Interactive Composition

The Master of Music (Interactive Composition) is a research degree that prepares you for a specialist career in composition within other media contexts.

The program seeks to develop graduates who have a capacity for defining and managing a major creative research project characterised by originality and independence. Interactive Composition candidates produce a folio of new work for sound with other media and submit a thesis. You are provided with training in research methods, contemporary artistic practice and theories of arts and culture, while developing individual mastery in your field of practice.

The program invites research applicants with projects relating to interactive composition with a strong focus on interdisciplinary sound making.

On completion of this course students should be able to:

• Design, conduct and report independent and original research on a closely-defined project
• Obtain well-developed and flexible problem-solving abilities appropriate to the discipline
• Engage in independent and contextually-informed artistic practice
• Communicate effectively the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication
• Critically evaluate relevant scholarly literature and artistic practice
• Have an understanding of and facility with scholarly conventions in the discipline area

On completion of the Interactive Composition stream, students will have:

• Developed interactive composition skills to a professional level
• Ability to present research in publishable form or work towards incorporating findings in further research

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

• a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree, or equivalent, with at least an H2A (75%) weighted average; and for
  • Music Performance (including conducting), and Jazz & Improvisation: a satisfactory audition
  • Composition: a satisfactory composition folio
  • Musicology/Ethnomusicology, Music Psychology & Performance Science, and Music Therapy: a satisfactory piece of scholarly writing
  • Interactive Composition: a satisfactory interactive composition folio

and

• Submit a Research Proposal (except for Music Performance and Composition)

Exceptional applicants, with substantial professional experience, can be considered for entry into Master of Music (Jazz & Improvisation) and the Master of Music (Interactive Composition) without meeting the requirement of completion of an honours degree or equivalent.

 Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the selection committee will consider:

• prior academic performance
• the composition folio, audition, or piece of scholarly writing

3. The selection committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Selection and Admission into Graduate Research Courses Policy

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance Band 6.5 is required.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

You are required to complete a research proposal of 1,000 words that accompanies your application.  This proposal must include:

• Title;
• Statement of the project’s central concern(s) or ‘Research Question”
• Explanation of the conceptual framework of the project and/or summary of the research methods to be used
• An argument for the relevance and importance of the project
• Description of the nature of the final submission – the form that the body of creative work will take and how it will be presented; the nature of the dissertation and its relationship to the body of creative work
• An outline of the methodology or approach you intend to take and what you intend to do. For example:
• Identify whether the research is qualitative, quantitative or practice-led research
• In practice-led research, identify the specific techniques / technologies and approaches that are central to the research
• Identify if the research involves analysis of primary works (including a list of the works and performances)
• Bibliography – identify some of the key literature, artworks and performances and so on that informs your proposed work

Your application will be reviewed by our Selection Committee. If you are shortlisted, the Research Office will contact you after the application closing date with an interview time (interviews are normally held in November). If you are unable to attend the interview in person, your application and supporting material will provide the basis for an online or telephone interview.

Your interview will take 30 minutes and be conducted by a panel of 3 to 5 people. The purpose of the interview is to ascertain the scope of your intended research project, and your ability to successfully realise the intended project within a practice-led research environment.

A folio is required at the interview. Applicants unable to attend an interview must submit their folio by the closing date.

Applicant’s folios will not be returned. Do not send original recordings/scores/show reels.

The folio must contain recordings of 3 or 4 of your original compositions, at a total duration of 15 minutes. This can include audio visual recordings of your original music from any source such as: pop songs, concert music, band music, laptop performance, hip-hop rapping, music theatre music, film music, or music for dance or other media, such as music for games, advertising and web use. If appropriate include music scores and/or charts depending on your background.

The folio will be evaluated on the level of compositional craft and creativity, and suitability for Interactive Composition research.

Scholarships 

International graduate researchers can apply for the International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS), the Melbourne International Research Scholarships (MIRS) and the Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarships (MIFRS). 

Scholarship benefits include tuition fee waivers, as well as living, relocation and thesis allowances. To apply for a University scholarship(s) please complete the relevant section of the ‘Application Form for Admission to Graduate Research Degree Candidature and Scholarship’ (there is only one form to apply for both a place in a research degree and for a research degree scholarship) and ensure you select all scholarships you wish to apply for.