, most importantly, how you
can improve. You can expect to receive regular feedback on both course work and on assessed
work.
What is academic feedback?

Academic feedback normally includes both a quantitative element (marks and grades) and a
qualitative element (commenting on the content and skills demonstrated in a particular piece of
work). It will relate comments on your performance to the module learning outcomes and to the
relevant assessment criteria.
Feedback can be both formative and summative:
Formative feedback refers to that which you receive during the academic year on non-assessed
work. Its main purpose is to enable you to reflect on your progress and to identify areas where
you might improve. You will receive formative feedback on coursework during classes,
progress review tutorials, and through one-to-one discussions with tutors.
Summative feedback refers to the marks and Assessment Sheets you receive for assessed work
(i.e. work that contributes to mark for the module). Comment sheets will be provided on all
assessed work except for formal exams (see below).
The Department keeps copies of all marks and written feedback supplied to students for as
long as is required by the University.
Module tutors give feedback on their own modules; numerical marks are given for individual
assignments which contribute to the formal assessment of a module. After the completion of a
module and the confirmation of the marks by the Board of Examiners, an overall module mark
is given.
Any student who fails to attend a tutorial or class in which official feedback is given is
responsible for any consequence arising from his/her failure to obtain necessary advice or
guidance.
Feedback on Examinations
Following the main examination period, registered students, first and second year students are
offered generic feedback on each examination question within an assessment (e.g. essay style
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or numerical problems) or for the assessment as a whole.
Students who have failed examinations may request additional individual feedback as soon as
practicable after the publication of the examination results. Feedback on examination
performance does not allow any challenge to academic judgment
Prose-based Work
General Guidelines for Writing Essays

You should look at http://www.skills4studycampus.com/orglogin.aspx for information on:
independent study
using the library
understanding and avoiding plagiarism
planning ahead
understanding, researching and writing assignments
note-taking lectures
presenting your opinion in seminars
Other helpful Study Skills websites are:
The Guide to Effective Learning (GEL) http://diglibdr.bham.ac.uk/clad/GEL.html

The University webpages also have support information:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/projects/support/index.aspx
Prose Style and Proof-reading.

Short sentences are easier to read and understand but can become jerky to read. Sentences
with many subclauses can, however, easily be mispunctuated and, consequently,
misunderstood.
Make sure you write in an appropriate ‘register’: this means that, as an essay is a piece of
formal prose, you should avoid colloquialisms, slang, and an overly conversational or
journalistic style.
Be careful with grammar, punctuation, syntax, the use of paragraphs, and the use of chapters.
Write in the third person where possible but avoid artificial constructions such as ‘one can see
how …’ etc.
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Do not use speech contractions (e.g. ‘don’t’, ‘can’t’): these should be written out in full.
Avoid the present tense when referring to people who are dead (e.g. not ‘Handel is writing
music of great complexity’).
Read your work out to someone to see if they understand it.
Remember that spellcheckers do not pick up incorrectly spelt words if the incorrect version is
also a word in its own right (e.g. ‘elect’ and ‘select’, ‘homophonic’ and ‘homophobic’). Nor do
spellcheck programs pick up the grammatical difference between ‘there’ and ‘their’ and other
similar pairings.
Beware the auto-correct facility as this can change a word to one you did not intend:
‘definitely’ spelt incorrectly as ‘definately’ often turns into ‘defiantly’.
Common grammatical errors

it’s and its. The former means it is (and should not be used because it is a speech contraction);
the latter is possessive.
there, their and they’re. The first as in ‘over there’, the second as in belonging to them, the
third is a speech contraction (they are) so …
‘But’ is a conjunction which can join two clauses together in a single sentence but ‘however’,
however, is an adverb which cannot. (So: ‘They are going to the park but they are not staying
long’ is correct, but ‘They are going to the park, however they are not … [etc.]’ is wrong.
Possessives/Associations. All singular nouns, including those ending in ‘s’ form their
possessives by adding apostrophe + s: Newcastle’s St. James’s Park. All plural nouns ending in
‘s’ or ‘x’ add an apostrophe only: the Nazis’ ideology. All other plural nouns add apostrophe + s:
the fungi’s taste. You can use the convention by which singulars ending in ‘s’ just add an
apostrophe, but the format set out above is clearer and easier.
Plural nouns are only formed by adding apostrophe + s when the meaning would be unclear
without the apostrophe: 1920s, CDs, coffees and coffins are all OK!
It may sound like ‘he would of composed’ when you say it, but the correct version is ‘he would
have composed’!
Ensure you understand the difference between pairs of words: practice/practise;
principle/principal; compliment/complement; stationary/stationery; check/cheque etc.
Formatting prose quotations

Long quotations (more than three lines and/or more than two sentences) should be offset as
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indented paragraphs (blockquotes) without quotation marks. Do not centre offset quotations
or put them in italics. They may be single spaced.
Shorter quotations are unindented and placed within single quotation marks (with double
quotation marks for quotations within a quote).
If a quotation omits words from the original source (e.g. for grammatical reasons) this should
be indicated by an ellipsis (...).
Words added into quotations (e.g. to replace personal pronouns with full names) should be
placed in square brackets.
Referring to specific pitches, and points in scores, sound and film

recordings
If you want to refer to a specific pitch (i.e. its octave is relevant), this system is useful: in
ascending octaves from the lowest C on the piano keyboard: C1, C, c, c1, c2, c3. Thus the
octave ascending from ‘middle C’ is c1 – b1.
When referring to a specific point in a piece of music where possible use a bar number. If you
wish to refer to a specific beat in a bar: 432 (bar 43, beat 2). If bar numbers are not given in the
score, then either 43/7 (page 43, bar 7) or [B]+5 (five bars after rehearsal figure B),
remembering in both instances to make it clear in the Bibliography (see below), which edition
you are using.
When referring to a specific point in a sound or film recording: 00:04:33 (zero hours, 4
minutes, 33 seconds). The zeros referring to hours can be omitted if the total duration is less
than one hour.
Music Examples
These should be given whenever they are necessary to clarify or demonstrate a point made in
the text of your essay.
They may be generated using a software package such as Sibelius, Finale or Lilypond, or
photocopied, or scanned from a published score, or written out by hand. In all cases they
should be neat and clear.
Examples should be clearly numbered (Ex. 1, Ex. 2 etc., not Fig. 1, Fig. 2) and the composer,
name of the work, and precise identification of the passage should be given (e.g. Beethoven,
Symphony No. 5, first movement, bars 14–30).
Music examples may be integrated into the text, or placed on an examples page immediately
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after the page that refers to them, or at the end of the whole text, after any endnotes, but
before the Appendices and Bibliography.
Supply just as much music as is necessary to make the point. If it is convenient and
appropriate, present your music examples in ‘short score’ (i.e. reduced to two staves); full
scores need only be used when you are making points about orchestration or arrangement or
where the texture of the music is too complex to be reduced onto two staves.
Give a tempo indication and a bar number (or a page number and bar number if quoting from
a very long work and, in these cases, say which edition it is if there is more than one available).
If using a photocopy make sure that the example has clefs, key signatures, a tempo indication,
and instrument/voice indications at the beginning of the first system.
It is a good idea to annotate music examples to demonstrate your point, e.g. by identifying
motifs, or adding roman numerals to identify chords etc..
Titles of Musical Works

This is a vexed area, even for many scholars, because of the haphazard way in which musical
works are referred to in various contexts. These guidelines are not guaranteed to be failsafe, or
to cover every eventuality, but will serve you well:
Refer to all musical works by their formal names (e.g. Howells’s Service ‘Collegium Regale’, not
‘Coll Reg’ as it is often known). Where works do not have a formal name as such, you can use
any commonly accepted title, but be consistent (so Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is just as good
as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, but do not refer to Beethoven 5, which is a
musicians’ informality).
Try to refer to works in their original language wherever possible (e.g. Berlioz’s Symphonie
fantastique rather than the Fantastic Symphony). If, however, the English version is widely
accepted (and does not sound plain daft as in the preceding), use it (e.g. Mozart’s The
Marriage of Figaro is just as good as Le nozze di Figaro). In the case of the works of composers
whose native language uses a different alphabet (e.g. Russians), Latinised versions are fine (e.g.
Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin; Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol). A useful rule of thumb is
to look in New Grove or at a respected commercial recording and do what they do.
Formatting titles in prose-based work If you thought referring to works could be complicated,
the rules for formatting (i.e. the use of italics and inverted commas) are even more
bewildering. Again, these guidelines are not guaranteed to be failsafe, but should serve you
well.
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Generic works gain no additional formatting: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major;
Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 130. If a generic work has a commonly used and accepted
nickname this is put in single inverted commas: Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ Symphony,
Tchaikovsky’s ‘Little Russian’ Symphony, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (‘Pastoral’).
Non-generic titles (which are rather like proper nouns, while generic titles are like improper
nouns) such as operas, song-cycles, oratorios, cantatas, etc. are placed in italics: Mozart’s Don
Giovanni, Schumann’s Carnaval, Schubert’s Winterreise. It is acceptable to omit the leading
‘The’ from such works as The Creation if you are referring to them in English and the
composer’s name is immediately preceding; conventionally, however, foreign definite articles
tend to remain, e.g. Die Schöpfung (which is the German title of Haydn’s Creation).
Single songs, whether extracted from larger works or not, are normally placed in single quotes:
‘Dove sono’ from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro; Cole Porter’s ‘Let’s fall in love’. Substantial
single songs not extracted from larger works are, though, often placed in italics: Schubert’s Der
Erlkönig. Choral works, conversely, are always placed in italics, unless they are extracted from
larger works: Palestrina’s Exaltabo te, Domine, but ‘Comfort ye, my people’ from Handel’s
Messiah.
Finally single movements from instrumental works tend to be presented like this: a generic
title, e.g. Scherzo gains no additional formatting; a tempo marking in a foreign language is
italicized (‘the Allegro maestoso from …’); a formal title (or generally accepted nickname) is
placed within single inverted commas (the ‘March to the Scaffold’ from Berlioz’s Symphonie
fantastique). Generic titles in operas also take no additional formatting: the Finale of Act II of
etc.)
For audiovisual recordings (albums, films, TV series, singles), the following conventions apply:
1) the titles of albums, films, TV series, or videos are italicised; 2) the titles of individual songs,
titled scenes in films, specific episodes of TV shows, or chapters within a video are placed in
single quotes. Examples: ‘Money’ from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon; the Game of
Thrones episode ‘And Now His Watch is Ended’.
Sources, Bibliographies and Referencing

Sources The best starting points for Music are:
Online
You can find all the resources below simply by typing their names into the Library Catalogue
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(findit.bham.ac.uk).
From the Library Catalogue you can access these (and many other) useful resources:
> JSTOR (a searchable collection of many periodicals including about fifty musical titles from
which articles can be downloaded in pdf format);
> Naxos Music Library (all of Naxos’s recordings available online but not for download);
> RILM (a bibliographical tool and perhaps the best facility for finding Music literature),
> the British Humanities Index,
> Oxford Music Online (which incorporates Grove, and many other useful resources.
If searching for books, scores or recordings try also explore.bl.uk (British Library catalogue) and
www.copac.ac.uk (an amalgamated catalogue of the country’s leading university libraries).
Google Scholar (scholar.google.com) provides full-text searching of millions of journals, print
volumes and dissertations, and also allows you to see who has cited any particular work
through the ‘Cited by’ link below each search result.
Online scores: the largest source is IMSLP, but bear in mind that these are typically scans of
out-of-copyright old editions, some of which contain errors or amendments, and/or do not
conform to modern editing standards; some more recent music available on IMSLP is illegal to
download in the UK due to copyright laws. For choral music, CPDL can be useful, but needs to
be treated very carefully: the scores here have been transcribed by a wide variety of people
and, while many are good and accurate, some are riddled with mistakes.
Many useful resources can be reached via standard search engines but be wary about using
web-based sources such as wikipedia for academic information since material has not been
reviewed by professional scholars, is frequently regurgitated from other sources, and often
contains inaccuracies or perpetuates common myths, and.
Hard Copy
New Grove II, the main edition of which contains good bibliographies of books and articles
published up to about 1995 (note that this is now almost twenty years ago). Specialised
editions (e.g. The New Grove Dictionary of Opera) are also useful, as, in certain instances, are
the older editions of the main dictionary (which can be pointed out to you by Music Library
staff).
The Music Index, for articles and books published between 1949 and 1966.
The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, a ten-volume collection of introductory essays with
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extensive bibliographies on musics from almost everywhere in the world.
Bibliography
All essays must include a bibliography at the end.
The purpose of the bibliography to enable a reader—your tutor, you yourself in the future, or
anyone else wishing to consult your writings on a topic—to trace quickly, if they wish, the
sources you have used, and thereby to test the validity of your conclusions. This is as true of an
essay as it is of a high-powered scholarly publication, and it is the reason why your tutors
always require full bibliographical information.
Include in the Bibliography any source to which you refer specifically in the text of the essay, or
which you have drawn from to a significant extent.
Do not include in the Bibliography works that you looked up in case there might be something
in them but which contained nothing of use, duplicated material in other sources, or only
minor points of significance.
When compiling the Bibliography, separate different ‘original media’ into distinct sections, e.g.
primary sources (manuscripts); secondary sources (books/periodicals/webpages); newspapers;
printed music scores; sound recordings; audiovisual recordings (film, TV, video); web
resources. The order of these sections is a matter of taste, but the order given here is a sound
one.
Within each of these sections, list the sources by alphabetical order of author (or editor),
placing anonymous sources at the beginning of each section. When more than one work by
the same author is included, list works ascending by year. If you have more than one work by
the same author in a given year, use letters a, b, c immediately after the year (Green 2010a,
Green 2010b) both in the bibliography and in the citation proper.
Formatting Individual Bibliography Entries

The first trick to understanding a bibliographic entry is correctly identifying the kind of publication,
as there are differences in how we format books, chapters in edited volumes, journal articles, web
sites, dissertations, recordings and conference papers. Each of these source types necessitates
slightly different informational fields as well. The main goal of bibliographies and citations is to
enable others to quickly locate the specific sources you used – specific meaning, for example, the
specific edition of a book, the specific re-issue of an audio recording, or the specific day you
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accessed a website.
There are several computer programs which will (at least partially) organise your Bibliography for
you: Zotero is an example (www.zotero.org) which is available for free. The guidelines below
include notes on some of the things that Zotero does not do automatically when producing a
Bibliography in the University’s recommended citation system, i.e. ‘Harvard author-date’.
The following examples are based on a straightforward Harvard author-date bibliographic style.
Book/journal/album/film titles are italicised, but inverted commas (‘quotes’) are not used for
chapter or article titles. The closest Zotero citation style to this would be the ‘Chicago Manual of
Style 16th Edition (author-date)’, but this needs to be edited to remove some extra inverted
commas and to add a few fields that the style does not automatically export.
Single or joint-authored books:

General form: Author-lastname, Author-firstname. Year. Book Title. Place-of-publication:
Publisher.
Essential fields to include: author name(s), publication year, book title, book publisher,
publication location
Fields to include if applicable: edition (e.g. revised edition, 7th edition), number of volumes, name
of translator(s) and/or editor(s)
Specific things to watch out for when formatting book entries:
publication location: many academic books contain a long list of locations, since presses like
Oxford operate in several different countries. Typically we only use the first listed
city/state/country, and attempt to abbreviate it with a government-standard abbreviation.
Thus, Chicago, IL is preferred to Chicago, Illinois or to Chicago, Ill.
author/editor/translator roles: typically when you use the ‘export citation’ feature to make a
Zotero entry all the contributors end up being listed in one line under author. You need to
create separate fields manually and assign the correct roles (e.g. editor, translator) to each.
Agawu, V. Kofi. 1991. Playing with Signs: A Semiotic Interpretation of Classic Music. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press.
Burkholder, James Peter, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V Palisca. 2010. A History of Western
Music. 8th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Chion, Michel. 1994. Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. Translated by Claudia Gorbman. New York:
Columbia University Press.
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Taruskin, Richard. 2005. The Oxford History of Western Music. 5 vols. Oxford; New York: Oxford
University Press.
Critical edition of a musical manuscript:

Monteverdi, Claudio. 1994. Vespro Della Beata Vergine da Concerto, Composto Sopra Canti Fermi,
SV 206. Edited by Jerome Roche. London: Ernst Eulenburg.
Edited Volumes (when citing the full work rather than a specific chapter):
Barz, Gregory F, and Timothy J Cooley, eds. 2008. Shadows in the Field: New Perspectives for
Fieldwork in Ethnomusicology. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
In an edited volume, each chapter is written by a different author, which is easily determined if
you look at the table of contents. Typically we cite a specific chapter within an edited volume; be
careful, as the author name is not normally the name on the cover of the book! The names on the
cover are the editors of the volume, who compiled the works together and possibly contributed an
introductory chapter or conclusion.
Essay by one or more authors in a book edited by someone else:

