Course coordinator
Dr Chris Perren
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Music School
Music Special Project A provides students with the opportunity to take on a professional role within a broader creative, research, or entrepreneurial team to achieve the outcomes of a real-world project. Project work is collaborative and may include work with academics and students from other courses or discipline areas to achieve project outcomes. Students will also develop employability skills related to collaboration, communication, project management, and evaluation. Details of Music Special Project A will be provided by the Course Coordinator. This course may be cancelled if fewer than ten students enrol.
MUSC3910 provides a Work-Integrated Learning experience as part of a record label for a maximum of 16 students. Students liaise with artists, finalise and upload master recordings for distribution, and promote releases to audiences and media. Students learn about current music industry practices, copyright law, and promotional strategies through experience of a real-world label release.
Capacity is limited and entry to the course is subject to application.
Please fill out the application form here to request enrolment.
A diverse range of skills may be valuable to the label team, including music production, digital content and media management, web design, copywriting, project management, and communication.
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed that students intending to take this course have a substantial background in music.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
Approval of the Course Coordinator
Restrictions
Capacity in this course is limited and enrolment is by application.Course offering may be cancelled if fewer than ten students enrol.
Course contact
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Student attend weekly team meetings on Thursdays 8am-10am, and a weekly co-working session on Fridays 9am-11am.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to:
- Equip students with a practical and theoretical understanding of music industry practices and processes, including production, distribution, promotion, and copyright.
- Facilitate a simulated internship within a record label as a Work-Integrated Learning experience.
- Develop students' ability to communicate, collaborate, and work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team.
- Provide opportunities for individual initiative and self-directed activity based on students' interests and skills
- Provide a meaningful and rich experience of working with real artists on real releases within a diverse and inclusive environment.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Apply a comprehensive understanding of music industry practices and processes, including production, distribution, promotion, and copyright.
LO2.
Communicate and collaborate with others towards shared large-scale project goals.
LO3.
Work independently on workplace tasks with creativity and adaptability.
LO4.
Understand and critically analyse music industry processes, and reflect on experiences.
LO5.
Understand the role and value of diverse voices and backgrounds within the music industry.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz | Record Label Fundamentals Quiz | 10% |
10/03/2025 - 14/03/2025
Not a submissible item. The Quiz will be completed online within a 90-minute timeframe. |
| Project | Release Plan | 30% |
2/05/2025 5:00 pm |
| Notebook/ Logbook, Portfolio | Work Journal and Portfolio | 60% |
9/06/2025 5:00 pm |
Assessment details
Record Label Fundamentals Quiz
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
10/03/2025 - 14/03/2025
Not a submissible item. The Quiz will be completed online within a 90-minute timeframe.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L04
Task description
This Quiz will assess a foundational knowledge of label practices and processes. Questions and answers will be mainly drawn from readings and other learning content from Weeks 1-3. The Quiz will be completed online within a specified date range, and time-limited to 90 minutes.
Submission guidelines
The Quiz will be completed online within a 90-minute timeframe.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be grated afterwards.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Release Plan
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
2/05/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Create a release plan for a hypothetical EP or Album release - it may be your own project or a fictional project. In consideration of its style, format, and target audience, complete a comprehensive release plan.
The plan should consist of two documents based on templates provided via Blackboard:
1) A Release Plan Document
This is a working document which sets out all relevant details of the release plan, with room for descriptive or strategic information.
2) A Release Schedule Document
This document is a Gantt-chart-based schedule, setting out important dates and tasks. It should be consistent with any dates in the Release Plan document and give a comprehensive birds-eye-view of the release process.
Templates and example cases will be provided on Blackboard. You may edit the template documents as much as you wish, including altering the structure where you feel it is sensible to do so. Consider the two documents as inter-dependent; you may find you need to go back and forth between them in order to settle into a solid release schedule.
Task Constraints
While a completely fictional release plan is permitted, it must be situated in current reality and bound by realistic constraints. For example:
- Your budget cannot be unlimited - if total costs exceed $2000, you must include some explanation of where the money is to come from for each stage.
- You may consider boosting your budget with government grants, crowd-funding, or other fund-raising strategies, provided that these are accounted for in the release plan with regard to timing and the work required to undertake such strategies.
- Your schedule must not exceed a total period of two years.
- Any major showcase opportunities (e.g. BIGSOUND, AusMusic Month, Festivals, etc) or media relationships (e.g. 4ZZZ, TripleJ Unearthed, Local Blogs and Press) must be real events and organisations - fictional showcases, media outlets, or organisations are not permitted.
