Assessment criteria for Composing Music courses at OCA 1st

A+ 85%+ Exceptional Technical presentation Clarity of scores and orderly presentation; good command of appropriate software; accuracy of notation; understanding and application of graphic publishing conventions. Level 4 30% Level 5 25% Level 6 20% A highly professional presentation demonstrating complete command of resources, accurately and comprehensively edited to meet the highest standards. A 70-84% Excellent A professional presentation demonstrating a good command of software resources and graphic conventions.

2.1
B 60-69% Very good Well presented scores demonstrating a good command of software resources and graphic conventions.

2.2
C 50-59% Good/Average Reasonably presented scores, though some inaccuracies show a need to acquire greater command of the software and/or understanding of notation conventions Some facility appropriate to the assignments with evidence of using ideas with some interest within a structured framework, and a cautious approach to performance resources. Some evidence of interesting and imaginative work, with useful attempts to explore some original approaches.

3rd
D 40-49% Satisfactory Reasonably presented scores, though inaccuracies show a need to acquire greater command of the software and/or understanding of notation conventions

Fail
E 30-39% F 29% or below An inadequate submission lacking clarity and, grammatical rigour.

A poor familiarity with the software leaving a confused or misleading impression of the work.

Compositional skills Evidence of craftsmanship in manipulating material; structural cohesion; exploration of ideas; appropriate and correct use of performance resources.

Level 4 30% Level 5 30% Level 6 30%

Outstanding facility with technical resources within the given assignment range; highly effective and practicable use of instruments and voices, and a sound structural design.

Excellent facility with technical resources within the given assignment range; effective and practicable use of instruments and voices, and a sound structural design.

A facility appropriate to the assignments with evidence of some skill with materials and structural design. Ideas are explored and instrumental and/or vocal resources used well.

Only a modest facility in the use of ideas and structure with little exploration and only a cautious approach to performance resources

Poor facility in the use of ideas and structure with no appreciable exploration and little understanding of performance resources.

Inadequate use of materials and a lack of understanding of structure and instrumental resources.

Creativity Exploration and inventiveness toward developing an individual voice; original ideas and experimental adventurousness.

Level 4 20% Level 5 25% Level 6 30%

Exceptionally imaginative ideas, inspired thinking with unusual treatment of materials; plausible and confident experimentation with design and thematic structure. Exceptional range of research, demonstrating an exciting curiosity with well documented responses and a thorough understanding of the work of other composers and commentators.

Highly imaginative ideas applied to unusual and interesting development, with some confident experimentation, design and thematic structure. Excellent range of research, demonstrating a well documented curiosity, lively responses and an understanding of the work of other composers and commentators.

Interesting and imaginative ideas given some inventive treatment with useful attempts to explore some original approaches. Very good range of listening and research with good documentation, lively responses and an understanding of the work of other composers and commentators.

Little evidence of interest or imagination in the work, with only modest signs of originality or exploratory development of the ideas in use. situations. Evidence of only limited listening, reading and research, with a resulting narrow familiarity or understanding of the repertoire.

Limited evidence of interest or imagination in the work, and barely any signs of originality or exploratory development of ideas. Little documented evidence of listening, reading and research with a resulting poor familiarity or understanding

Inadequate evidence of imaginative work or poor ideas, with no originality in development.

Stylistic awareness Evidence of listening and reading, research, critical thinking and reflection; development of responses to exploratory enquiry and analysis (demonstrated in listening logs and, at levels 5 and 6, critical reviews and essays)

Level 4 20% Level 5 20% Level 6 20%

Good range of listening, reading and research, well documented, demonstrating a fair analytical understanding.

Inadequate evidence of listening, reading and research with a resulting in inadequate familiarity or understanding

These assessment criteria should be used in conjunction with the level descriptions as described below: Feedback at different levels - MUSIC Different feedback is needed at each level. Students at Level 1 (HE 4), for example, shouldnt be criticised for not having found their own personal artistic voice. Similarly students at Level Three should be expected to know how to keep their records of listening and reading, and how to express their ideas and opinions succinctly in the form of written dissertation. Level 1 (HE 4) is about laying the foundations. The emphasis is on understanding and acquiring skills and good working habits, such as the keeping of listening and reading logs. Its about students informing themselves about others work. At this level, they are not expected to have developed a great deal of autonomy or have found a strong personal creative language -- if they have already done so, this is a bonus. Feedback at Level One should focus on their success in acquiring the necessary skills and working habits, at the same time encouraging the student to broaden their horizons. At Level 2 (HE 5) the student continues to improve their skills and the quality of their work. But at this level, they should be starting to develop a personal voice in the way they produce assignments and apply the results of their exploratory listening and reading to their work. This means that in addition to skills, feedback should reflect back to the student whether they are taking enough responsibility for the shaping of their own work, whether they are doing enough research and whether they are interpreting the assignments imaginatively and inventively. Level 3 (HE 6) is about the transition from being a self-motivated student to becoming a self-motivated and independent composer. The expectation is that the quality of work will continue to improve, and the student can demonstrate evidence of inventiveness, aesthetic judgement, originality and independence. They should be developing their understanding of the professional arena they aspire to move into and their intellectual understanding of the theory and concepts underpinning their discipline.