Bohlman, Philip V. 1991. Representation and Cultural Critique in the History of Ethnomusicology.
In Comparative Musicology and Anthropology of Music: Essays on the History of Ethnomusicology,
edited by Bruno Nettl and Philip V Bohlman, 131–51. Chicago: University of Chicago.
Timms, Colin. Steffani, Agostino. In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by
Stanley Sadie, 2nd ed., vol 14:315–21. London: Macmillan.
Article in a journal, magazine or other periodical:

General form: Author-lastname, Author-firstname. Year. Title. Periodical Title vol (issue): page
number/range.
Essential fields to include: author name(s), publication year, article title, periodical title, volume
number, issue number (if there is one).
Fields to include if applicable: page numbers (mandatory for all print sources, even if found
online), URL (mandatory for online-only sources).
Born, Georgina. 2005. On Musical Mediation: Ontology, Technology and Creativity. Twentieth-
Century Music 2 (1): 7–36.
Kretschmer, Martin. 2005. Artists’ Earnings and Copyright: A Review of British and German
Industry Data in the Context of Digital Technologies. First Monday 10 (1).
http://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1200/1120
Young, Rob. 1999. Voice of the Beehive. The Wire: Adventures in Modern Music 179 (January): 34–
9.
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Authored article in a newspaper:
Stubbs, David. 2014. Pop Music Should Leave Classical Alone. The Guardian, 1 Aug 2014,
Culture:Music section. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/01/clean-bandit-pop-
classical
Note: if the newspaper article is a feature story that does not list an author, then use the name of
the newspaper in the author field (e.g., the above would begin The Guardian. 2014. )
Unpublished thesis or dissertation:

Bates, Eliot. 2008. Social Interactions, Musical Arrangement, and the Production of Digital Audio in
Istanbul Recording Studios. PhD Dissertation. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley.
Conference presentation:
Schwartz, Arman. 2010. Absorbing Opera: Benoit Jacquot’s Tosca, Between Spectacle and the
Everyday. Paper presented at the International Workshop on Opera and Video, May 2010.
Valencia: Universidad Politénia de Valencia.
Sound and video recordings:

General form: Artist name(s). Year. Title. Format. Catalogue number/reference. Place-of-
publication: Publisher.
Essential fields to include: artist name(s), year of release, title of release, recording format,
location, and publisher (either the record label or film company).
Fields to include if applicable: catalog number
Recording formats include LP, CD, DVD, VHS, audiocassette, 78rpm disc, digital files (e.g. iTunes,
Spotify or Bandcamp) – and many others, too. Note: when using Zotero, use the field type ‘Audio
Recording’ or ‘Video Recording’ and manually enter the catalogue number (usually an
alphanumeric designator) under the field ‘Series Title.’
Pink Floyd. 1973. The Dark Side of the Moon. LP. SHVL 804. United Kingdom: Harvest.
Pink Floyd. 2003. Classic Albums: The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon, directed by Matthew
Longfellow. DVD. United Kingdom: Eagle Rock.
Websites:
General form: Author name(s). Year. Page title. URL [access date]
Essential fields to include: name or corporate author of website, publication year, title of page,
url, access date.
Fields to include if applicable: name of blog or message forum, specific date of post
Websites are amongst the trickiest entries to format, since there are many different kinds of
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website, and it is often difficult to determine the title of the page, publication year, or even the
publisher. URLs can become large and unwieldy, meaning you need to try to determine the
shortest URL that works (test it before copying it into your bibliography). While Zotero does
include blog posts, forum messages, podcasts and webpages as field types, none of the Zotero
output styles produce perfect results; Zotero often adds periods at the end of URLs, and ignores
the access date fields. You need to manually enter these yourself.
The following show how to format: 1) a general webpage, 2) an authored blog post, 3) a blog post
where the authorship is unknown or attributed to the blog itself or to a corporate author, 4) a
message forum post by a user named ‘DrMuller’
Birmingham Music Archive. 2012. About Us. http://www.birminghammusicarchive.com/about-us/

[access date: 5 July 2014]
One additional note about the entry above: if you go to the page, you do not see a date listed. In
order to ‘date’ a page, try to find the specific url through the archive.org ‘Wayback Machine.’ For
the Birmingham Music Archive, if you go to
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.birminghammusicarchive.com/about-us/ you will find
that the earliest documented publication of the page was in 2012.
Rogers, Ian. 2012. Instead of SOPA, Here’s How To Combat Piracy While Encouraging An Open
Internet. Hypebot.com (blog), 31 Jan 2012. http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/01/how-
about-this-instead-of-sopa-my-proposal-for-legislation-to-proactively-combat-piracy-while-
encour-1-1.html [access date: 5 July 2014]
The Trichordist. 2013. The Smoking Gun of Internet Exploitation of Musicians and Songwriters. The
Trichordist (blog), 9 Sep 2013. http://thetrichordist.com/2013/09/09/internet-exploitation-of-
musicians-and-songwriters-the-smoking-gun/ [access date: 5 July 2014]
DrMuller. 2014. Thoughts on Tchaikovsky. Talk Classical (forum)

http://www.talkclassical.com/33448-thoughts-tchaikovsky.html [access date: 2 Aug 2014]
Online multimedia content:

General form: Title. Kind of content, duration. Posted by Username, posting date. URL [access
date]
Essential fields to include: title of audio-visual content, kind of content and content provider,
duration, user who posted the material, posting date, URL, access date.
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Fields to include if relevant: author/creator of video.
Notes about online multimedia: use this format for videos hosted on sites such as YouTube,
Vimeo, Dailymotion; for audio posted on SoundCloud or Bandcamp.
Paco de Lucia Shreds. YouTube video, 2:02. Posted by Tahana, 17 Feb 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89zM9pZzt0U [access date: 5 July 2014]
For the above video, the original creator was in fact a different person/user: St Sanders. You could
alternately add his name to the beginning of the reference:
St Sanders. Paco de Lucia Shreds. YouTube video, 2:02. Posted by Tahana, 17 Feb 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89zM9pZzt0U [access date: 5 July 2014]
Interviews:
General form: Interviewee, interview with author. Location. Date.
Dai Fujikura, interview with author. Birmingham, UK. 21 Feb 2014.
Inline citations
The purpose of citations is to enable the reader to find easily, in the Bibliography or
Mediagraphy, the source to which you refer at a specific point in the essay.
Insert a citation whenever you use information from a specific source in your essay, e.g. you
quote another author’s words or refer to a specific author’s ideas or use information you have
found in a single source.
You do not need to use a citation if referring to what might be referred to as ‘common
knowledge’, e.g. Beethoven was born in 1770. However, if multiple sources disagree on factual
material (e.g. when Hildegard von Bingen was born), do cite the source.
All references should use author-date inline citations. Depending upon the kind of citation you
are making, these may contain 2 or 3 pieces of information: 1) the authors’ last name(s) 2) the
year: 3) the page number. Variants of this are used for non-print media types (see below)
Citations should reside in the text of the document, coming either after ‘a specific quoted
passage’ (Bates 2012: 341), or at the end of a sentence that surveys the key works on a topic
(Born 2004; Goehr 1992).
If a single work has two authors, include this in the inline citation (Wimsatt and Beardsley
1946: 469). If it has three or more authors, use the first author’s name and an et al form
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(Wimsatt et al 1951).
When referencing a moment within a YouTube video, sound recording or other multimedia
work, cite the timing in your reference (Paco de Lucia Shreds: 1:04). The first part of the
reference should match the first text in the corresponding Mediagraphy listing.
If you have more than one work by the same author in the same year, append a, b, c (etc) to
the end of the year (Bates 2012a; Bates 2012b), and adjust the bibliographic items according.
If you have works by two different authors that share the same last name, use their full name
in the inline citation (Daniel Neuman 1994, Dard Neuman 2002).
Additional Guidelines on writing Musicology Dissertations

These are general guidelines only and your dissertation tutor may give you his/her own guidelines
that replace or supplement the following ones, not all of which are equally applicable to all kinds
of work.
Purpose The purpose of a dissertation is to give you an opportunity to work independently on a

topic that interests you, and to marshal and present your information, thoughts and arguments on
a larger scale than is possible in an essay.
Topics The choice of topic is vital. Do not forget that this is a music dissertation, i.e. that music is
its prime and guiding purpose. There may be other important issues that are relevant, such as
social conditions, a composer’s biography, the plot of an opera, etc., but although you may want
to devote some space to such matters, remember that music is the focus of the work you are
doing. This is not to assume that you have to include analytical discussion: this should appear if it is
appropriate and required to substantiate your arguments.
You are encouraged to devise an original topic, one that could perhaps be preparatory to further,
postgraduate research. At the same time, however, it is acknowledged that this is an
undergraduate dissertation: it is part of a BMus or BA, not an MA or a PhD degree. It is not
required to show the originality that would be expected in a doctoral dissertation; indeed it need
not come up with anything startlingly new.
Nevertheless, more is wanted than an uncritical resumé of existing writings, facts, critical surveys,
etc., a composer, work or genre. So, for example, a dissertation that summarises the history of an
instrument will rarely be very successful; one that deals with issues of performance practice
relating to an instrument, however, can be useful and of intellectual merit. At the very least, the
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information should be presented, and the dissertation written, in a way that reflects your own
approach to the topic. This is not to discourage investigations that might lead to something new;
indeed, your tutor may train you to produce a piece of research in your dissertation where
significant, new data is presented. In short the Examiners look for an original synthesis of
material—in other words, for your thoughts on other scholars’ work and a critical appraisal of their
conclusions. One way in which this process can be helped is to try to articulate your dissertation
subject as a question which is then answered and discussed in your work.
It is important to choose a topic that is realistic in several respects:
The topic must be manageable within the word-limit of your dissertation; generally speaking
focused subjects examined in depth make better dissertations than broad subjects examined
superficially. For example, a 311 dissertation could quite easily focus on just one symphony (or
even one movement), and a 321 dissertation on just one opera and there would be plenty of
information you might like to include but for which you do not have sufficient space.
You must be sure that plenty of information is accessible, either in the Library, online, or via
Inter-Library Loan, or on microfilm/fiche, etc..
You will not be permitted to write a dissertation on a subject which the Library cannot
support or which no full-time member of staff can supervise through lack of expertise. In
practise this means that almost any aspect of western art music can be covered, along with
many types of popular music, and various world musics. Dissertations on subjects such as
music therapy and music in education are unlikely to be permitted.
The Abstract, Title Page, Contents Page, Appendices and Bibliography are not counted as ‘words’
in undergraduate work but you should not use appendices as a means of enlarging the scope of
your essay/dissertation: material relevant to your argument should be in the main text of the
work. If you appendices as a means of circumventing the rules on length, you will be penalized.
Footnotes are counted as words.
The Role of your Supervisor

It is the job of your supervisor to guide you as you research and write, but it is not his/her job to
write the dissertation for you or to supply the ideas in it. Your supervisor will discuss with you such
aspects as the content and structure of your dissertation, the construction of your argument, and
presentation of material.
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Consult your supervisor as often as you need: that is what s/he is there for. At some times your
work will go well and you will not need guidance but, at other times, things will seem grueling and
you will need a helping hand quite regularly. Specifically, you can expect your supervisor to do the
following:
Read a complete draft of the dissertation, provided that it is submitted by the end of the
Spring Term;
Read the final draft of one chapter, especially to pick up points of written style, grammar, and
formatting, provided that it is submitted by the end of the first week of the Summer Term;
Advise on general planning, content, and structure of argument;
Give you guidance on the structure and format of the preliminary (November) statement and
bibliography (see below).
Preliminary Statement
You are required, in November, to produce a statement of research undertaken and research
planned, with bibliographies (obligatory) and source lists; this exercise is not assessed. This outline
is not intended to be the definitive plan of the dissertation, for ideas evolve after this time. It
should, however, show what you hope to achieve in your dissertation, and how you intend to
achieve it. Non-submission leads to 10 marks being deducted from the final mark; late submission
leads to a flat penalty of 5 marks being deducted from the final mark; a submitted piece that
would fail if marked as a separate piece of work also leads to 5 marks being deducted from the
final mark.
Presentation
In addition to the guidelines for essays General Presentation please note the following:
You must submit two copies of the dissertation with only your registration number on them;
your name must not be present.
The order of the contents should be as follows: title page, abstract, contents page, main body
of text, music examples (if placed in one group at the end of the dissertation), appendices (if
applicable), bibliography.
You must include a title page and a contents page (i.e. a list of chapters and the page number
on which each chapter start.
You must include an Abstract, i.e. a brief summary (normally between 100 and 250 words) of
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the content of the work, i.e. a short description of the field of investigation and the principal
issues dealt with. No new material is included in the Abstract.
A music example should be included where a point of argument would be difficult to
understand without one. If you refer to one work on many occasions it is acceptable to refer to
a specific named edition by page and/or bar numbers, but you must either submit the relevant
score with the dissertation or, if it is a library score, ensure that you return it to the Library
when you submit your dissertation, so that the Examiner may consult it.
Assume, when you are writing, that your reader has a broad and well-founded musical
knowledge but not an in-depth knowledge of the subject in question.
Plan the dissertation carefully. Make sure that one point flows on naturally from another. Vary
your sentence length and syntax, and use paragraphs to indicate changes of subject, or a new
approach to the topic.
Probably only about 20%-30% of the work you do will make its way into the finished product,
but until you start writing you will not know which 20%-30%. The other 70%-80% will help you
decide what you want to say and how best to present it. Make a full bibliographical note of
everything you read and find out, or that you copy out as a potential quotation. There is
nothing more frustrating than coming across an ideal quotation in your notes and having to
spend two days in the Library trying to rediscover exactly where you found it.
Bibliographies may be substantial in dissertations and it is common practice to split them into
sections, such as primary and secondary sources. Your supervisor will be happy to discuss with
you the best methods of organisation.
A possible schedule
Although Musicology dissertations are different lengths, the intention in both cases is that you
should spread the work over the entire academic year. Apart from anything else, spreading the
work out, with occasional ‘weeks off’ allows the information you have discovered to ‘stew’ in your
mind: when you return to dissertation you will often find that points which have previously been
puzzling you are clearer, and you may even experience an occasional revelation. In short, it is good
to stand back every so often so that you can see the whole forest, as well as the details of
individual trees.
Autumn Term Weeks 1 – 4 Preliminary broad reading around your chosen subject with a view
to focusing your subject and building up a good background and contextual knowledge. Work
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on building up a bibliography of material to consult in future. Listen to the music you are
studying with a view to becoming broadly familiar with it.
Autumn Term Week 5 – 8 Extend bibliographical research and prepare preliminary statement.
Start reading more detailed and focused material. Listen to the music you are studying with a
critical and analytical ear with a view for building a detailed knowledge and understanding of
it.
Autumn Term Weeks 9 – 11 Continue to read around your subject with a conscious view to
defining the subject in its final form. Work on a first draft chapter plan. Order any materials
available only by Inter-Library Loan. Detailed study of music which will feature in the final
work.
Spring Term Weeks 1 – 4 Further detailed study of music and reading. Refined, more detailed,
and definite plan of chapters. No major revisions to structure of subject after this point.
Spring Term Weeks 5 – 7 Start drafting chapters; generally it is easiest to start at the beginning
of body of the dissertation, leaving the introduction and conclusion until the end. Most of the
research should be completed.
Spring Terms Week 8 – 11 Aim to complete a first draft of the whole dissertation by the end of
term and to have submitted a substantial part of it to your supervisor for criticism. Research
should now be confined either to filling in small gaps, or very focused and detailed analysis.
Easter Vacation Redraft and refine. Draft introduction and conclusion. Check and format
Bibliography. Try to put the dissertation away completely for at least two weeks in order to
‘step back’.
Summer Term Weeks 1 – 3 Final redrafting and revision. Submit one chapter to your
supervisor for review. Read whole dissertation through and check for inconsistencies. Ask
someone else to read your dissertation and read theirs to return the favour. Print, bind and
submit.
Composition and other notation-based work
Preparing orchestral and other Scores
Guidelines for preparation of scores and parts

