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MUS10260

Academic Year 2026/2027

Introduction to Composition (MUS10260)

Subject:
Music
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Music
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Sean L Clancy
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module, which serves as an introduction to composition and creative music making at UCD asks two fundamental questions: What are your materials, and how are you going to organise them? Over a 12 week period we will get to grips with compositional practices in the 20th & 21st centuries, examining the techniques composers have used to innovate with metre & rhythm, pitch, structure, texture, timbre, and technology. In addition to learning creative techniques, students will be taught the fundamentals of notation (conventional & graphic), notation software, and DAW software. Students are given practical activities throughout the module to scaffold learning, and the module will culminate withs students submitting a collection of their own compositions that respond to module content for assessment.

* Please note that from the academic year 2027/2028 this module will be required for students wishing to undertake MUS31470: Techniques of Composition

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Demonstrate an awareness of compositional techniques from the 20th & 21st Centuries by incorporating contemporary practices into original compositions.

Exhibit individuality and creativity through composition.

Employ assured compositional technique.

Present work in notation and/or audio in a refined way.

Indicative Module Content:

UNIT I: Introductions
Week I - Introduction: Rhythm, Noise, Structure (Stravinsky, Cage etc.)
Week II - Notation: Using Musescore software
Week III - Using a DAW: Simple audio recording & midi recording

UNIT II: Pitch & Systems
Week IV - Using rules I: Johnson, Pärt (Systems)
Week V - Using rules II: Berio (Serial Systems)
Week VI - Using intuition: Feldman, Riley (Intuition)

UNIT III -Texture and Timbre
Week VII - Drone music: Radigue, Szlavnics, Lankum
Week VIII - Extended Techniques: Monk, Saariaho
Week IX - Graphic Notation & Conduction: Chacon, Morris

UNIT IV: Recorded Music
Week X - Electronics: Parmegiani, Ahti
Week XI - Film/media music: Fendrix/Lanthimos, Clancy/Tam
Week XII - Home Studio Work: SOPHIE, Mount Eerie

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Advanced Beginner

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Tutorial

12
Autonomous Student Learning

72
Total

108

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
In-person lectures (2 hours per week)
Face-to-face small group tutorial (1 hour per week)
small compositional tasks and scaffolded assignments
self-directed compositional practice leading up to assessments

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Participation in Learning Activities: Participate in lectures & tutorials by engaging in weekly group discussions, exercises, and practical activities. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
10
 No
Individual Project: Write a short compositional exercise (1-2 minutes) utilising some of the techniques discussed in class during weeks 1-3. Your work should be for a solo instrument of your choosing. Week 4 Graded No
15
 No
Individual Project: Write a short compositional exercise (2-3 minutes) utilising some of the techniques discussed in weeks 4-7. Your work should be for 2-3 instruments. Week 8 Graded No
25
 No
Individual Project: Write an end of year piece of 3-5 minutes that engages with one or more of the techniques demonstrated during this module. Generally speaking, your work should be for 1-5 instruments or be DAW based. Week 14 Graded No
50
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Written and/or annotated feedback will be provided through the VLE using rubrics. There will also be the opportunity to discuss feedback with tutors and/or module coordinator.

ADLER, Samuel, The Study of Orchestration, 4th Edition (New York, Norton, 2016)

ANDRIESSEN, Louis, The Apollonian Clockwork: On Stravinsky (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989)

BERGER, John, Ways of Seeing (London: Penguin, 2008)

BLATTER, Alfred Instrumentation and Orchestration 2nd Edition (Boston: Cengage learning, 1997)

BURROWS, Jonathan, A Choreographer’s Handbook. (Abingdon: Routledge, 2010)

CAGE, John, Silence (London: Marion Boyars, 1968)

CAGNEY, Liam, Gérard Grisey and Spectral Music: Composition in the Information Age. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024)

CONRAD, Tony Writings (New York: Primary Information, 2019)

FELDMAN, Morton, Give my Regards to Eighth Street (Cambridge MA: Exact Change, 2000)

GALLOPE, Michael; HARREN, Natilee; HICKS, John, The Scores Project: Essays on Experimental Notation in Music, Art, Poetry, and Dance, 1950-1975 (Los Angeles: Getty Research Institute, 2025)

GLOVER, Richard & HARRISON, Bryn, Overcoming Form: Reflections on Immersive Listening (Huddersfield, Huddersfield University Press, 2013)

GOTTSCHALK, Jennie, Experimental Music Since 1970 (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016)

GRIFFITHS, Paul, Modern Music and After 3rd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010)

LEWIS, George, A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2009)

LELY, John & SAUNDERS, James, Word Event: Perspectives on Verbal Notation (London: Bloomsbury, 2012)

LUCIER, Alvin, Music 109: Notes on Experimental Music (Middletown CT, Wesleyan University Press, 2012)

LUCIER, Alvin, Eight lectures on experimental music (Middletown CT, Wesleyan University Press, 2018)

NYMAN, Michael, Experimental Music: Cage and Beyond (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1974)

OSMOND-SMITH, David, Playing on Words: A Guide to Luciano Berio’s Sinfonia (London: Royal Musical Association, 1985)

POTTER, Keith, Four Musical Minimalists (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002)

PRIEST, Eldritch, Boring Formless Nonsense: Experimental Music and the Aesthetics of Failure (London: Bloomsbury, 2013)

RADIGUE, Éliane, Alien Roots: Éliane Radigue: Blank Forms 10 (Chicago: Blank Forms Editions, 2025)

RUTHERFORD-JOHNSON, Tim, Music after the Fall, (Oakland, University of California Press, 2017)

SHENTON, Andrew, The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012)

STRAVINSKY, Igor, Poetics of music in the form of six lessons (Cambridge Mass. Harvard University Press, 1970)

TENNEY, James, From Scratch: Writings in Music Theory (Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2019)

ZIMMERMANN, Walter, Desert Plants, Conversations with 23 American Musicians (Cologne, MusikTexte, 2020)

It's also useful to read articles in periodicals such as Journal of Music, Tempo, Perspectives of New Music, MusikTexte, Leonardo Music Journal, The Wire.

Name Role
Satchel Henneman Tutor
Sonia Killmann Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 11:00 - 12:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 33 Mon 10:00 - 10:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 2 Week(s) - 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 33 Mon 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 3 Week(s) - 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 4 Week(s) - 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 5 Week(s) - 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 16:00 - 16:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 6 Week(s) - 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 11:00 - 11:50
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