- If using a fictional artist, they should be considered to be at the early stages of their career - i.e. they have not attained international fame, have no major label ties, and have modest resources at their disposal.
- The plan must not depend on anything unlikely to occur in reality, e.g. "winning a competition to have your album produced by Rick Rubin", or "randomly meeting Vera Blue on a plane flight and convincing her to contribute vocals" cannot be a part of your release plan.
- Your release plan should be achievable by the artist(s) themselves; any work contributed by additional personnel must be accounted for. E.g. if someone is to design an album cover or edit videos, they must either be paid a reasonable fee, or have other clear incentives to contribute their time and effort.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be grated afterwards.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Work Journal and Portfolio
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Notebook/ Logbook, Portfolio
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
9/06/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Present a work journal and portfolio compiling your reflections and work outcomes from your time with the label.
Your Submission Must Include:
- At least six (6) journal entries documenting the experience of working with the record label, including a final reflection on your experience as a whole.
- A portfolio of work completed for the label during the semester including between one (1) and five (5) items presented across no more than ten (10) A4 pages.
Journal Entries
Journal entries should be dated at intervals throughout the semester, and may include your observations on day-to-day operations, hypotheses on outcomes, and things you have learned. Entries should be reflective in nature and tailored to an insider audience - i.e. there is no need to explain in detail how the label operates or what the releases are; you may assume this context is known. The writing style needn't be scholarly, but should be clear and specific, and free from offensive language or comments. Students should aim to demonstrate openness to new ideas and processes, a willingness to view situations from a range of perspectives, and a positive attitude.
Your submission must include a final entry which presents a reflective evaluation of the experience of the course as a whole.
The journal portion of your submission must include at least six (6) entries and total between 2000 and 2500 words.
If the journal entries kept throughout the semester exceed the word limit, students may present edited versions or a curated selection of entries for the purpose of this assessment.
Portfolio Items
The portfolio portion of your submission showcases the tangible outcomes of your time with Corella Recordings. Your submission may include between one (1) and five (5) items. These may include:
- Written promotional copy (e.g. an artist bio or press release)
- Website news article/blog post
- Social media copy
- Images or graphics created for the label
- Spreadsheets, databases, or other documents (e.g. media contact database for a particular release)
- Audio files created for the label
- Video files created for the label
- Website pages
The collated portfolio items may not exceed ten (10) A4 pages of the submitted document*. If a student has more than five (5) eligible portfolio items or items totalling more than 10 pages, they may present edited versions or a curated selection for the purpose of this assessment.
*For audio files or video files, an attached file or link to the file on cloud storage may be provided. For the sake of the page limit, we will consider each audio or video item as one (1) page counting toward the total.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be grated afterwards.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work does not satisfy the basic requirements of this course. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work does not satisfy the requirements of this course. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Work falls short of satisfying all requirements for a pass. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfies many of the basic requirements of the course, including a sufficient grasp of the fundamental issues and concepts and an adequate demonstration of written skills. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates an ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and facts going beyond mere replication of content knowledge to show an understanding of central ideas and subject matter. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates an understanding of some of the more subtle aspects of the course with an ability to identify and debate critical issues while also demonstrating a broad knowledge of the course. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates initiative, imagination, originality and flair. Work should also demonstrate competence and proficiency and a thorough knowledge of the course. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
This course evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
A list of required and recommended readings and videos will be posted on Blackboard each week. You should come to class prepared, having read and watched this learning content as your lecturer and tutor will expect familiarity with this material.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Not Timetabled |
Weekly Readings and Online Resources Students will be provided with weekly online learning materials to complement their work, and equip them with core knowledge required for effective participation. Learning outcomes: L01, L04, L05 |
Not Timetabled |
Independent and collaborative work Students will commit non-contact time to assigned label duties, communication and collaboration via online teamwork platforms, and written assessments. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Tutorial |
Team Meeting Each week, our team will gather for a 2-hour team meeting. During these sessions students will learn and discuss important concepts related to music releases, participate in label planning, and benefit from guest lecturers and presenters. Meetings are not scheduled during the School of Music Project Week. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Tutorial |
Co-working Sessions Students will meet in the computer lab once a week to discuss content, receive briefings and delegations, and work collaboratively on label-related activities. Co-working sessions are not scheduled during the School of Music Project Week. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course:
- School of Music site
- Health and Wellbeing for Musicians