Most of you will probably use Sibelius for notating your compositions. Although certain things are
done automatically, do not assume that the program will provide you with complete, professional
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quality work without additional editing. In fact, both scores and parts require a lot of work to
acquire a professional look. The following are general guidelines only. For more detailed,
professional advice on editing, see Elaine Gould, Behind Bars. The Definite Guide to Music Notation
(London: Faber Music, 2011), available in the library. Samuel Adler’s Orchestration also contains
some information on editing parts.
Editing scores
Front page This should include the name of the composer and your ID number (due to the nature
of the way composition is taught – including playthroughs and tutorials – it is usually not possible
to assess assignments anonymously, but you may include only the ID number if you wish), title of
the composition, date (year) and approximate duration.
Second page List the instruments required, including a detailed list of percussion used (if more
than one player is required, group the percussion instruments player by player). For order of
instruments consult Gould and Adler. Players using more than one instrument should be carefully
indicated, for example: Flute doubling Piccolo. Indicate the key of transposing instruments, for
example: French Horn in F. Indicate if score is transposed or in C (in concert pitch). It is customary
in modern compositions to write the score in concert pitch and all composition assignments
should be submitted in this form unless you have good reason to do otherwise; only the parts are
transposed, when appropriate. (In exercises in B12 Orchestration, however, scores should be
presented in transposed pitch.)
General layout Depending on the number of instruments, adjust the size of the staves to achieve a
pleasing look (you may use either a portrait or a landscape layout in A4 scores; use portrait only in
A3 scores). Try to keep even distances between the staves within the same instrumental family
(for example woodwinds), while allowing a larger space between the different groups (for example
woodwinds and brass).
Allow enough space to clearly indicate dynamics, articulation and other information; none of this
should overlap with notes! It should always be clear to which instrument these directions refer (if
the staves are too close together you can suffer from ‘information collision’).
Try to fill-in the page; do not leave unnecessary empty space on the bottom. Do not leave one bar
in an entire system; if this happens due to busy music, adjust the size of the staves to allow for
more bars in the system. Use system dividers if there is more than one system on a page.
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Use double barlines to indicate important changes, especially in tempo and/or character. Indicate
rehearsal letters/numbers at clear points of the work: a new section, the entry of important
material, etc. Don't hesitate to use them frequently.
Check for unnecessary/incorrect rests and awkward accidentals.
Add detailed performance information: dynamics, articulation and expression. The more detailed
you are, the more accurate the performance will be.
Vocal scores Verbal text should appear below music and should be laid out clearly in line with the
notes so that it is immediately apparent which syllable goes with which note. Dynamics should
appear above the notes. Time signature changes should appear in all parts—not just above the top
part. Singers appreciate having a full copy of the text at the start of the score.
Preparing Orchestral Parts

You do not need a front page as such; the first page, however, must include the name of the
composer and the title on the top, and the name of the instrument plus doublings, if appropriate.
The exception is percussion parts, which may require a front page with the list of instruments
played by a single player. Percussion parts are always organised by the player; do not create a
single part for each instrument! (The same refers to doubling parts).
Do not change the size of the staves; Sibelius-created parts will have an optimal size set
automatically. Keep a comfortable distance between the staves; this means no more than 8 staves
per page (size A4), if possible.
Multi-bar rests These will be created by Sibelius automatically, but sometimes a rest or two are
left out. Connect the odd separate rests, unless there is important information with them
(fermata, a change of tempo, change of meter, etc; such things must be always visible to the
player, even if he or she is not playing at the time). Sometimes the multiple rest takes the whole
system: avoid this; connect the bar including the rest with other bars to save space and avoid
awkward look.
Carefully consider page turns before adjusting the number of bars in individual systems. Whenever
possible, allow plenty of time for a page turn. If a part is exceptionally busy, you may include a
folded-in extra page so that the player can see three pages instead of just two. This is easiest at
the beginning or the end, but not impossible in the middle of the part.
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Cues Please do include them, especially if there are long rests between the entries. In more recent
versions of Sibelius, you can include invisible cues in the score, and make them visible only in
parts. Cues are in the same key as the instrument in the part; for example, if a horn in F includes a
cue from flute, the cue should be also in F (transposed). The size of notes in cues is smaller and the
stems go in the ‘wrong’ direction. Clearly indicate the instrument that the cue comes from. Don’t
forget to indicate proper rests for the instrument of the part.
Pagination In professional scores and parts, odd numbers always go on the right-hand page, while
even numbers go on the left-hand page, even if the part starts on the left side (meaning the first
page turn come after two pages) - in this case the ‘first’ page of the part should have number 2.
As in the score, avoid unnecessary/incorrect rests, awkward accidentals and overlapping.
Composition Workshops and the BCMG Link
BCMG Workshops for Undergraduate/Postgraduate Composers & COMPASS Prize

The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group runs annual workshop sessions in association with
the university at which student works are read by professional musicians. Normally, an exceptional
work amongst those submitted for the workshops is awarded the COMPASS Prize and may be
given a public performance by BCMG. Participation in these sessions is mandatory for students in
323 Special Subject Paper Composition, but the sessions are also open to postgraduate students
and (space permitting) first and second year undergraduates as well. If interest in the workshops is
high it may be necessary to limit participation. In this case priority will be given to 323 Paper
Composition students and students who have not participated in the workshops before. The
following rules apply:
Compositions submitted should be for the full ensemble, or for a substantial subset thereof. A
list of the exact instrumentation will be made available in Semester 1.
Adherence to all deadlines (intent to participate, submission of scores and parts, etc.) is strictly
required. In the case of students in 323 Paper Composition late submission will result in a
reduction of the final grade in accordance with department regulations, and the submitted
work will not be eligible for the COMPASS prize. In the case of all other students late works will
not be accepted for either the workshops or the competition. The only exceptions to this must
be based on medical or compassionate grounds and are made at the sole discretion of the
Head of Department.
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The department reserves the right to reject a work if the materials submitted are deemed to
be at a sub-professional level.
The department reserves the right not to award the COMPASS Prize in a given year.
Past winners of the COMPASS prize are ineligible to receive it again, but may still submit a
piece for the workshop sessions.
It is important that students understand that although the BCMG is our ensemble in association,
and has a long-standing and valued relationship with the Department, it is an independent
professional ensemble, and an entity distinct from the university. Although every attempt is made
to give all submitted pieces equal treatment, some small adjustments may be made to the
workshop schedules to allow for difficulty, length of piece, instrumental resources used, etc., at
the discretion of the conductor. (For example, a relatively short and/or easy piece may receive
slightly less workshop time than longer and/or more difficult pieces. Conversely, it may not be
possible to spend as much time on an exceptionally complex piece as the composer may desire
without unfairly reducing the time available for other submitted pieces.)
The schedule of the workshop will be influenced by all these factors, and the session will be run in
a manner consistent with that of the professional world. A similar level of professionalism is
expected from the student composers participating, both in the quality of the materials they
submit, and in their behaviour. Students should be aware of their responsibility to help maintain
the positive relationship between the department and the ensemble, which affords them a unique
opportunity to students. The workshops are intended as a pedagogical opportunity (with the
secondary goal of producing a usable recording, where possible) rather than as an arena for
academic assessment of the submitted works. 323 Composition students should note that the
mark received for the final composition is based solely on the submitted score and not on the basis
of the workshop.
Oral Presentations
The topic will be chosen in consultation with your tutor and will be manageable within the
allotted time (typically ranging from 10 to 45 minutes).
Judging Length If you are speaking from a script, reckon on being able to deliver about 80
words per minute, so a 10 minute presentation will be about 800 words. If in doubt time your
presentation by doing a ‘dry run’. Remember to allow for music examples etc..
Script or Notes? Reading from a pre-prepared script is perhaps less nerve-wracking, but also
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difficult to do effectively as many people do not read aloud especially well (such presentations
often lack a sense of spontaneity, speech intonation and rhythm are less varied than usual, and
people often stumble over words or get the intonation wrong), so do not think that it is
necessarily the best or most effective way to deliver a paper (the best presenters make a pre-
prepared script sound and look off-the-cuff). Having cue cards with bullet points on to use as a
reminder or using a Powerpoint presentation as virtual cue cards, are often more effective
methods as, without a script, people tend to talk more naturally and engagingly. You do,
however, have to prepare what you are going to say carefully, and to make sure your notes, in
whatever form, have all the information you need.
Pitfalls when talking Common faults are speaking too quickly and too quietly (at the beginning,
ask if everyone can hear you!). Another error is to be self-deprecating in such a way that
undermines your audience’s confidence and/or interest (do not say ‘I’m sorry, this is a bit last
minute’ for example). Speakers often undervalue silence and think that they have to talk
constantly. In fact, well dispersed pauses pace a presentation more effectively, highlight new
sections and particularly important points.
The Basic Plan Define the area of discussion and provide some fairly basic facts but try to keep
to a minimum the information that can easily be found in a book. Your own opinion is more
important. If there is one thing more depressing for a tutor than a paper that begins,
“Beethoven was born in 1770 and wrote nine symphonies,” it is seeing the other members of
the group actually picking up their pens and writing it down.
Always make sure you that introduce a new point clearly; see yourself to some extent as acting
as a guide (and see below, about Powerpoint). Use pauses effectively!
If you play music examples make sure you know exactly what points you want to make.
Depending on the context, think about whether you can assume that your listeners know the
music or not. You can integrate these into Powerpoint or can keep them separate (by, for
example, connecting a phone or MP3 player to the lectern. If you do this, create a separate
playlist for your examples and, if you are playing an extract, make a note of the start and stop
points.
It is normally a good idea to take scholarly writings as your starting point, but you should
always comment on them and say whether or not you think they are valid and back up your
opinion by referring to music where appropriate. Of course, many scholarly arguments are
contradicted by other academics!
It is usual to ask if anyone has any questions at the end: and a sign of a good paper is often that
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someone does indeed want to ask you something. Be ready to respond and, if appropriate, to
enter into discussion.
PowerPoint The use of PowerPoint (or a similar program) is not compulsory, but there are now
very few presentations which do not include some form of visual element. A Powerpoint
presentation should be a supplement to or illustration of what you are saying, not a
replacement for it; typically it will focus on headings and your spoken words explain and
expand upon them. Common pitfalls when using PowerPoint are:
> Making the type too small for the audience to read comfortably and placing too much
information on individual slides.
> Believing that flashy animations etc. are an end in themselves (they are often more of a
distraction with the audience thinking ‘which one is going to come next?’ and forgetting
about what you are saying).
> Using too many fonts: keep things simple and clean. (Bear this, and the previous point, in
mind particularly if you are planning to make your presentation into handouts; see below.)
> Putting everything you are going to say on the slides – use it for headings and bullet points
only, and such additional items as quotations, scores, pictures, and videos etc..
> Talking to the screen instead of the audience.
> Failing to test the presentation in advance: make sure, for example, that embedded files
(particularly music examples and videos) work when you click on the link.
> Failing to have a back-up option: always have your presentation in at least two places
(server, laptop, memory stick) in case one does not work. And, if the worst comes to the
worst, make sure your talk is viable without Powerpoint at all (this can be very difficult if
you have pictures or videos, but sound files at least can be placed on an MP3 player).
> If you are using a Mac, don’t forget the adaptor!
Handouts are useful and can cover a number of points: perhaps a chronology, examples in
manuscript, references to the score, a list of extracts to be played, a brief bibliography, etc.. A
good handout is always a focus for your listeners after the seminar is over. What you should
never do is simply read through your handout – if you do that you might as well just give it out
and not do the presentation at all.
PowerPoint Handouts These are an increasingly popular option but, if you are going to use
PowerPoint handouts, remember that your original file will be fulfilling two functions. In
particular, when you print it, think about how many slides should go on a page in order to be
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legible, and to leave enough room for any notes that your listeners may want to make.
Remember that colour printing is expensive, so make your handout viable in black and white
even if your presentation is in colour! You do not have to print every slide: programs such as
Powerpoint and Keynote will allow you to print a selection of (non-consecutive) slides if you
wish.
And if you are listening to a paper . . . the most helpful thing you can do is to be prepared
yourself. Do not assume that you can cruise while someone else in the group presents his/her
paper. Finally, a simple but important point: give the presenter your attention at all times. It is
hard enough for an experienced teacher to hold a class’s undivided attention, so imagine how
nerve-racking it is for a fellow-student!
Prizes
The first three prizes below are awarded by the Department’s Board of Examiners at the end of
each academic year. The final two prizes are awarded as the result of competitions – see
Departmental noticeboards during the year.
Barber Undergraduate Prizes. One or more prizes are awarded to the best 2nd and 1st Year
students in the Department on the basis of academic success.
Arnold Goldsbrough Memorial Prize. This prize is awarded to the student who has achieved
the highest first class mark in the performance of music from the period 1600–1750. Should no
student achieve a first class mark in performance of this repertory, the prize may be held over
until a subsequent year.
Roland Gregory Prize. This prize is awarded to the final year undergraduate who achieves the
highest overall mark in a degree where Music is the main subject.
COMPASS Composition Prize This prize is awarded annually to an undergraduate or
postgraduate student for an outstanding piece of music written for the BCMG workshop
sessions. Where possible, the prize-winning piece is given a public performance, normally by
the BCMG. See Composition Workshops and the BCMG Link for details and rules.
University Music Society Composition Prize This prize is usually awarded annually to an
undergraduate or postgraduate student for an outstanding piece of music and comprises an
opportunity to write a piece to be performed by the University’s Symphony or Philharmonic
Orchestra.
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Attendance Recording 2018/2019 – A Briefing for
Students
Background
The University expects all students to attend their scheduled teaching sessions, as laid out in the
Code of Practice on Student Attendance and Reasonable Diligence, and the College of Arts & Law
monitors the attendance of all our students to ensure they are meeting this requirement. If you
miss a number of teaching sessions and do not get in touch to explain your absences, the College
will follow the reasonable diligence procedure described in the Code of Practice, which could
ultimately result in your being requested to withdraw from your studies.
Why does the College of Arts and Law record student attendance?
There are a number of reasons why the College monitors student attendance:
Students are expected to attend at least 70% of teaching sessions at which attendance records
are taken. Therefore we need to monitor attendance so that we know whether our students
are meeting the University’s requirements.
Improved attendance at teaching sessions can lead to higher academic achievement. By
monitoring students’ presence at teaching sessions we can encourage attendance where
required and help students perform to a higher standard.
Non-attendance can sometimes be a sign that a student is struggling. By monitoring
attendance, we will notice more quickly that a student may be in difficulty and can offer
support more promptly.
For international students on a Tier 4 visa, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that we
monitor academic engagement by checking attendance at a series of contact points
throughout the academic year. By taking registers at teaching sessions, we can demonstrate
that students are not only meeting contact points, but also engaging academically with their
course.
What is the process that will be followed for 2018/19?

When you attend a seminar, the academic leading the session will circulate a register which you
should sign to indicate that you were present at the session. Should your name not be listed you
should add it to the register. If you do not, it could appear that you have not attended for that
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module.
1) The academic will return this to the Administration Office, where staff will record any absences
so that they can see when students are consistently missing teaching sessions.
2) The attendance sheets will also be kept on file for students holding a Tier 4 visa, as evidence
that they have met their contact points and are academically engaged.
3) In the case of a known absence, students can request an authorised absence either in advance
or up to 5 days after a teaching session by completing a ‘Request For/Notification of Absence
from a Seminar’ form available from the Administration Office (Reception on the ground floor
of the Ashley Building).
4) There are clear definitions of Authorised Absence:
Absence due to poor health (supported by medical evidence [wherever possible])
A one-off medical appointment for which an alternative date was not possible to find
(supported by evidence)
A family emergency (supported by evidence)
Attending a job interview (for which no alternative date was possible; supported by
evidence)
Jury service (supported by evidence)
The following are not valid reasons for absence: Having no other classes on that day, having an
early or late class, or missing a class due to outside commitments other than those already
listed. If you find you have regular unplanned commitments (for example medical
appointments) talk to your Personal Tutor in advance, so that someone is aware of your
situation.
5) The School will review attendance rates at given points throughout the academic year to
identify those students who are at risk of not meeting the 70% attendance requirement and
will be grouped as follows:
Students with sub 75% attendance – are at risk of not meeting the 70% attendance
requirement. Your attendance records will be provided to your Personal Tutor who will
contact you to attend a meeting and discuss the reason for the absences. You will agree
appropriate action to improve attendance as you progress through the year. It is likely
you will be asked to provide evidence for your reasons.
Students with 75-80% attendance – are potentially at risk.
These students will receive an email strongly encouraging them to meet with their
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Personal Tutor or, if more appropriate, their Welfare Tutor, to discuss any obstacles to
regular attendance.
6) If you fail to meet with your Personal Tutor (UG)/Programme Lead (PG) and Welfare Tutor
when requested to explain your absence and do not meet agreed actions as a result of your
meeting, your case may be referred to the Board of Examiners. This could result in you being
withdrawn from your programme of study.
All communications will remind you that you can speak to your Personal Tutor (UG)/Programme
Lead (PG) or the Welfare Tutor if you are experiencing personal difficulties that are making you
miss your classes, in order to ensure that your absences are authorised. We strongly recommend
that if you find you are struggling to meet your commitments in any way, you should seek to
address the problem through your Personal Tutor or Welfare Tutor as soon as you possibly can.
It is essential to tackle a situation like this at the beginning and not allow it to progress.
What do I need to do?

