Composition (Instrumental & Vocal) at the NZSM
Students studying Instrumental/Vocal Composition at the NZSM join a programme unique in New Zealand. Composition majors are encouraged to develop their individual creative voices. They are given opportunities to work in a range of areas. You will graduate with considerable technical command of compositional technique as well as broad historical, theoretical and analytical knowledge of your discipline. Composition staff are some of New Zealand’s best-known creative artists, whose collective expertise covers all significant aspects of the field.
A BMus in Instrumental and Vocal Composition gives students a thorough grounding in all aspects of composition. The programme aims to give you the creative and critical tools required for a successful career as a composer. You will be encouraged to compose substantial works for a variety of musical media. Musical imagination and creativity are key concepts.
The New Zealand School of Music offers unparalleled
opportunities for composers:
- The largest composition faculty in New Zealand
- Weekly
composers workshops for national and international guests,
staff seminars, and student performances
- Annual New
Zealand String Quartet Workshop (open to all
students)
- Annual NZSM Composers Competition, sponsored by the Lilburn
Trust
- Opportunities for postgraduate composition
students:
BMus in Composition
Subject Requirements
Composition
(a) For a major in Composition with a specialisation in Instrumental/Vocal Composition:
(i) CMPO 101, 130, MUSC 105, 166 and 167;
(ii) CMPO 201, 202, and MUSC 266;
(iii) CMPO 301, and one of CMPO 302–309; and
(iv) One paper from CMPO 230–239, 280–289, or MUSC 260–269;
(v) One paper from MUSC 220–259;
(vi) One paper from CMPO 330–339, 380–389, or MUSC 360–369;
(vii) One paper from MUSC 320–359;
(viii) MUSC 151 or any PERF paper.
(b) For a major in Composition with a specialisation in Sonic Arts:
(i) CMPO 101, 181, MUSC 105, and two of MUSC 164, 166, 167, 264 or 266;
(ii) CMPO 210, 211, and MUSC 265;
(iii) CMPO 301, and one of CMPO 305–315; and
(iv) One paper from CMPO 230–239, 280–289, or MUSC 260–269;
(v) One paper from MUSC 220–259;
(vi) One paper from CMPO 330–339, 380–389, or MUSC 360–369;
(vii) One paper from MUSC 320–359;
(viii) MUSC 151 or any PERF paper.
YEAR 1
You should enrol in the core composition paper CMPO 101 Introduction to Composition and Sonic Arts.
NB: because CMPO 101 includes some notation-based assessment, you are required to enrol in, or have already completed, a music theory paper as well: either MUSC 160 Basic Musical Techniques, MUSC 166 Classical Theory 1 or MUSC 164 Jazz Theory 1.
Ideally, you should also enrol in MUSC 105 Music Now Understanding Music Through the Lens of the 20th-21st Centuries in your first year, although if necessary, this can be delayed to a later year.
The remaining 100-level papers for your degree depend upon your desired area of specialisation:
• For those wishing to specialise in Sonic Arts, you must also enrol in CMPO 181 Introduction to Music Technology and one of MUSC 164 Jazz Theory 1 or MUSC 166 Classical Theory 1
• For those wishing to specialise in Instrumental/Vocal Composition, you must also enrol in CMPO 130 Instrumentation, MUSC 166 Classical Theory 1 and MUSC 167 Classical Theory 2
• If you wish to take both specialisations, or want to keep your options open, you should enrol in all of CMPO 101, 130, 181, MUSC 166 and 167 in your first year
During the year, you should start assembling your portfolio for application to 200-level composition/sonic art. This is a collection of 2-3 works (scores or CDs) that represent your best work. They may be assessment completed for one of your papers, or they may be works you wrote outside university. You must submit this portfolio by 10 December if you wish to be considered for acceptance into the 200-level of the programme.
At some stage during your degree, you also need to complete any PERF paper. For those who are not university-level performers, there are a number of non-auditioned PERF papers (such as PERF 150 Gamelan – Orchestras of Southeast Asia, PERF 210 Introduction to Conducting, etc) that do not assume previous knowledge or experience. MUSC 151 Maori Music in Aotearoa New Zealand may also be counted towards this requirement. You need not take this paper in your first year, however.
YEAR 2
Assuming your application to 200-level Composition/Sonic Arts was successful, you should take the two core creative papers in your area:
1. For a specialisation in Instrumental/Vocal Composition: take CMPO 201 Instrumental/Vocal Composition 2: Form, Process and Materials and CMPO 202 Projects in Small Ensemble Composition and Orchestration
2. For a specialisation in Sonic Art: take CMPO 210 Sonic Arts 2: Form, Process and Materials and CMPO 211 Music Programming and Instrument Design for Live Electronics
3. If you wish to take both specialisations, and have been accepted to both, you may enrol in all four papers
You should also enrol in the supporting technical paper for your specialisation. For Sonic Arts, this is MUSC 265 Electronic Music (if offered that year); for Instrumental/Vocal, this is MUSC 266 Classical Theory 3
You should also enrol in one 200-level MUSC paper from the range MUSC 220–259, plus one paper from any of the following ranges: CMPO 230–239, 280–289, or MUSC 260–269
YEAR 3
You should take CMPO 301 Combined Seminar in Composition/Sonic Art plus one more ”creative paper“ in your specialisation. For Sonic Arts; this will be any paper in the range CMPO 305–315; for Instrumental/Vocal Composition this will be any paper in the range CMPO 302–309.
NB: For Sonic Arts, if MUSC 265 Electronic Music was not offered in the previous year, you will need to take it this year.
You should also take a 300-level MUSC paper from the range MUSC 320–359, and one paper from any of the following ranges: CMPO 330–339, 380–389, or MUSC 360–369.
Ensure you have taken at least 180 pts at 200-level or above, of which at least 72 pts must be at 300 level.
Your overall degree needs to have at least 360 pts.
Selection criteria for CMPO 201, 202, 210, 211
Please note that the papers CMPO 201, 202, 210 and 211 are capped at 15 students each. Entry will be determined by:
- the student having received at least a B- grade in CMPO 101; and
- having met the prerequisites of the paper they are applying for; and
- selection by composition staff based on potential demonstrated in a submitted portfolio of compositions.
Portfolios should be submitted to the Programme Leader, Composition. Deadline for receipt of portfolios is 10 December. The
composition faculty will meet shortly thereafter to make
the final selection. (NB: Late
submissions may be considered, depending on available capacity.)
Portfolios should contain a representative sample of 2-3 scores and recordings, if available, of the student's work. These may include works that have been composed as assessment for university courses, or may include works that have been composed independently.
Postgraduate degrees in Composition
Please see the Postgraduate Degrees page
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December 7, 2007
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