Postgraduate course
Master of Music
Excelsia University College
Courses included
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This course has been cancelled
About
The Master of Music course is a program designed to deepen students’ music and music-related knowledge, skills and capacities in their area of creative interest. Through personalised one-to-one mentoring and expert teaching, students are introduced to research skills related to their creative practice. The carefully curated suite of electives provides students with the opportunity to broaden their skills relevant to the construction of a working portfolio within the music industry and community contexts. Students may exit the course after the first 4 units (one year full-time or two years part-time) in order to qualify for a Graduate Diploma of Music.
The Master of Music course is offered with three streams:
Performance stream: Students work on perfecting performances of increasing levels of challenge to industry standards. By honing their expressive, technical and academic skills, performers work one-on-one with a professional teacher to prepare a series of concerts featuring high-level solo and ensemble repertoire of their choosing. Students may specialise in jazz, contemporary or classical genres including conducting. A suite of electives is also available, offering additional study in cross-cultural performance, composition, music worship, music business, and music pedagogy.
Contemporary Composition stream: Students may undertake a range of composition options, allowing students to concentrate on both traditional and commercial aspects of the contemporary music industries. Students may compose for both live and digital media in a range of genres and mediums, refining their skills towards the completion of a final composition project. A suite of electives is also available, offering additional study in both solo and ensemble performance, music worship, music business, and music pedagogy.
Community Music stream: The purpose of the stream is to provide postgraduate study for musicians who seek to work in community music settings as ensemble directors, and/or with community music organisations who serve culturally diverse or marginalised people in settings ranging from co-curricular school groups, to aged care, churches, local councils, prisons and so on. Students gain practical experience in pedagogy relevant to ensemble settings through both performance and conducting, with a suite of electives available in performance, music worship, composition and music business. Students undertake a final community music placement in order to complete their study.
The Master of Music degree contains:
- flexible study options; full-time or part-time; and mixed modes learning
- specialised teaching staff
- access to concert hall and recording facilities
- the opportunity to develop and refine your music making shaped by individualised learning plans designed to meet your career objectives.
Areas of study include classical, contemporary, cross-cultural or jazz performance, large and small ensemble performance, conducting, voice, composition, arranging, and sound design. All students complete two units in research, completing a research project aligned to their specific interests and creative practice.
Upon completion of this degree careers opportutnies include accompanist, arranger, chamber musician, community music facilitator, composer, conductor, ensemble director, music administrator, performer, session musician, songwriter, sound designer, studio teacher or tutor, worship director.
Classical music students can join the Excelsia Chamber Orchestra and/or choir under the direction of an internationally recognised conductor and lecturer. Contemporary and Classical students will also have the opportunity to perform in numerous showcases and concerts in venues across Sydney.
Composers have the opportunity to write for both traditional, jazz, fusion, world and contemporary ensembles, with projects showcased in a staged concert format. Community musicians will work small and large ensembles, including the Excelsia Chamber Orchestra, Choir and with affiliated community group ensembles.
Admission criteria
Educational prerequisites
Successful completion of an accredited undergraduate degree in music or discipline appropriate to chosen focus area. Students may draw upon relevant industry experience to support their application.
Artistic and academic skill assessment
Performance focus: Candidates must demonstrate established technique on their chosen instrument (including conducting) by means of an audition. Applicants should be prepared to:
- present an audition of three contrasting pieces that demonstrate high level instrumental or vocal technique and expressive interpretation relevant to their chosen genre
- may present a portfolio of previous performance experience which may include CD and DVD recordings.
Contemporary Composition focus: Candidates applying to undertake the Contemporary Composition focus should be prepared to:
- present a portfolio or recordings of original compositions demonstrating a grasp of relevant genre specific compositional techniques in both scored and audio formats.
- discuss their portfolio of work with the admissions panel.
- present either a vocal, instrumental or conducting audition showcasing two contrasting pieces in either live or video format.
- discuss their relevant community music experience with the auditions panel.
Community Music focus: Candidates applying to undertake study with a focus in Community Music should be prepared to demonstrate practical and academic skills relevant to this area of study. Students should:
Fees and charges
^ Fee listed is the indicative annual course cost for 2024 and is subject to annual review. Students studying at Excelsia may also be eligible for FEE-HELP.
Further information
Read the full course details on the Excelsia College website.
Call 02 9819 8888.
Excelsia University College degrees
The academic content of all programs is subject to routine review.