Make sure that you sign the register for each teaching session where one is circulated.
If you are experiencing personal difficulties that are causing you to miss your scheduled
teaching sessions, speak to your Welfare Tutor/Senior Welfare Officer or Personal Tutor. They
may be able to help you get the support that you need to continue with your studies, or to
apply for a Leave of Absence or Extenuating Circumstances if that would be more appropriate.
Complete a “Request For/Notification of Absence from a Seminar” form (available from the
Ashley Administration Office) to request an authorised absence and provide the necessary
evidence.
You should also make sure you familiarise yourself with the full College guidance on
attendance recording, so that you are aware of the complete process and the possible
consequences of being absent from teaching sessions.
If you have any queries that aren’t answered in these documents, speak to your Personal Tutor
(UG).
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Section 6: Support
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Your Welfare and Extenuating Circumstances
Our Structure and how we support you

Welfare is a general term that covers a broad spectrum of issues around your wellbeing. There is a
lot of support available right here in LCAHM where the key contacts for you are your Personal
Tutor or Welfare Tutor. Either of them may signpost you to services outside the School, to our
colleagues in Student Support. If you are unsure which type of support you need, we advise you to
talk to your Personal Tutor first. You can also find information on the School Welfare and Support
canvas page or ask for guidance in the Administration Office who will point you in the right
direction. As a general guide:
Personal Tutor – The College and School are committed to students' academic progress and their
personal development. You are assigned a Personal Tutor from one of the subjects/languages you
study. The Tutor will invite you to regular meetings (progress tutorials) to discuss development.
Personal Tutors monitor students' academic progress. You will have the opportunity to attend at
least two scheduled, individual meetings with your personal tutor during the academic year.
Should you find that you have not been allocated a personal tutor, you must inform the
Administration Office immediately. Attendance at these meetings is a requirement, and students
are responsible for checking the Personal Tutor notice board regularly. All members of staff also
advertise their office hours on their office doors when they are available to see students without
prior appointment. If these hours do not fit your timetable, please email the Personal Tutor to
agree a suitable date and time. At any time in the year, students who are concerned that their
health or other matters are impacting on their academic work should see their Personal Tutor for
help
The School Welfare Tutor works with students who experience a range of difficulties impacting on
their wellbeing and ability to study. Your Personal Tutor may refer you to her but you can also
approach her directly.
See also the Code of Practice on Student Development and Support in Schools at:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/legal/student-development-support-
schools.pdf
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The School Welfare Tutor for LCAHM is Dee Partridge. Dee can be contacted on
lcahmwelfare@contacts.bham.ac.uk, her telephone number is 0121 415 8372, she is based in
G22a, ground floor of the Ashley Building. Her role is to help students make the best use of the
many facilities in place at the University and to support students who experience difficulties with
their studies, be these of a personal or academic nature.
She can provide confidential and impartial advice on a range of issues including:
Extenuating circumstances
A crisis
Long term issues
Deferral of assessment
Alternative assessments
Leave of absence
Disability and reasonable adjustments
Accessing wider support within the University
You are invited to come to discuss difficulties which you feel are outside the range of the normal
meetings you have with your Personal Tutor.
The issues students raise with the Welfare Tutor are many and varied. They are often resolved by
talking them through and identifying the problem. In some cases it is apparent that some deeper
cause has affected your ability to concentrate and to work. In such a case, you may be signposted
to the Student Counselling and Wellbeing Service.
Confidentiality is maintained to the fullest extent possible. In this regard, please note that whilst you
are not required to disclose any disability, health condition or extenuating circumstance to your
personal tutor or module tutors, we encourage you to disclose that information as it helps in
assisting you and you may lose out on support that you would be entitled to legally by not
addressing concerns you may have with us.
You may want to apply for a short extension (under 4 weeks) if there are reasons why you cannot
complete your assessments on time. You can also discuss Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) and the
application process, should you wish to consider deferring examinations or applying for a longer
extension than 4 weeks. The Welfare Tutor can advise you and talk through the types of evidence
you will need to provide. She will also signpost you to support from Student Services and ensure
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Student Support Agreements and Reasonable Adjustments are communicated to appropriate
tutors.
Senior Tutor – oversees all welfare and EC-related issues in the School and works with the College
EC panel to support and process EC applications. She supports the Welfare Tutor as well as
Personal Tutors in their work.
Personal Tutor Meetings in year 1

Your personal tutor will invite you to introduce themselves to you early during your studies, in
welcome week or week 1. Later during term 1, before week 6, there will be a second, more formal,
personal tutor meeting where you will discuss aspects of your course, and how you are settling in.
Make sure that you attend this meeting as it’s an early opportunity to establish a working
relationship with your personal tutor, whose tutee you will normally remain throughout your
studies here.
The second personal tutor meeting takes place in Semester 2 of Year 1 of your degree. It will
ensure that you are actively engaging in your transition to university and are fully aware of the
opportunities and resources available to support you. It is a formal review of your academic
progress and personal adjustment during your first year. Based on the review, you may be
identifying next steps both academically and with regards to developing your potential for life
after graduation.
Your personal tutor will invite you to a third meeting following the release of marks at the end of
the exam period (in June). This is to review your progress and discuss how you are planning to
build on what you have achieved during the summer vacation. It is an opportunity to look back at
how the year went and make sure that you return fully prepared to your second year at UoB.
Personal tutoring is being delivered via a new online platform, Pebble Pad, which is being
customized for the University of Birmingham and rolled out to all students, whether new or
returning, full time, part time or distance. You will have had first sight of this via the UG and PGT
Welcome and Induction Canvas sites prior to your the start of this academic year. All 1st year
students in our School will be familiarised with it during Welcome Week in a joint session on
Canvas called ‘Becoming a Fully Engaged Learner’.
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Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) – what are they?
Extenuating Circumstances are circumstances that are exceptional or ‘unforeseen’ and are over
and above the course of everyday experience and may impact on your academic performance.
Short Extensions
If for legitimate reasons you will be unable to meet an assessment deadline you should apply for
an extension as early as possible in advance of the deadline. Please note you will be expected to
provide independent third party evidence to support your application (a medical note for
example). To apply for an extension you should complete an Extension Application Form available
from the Welfare Canvas site (click the ‘Useful Forms’ link at the bottom of the page
https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/19303/pages/welfare-and-support download and fill in the
form, scan it and return it to lcahmwelfare@contacts.bham.ac.uk ideally a scan of the evidence to
support your request should be attached at the same time. If that isn’t possible you must email it
within 5 working days. If you have not already done so, you should see the Welfare Tutor to
discuss the situation. The Welfare Tutor will decide whether the reasons on which the request for
an extension is based are valid according to the Code of Practice on Extenuating Circumstances. If
you are given an extension it will be for a specified period, and further extensions (i.e. extensions
to extensions) are extremely rare and granted only in the most exceptional of circumstances.
Extensions requests submitted after the assessment deadline will not be considered unless you
can show a valid reason why you were unable to make the request in time.
JH students should note that extenuating circumstances and examination matters will be handled
through the lead department, but short extensions will continue to be dealt with by the
department in which you need such an extension.
If you need to ask for extensions for several pieces of work at or around the same time, you will
have to complete a separate Extension Application Form for each piece of assessment, but you will
only need to provide one copy of the supporting evidence (e. g. medical certificate or relevant
supporting documentary evidence depending on the circumstances you notify in your request). In
such cases you should consult the Welfare Tutor so that a reasonable timetable for completing all
the assessments can be drawn up.
Extensions are not granted automatically. It is your responsibility to organise your work so that
you have time to complete all your assessments by the appropriate deadlines, even if several
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should happen to coincide, so please note that extensions will not be given just because you have
lots of work to finish all at once. Extensions will not be allowed to cover for the failure or non-
availability of computer equipment. The University’s Undergraduate Assessment Protocols state
clearly that:
minor computer problems (e.g. lost or damaged disks, printer breakdown)

lost assignments
desired books not in Library
unverifiable travel difficulties
not realising deadline imminent
not having noted the correct deadline in your diary
are all regarded as unacceptable grounds for granting an extension.
In case you encounter severe difficulties that will prevent you from carrying out your normal
academic duties for an extended period of time, you should consider discussing an application for
Leave of Absence with the Welfare Tutor.
Extenuating Circumstances applications

Extenuating Circumstances are circumstances that are exceptional or ‘unforeseen’ and are over
and above the course of everyday experience and may impact on your academic performance.
Applying for ECs can allow you to
have an extension of more than 4 weeks on an assessed piece of work, section A

request an alternative assessment if there is a valid reason why you cannot participate in the
standard assessment, section B
defer examinations until the next assessment period, section C
request that performance in particular assessments should be considered in connection with
specific circumstances, section D
In each case you will be expected to provide independent third party evidence to support your
application. EC applications cannot be authorised by the Welfare Tutor and will be referred to the
Senior Tutor who may want to contact you directly. Your request will be dealt with by the School
panel for Extenuating Circumstances. The EC panel will correspond with you directly about the
result and specify any new submission dates or deferral agreements. These requests can be made
at any point up to the exam period. Where requests are made against section D applications will
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be referred to the summer panel meeting for consideration against performance. Any subsequent
recommendations will be sent to the appropriate examination board for action and you will be
notified of actions taken after exam boards have met.
Application forms (Notification of Extenuating Circumstances) are available from the LCAHM
Canvas site under the Useful Forms link towards the bottom of the landing page:
https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/19303/pages/welfare-and-support To make an EC request,
download and fill in the form, scan it and return it to lcahmwelfare@contacts.bham.ac.uk ideally a
scan of the evidence to support your request should be attached at the same time. If that isn’t
possible you must email it within 5 working days. If you have not already done so, you should see
the Welfare Tutor to discuss the situation.
Extenuating Circumstances Deadlines for 2018/19

All Extenuating Circumstances Forms and supporting evidence must be received by the
appropriate deadline. You will be notified of these in due course, together with information on
possible outcomes, what may or may not be considered and guidance on completing the forms.
Leave of Absence
It is sometimes necessary to consider a temporary withdrawal from study. If this is something you
wish to discuss, please approach the Welfare Tutor in the first instance who will discuss the
options available to you and the implications of you taking time out.
An application to take leave of absence is processed in the same way as for EC’s, in that you will
need to provide independent third party evidence to support your request, which will be referred
to the Senior Tutor for consideration before being passed to the Panel of Extenuating
Circumstances for approval. The process is not complete until you have received confirmation
from the Taught Student Administration team confirming your period of absence.
You can see more information about Leave of Absence here

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/studentrecords/services/leave-of-absence.aspx and
also information about fee liability during this period. Examples for wishing to take leave of
absence may include:
the death or serious illness of a close family member or dependent

family crisis directly affecting you;
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absence caused by paternity leave and jury service (deferral of which has been denied by the
Court);
exceptional and unforeseen financial hardship.
maternity leave
Please note that Leave of Absence is not a right and therefore it may be refused depending upon
the circumstances, for example, where inadequate reasons are given for seeking temporary
withdrawal and/or acceptable independent third party evidence has not been provided.
Leave of Absence should also not generally be used as a short-term solution where an alternative
option (such as an extension) would be more beneficial to your academic progress.
Return from Leave of Absence

It is important that you write to us and the Taught Student Administration team to confirm your
intention to return from a leave of absence at least three months in advance of the anticipated
date of return.
Authorised Absence for Tier 4 students

A Tier 4 student visa is issued for the purpose of full-time study, however there may be times
when absence during teaching periods is unavoidable. If you find you need to take a short break
from your studies, information about the process is available at
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/studentrecords/services/authorised-absence-
international-students.aspx. Tier 4 students would not normally be expected to be absent during
teaching periods and strict criteria for absence apply:
1) to travel home unexpectedly, for example having had a close personal bereavement;
2) to leave the UK to carry out fieldwork;
3) to attend a conference;
4) to complete your dissertation/thesis outside the UK;
Authorised absence forms are now fully electronic. When completing the application form please
provide the name of your authorised signatory, together with the name of the administrator and
the application will be forward to them for approval and processing. In this School the authorised
signatories are:
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Dee Partridge Welfare Tutor
Ruth Whittle Senior Tutor
Administrators are Karin Plimmer and Andrea Robinson
Withdrawals
If you are contemplating withdrawing temporarily from the Programme, or permanently from the
University, you must arrange to see the School Senior Tutor. After making your decision, you will
be required to complete the relevant paperwork.
Disability, Learning Support, Counselling and Wellbeing

Important: if you know or believe that you require additional learning support and are unsure
whether appropriate arrangements have been made, please discuss the matter with your Welfare
Tutor as soon as possible.
Student Services
A wide range of services are available at both programme and University levels to offer you advice
and practical help with any academic or personal problems you may encounter.
Student Services provides advice and support to students, including information about health and
wellbeing, funding, graduation and postgraduate study.
For further information, please visit the following webpages:
Student Services: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/index.aspx

Student Finance Contacts:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/support/moneyadvice/support.aspx
Student Mentor Scheme (SMS)

The Student Mentor Scheme Team offers you help and support whilst you live in university
accommodation. All 12 of us are students at Birmingham, so we know what living in halls is really
like! We can help you with information, guidance and support on lots of issues, including
wellbeing, accommodation, academic and financial queries.
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Visit your Student Mentors in The Hub at the Vale Monday to Friday during term time, between
4pm and 8pm or call 0121 415 8568 or email mentorwelfare@guild.bham.ac.uk or visit our
website at https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/support/mentor.aspx
Birmingham Nightline
Nightline is a friendly, non-judgemental, confidential listening and information service run by
students for students every night of term. You can call Niteline any night of term between 6.00 pm
and 8.00 am on 0121 472 4616 (it’s on the back of your Guild card), or internally via a Hall’s phone
on 7999, or send an email to listening@birmingham.nightline.ac.uk, or drop by the St. Francis Hall
side-door (next to the Guild) before midnight. http://www.bhamnightline.co.uk/#home
Student Experience Officers

The School has its own Student Experience Officers or SEOs, who work to enrich your student
experience by running various social events, competitions, and initiatives linked to your academic
development such as dissertation poster conferences. The SEOs will keep you up to date on
exciting opportunities and support services that are available to you and are always keen to hear
your ideas and suggestions for new projects and events. Working closely with the Head of
Education, Head of Department and the Staff Student Committees, the SEOs look at your
comments and suggestions and feed back to you about how the department has acted upon them.
If you are unsure about anything, or have any questions, please get in touch.
Libby Finan E.J.Finan@bham.ac.uk (0121) 414 8718

Liana Turner l.m.turner@bham.ac.uk (0121) 414 49582
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MusicDeptUoB/
@LCAHM_UoB (Twitter)
The University Medical Practice

The University Medical Practice is a long established group practice of doctors working from
purpose built premises on the edge of campus in Edgbaston. Whilst we have a close relationship
with the University and cater mainly for students and staff, we are fully independent as a 'normal'
general practice and we welcome local residents who live within the practice area to register.
We have close links with the various University departments and are well used to providing
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medical notes and helping with student welfare issues.
Currently there are 5 male doctors, 3 female doctors, as well as a team of 4 nurses and a
phlebotomist, working in the practice and offering a wide range of medical services.
We offer ten minute appointments during morning and afternoons, convenient for people on or
around campus during the day.
Further information can be found at: http://www.theump.co.uk/
The University Dental Practice

The University Dental Practice is a general practice open to everyone and is located on Pritchatts
Road. http://universitydental.co.uk/
Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS)

The College Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) offers dedicated support to all CAL
students wishing to develop their academic literacy. We strongly encourage you to make full use
of the services that AWAS offers. Activities include:
Individual tutorials*
In a one-to-one tutorial you have the chance to discuss a sample of your work with the CAL
Academic Writing Advisor (UG and PG students) or a member of the AWAS tutor team (UG
students only). You can ask to look at how best to respond to feedback on marked work in
your next assignment, or to focus on a specific aspect of a draft essay that is causing you
problems.
If you cannot attend a one-to-one tutorial you can ask AWAS to give you feedback on a specific
aspect of a draft essay that is causing you problems. You can also ask for a follow-up tutorial by
Skype. These sessions must be booked in to the AWAS schedulers just the same as a tutorial,
so follow the link, as above.
Independent study materials linked to the CAL Bank of Assessed Work.
With an accompanying 'Concise Guide to Academic Writing', these materials include a
combination of easy access tips and more in-depth activities to help you to develop an ability
to present your ideas clearly, concisely and coherently. You will also find responses to FAQs
posed by University of Birmingham undergraduates about all aspects of academic writing.
Dedicated support from postgraduate students in your school (term-time only).
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These sessions provide a forum for small group or individual discussion on proofreading and
referencing as well as how to tackle specific essay types (reflective report, literature review,
extended essay or dissertation).
To book: an individual tutorial, Skype call or email feedback with the AWAS advisor or one of the
team of AWAS Tutors, or to access the AWAS Online materials, look for AWAS College of Arts and
Law UG in your list of Canvas sites, or follow this link: https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/courses/10505
Note: AWAS does not offer a proofreading service – we teach you how to proofread your own
work.
To find out more, look for the AWAS Canvas pages in your list of courses. Any questions, contact
Nicola Taylor E: awas@contacts.bham.ac.uk
*International students should contact the Birmingham International Academy for support with
English language development.
Academic Skills Centre (ASC)

The Academic Skills Centre (ASC) also offers support with mathematical, academic writing and
general academic skills. Further information:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/skills/asc/index.aspx
International Students Advisory Service (ISAS)

The International Students Advisory Service (ISAS) provides support and advice for prospective and
current international students at the University.
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/international/index.aspx
Birmingham International Academy

