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Course Outline

MUS201 Music and Pop Culture

Course Coordinator:Lachlan Goold (lgoold@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2026Trimester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

In this course, you will study the history of popular music and culture in 20th and 21st Century Western traditions. You will use this knowledge to engage in analytical and creative tasks that include songwriting, production and recording. These tasks will culminate in a sound recording reflective of a chosen historically informed approach to songwriting and studio production.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Interactive online learning activities. 1hr Week 1 11 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 2hrs Week 1 11 times

Course Topics

  • Blues
  • Jazz
  • Tin-Pan Alley
  • Rock n Roll
  • Funk
  • Soul and Disco
  • Punk
  • Country
  • Hip-Hop
  • Electronica
  • Critical listening
  • Musicology
  • Music Production
  • Recording studio

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Analyse and assess the connection between key historical events, cultural contexts, politics, music and popular culture Sustainability-focussed
2 Examine and participate in critical discussions regarding popular music and its cultural and social context using key academic frameworks. Creative and critical thinker
3 Develop an intermediate knowledge of song and lyric writing based on the practices of relevant historical periods in popular music. Knowledgeable
4 Develop an intermediate knowledge of record and music production based on the practices of relevant historical periods in music recording. Knowledgeable
5 Produce a recorded music artefact of your own creative work taking into consideration particular historical music production processes. Engaged

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

MUS100 or MUS101

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

An opportunity exists in every workshop to produce and perform creative work individually and/or in small peer groups. Using assessment criteria and an assessment rubric, provided to students prior to commencing, students will self-assess and peer assess throughout the entire course. This assessment will be moderated and finalised by the Course Coordinator.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Artefact - Creative Individual 40% 
5 minutes + slides with references
 Week 6 In Class
All 3 Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece Individual and Group 60% 
2-5 minute recording and 1500 words
 Exam Period Online Submission
All - Assessment Task 1:Presentation of a Producer and Production Innovation
Goal: 
In this assessment, you will develop and deliver a presentation on a song of your choice from the 20th and 21st-century and discuss the critical production choice/s and/or production innovation/s that contribute the largest impact on the final artefact.
Product: Artefact - Creative
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
You will select and research music producer and/or innovative production technique in a specific song and develop a 5-minute presentation discussing the historical context, technical information and reasoning of your choice. You must submit your slides/visuals including references.

At the end of this presentation, you will have to respond to a question from the lecturer that contributes to your overall task mark.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Analysing and situating your song with relevant research.
 1
2 
Developing an understanding of the creative and technical concepts in your topic.
 4
3 
Developing an engaging and concise presentation and participate in critical discussions regarding your topic.
 2
4 
Developing an analysis of music production using critical listening.
 4
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Historic Production of Original Song
Goal: 
This assessment aims to apply your knowledge as a songwriter and producer to create an original work using a historically informed production approach.
Product: Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
You will use critical listening to analyse a particular production approach and create a recording of an original song individually, or as a group, that demonstrates this production approach and applied knowledge of specific historical production and songwriting practice. This recording will implement technical knowledge of relevant historical production and songwriting practice to create a new sound recording. You will outline your contribution to the songwriting and production choices, detailing your approaches as social and cultural acts in a 1500-word reflection.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Developing appropriate technical processes in music production.
 4
2 
Producing an artefact demonstrating creative approaches to historical music production.
 5
3 
Examining songwriting and production decisions as social and cultural acts as outlined in the written brief.
 2
4 
Developing song and lyric writing based on the practices of relevant historical periods in popular music.
 3
Generic Skills: 
Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

It is recommended that students have basic DAW competency for this course.

Students are expected to make themselves available for autonomous recording sessions. Students must therefore consider their availability on evenings and weekends as well as normal working hours.

How are risks managed in this course?

Risk assessments have been performed for all studio and laboratory classes and a low level of health and safety risk exists. Some risk concerns may include equipment, instruments, and tools; as well as manual handling items within the laboratory. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: 

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