Foundations of Music Creation Focus

Senior Comprehensive Project Proposal

You will be emailed a proposal submission link and directions by October 15, and submit your proposal by November 15. If your committee requires you to revise your proposal, your updated documents will be due by February 15. Please submit the following:

1. Senior Comprehensive Analytic Paper Annotated Bibliography: Please submit an annotated bibliography that includes ten relevant peer-reviewed scholarly sources that map out the existing literature on your topic. This bibliography should ideally include 2–3 canonical sources that cover a broader background related to your topic, as well as more specific sources relating to your exact argument or methods. Annotations should indicate both the point of view of the author(s), critical evaluation of the source, and the pertinence of the article/chapter/book to your proposed essay. An annotation’s length may range from several sentences to a few paragraphs, depending on the source. These sources should be cited in Chicago style. Submit as a PDF. 
    
2. Senior Comprehensive Analytic Paper: Please submit a 250-350 word proposal for an argument-driven academic essay that will engage with and contribute to recent and relevant scholarship in the fields of musicology, ethnomusicology, sound studies, and/or music theory. You will need to engage with the ideas of specific authors from your bibliography in your proposal. A central goal of the proposal is to describe the current state of research on this area and articulate how you will do something new that adds to this literature. Your paper must include some musical analysis and you should indicate which repertoire of music will be the focus of your essay. You should propose a project that can be successfully argued within 2500 words. Submit as a PDF. This paper is completed in MUSC 490. Submit as a PDF.
    
3. Project Description: Please submit a description of your production project (250 words), including planned pieces, the length of each piece, and any other relevant content. Submit as a PDF. 
        a: Propose a project 15-20 minutes in length.
        b: Identify any changes in mixing/mastering/production that you anticipate will be necessary to complete the project.
    
4. Portfolio: Please submit a portfolio of 15 minutes of recordings (mp3s) and related materials (PDFs for lyrics) produced as part of a class or under the supervision of the Music faculty. Your portfolio should include the following:
        a: Your best final projects from Intro to DAW (MUSC 148)
        b: One project from Advanced Production Sampling and Synthesis (MUSC 248) or Introduction to Music Industry (MUSC 245)
        c: One project from an elective production course
        d: Up to 50% of the music may be created outside of class during the junior and senior years and the summer in between.
        e: You can only submit a notated composition if you have taken a composition seminar

 

Senior Comprehensive Project Presentation

At the beginning of the academic year, the Music Department will establish available dates for Senior Comprehensive presentations. You will receive a link and directions to submit your materials by February 15:

1. Portfolio and Liner Notes: One month before the presentation, students will submit their final portfolio and liner notes.
        a: The portfolio will consist of the final remixed and remastered tracks from your proposal.
        b: Students will submit liner notes for each track they plan to present in their 10-minute comps presentation. Your liner notes should include details about each piece, including the duration and credits to contributing instrumentalists and any collaborating songwriters/producers. Write a brief description of each piece, explaining the production background and how choices in texture, instrumentation, arrangement, and engineering reflect the themes underlying this collection of music. Use this document as a template. You will need to copy this document to your own Google Drive to make edits. Students may also choose to write about the poetic themes if lyrics are included.
    
2. Presentation: Students will give a final presentation, totaling 10 minutes in length, which selects the most exemplary music from their portfolio to demonstrate the breadth of their work to their faculty and colleagues. The presentation will be given using PowerPoint (or similar), outlining central themes of the student’s work, audio/visual examples, and a track-by-track analysis—drawn from the liner notes—as it relates to the core focus of the portfolio. The presentation must address production choices, outside influences, and relation to any current musical genres, styles, and traditions. Slide requirements can be found here.
    
3. Evaluation: Each senior project component is graded Pass with Distinction (PD), Pass (P), or Fail (F). The presentation is worth 40%, the liner notes 10%,and the comps paper 50%. You must receive a PD or P on your comps paper in order to receive a PD or P as your final comps grade. In other words, you cannot pass your comps with a failing comps paper. Note, the junior recital does not factor in the comps grade. Passing it is a prerequisite to giving a senior recital.