The Birmingham International Academy’s (BIA) In-sessional English Programme provides English
language development and skills free of charge to all international students currently studying at
the University of Birmingham whose first language is not English. Small group workshops,
lunchtime lectures, short courses, drop-in and bookable 1-1s, diagnostic assessment of academic
English, as well as credit and non-credit bearing modules are some of the services provided year
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round. Bespoke, subject specific classes are also arranged for some cohorts across various
Colleges.
To find out more about the support we offer to current students please contact
bia@contacts.bham.ac.uk or visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/bia.
Careers Network: Advice for undergraduate students

The College of Arts and Law Careers Network team provide dedicated careers support to students
in the College and are based in the Arts Building in room 361a/360.
Visit the Careers Network website to find advice and information on topics including career
options, internships, CVs/applications and further study:
http://www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers
Careers and applications advice

For careers advice book an appointment with a Careers Adviser via Careers Connect or send an
online query via Student Help
Get feedback on your CV, cover letter or application form by booking an appointment or
sending a request for electronic feedback via Student Help
If you have an interview coming up consider booking a mock Interview to build confidence.
You can also practice at home using the Interview Stream online interview tool. Find out more:
http://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers/interviews
For tips on how to develop your experience and skills throughout your degree use My Career
Journey: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/mycareerjourney
Book an appointment: https://bham.targetconnect.net
Send an online query: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers/contact
Finding jobs and internships

Whatever your year of study, work experience is invaluable. Search the Careers Connect vacancy
database https://bham.targetconnect.net to access hundreds of vacancies, work experience
opportunities and internships.
Find out more about work experience bursaries, mentoring and exclusive internships by visiting
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the Careers Network website. You can also keep up to date with the latest internships by following
the Careers Network team on Facebook (calcareers) and Twitter (@CALcareers).
Help with applying for jobs and internships

Careers Network also run a series of interactive workshops designed to give you the confidence
and tools to succeed in all aspects of the recruitment process. For dates of all their workshops visit
http://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/apply-yourself
You can also find advice on CVs, applications and interviews on their website.
Considering further study

For advice on UK and overseas postgraduate study options and funding visit the postgraduate
homepage: http://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers/postgraduates
Other good starting points for research are www.prospects.ac.uk and

https://www.findamasters.com.
Skills development
The Personal Skills Award (PSA) http://www.psa.bham.ac.uk offers accredited skills modules that
are recorded on your academic transcript. You can gain the PSA through the activities you
undertake at Birmingham, such as work/voluntary experience, sports, student representation,
enterprise, and career planning.
Events and workshops

Careers events and workshops are held throughout the year, both within the College of Arts and
Law and centrally. Careers fairs, employer presentations and workshops are open to all University
of Birmingham students. Find out more and register for events and workshops:
http://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers/events
International Students/Global Careers

Take a look at specialist resources and events for international students and all students who want
to develop a global career:
Advice for international students: http://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers/international

Global careers: www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/globalcareers
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Additional Information for PGT students
Please visit the postgraduate careers website http://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers/pgt to
register for Career Action Planning for Masters Students Canvas course, for support with
making the most of your Masters year and planning your next steps
Keep an eye out for details of The Masters Summer Careers Series. The series usually takes
place in the last week of the Summer Term and offers a range of workshops, panel events and
networking opportunities to help you plan for life beyond your Masters degree.
Follow Careers Network for Postgraduates on Facebook (pgcareersnetwork) and Twitter
(CareersPG)
Follow the Careers Network team in The College of Arts and Law on Facebook (calcareers) and
Twitter (@CALcareers)
Postgraduate Study at Birmingham

The Music Department offers three postgraduate programmes: MA (taught), MA by Research, and
PhD. For most continuing Finalists, the taught MA will be the suitable programme.
If you are interested in postgraduate study at Birmingham, see SECTION 3 – POSTGRADUATE

PROGRAMMES; you can also talk to Luis Manuel Garcia or (for taught MAs and research
programmes in musicology or performance practice); or Christopher Haworth (for research
programmes in composition).
Although applications are accepted up until one month before the relevant academic year starts,
students who wish to apply for funding must apply by January of the preceding academic year.
For information of the research interests of academic staff at Birmingham see:

www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/lcahm/departments/music/staff/index.aspx
Finance
Financing postgraduate study is challenging and often time-consuming. If you wish to apply for an
award to support you, you should apply for a place to study by the end of December.
AHRC (Midlands 3 Cities) Awards are prestigious scholarships for research degree programmes
that cover both tuition fees and living expenses. For full details, please consult Christopher
Haworth or Luis Manuel Garcia. Your application must be submitted in early January.
School and College Awards. If you intend to stay at the University of Birmingham there are a
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number of School (Masters) and College (PhD) scholarships available and some Department-
specific awards (see below). The School and College use AHRC applications for their own schemes:
after AHRC awards are known, the School and College allocate their own funds to students who
were unsuccessful in the AHRC competition, based on an internal ranking system.
Department of Music Awards The Department has some funds at its own disposal to support
postgraduate students studying at Birmingham. Applications are invited in the Summer Term and
awards are made after the results of the AHRC, College and School competitions are known.
Barber Postgraduate Scholarships; Hyperion Scholarships; West Bequest; Arnold Bequest;

Riley Bequest; G. D. Cunningham Postgraduate Scholarship One or more scholarships are
awarded by the Department for the purpose of enabling students to continue their musical
studies. Amounts vary according to the number, needs and means of the applicants and the
amount of money available.
Barber International Scholarship This award is for a non-EU student and will pay
approximately half of the annual tuition fee. For students on a three-year programme the
scholarship is normally renewed automatically.
Bramall Scholarships These awards, originally funded by the Bramall Foundation, may be
awarded to any eligible postgraduate student.
Other institutions also offer scholarships and bursaries to postgraduate students. If you intend to
leave Birmingham you should contact the institutions to which you are applying for information on
any scholarships available.
For further information see

www.birmingham.ac.uk/students/courses/postgraduate/index.aspx
(Birmingham Postgraduate Prospectus)
www.birmingham.ac.uk/students/courses/postgraduate/apply-pg/index.aspx (Guidance on
How to Apply)
www.scholarship-search.org.uk (A database containing details of a wide variety of
postgraduate scholarships available in all subects)
Postgraduate Study Elsewhere

Final Year students hoping to enter postgraduate-level education outside Birmingham are
recommended to talk to their Advisory Tutor in Semester 1. With the possible exception of PGCE
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courses, the academic staff have a wide knowledge of the strengths of other University
departments around the country and contacts in many of them. After this, the onus is on you to
contact the institutions in which you are interested and to inform yourself of application
procedures, etc.
Taught Student Administration

The Taught Student Administration Team manage the information stored about you and your
studies. They maintain records relating to personal details, programmes and modules, and
academic achievements. For further information, please visit the website at
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/studentrecords/index.aspx.
Student Hub
The Student Hub is located in the Aston Webb building (R7 on the campus map) and is home to a
wide range of student support facilities that have previously been located across the campus. This
includes the Student Information Team (previously Student Enquiry Services), Counselling,
Disability, Learning Support and Wellbeing services and the Careers Network.
To contact the Student Information Team, please visit the website at

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/student-hub/homepage.aspx.
Student Support Fund (SSF)

The Student Support Fund (SSF) is provided by the University to help students who are
experiencing genuine and unavoidable financial difficulties and are struggling with their living
costs. The SSF is a discretionary grant, offering support of up to £3,000 in an academic year which
does not need to be paid back.
This fund is intended to assist with general living and course-related costs, not tuition fees or
'lifestyle choices'.
All applications will be means-tested, therefore some applications will be unsuccessful.
Please visit the website at:

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/funding/funding-available/ssf.aspx
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M. J. West Memorial Fund
In addition to the Student Support Fund the Department has its own money, established, thanks to
a bequest, with the primary purpose of assisting Music students suffering from financial hardship.
Please consult Matthew Riley if you would like to apply.
A secondary purpose of the fund is to assist Music students with expenses associated with their
subject, e.g. repairs to instruments or attendance at advanced classes or courses of instruction.
Applications for this secondary purpose may be made during Semester 2.
Paid Employment
Please refer to the Work Link website to find information on the ‘Working Restrictions for
University of Birmingham Registered Students’: https://www.worklink.bham.ac.uk/
Guild Jobs gives you access to hundreds of part-time job vacancies, here in the Guild and
throughout the city, to help you to earn some money and build skills while you study. We also
advertise vacation work all over the world. In collaboration with the University’s Careers Network
we also provide skills workshops and one-to-one help with tailoring your CV to help you get into
part-time work. For further information visit the webpage at
https://www.guildofstudents.com/jsv/jobs/.
If you have any queries please email jobs@guild.bham.ac.uk or call 0121 415 8960.
Council Tax
Students in full-time education may be exempt from (i.e. do not have to pay) Council Tax. You can
find more information at:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/student-hub/solution.aspx?nodeId=353
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Section 7: Student Representation and
Social Support
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Guild of Students
When you become a student at the University of Birmingham, you also automatically become a
member of the Guild of Students – this is your students’ union and it’s one of the best around!
We represent over 34,000 students to the university (and other organisations) and we’re here to
make sure that you get the best from Birmingham!
There are all sorts of awesome things that we’re going to do together during your time here…
We’re here to help you discover what you love, as we’re home to over 280 clubs, societies and
groups and their spaces to meet, rehearse and perform.
We’re here to offer you expert, confidential and impartial advice or support, whenever you
need it.
We’re here to give you a voice – and a vote! Whatever you want to change, we can do it
together.
We can help you find a part-time job and develop your CV, whatever you choose to do.
We’re a hub for volunteering, both locally and nationally.
We’re somewhere for you to have fun, grab some food, meet friends for a drink or party your
nights away.
We’re the place where you’ll meet the people that will change your life.
Find us online at:
www.guildofstudents.com
Twitter (@guildofstudents)
Facebook: facebook.com/guildofstudents
Instagram: uobguildofstudents
Snapchat: uobguildofstudents
Guild Advice
Guild Advice is a free, impartial and confidential advice service for students at the University of
Birmingham. Our Education and Welfare Advisors specialise in the following areas: Academic,
Finance, Immigration, Housing and Employment. Like the Citizens Advice Bureau, we give practical
advice on all kinds of subjects relating to student life. We are always on hand if you need someone
to talk to - Just come and visit us on the Ground Floor of the Guild of Students!
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Our opening hours are 10–4pm during term time, with Advisors on hand between 12 and 2pm. For
more information please visit https://www.guildofstudents.com/support/guildadvice/
Student Representatives
Student Reps are here to ensure that everyone studying at Birmingham has a say in how their
course is run – and a voice to suggest changes and improvements to their academic experience.
Working together with the University and your Guild, reps speak for students on their course, in
the same year and even across the school as a whole, working with the department to address any
concerns, issues or feedback the students they represent have raised.
All three year-groups of students have student representatives who are elected or reconfirmed at
the start of each academic year. There are various opportunities to become a representative and
more information about the types of roles and how to become a rep is available here:
https://www.guildofstudents.com/representation/studentreps/become-a-rep/
Rep election nominations for the Department of Music will be communicated via Canvas
announcements, emails and newsletters at the beginning of the autumn term so make sure you
keep an eye on your student email account.
The University policy on the Student Representation System is available at:

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/legal/student-representation-system.pdf
Staff Student Liaison Committee

As a Student Rep you will automatically become a member of a Staff Student Committee (SSC) and
will regularly attend SSC meetings with other reps, your Staff Liaison Contact and key members of
academic and/or support staff. These meetings are an opportunity to raise any views, questions
and experiences that you have gathered from your cohort directly and to work with staff to
resolve any issues you have identified.
The current Staff-Student Liaison for the Department of Music is Prof Matthew Riley.
The Code of Practice on the Student Representation System explains more about reporting
structures, membership and what you can and can’t discuss at SSC meetings. This can be found
online at https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/legal/student-representation-
system.pdf
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The Music SSC seeks to provide representation for all the degree programmes in each year group
(Single Honours, Joint Honours, BA Maths and Music etc.) and normally meets twice per term.
Once reps have been elected and have received the relevant training, their names and contact
details are posted on the Canvas virtual notice board.
Representatives should make themselves known to their programme cohort during core seminars
or lectures and are encouraged to invite contributions from their year groups for discussion in SSC
Meetings. Minutes of SSC meetings will also be displayed on Canvas.
Students wishing to bring an issue to the attention of the SSC should contact the appropriate
student representative(s). It is expected that issues relating to a particular course will first have
been raised with the course tutor.
Module Evaluation Questionnaires

Students are asked to complete a questionnaire at the end of each module and these feed into an
annual Departmental, School and College process of module and programme review, to which
Student Representatives contribute. In addition, a formal module and programme review meeting
is held in the Summer Term Departmental Committee, which Student Representatives attend.
Students are able to raise issues of concern through their representatives in all Departmental
meetings. We are always pleased to receive suggestions on how we can improve the content and
running of the programmes.
NUS – the national voice of students

The National Union of Students (NUS) is a voluntary membership organisation which makes a real
difference to the lives of students and its member students' unions. http://www.nus.org.uk/
NUS Extra Card: http://www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra/
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Section 8: Music Making and Concerts
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The Music Department is responsible for a number of practical activities directed toward public
performance but is not the only body with a responsibility in this area. This section sets out the
main practical activities that take place both inside and outside the University.
See also Music(al) Places and Spaces
Details of all university-related concerts on campus are given in the termly University Music
publicity brochure.
Tickets for all Barber concerts are available from the Barber Institute Reception Desk.
Tickets for University concerts are available via the University Shop (shop.bham.ac.uk) or on
the door.
Student music-making in the University
University of Birmingham Music Society

The Music Society is a semi-independent society founded in 1907 and run by a Committee of
students and staff. It is financed by membership subscriptions, box office receipts and through
funds made available by the University at large, the Music Department and the Henry Barber
Trust.
Elections for student committee members take place during the Autumn Term; any member of
the society can stand for a post.
Staff Members The Staff Chairman is Chloe Hancox (CLAD and Learning Spaces). Music
Department Staff Members in 2018/19 are: Jo Sweet (Head of University Music and Concerts)
Andrew Kirkman (Barber & Peyton Professor), and Dan Rosina (Director of Orchestral
Activities) Louise Jones, Christina Hancock, and Gavin Allsop.
The Music Society draws its membership from throughout the University and beyond. It organises
the following ensembles:
Unauditioned
University Chorus An ensemble of about 150-200 voices. It takes part in two concerts each
year, one in the Town Hall and one in the Elgar Concert Hall. Recent performances include
Britten War Requiem, Brahms German Requiem, Elgar For the Fallen, Verdi Te Deum, Orff
Carmina Burana, Mozart Requiem and Lambert The Rio Grande.
Wind Band An ensemble which gives two concerts per year conducted by students.
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Chamber Choirs Two ensembles, one SATB and one SSA, of about 30 members each, which are
conducted by students. They give two joint concerts per year.
Brass Band An ensemble which gives two concerts per year conducted by students and
occasionally by professionals.
Saxophone Choir; Clarinet Choir; Flute Choir Ensembles dedicated to specific instruments
giving players the opportunity to perform varied and fun repertoire with likeminded
individuals.
Auditioned
Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra Full-sized orchestras of equal standing, each of
which performs regularly in the Elgar Concert Hall, and, with the University Chorus,
occasionally in Town Hall. One of the orchestras usually gives the first performance of the UMS
Composition Prize piece each year.
Big Band An ensemble of approximately 15 people which specialises in various styles of jazz
and which also occasionally collaborates with the New Music Ensemble. The Big Band gives
two or three concerts per year in various venues.
Jazz Collective A network of small combos designed to bring together jazz musicians in an
informal context.
Chamber ensembles This branch of the Music Society enables musicians to get together in an
informal environment to form chamber groups. Platform sessions are held regularly, and a
more formal audition process will take place for those groups wishing to take part in the
annual concert.
Symphonic Brass Symphonic Brass is a dectet offers symphonic brass players the opportunity
to perform core repertory and works with organ as part of the University degree congregations
and at other high profile events.
For extra information see www.uobmusicsociety.org.uk
Departmental Ensembles
Chamber Orchestra is an auditioned ensemble run by the Music Department specializing in
period performances. Director: Andrew Kirkman.
New Music Ensemble (NME) is run by the Music Department and gives concerts of
contemporary and avant-garde music, including compositions by members of the Department.
Director: Dan Rosina
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Birmingham University Singers (BUS) is a mixed chamber choir of up to 40 auditioned singers
run by the Music Department. It rehearses weekly and performs varied repertoire, ranging
from Weelkes and Britten to Whitacre and Jonathan Dove. The choir usually gives two concerts
per year in the Elgar Concert Hall, plus a performance in Symphony Hall as part of University of
Birmingham Voices. The annual Festival of Lessons and Carols at St Michael’s, Tenbury, is a
highlight of the year. In recent years BUS has had the opportunity to work with professional
vocal ensembles, such as The Sixteen, Binchois Consort, and Voces8. Director: Simon
Carrington
University Women’s Choir (UWC) The choir was founded in 2013 and in its first year quickly
made a name for itself, achieving 1st position in the Female Choirs Competition and securing a
place in the Choir of the World final at the International Music Eisteddfod. UWC have
performed in the Elgar Concert Hall, Symphony Hall, Worcester Cathedral, and the Royal Albert
Hall. Director: Patrick Barrett
University of Birmingham Voices (UBV) rehearses in the spring term for an annual
performance alongside the CBSO in Symphony Hall. This choir comprises approximately 120
students, including singers from BUS, UWC, and Camerata. Performances to date have
included a Gilbert & Sullivan Gala (2014), Opera Choruses Gala (2015), a revue show of the
music of Rodgers & Hammerstein (2016) and Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard
with the orchestra and maestro John Wilson in 2017. UBV has performed at the BBC Proms on
a number of occasions in recent years (Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with Sir Simon Rattle
and the Vienna Philharmonic (also in Birmingham and Lucerne), Verdi’s Messa da Requiem
with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Marin Alsop at the penultimate night of
the festival in 2016 and John Adams’s Harmonium with the BBC Proms Youth Choir and Edward
Gardner in 2017. Directors: Simon Halsey and Julian Wilkins
University Camerata is a specially selected choir of up to 40 voices, created to work with the
MA Choral Conducting students under the supervision of Professor Simon Halsey and
University Chorus Director, Julian Wilkins. They rehearse once a week, focusing particularly on
singing and conducting technique. Directors: Simon Halsey, Julian Wilkins and Simon
Carrington
Orchestral Repertoire Ensemble A wind and brass group directed by Daniele Rosina which
meets fortnightly to perform orchestral repertoire.
CEMPR organizes a number of ensembles which focus on the historically-informed
performance of early music. These may include ensembles for: voice; viols, recorders; shawms;
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medieval strings, wind and percussion; lute and theorbo; cornetto and sackbutts; baroque
flutes; baroque strings; and various combinations involving melody instruments/voice and
continuo (harpsichord/organ/baroque cello/theorbo/baroque bassoon, etc.); and an Early
Vocal Music Ensemble (EMVE). Director and Co-Ordinator: Andrew Kirkman. For further
information see www.music.bham.ac.uk/cempr (CEMPR website) and Centre for Early Music
Performance and Research.
Gamelan Ensemble meets once a month to receive training from a Gamelan specialist. The
ensemble performs in the Summer Festival and in Chamber Ensemble concerts.
Auditions and allocations to ensembles (Music Society and

