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MUS10280

Academic Year 2026/2027

Listening to Music (MUS10280)

Subject:
Music
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Music
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Jaime Jones
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Listening is one of the most fundamental ways that we engage with music, but it is not a simple or a singular activity. Musical traditions, practices, and communities invite different ways of listening, and individual listeners may hear very different things in the same piece of music. This module introduces students to a range of ways of listening through the close study of selected musical works and musical practices. Each week, a different member of faculty presents a musical example and invites students to explore it through a particular perspective, drawing on their own research, creative practice, and musical interests. Through guided listening, discussion, and reflection, students develop confidence in describing what they hear, engaging with unfamiliar musical experiences, and considering how different approaches to listening can reveal new insights. Topics vary from year to year and may address questions of time, narrative, performance, participation, production, environment, technology, history, and meaning.

The module emphasises listening as an active and reflective practice. Rather than surveying large amounts of repertoire, we spend sustained time with just one example per week, using discussion and writing in the classroom to examine how different approaches shape musical understanding. By the end of the trimester, students will have developed habits of attentive and critical listening that can be applied across a wide range of musical contexts.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Students who complete this module will be able to:
• describe and discuss selected musical works and musical practices through attentive listening.
• identify and reflect upon different approaches to listening and the perspectives that inform them.
• relate listening observations to broader questions concerning music, performance, culture, technology, history, and environment.
• communicate listening observations and interpretations clearly in written form.
• maintain a sustained record of listening and reflection across a range of musical examples.

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. Novice

Critical Thinking

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

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. Novice

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Novice

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. Novice

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. Novice

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. Novice

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. Novice

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Novice

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. Novice

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

12
Small Group

12
Specified Learning Activities

30
Autonomous Student Learning

46
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module uses participatory and active learning, primarily task-based models that facilitate discussion and problem solving through key listening examples. Attendance is integral to success in this module, as the bulk of the work is completed during class time spent with experts.

The assessment is based on the work done in class, so AI will not really be useful in this context. There will be a final reflexive component of the listening notebook; as the purpose of this is to reflect upon your own experience, AI will not be allowed in any part of the assessment.

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
Portfolio: Listening Notebook Week 12 Graded No
80
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Participation in discussion and reflection in class. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
20
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

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

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Participation in Class Activities (20%) This module is built around guided listening, discussion, and collaborative reflection. Participation marks are based on students’ engagement with weekly listening activities and contributions to class discussion throughout the trimester. Listening Notebook (80%) Students will maintain a Listening Notebook throughout the trimester. During each class, students will complete a short notebook entry in response to that week's musical example and listening perspective. At the end of the trimester, students will submit a brief reflective piece based on their notebook and participate in an individual meeting with the module coordinator. The notebook, reflective piece, and meeting will be assessed together as a single body of work. Students will receive formative feedback on their notebook during Week 6.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 11:00 - 12:50
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