Department)
Most ensembles run by the Music Society and Department of Music are auditioned, and
auditions take place in the first week of the Autumn Term each year.
Audition times can be claimed by signing up on the notices displayed on the relevant
noticeboards.
Allocations to auditioned ensembles are posted on the Department and the Music Society
noticeboards at the start of week 2 of the Autumn Term.
Summer Festival of Music

Established in 1988, the Summer Festival of Music takes place in the last week of the University
year. The Festival is self-financing and the student committee receives practical support from
the University Music and Concerts Team.
The Festival normally presents an opera (works by Shostakovich, Handel, Offenbach, Mozart
Vaughan Williams, and Gluck since 2003), concerts of early and contemporary music, jazz,
orchestral and chamber music. The Opera is produced with financial support from the Henry
Barber Trust.
Two committees are elected early in the Spring Term, one for the opera and one for the
remainder of the festival. The programme is planned in the spring term and rehearsed in the
summer.
If you wish to get involved should look out for notices in the late Autumn and early Spring
terms.
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Guild-Based Music Societies
There are several music-making societies based in the Guild of Students, some of which are linked
either to religious groups or societies of international students.
Please note that Music students a required to prioritise their commitments to the Department and
Music Society and should maintain and up to date diary to avoid rehearsal/performance clashes.
Guild Musical Theatre Group (GMTG) is a student society which stages two or three works of
popular musical theatre each year.
Jazz and Blues Society (JABSOC) is another student society which JABSOC promotes jazz, blues, and
similar music via concerts and gigs, formal and informal.
For further information see
www.gmtg.org
www.jabsoc.com
Student-Organized Concerts
You may wish to form regular vocal or instrumental ensembles or to organize concerts outside the
established series. These activities need to be planned carefully to avoid over-committing fellow
students and bunching concerts. You must submit the proposal to the Concerts Manager (Jo
Sweet).
Rehearsals and Concerts (Music Society and Department)
Rehearsals and Rehearsal Etiquette

A full timetable of regular scheduled rehearsals is in the Diary. Most ensembles rehearse
weekly, but some meet more often.
All participants must attend all rehearsals.
Unavoidable absences or delays must be notified to either the relevant Ensemble Manager, or
Christina Hancock (for instrumental ensembles) or Gavin Allsop (for vocal ensembles). See also
Performing in Musical Events outside the Department & Music Society.
If you are absent without justification, you may be asked to give up your place in the ensemble
and may be debarred from participation in the future.
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Ensure that you are arrive at rehearsals promptly and are warmed up and ready to start at the
stated time.
Ensure you have all the right equipment for your rehearsal including music, pencil etc.
Mobile phones may not be used during rehearsals.
Concert Dress
Concert dress for all Music Society and departmental concerts is as follows unless you are
specifically told differently:
Either: Plain, black long sleeve top/shirt (with full length sleeves – if shirt, worn with collar
open); smart plain black trousers (no jeans or cropped trousers); plain black socks and plain
black shoes (no boots, sandals, or trainers). Black dresses may be worn instead of top/shirt and
trousers if full length (i.e. to the ankle), with arms covered (e.g. plain cardigan).
Or: DJ’s - Plain black suit with smart black trousers (e.g. suit trousers). Plain white shirt
(preferably not wing collar); plain black bow tie, plain black socks and plain black shoes (no
boots, sandals, or trainers). Handkerchiefs must not be visible.
If you do not currently own the above concert dress, it is worth investing now as this is what you
will need to wear for all concerts throughout your time here (a long-sleeved black shirt is also
recommended). If you wear incorrect concert dress, you may not be allowed to take part in the
concert, at the discretion of the Concert Management team.
Professional Concerts in the University
The Barber Institute

Evening Concerts A series of concerts on Wednesday evenings given by top-flight professional
artists. Music students are encouraged to attend these events as a matter of course and tickets
for these concerts are free to you. See the University Music brochure for dates and
programmes.
Lunchtime Concerts Every Friday during the Autumn and Spring Terms, and the first three
weeks of the Summer Term. These concerts are given by a mixture of professional artists
(often including Birmingham graduates) and students. Admission is free and full details are
given in the University Music brochure.
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For extra information see www.barber.org.uks
Barber Opera
Since the late 1950s the Barber Trust has sponsored a series of opera productions and gained a
national reputation for reviving rarely performed or forgotten works, especially those of the
baroque period. The most recent productions have been Steffani La Liberta Contenta (2000);
Handel Agrippina (2009); Steffani Orlando Generoso (2012). Agrippina will also be given in 2017.
BEAST (Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre)

BEAST, the group of composers based in the Department’s Electroacoustic Music Studios, runs a
multi-channel loudspeaker system for giving concerts of electroacoustic music on campus, in
Birmingham and beyond. Formed by Jonty Harrison in 1982, BEAST has toured extensively in
Britain and has made numerous visits to Europe. It provided the entire sound installation for the
International Computer Music Conference in Glasgow in 1990 and was commissioned to create a
new work to usher in ‘Sounds Like Birmingham - UK City of Music 1992’. From the mid-90s, BEAST
promoted the rumours… series of concerts at the Midlands Arts Centre, and for over a decade has
been a regular contributor to The Series at the CBSO Centre. Recent appearances in mainland
Europe include Basel and Aix-en-Provence in 2005, Copenhagen in 2007 and the Inventionen
Festival, Berlin in 2000 and 2010. BEAST celebrated its 30th anniversary as part of the Bramall
opening festival in December 2012.
For extra information see www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/BEAST/index.aspx
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG)

BCMG is the Department’s Ensemble in Association. Concerts in The Series, normally performed at
the CBSO Centre in Berkley Street, are free to Music students, and attendance at other associated
concerts given by key visiting ensembles may be subsidised. Seminars by visiting composers,
workshops and masterclasses by ensemble members, workshops of new work (including
playthroughs of works written by final-year students and postgraduates), and public performances
of prize-winning pieces are all undertaken by BCMG as part of this link.
For extra information see www.bcmg.org.uk
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In addition to the student concerts which take place in the Bramall Building, there are occasional
concerts by visiting professional ensembles and local amateur groups, as well as a variety of other
events, e.g. comedy night.
For extra information see https://thebramall.co.uk/
Volunteering
Each year a team of volunteers is required to help with front of house and backstage duties at
Barber Evening Concerts. If you wish to be involved please contact Jo Sweet.
Music Outside the University

For information on Birmingham’s busy and varied cultural life, see the racks in the Barber Institute
and those opposite the department pigeonholes. Further information and details can be obtained
from the City Ticket Office in the Central Library, where bookings can also be made for several city
venues. Symphony Hall, Birmingham Chamber Music Society, and Welsh National Opera
occasionally issue reduced price or free tickets to undergraduate students through the Music
Department. It is also possible for Music Students to obtain occasional work as stewards at
Symphony Hall.
Opera and Dance

Birmingham Royal Ballet is based at the Birmingham Hippodrome in Hurst Street and
performs several short seasons during the year
Welsh National Opera has its English home at the same theatre, which it visits at least three
times a year. The Hippodrome has recently been substantially refurbished. Students can get
tickets for £10 which will be for the best seats in the house available at the time.
Birmingham Opera performs at more unusual venues across the city and is noted for its
innovative productions of older works and for performing new music also.
www.wno.org.uk (Welsh National Opera) and

www.brb.org.uk (Birmingham Royal Ballet)
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Large-scale Concerts and venues
Symphony Hall (in the International Convention Centre, Broad Street) is the premiere concert
venue in the city and widely acknowledged to be one of the best concert halls in the world.
Symphony Hall hosts regular concerts by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and
organises a complementary International Series, and is also the venue for a wide variety of
other events. For occasionally discounted tickets see https://studentpulsebirmingham.co.uk/
Town Hall (Queen Victoria Square) reopened in Autumn 2007 after a major refurbishment. It is
Birmingham’s historic concert venue having hosted many first performances including those of
Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Dvořák’s Requiem and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius. It hosts a wide variety
of amateur and professional concerts covering all genres and styles. For occasionally
discounted tickets see https://studentpulsebirmingham.co.uk/.
Birmingham Bach Society and Ex Cathedra, two leading choirs of almost professional standard
appear regularly in the Birmingham area at a variety of venues.
www.thsh.co.uk (Symphony Hall and Town Hall) and

www.cbso.co.uk (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) and
www.ex-cathedra.org (Ex Cathedra)
www.birmingham.bachchoir.com (Birmingham Bach Choir)
Chamber Concerts
These are plentiful in the West Midlands area, which boasts several chamber groups including the
Birmingham Chamber Music Society, and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, with whom
BEAST has established strong links. Venues include the CBSO Centre, Birmingham Museum and Art
Gallery (BMAG), Birmingham and Midland Institute, Birmingham Conservatoire (including the
Adrian Boult Hall) and the Midlands Arts Centre at Cannon Hill. Arts Council Contemporary and
Early Music Network concerts are presented in a number of venues; please see their publicity
sheets. Concerts are also presented in a number of churches, notably, St Paul’s (St. Paul’s Square,
Hockley), St Augustine’s (Edgbaston), and St Philip’s Cathedral (Colmore Row, City Centre).
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Birmingham Conservatoire
The Birmingham Conservatoire is part of Birmingham City University. The Conservatoire organizes
recitals and master-classes given by visiting performers. As part-time students taking tuition there,
you are eligible to attend its activities, which are published on a termly card.
For extra information see www.bcu.ac.uk/pme/conservatoire/events-calendar
Live music venues for popular, world and jazz musics

The Midlands Arts Centre (near the Edgbaston Cricket Ground and Cannon Hill Park) is one of
the largest community arts organisations in Europe, and offers numerous performances of
world music and dance, in addition to excellent art and film offerings. The mac also hosts
SAMPAD, the UK’s premier South Asian performing arts organization (SAMPAD holds some of
their music and dance events elsewhere in the city). See http://macbirmingham.co.uk/ and
http://www.sampad.org.uk/
SOUNDkitchen (Digbeth) is a composer collective that does experimental, electroacoustic, and
sound art performances. http://soundkitchenuk.org
The Hare & Hounds (King’s Heath) has two venues and offers a variety of popular/world music
styles including local and touring acts. The owners also manage the Bull’s Head Pub in
Moseley, which focuses on local, up-and-coming rock bands.
http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk
Scruffy Murphy’s (City Centre) is one of the oldest rock venues in the city, currently
emphasising heavy metal (and related genres). http://scruffymurphys.co.uk
The Asylum (City Centre) is a mid-sized venue for heavy metal and hard rock.
https://www.theasylumvenue.co.uk
nia birmingham hosts large touring acts. http://www.thenia.co.uk/
Performing in Musical Events outside the Department &

Music Society
You may wish to be involved in music-making groups outside the Music Department or Music
Society. On occasions when rehearsals clash then Music Students are required to prioritise
University activity over other activities.
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Your ensemble member contract specifies the obligations and conditions of your membership of
that ensemble. You must always request permission to be absent from a rehearsal (see below). If
you request permission to miss a University rehearsal/concert in order to attend an external event
then this will be considered as an unauthorized absence should permission from the appropriate
member of staff not be granted, this may impact on your ongoing involvement in the University
ensemble affected. Please contact Christina Hancock or Gavin Allsop in the first instance should
you need to discuss potential issues in this area.
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Section 9: University Legislation
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University Legislation
The University's Legislation consists of its Charter, Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations and Codes of
Practice. All students are subject to the Legislation. Whilst the Charter and Statutes are at the top
of this hierarchy and address matters of institutional governance and organisation, most students
are affected directly only by Regulations and Codes of Practice, which contain principles and
standards designed to control or govern conduct, or provide direction. University legislation is
regularly reviewed, with any changes normally taking effect at the start of the new academic year.
Codes of Practice, policies and guidance are supplementary to Regulations and set out the
procedures to be followed in specific areas.
Cohort legislation
The University introduced ‘cohort legislation’ in 2017-18. This means that the legislation that
applies to you throughout your Programme of study depends upon your entry cohort, i.e. the year
in which you started your studies.
For example:
If you entered the first year of your Programme in the 2016-17 academic session or prior to
this, you will be subject to the 2016-17 legislation as set out on the University’s website. This
legislation will apply to you for the duration of your Programme of study.
If you entered the first year of your Programme in the 2017-18 academic session) you will be
subject to the 2017-18 legislation as set out on the University’s website. This legislation will
apply to you for the duration of your Programme of study.
If you entered the first year of your Programme in the 2018-19 academic session) you will be
subject to the 2018-19 legislation as set out on the University’s website. This legislation will
apply to you for the duration of your Programme of study.
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Please note, if you are entering directly into a later year of a Programme, or transferring from one
Programme to another, you will normally be subject to the same legislation as other students in
your year. For example, if you enter directly into the 2nd year of a Programme in 2017-18 you will
normally be subject to the 2016-17 legislation, so that you are subject to the same legislation as
the majority of your peers (who will have entered in the 2016-17 session).
If you have any queries about which legislation applies to you, or any other general queries about
legislation, please contact your School or email legislationqueries@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
Legislation applicable to all years of entry

Students also need to be aware of, and will be expected to comply with, University wide policies
and guidance, which are updated from time to time, and apply to every student no matter on their
year of entry.
These include, but are not limited to: Health and safety guidance; University Health and Safety
Policy; General conditions of use of the computing and network facilities; Data protection policy;
Harassment & Bullying Policy; Public interest disclosure policy; Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy.
Changes to Legislation
University legislation may need to be amended from time to time, either to reflect external
requirements (for example, those of professional or accrediting bodies) or because a change to
policy or practice has been agreed internally. Consideration will be given to whether any proposed
change should apply to all legislation or to a specific cohort, and students will normally be
consulted about or informed of the change, depending on its nature.
The Student Charter

The Student Charter sets out the general principles of the partnership between students, the
University of Birmingham and the Guild of Students. It applies to all registered students of the
University following taught or research programmes, whether studying on or off campus.
The School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music are fully committed to the spirit and
content of the Student Charter.
The Student Charter can be seen in full on the University Web Page at
www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/birmingham/student-charter.aspx
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University Regulations
The University Regulations contain principles and standards designed to control or govern conduct
or provide direction at a more detailed level than ordinances. They may be amended or
augmented through the University’s own committee system.
These Regulations apply to all members of the University, including students.

www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/governance/Legislation/index.aspx
The following information provides a summary of that which can be found at the website listed
above.
It should be noted that these Regulations are subject to be modified during the academic year. The
University has reserved the right to make changes each year which bind all members of the
University, including students.
The University Regulations are split into the following sections:
Section 1: Definitions and Interpretation - Gives definitions for the terms used in these
Regulations and states how these Regulations should be interpreted
Section 2: Organisation and Governance - Sets out the Regulations governing conduct of
Senate; organisation and conduct of College Assemblies and Staff/Student Committees;
Student membership of committees; Staff membership of Principal Academic Units outside
their own College; and title deeds and documents pertaining to the University
Section 3: Human Resources Matters - Sets out the Regulations to be followed relating to
academic appointments, promotions and conferment of titles; award of honorary academic
titles; exceptional and study leave from a University post; and patents and intellectual property
rights
Section 4: Estates Matters - Sets out the Regulations concerning access to University property;
use of vehicles on campus; proper use of notice boards and notices; and use of loudhailers
Section 5: Admission and Registration - Sets out the Regulations governing admission of
Students to the University and the terms and obligations which apply to Registered Students
Section 6: Programmes of Study - Sets out the requirements, such as credit requirements and
minimum/maximum duration, for all categories of Programmes of Study offered by the
University
Section 7: Assessment, Progression and Award - Sets out the Regulations for assessing
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Registered Students; requirements for progression from one stage of a Programme of Study to
the next; Regulations on the granting and calculation of awards; and the conduct of Degree
Congregations
Section 8: Student Conduct - Sets out the principles and Regulations to be followed in cases of
Student misconduct, including instances of misconduct which do not take place on University
property
Section 9: Documents Supplementary to the University Legislation - Sets out the status and
requirements of the Codes of Practice, Policies and Guidance documents which supplement
the University Legislation
Library Regulations - Sets out the Regulations governing the use of Library Facilities including
access and admission, use of facilities, behaviour in Libraries, and the terms and conditions
under which items can be borrowed and must be returned
Codes of Practice, Policies and Guidance

The University codes of practice, policies and guidance include the following: admissions;
academic appeals; complaints; distance and placement learning; leave of absence; misconduct
(discipline); research programmes; student support; and taught Programmes and Modules.
The University of Birmingham’s Policies and Codes of Practice can be found at

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/governance/Legislation/codes-of-practice-policies-and-
guidance.aspx
Data Protection
The University of Birmingham needs to keep certain information about its employees, students
and other users to allow it to monitor performance, achievements, and health and safety. It also
needs to process information so that staff can be recruited and paid, courses organised and also to
ensure legal obligations to funding bodies and government are complied with. To comply with the
law, information must be collected and used fairly, stored safely and not disclosed to any other
person unlawfully. To do this, the University must comply with the Data Protection Principles,
which are set out in the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and from the 25th May 2018 in the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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The University’s data protection policy explains how we treat your personal information:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/governance/policies-regs/data-protection.aspx
Harassment and Equal Opportunities

The School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music fully endorse the University’s policies on
Harassment and Equal Opportunities, including provision of adequate services for students with
disabilities and specific learning difficulties. If you have any concerns, please see the School
Welfare Tutor, or if you prefer not to approach someone in the School, you can go straight to the
Student Services Division for advice on what to do.
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/index.aspx
Please also see the following websites for further information:
Students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties support information

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/projects/support/disability-support.aspx
Equality and diversity https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/collaboration/equality/index.aspx
Harassment, bullying and victimisation:

The College regards any form of harassment as unacceptable, whether by staff towards students,
students towards staff, or by students towards each other.
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/conduct/harassment/index.aspx
Student Concerns and Complaints Procedure

The University of Birmingham is committed to providing a high quality educational experience,
fully supported by a range of academic and administrative services and facilities. However, we
understand that from time to time, things do go wrong, and the University recognises the need for
students to be able to express their dissatisfaction where this happens.
This process is right for you if:
You have a concern or complaint about programmes, modules, services or facilities provided
by the University
You have a complaint about action, or lack of action, by the University or its staff.
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The complaints process covers both informal and more formal stages of complaint. The complaints
process can’t provide academic redress (i.e. challenging a progress decision).
You can find out more about the Procedure from:

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/complaint-appeal/complaints/index.aspx
Student Attendance and Reasonable Diligence

As a registered student you are required to show ‘reasonable diligence’ in your academic study.
This means that you are expected to attend all teaching sessions and submit/attend all formal
assessments that are required for your modules and programme of study. Unexplained absences
and/or failure to submit assessed work may result in a formal investigation and possible
recommendation for ‘withdrawal’ from the University.
The University Code of Practice on ‘Taught Programme Assessment’ (2.7) states that:
A Registered Student who does not attend teaching and assessment, as required by the principal
academic unit, will be investigated in accordance with the Code of Practice on Student Attendance
and Reasonable Diligence.
For further information please refer to the following documents which are available at the web
address below:
University Code of Practice on Student Attendance and Reasonable Diligence

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/legal/student-attendance-reasonable-
diligence.pdf
University Code of Practice on Taught Programme and Module Assessment
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/legal/taught-programme-module-assess.pdf
University Regulations
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/legislation/codesofpractice/index.aspx
Student Conduct
The University of Birmingham is a great place to live and study, and we want all students to have
an enjoyable and safe time as a member of a diverse University community. All students of the
University are required at all times to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in their day to
day activities, including in their dealings with other students, staff and external organisations.
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During your time as a student, we expect you to behave:
Safely, and with regard to the safety of others;

With civility, consideration and respect for others;
In accordance with University policies, rules and regulations, and all applicable laws.
All students have a responsibility to treat all members of the University community with respect
and represent the University as responsible ambassadors through their good conduct on and off
campus. This applies anywhere and at any time but is particularly important whilst on campus, on
fieldwork or placement, on other study away from the University, on the sports field, or whilst
engaged in any other University of Birmingham-related activity.
Good conduct means:
Recognising the diversity of the University community and not discriminating against others
Being honest, considerate, and courteous towards others
Behaving in a respectful manner towards others so that they do not feel that they are being
harassed, bullied, or coerced, whether within or outside the University
Acting responsibly and showing respect for University property
Showing consideration for others
Acting within the law and not engaging in any activity or behaviour that is likely to bring the
University into disrepute.
Examples of unacceptable behaviour are provided below (this list is not exhaustive):
Violence against another person (including threats to hurt)

Indecent, threatening, intimidating or offensive behaviour or language (including that of a
sexualised nature)
Bullying and harassment
Abusive comments (including those that relate to sex, religion, sexuality, and race), whether in
person or online
Significant damage to University property or property of other students, staff or visitors to the
University
Unauthorised use of University property
Disruption of University activities (including lectures, meetings, sporting and social activities)
Contempt of the University’s disciplinary authorities
160
Falsification of University documentation or documents in relation to the University
Impersonation of others in connection with the University
Misuse of IT facilities
Persistent minor offences
Offences that result in a criminal conviction
Serious plagiarism
Taking non-permitted items into an examination which could give the student an unfair
advantage (including notes, mobile phones and smart watches).
Students registered on Fitness to Practise programmes may have further obligations placed on
them with regard to their expected behaviour.
What is harassment?
Harassment is any behaviour that is unwanted and could reasonably be considered as violating a
person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive
environment.
Behaviour amounting to harassment may include:
Unwelcome sexual advances

Inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact, including invasion of personal space and
inappropriate touching
Sexually explicit language, jokes, verbal and physical innuendo
Using demeaning, gender-specific terminology
Display or circulation of sexually explicit materials
Coercive demands for sexual favours
Inappropriate comments about a person’s appearance, intrusive questions, comments or
remarks about a person’s private life and malicious gossip
Pestering, spying or stalking
Physical assault or threats of physical assault
Insults, name-calling and offensive language and gestures
Ridiculing and undermining behaviour
Intimidating, coercive or threatening actions and behaviour
Isolation, non-cooperation or deliberate exclusion
161
Sexual harassment can take many different forms including those outlined above - from
inappropriate language to sexual assault. There doesn't need to have been physical contact for a
sexual harassment to have taken place.
How to avoid misunderstandings
It is important to avoid any misunderstandings when engaging in sexual activity. If you’re not sure
that the other person is agreeing to sexual activity:
You should ask them
Check the other person's body language

STOP - If someone seems drunk or under the influence of drink or drugs, is asleep/unconscious,
or you're not sure, you must wait until they are awake and/or sober and ask them again
REMEMBER – the other person can change their mind at any time – you must respect their
choice and STOP.
Watch this helpful video on consent (Cup of Tea) for more information:
https://vimeo.com/128105683
How does the University deal with alleged misconduct?

Students can report allegations to Student Conduct through the Concern Review Form process. If
the police are investigating the same incident or related matter, the University will normally start
its own investigation, but will then put it on hold until the police investigation and any related
court proceedings are completed. In circumstances where there is a criminal investigation, the
University may be required to disclose information to the police. Where this is the case, the
University would consider whether the information should be released, and may discuss the
request with the student concerned.
There are differences between criminal investigations and University investigations. Under the
criminal process, the allegations will be treated as a potential criminal offence. Under the
University misconduct process, the investigation will be more limited than a criminal investigation,
and would be used to determine whether a student has breached the University’s regulations. The
University cannot determine whether or not a criminal offence has occurred.
The University may choose to investigate and take action on alleged misconduct offences whether
they take place on University premises or elsewhere, including online and on social media. If there
162
is sufficient evidence, misconduct can be dealt with summarily (by issuing a reprimand, fine,
community service, or an undertaking) or non-summarily by referring the matter to a College
Misconduct and Fitness to Practise Committee, depending on the seriousness of the alleged
offence or other circumstances of the case, such as alleged repeated misconduct.
The University investigation process is an evidence-based process and decisions are made on the
balance of probabilities, which means we would be looking at whether the evidence supports that
it is more likely than not that a breach has occurs. If the university determines that no further
action can be taken it does not mean that the University is questioning whether or not a student is
telling the truth, it normally means that there is insufficient evidence which can be used in
misconduct proceedings to support that there has been a breach of University Regulations.
If misconduct is found proven, a range of penalties could be applied by a College Misconduct and
Fitness to Practise Committee which range from a reprimand, debarment from certain University
facilities, suspension from the University, or withdrawal from the University. For academic
offences, sanctions could also include those which will have an impact on assessment marks,
module marks, and degree classification. In some circumstances, the sanction imposed will mean
that the student will not be eligible to receive a Degree from the University. However, each case is
decided by the Committee on its own merits, taking into consideration all of the evidence
including any aggravating factors or mitigating circumstances.
Information about exam irregularities, plagiarism, Fitness to Practise, student discipline,

Harassment, bullying and victimization and Social Media expectations can be found on the Student
Conduct pages at: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/conduct/index.aspx
163
Academic Misconduct and Examinations
Every year a number of students are subject to investigations because of an alleged examination
irregularity. Examination irregularities are investigated by Student Conduct as a case of Academic
Misconduct. Student Conduct may refer the case to a College Misconduct Committee and this
could result in the student concerned having their examination mark reduced to zero (with no
resit), or in severe cases, the student being withdrawn from the University.
You can find more information on examination rules on the Exam Conduct Intranet page:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/exams/rules/index.aspx
For information on Exam Irregularities, please visit:

https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/conduct/examirregs/index.aspx
164
Section 10: Resources and Helpful Hints
165
University Library Facilities
Your University ID card acts as your library card. It will let you into the Main Library and site
libraries such as the Barber Fine Art library
The Main Library

The Main Library has a mixture of quiet and social spaces and bookable group study spaces. Books
for Art History Curating and Visual Studies are located on the second floor. DVDs are in the Media
room also on the second floor. Books in the Main Library and the Orchard Learning Resource
Centre (OLRC) in Selly Oak can be borrowed. If you need assistance in finding or using any of these
resources, you can ask at the Information Desk, or approach one of the roving library staff who
work on each floor of the Library.
Using the Libraries

Your University ID card acts as your library card. It will let you into the Main Library, and allows you
to take books out from the Main Library on loan for a week. Items that you have on loan will
renew automatically, until they are needed by someone else. When someone places a reservation
on an item you have on loan, you will receive an email notification to inform you when your book
is due back. You can also check your loans by logging into www.findit.bham.ac.uk.
If you need an item which is on loan to another borrower, you can place a reservation on it. You
will have 48 hours to collect it, but let the Library know if you require longer. When you collect
your requested item, make sure you check the due date: if there are other people waiting to
borrow it after you, then you will only be able to have the item for 48 hours. If no one else needs
the item, you will be issued it for one week and it will renew automatically until it is reserved by
another borrower.
If you forget your library card you can print a 24 hour pass from the kiosk on the ground floor of
the Library and this will allow you to enter the building, but you won’t be able to borrow any
books without your university ID.
FindIt@Bham is the main catalogue of the Library and can be accessed online at
www.findit.bham.ac.uk or from My.Bham. Most books are entered in this catalogue, which
enables you to search by author, title, or keyword. It will also tell you how many copies of the text
166
the Library holds, and whether they are currently out on loan. FindIt@Bham also stores details of
periodical and journal articles and their authors, which is an invaluable research facility for the
preparation of coursework essays etc.
The majority of the Vinyl Collection is held in the Research Reserve (in the Main Library) and there
is a Card Catalogue on the lower ground floor next to the Research Reserve to see which items
are in the collection.
Music books and scores are located on the second floor of the Main Library. Scores and books
relating to music generally have shelfmarks (also called classmarks) in the range M, ML and
MT.
CDs and DVDs are housed in the Media Room also on the second floor. The library has four
DVD players available for loan within the Main Library, which can be borrowed from the
enquiry desk on the ground floor. For details of streaming services that the Library provides
access to go to: https://libguides.bham.ac.uk/asc/streamingaudiovisualresources
Collected editions, anthologies, reference books and journals are on the third floor.
Most music Journals are available online through FindIt@Bham.
The Main Library has a mixture of quiet and social spaces and bookable group study spaces.
There are also photocopying and computing facilities, printers, and machines which print hard
(paper) copies from microfilms and microfiches.
If you need assistance in finding or using any of these resources, you can ask at the Information
If you require any help using our libraries, you can speak to staff in the building, or contact us via
our instant message service, Just Ask!:
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/contact/justask.aspx
Using the Research Reserve

Older and less used items are kept in the Research Reserve. These items can be requested via
FindIt@Bham and library staff will fetch them for your use.
Cadbury Research Library

The Cadbury Research Library (CRL) houses the University’s archives and rare books collections.
For more information see http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/cadbury/index.aspx
167
Library training and subject support
The Library runs frequent sessions throughout the year to introduce students to the use of
catalogues, bibliographic databases, literature searching, referencing, etc. For more information
see http://libguides.bham.ac.uk/subjectsupport/index
For more in depth advice, or a one to one appointment with a librarian then Undergraduates or
Masters students can contact the Learning Enhancement Team
(https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/skills/asc/appointments.aspx ), and
PhD students can contact the Research Support Team
(https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/research/contact-the-research-skills-
team.aspx ).
Academic Skills Centre

The Academic Skills Centre on the first floor provides training to develop mathematical, academic
writing and general academic skills.
City and Conservatoire Libraries

The Library of Birmingham (opened in September 2013) is the largest public library in Europe and
holds a large range of material, providing an excellent complement to the facilities of the Barber
Music Library and the Main University Library. Students are entitled to join as borrowing members
(ID is required). CDs and videos can be borrowed for a small charge per item. The Reference
sections of the Library are an especially useful resource. The Library of Birmingham is located on
Centenary Square, Broad Street, halfway between the Birmingham Conservatoire and Symphony
Hall http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/.
Birmingham Conservatoire Library allows undergraduate students who receive instrumental/vocal

tuition at the Conservatoire to borrow printed music. Please remember, though, that the
Conservatoire Library is primarily for the benefit of Conservatoire students and should, therefore,
be the last, not the first, port of call. Students must register at the Conservatoire Library before the
end of October each year in order to be able to borrow material. Other material in the
Conservatoire Library is available for reference.
168
Centre for Early Music Performance and Research
CEMPR exists to promote the study and performance of early music in the University and beyond
and to undertake research-led performance projects and performance-led research projects of
international excellence. As well as members of full-time academic staff in the Department who
are experts in various aspects of early music from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century,
CEMPR also employs professional early music performers, all of whom have flourishing
international careers.
The CEMPR Suite (Bramall 216-18) has state-of-the-art facilities, specifically designed for the needs
of an early music centre. All rooms are environment and humidity controlled, providing the ideal
conditions for the delicate instruments used for CEMPR solo and ensemble tuition, rehearsal,
teaching and practice-led research.
For further information, please contact the Director of CEMPR, Andrew Kirkman.
Solo and Ensemble Tuition

Vocal and instrumental tuition is provided by the professional performers on the CEMPR staff. First
and second year students may take tuition through CEMPR as one or both of their sets of
instruments. Final year students can opt to do their recital wholly or partly on an early
instrument/voice, and take lessons accordingly. There are numerous CEMPR ensembles in which
students of all levels (UG and PG) can participate: these include medieval, Renaissance and
Baroque ensembles. See the CEMPR brochure or the CEMPR webpages for further information on
early ensembles. There are also continuo and improvisation classes.
Early Music Instruments

CEMPR has an extensive collection of early music instruments based on originals ranging from the
medieval to early classical periods, including strings, wind, brass, keyboard and plucked
instruments. There are 10 early keyboards; medieval and Renaissance lutes, and Baroque plucked
instruments (theorbo, archlute and guitar); a full range of Baroque strings (including a Baroque
double bass); natural horns and trumpets, Baroque flutes, oboes, and recorders. Renaissance
instruments include sackbuts, viols; and medieval instruments include a variety of fiddles, rebecs,
shawms, dulcimer, psaltery and harp. Many of these instruments have been commissioned from
the best makers around the world. They can be borrowed by students taking solo or ensemble
169
tuition through CEMPR by filling out a CEMPR Instrument Loan Form in the Music Office.
Concerts
Every year there are a number of CEMPR concerts in which students participate. These range from
Barber lunchtime concerts, featuring CEMPR ensembles and soloists, to large-scale concerts using
period instruments, most frequently directed by the CEMPR staff from their instruments.
Research activities
CEMPR runs workshops, study days and international colloquia and also invites early music
scholars and performers from around the world to give research papers and masterclasses here. In
recent years topics covered have included: aspects of notation, medieval song and contemporary
oral song traditions, improvisation, performance practice issues on instruments from the Middle
Ages, the Renaissance, and the Baroque period, and on singing styles in the Renaissance, Baroque,
Classical and early Romantic periods.
Centre for Composition and Associated Studies

The Centre for Composition and Associated Studies (COMPASS) aims to formalise and strengthen
musical composition and its linked activities, which are well-established features of the Music
Department at Birmingham. The Centre aims to be proactive in contemporary music, across and
between acoustic, mixed/live/real-time electroacoustic and acousmatic genres, by being a visible
focus of activity for undergraduates, postgraduates and staff, and by encouraging the composition,
study and performance of contemporary music through classes, workshops, concerts, the
presence of guest speakers and performers.
Research Colloquium
Regular talks by visiting and resident composers form an integral part of the Music Research
Colloquium, which usually runs on Wednesdays at 1 pm during the Autumn and Spring terms in
the Dome Room.
For the schedule of events see:

www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/lcahm/departments/music/research/compass/index.aspx
170
MiniBEAST
MiniBEAST electroacoustic music listening sessions happen weekly on Wednesdays from 11:30 –
12:30 (term-time only) in the Bramall Dome Room. Performances are given primarily by
postgraduate students and visiting guests and utilise the room’s installed multi-loudspeaker
diffusion system. These are free public events and all are welcome.
See also
New Music Ensemble (NME) in association with BCMG

BEAST (Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre)
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG)
Computer Clusters
The Cluster Support Team's primary role is the provision and support of high quality computing
facilities in the form of IT Services Clusters.
The team has many other responsibilities including providing Charged Printing, Photocopying and
Microfiche facilities across campus and the provision and support of Assistive Technology software
across IT Services clusters and dedicated Assistive Technology Booths.
For cluster locations visit: https://www.pcavailability.bham.ac.uk/
For cluster opening times, PC bookings, student printing, group study PC and assistive
technologies, visit: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/it/teams/infrastructure/end-
user/clusters/index.aspx
Music-specific software applications

Computers in LG03 have the music notation processing program Sibelius, the aural training
program Auralia, the digital audio workstation Reaper and other software applications that
support the teaching of modules 112, 116 and B11 installed.
See Sources, Bibliographies and Referencing for information on useful computer-based resources
and research tools.
171
The Internet
It is important to emphasise that in your University studies it is NEVER enough to rely solely on the
Internet. Use it sparingly, preferably as a complement to other written sources, available in the
library. Remember: always provide references for Internet sources as you would for other sources.
Overuse of the internet may lead to problems of plagiarism. Please see the Guidance on Plagiarism
for Students on page 25.
172
Appendices
173
Undergraduate Marking Criteria
The College of Arts and Law Undergraduate Marking Criteria are as follows:
Classification Percentage 1. Acquisition 2. Interpretation 3. Construction of 4. Relevance 5. Other skills: 6a. Language 6b. Command of
Grade of knowledge and analysis argument documentation and Proficiency English
presentation (Languages (more flexibility for
only) timed exams)
1 Excellent 90% + Outstanding Originality of Totally effortlessly No addition or Displays Exhibits Error-free, fully
Knowledge interpretation convincing thesis subtraction exceptionally full and excellence and appropriate to the
with complete would improve appropriate sophistication task, compellingly
command of the work. documentation and across the communicative style.
method and specially effective constituent
unassailable presentation. elements of
conclusions. language
proficiency
Very 85% Surprisingly Unusual Thoroughly Unusual ability Displays full and
Good comprehensive intellectual and convincing and to maintain appropriate
First – unusual emotional elegant, with reader's interest documentation and
depth/breadth engagement with excellent choice of by choice of specially effective
of knowledge. material. evidence, leading argument, presentation.
to well-founded evidence,
82%
conclusions. examples etc.
High 78% Clear and full Very sound Very sound skills. Focussing Displays full and Highly accurate with
First knowledge of understanding of Room for consistently and appropriate appropriate style.
what the material, disagreement on accurately on the documentation and Occasional slips or
Mid First 75% module covers balanced, strength of task. Some specially effective minor infelicities
Low First 72% as defined by showing due evidence or disagreement presentation. tolerable, but nothing
aims and caution. conclusions. possible over revealing ignorance.
objectives. aims or choice of
examples.
174
only) timed exams)
2.1 High 2:1 68% Provides Has a clear Argues in an Displays a secure Displays a thorough Exhibits a high Mainly accurate. A
substantial understanding of assured and orderly sense of grasp of appropriate level of few spelling mistakes,
information, the material and way, with clear relevance of the principles of competence minor inelegancies of
Mid 2:1 65%
displays a solid its significance. development. material to the documentation and across the sentence
Low 2:1 62% knowledge of Shows some chosen method presentation. constituent construction,
mainstream understanding of of argument. elements but vocabulary choice,
material. methodology. may contain a textual coherence or
significant register,
number of misjudgements
errors, whilst tolerable. Nothing
not seriously revealing systematic
impairing ignorance of
communication. conventions of
academic English.
2.2 High 2:2 58% Provides a Has a competent Presents the Displays a sound Displays a general Demonstrates a May show some
reasonable (if dependent or general outline of general sense of grasp of appropriate general weaknesses in
quantity of incomplete) an appropriate relevance principles of competence matters such as
Mid 2:2 55%
accurate understanding of argument. though documentation and across the spelling, punctuation,
Low 2:2 52% information. the material and sometimes presentation. constituent vocabulary, sentence
its significance. wavering and elements but construction, textual
unreflective. may contain a coherence, but not
wide range of systematically and
errors which none which seriously
have a impede
significant communication.
impact on
communication.
175
only) timed exams)
3 High 3 48% Provides a Has some limited Presents some Displays some Displays some Achieves May show some
limited understanding of elements of an limited sense of limited care and limited weaknesses in
Mid 3 45% quantity of the material and appropriate relevance. competence in communication matters such as
information its significance. argument. documentation and despite spelling, punctuation,
Low 3 42% with some presentation. numerous and vocabulary, sentence
accuracy. varied errors in construction, textual
the constituent coherence, but not
elements, systematically and
particularly in none which seriously
morphology impede
and syntax. communication.
Fail Fail 38% Some Some Little evidence for Some sense of A basic level of Unable to Weaknesses of
knowledge but understanding, an argument addressing the documentation and achieve writing are so
35% too limited but insufficient to directed at the question, but presentation but communication frequent or serious
30% and/or constitute a question. Poorly normally with inadequate to due to wide- that they impede
inaccurate to satisfactory and/or illogically significant support the answer, ranging error in message or show lack
address the discussion of the structured, often passages of often through the constituent of willingness to
question question. short-weight. irrelevance. significant error or elements. conform with
satisfactorily. omission. conventions.
Clear 20% Little evidence Little evidence for Little that is Little evidence of Systematic ignoring
Fail of knowledge any identifiable as a factual material of and/or
pertinent to the understanding of structured attempt or analytical incompetence in the
question. Such the question or to answer the approaches recognised norms for
as there is may how to address it. question. Normally appropriate to the documentation
be largely Answer may be short-weight. answering the and presentation of
inaccurate or off-target and/or question. academic work.
incorrect. address irrelevant
considerations.
176
only) timed exams)
Bad Fail 10% Hardly any or Hardly any or no Incoherent with Hardly anything Little or no evidence
no knowledge understanding of nothing identifiable or nothing that of any
0 concerning the the question or of as an argument addresses the comprehension or
topic, nor how to address it. directed at the question. use of the
evidence of question. Normally recognised norms for
study. very short-weight. the documentation
and presentation of
academic work.
177
Postgraduate Taught Marking Criteria
The College of Arts and Law Postgraduate Taught Marking Criteria will be used for content courses (i.e. essays, presentation and other assessments
on culture, literature, film etc.). The numerical marking system will now be used only for language work.
Classification Grade 1. Argument 2. Sources 3. Structure and Presentation
Authoritative, well-argued, innovative and Penetrating understanding of a Professional presentation and

imaginative. wide range of material, including organisation at a publishable standard,
Excellent Demonstrates superior and sustained critical substantial use of multiple complex including referencing and bibliography as
90% +
Distinction engagement. sources. appropriate.
Sophisticated integration of relevant issues. Displays originality and imagination Demonstrates sure handling of analytical
Striking elements of originality that may have in the marshalling and analysis of language and critical concepts.
significant impact in the academic field. source material. No mistakes of spelling, grammar or
Extensive and substantial command of the Well-formed response to the punctuation.
subject area. question with outstanding critique Correct use of conventions for academic
85% Typically, opens up new/challenging of existing material, showing referencing and the use of notes.
perspectives in a persuasive manner, and exemplary integration of wide Salient points are highlighted.
Very Good includes analyses contributing substantially to reading (as appropriate). Lucid style and accurate.
Distinction current scholarship. Excellent discussion of evidence English is used at an outstanding
Distinction No addition or subtraction is likely to improve and examples. professional standard.
82% the work. Outstanding professional presentation,
including referencing and bibliography as
appropriate.
Good Confident and well-argued. Clear writing and accurate English style.
78%
Distinction Independence of thought and/or evidence of Well-absorbed and extensive Professional presentation and
originality, especially at the upper range of reading. organisation approaching publishable
marks. Excellent discussion of evidence quality, including referencing and
Comprehensive and effective answer to the and examples. bibliography as appropriate.
question. Demonstrates an Occasional slips or minor infelicities, but
Excellent, wide ranging knowledge and imaginative search for and/or use nothing indicating ignorance.
Mid understanding. of relevant resources. Capable handling of analytical terms and
75%
Distinction Some improvements might be suggested, but critical concepts.
178
Bare are unlikely to make a substantial difference to

72%
Distinction the overall quality of the work.
Very good understanding and insight. Demonstrates a good range of Focussed and coherent.
Demonstrates the writer’s own thinking, along reading (as appropriate). Demonstrates an authoritative and
with a sophisticated integration of relevant Good/very good discussion of comprehensive grasp of the subject.
High Merit 68%
issues in a critical and perceptive way. evidence and examples. Few mistakes in spelling, grammar
Independent thought. Demonstrates a diligent search for and/or punctuation.
Evidence of critical evaluation of current and/or use of relevant resources. Clear understanding/correct use of
research. conventions for academic referencing
Some originality is shown in the application of and the use of notes.
Merit
knowledge.
Mid Merit 65% Good understanding of a reasonable range of
material.
Serious attempt to make appropriate use of
analytical language and critical concepts,
possibly with minor deficiencies.
Low Merit 62% Appropriate usage of analytical terms and
critical concepts.
Adequate understanding of an adequate range Fair discussion of evidence and The structure of the essay is focussed
High Pass 58% of material. examples. and demonstrates a comprehensive
Adequate and generally relevant argument. Demonstrates adequate effort in grasp of the subject.
Demonstrates the writer's own thinking along identifying and/or using relevant There are few mistakes in grammar,
with a reasonable integration of relevant issues resources. punctuation and/or spelling.
Mid Pass 55%
Pass in a critical and perceptive way. Typically over-dependent on one or The writer understands and correctly
Serious attempt to make appropriate use of two sources. uses conventions for academic
analytical language and critical concepts, referencing, possibly with minor
possibly with minor deficiencies. deficiencies.
Low Pass 52%
Fail Marginal Addresses the question to some degree, but is Limited understanding of a loosely Weak structure with some irrelevance.
48% overly derivative and/or does not demonstrate adequate range of material. Moderate level of fluency and technical
Fail
179
a substantial understanding of the subject. Inadequate discussion of evidence competence.

May identify the main issues but, in addressing and examples. The assessment is not organised in a
45% them, makes some significant errors. Does not demonstrate sufficient very clear, intelligible way.
Little attempt to interpret and address effort in identifying and/or using There are a noticeable number of
questions. relevant resources. spelling, grammar and punctuation
Weak argument. Typically over-dependent on one or mistakes.
No real attempt to make appropriate use of two sources. There are incorrect/inconsistent uses of
42% analytical language and critical concepts. the conventions for academic
Limited discussion of evidence and examples. referencing
Does not answer the question, or does not Demonstrates an incomplete grasp Weak structure with significant
38% answer it sufficiently clearly. of sources. irrelevance to the question.
Betrays a lack of knowledge and/or Typically, little or no evidence of Overall argument is unclear.
understanding of material and issues. sufficient, relevant reading. Typically significantly under length
Outright Little or no discernible argument. No evidence of effort in identifying and/or organised in an unintelligible
Fail Analysis is excessively brief and/or incomplete. and/or using relevant resources. way.
35% or Poorly presented in terms of spelling,
below punctuation and grammar.
Inconsistent/inadequate use of the
conventions for academic referencing.
180

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College of Arts and Law

School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music

A companion for students of Music at the

Professor Matthew Riley

Section 1: General Information.......................................................................................................... 10

Whom should I see about …? ......................................................................................................... 11

The Department ............................................................................................................................. 15

Key contacts ................................................................................................................................... 15

Key contacts – Teaching Staff......................................................................................................... 16

Key contacts – Professional Services Staff ..................................................................................... 19

Administration Office ..................................................................................................................... 20

Bramall Music Building ................................................................................................................... 21

Arts Building ................................................................................................................................... 22

Barber Institute of Fine Arts ........................................................................................................... 22

Music(al) Places and Spaces ........................................................................................................... 23

Barber Concert Hall and Practice Rooms ....................................................................................... 24

Practice Rooms (Bramall Music Building)....................................................................................... 26

Studio facilities ............................................................................................................................... 26

Percussion Store ............................................................................................................................. 28

Instruments for Loan ...................................................................................................................... 30

Term dates for 2018/2019 ............................................................................................................. 31

Not On Campaign ........................................................................................................................... 33

Social Media and Apps ................................................................................................................... 33

Contacting You ............................................................................................................................... 33

Communication between students and staff................................................................................. 33

Office Hours .................................................................................................................................... 34

Pigeonholes and Notice boards...................................................................................................... 35

Teaching Day & Week .................................................................................................................... 35

Languages for All (LfA) .................................................................................................................... 36

Health and Safety ........................................................................................................................... 37

Fire Evacuation and Emergencies .................................................................................................. 38

Personal Emergency Evacuation plan ............................................................................................ 38

First Aiders ...................................................................................................................................... 39

Accidents, Incidents, Near Misses & Health Problems .................................................................. 39

Responsibilities of Individuals ........................................................................................................ 40

Lost Property .................................................................................................................................. 41

Section 2: UG Programme Information ............................................................................................. 42

The Programme Specifcation ......................................................................................................... 43

First Year Programme for 2018-19 ................................................................................................. 43

Widening Horizons Module’ or ‘WHM’ .......................................................................................... 45

Second Year Programme ................................................................................................................ 45

Year Abroad .................................................................................................................................... 47

Ethical Review ................................................................................................................................ 51

Module Preferences ....................................................................................................................... 52

Joint Honours Programme Structure for 2018-19 ......................................................................... 52

Changing Modules and Programmes ............................................................................................. 53

Section 3: PGT Programme Information ............................................................................................ 54

The Programme Specifcation ......................................................................................................... 55

Music Research Events ................................................................................................................... 55

Module Information ....................................................................................................................... 61

Section 4: PGR Programme Information............................................................................................ 62

Staying in touch (Research Students)............................................................................................. 63

MA by Research (Musical Composition) ........................................................................................ 63

MA by Research (Historical Musicology)........................................................................................ 63

MA by Research (Performance Practice) ....................................................................................... 64

PhD in Musical Composition .......................................................................................................... 65

PhD in Music ................................................................................................................................... 65

PhD in Performance Practice.......................................................................................................... 65

Section 5:Assessment Requirements and Procedures ...................................................................... 67

Independent and Enquiry-based Learning ..................................................................................... 68

Marking deadlines .......................................................................................................................... 69

Notification of Results and Feedback............................................................................................. 69

Moderation/Second marking ......................................................................................................... 70

External Examiners ......................................................................................................................... 70