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Norges musikkhøgskole Norwegian Academy of Music Search

Vocal Music Pro­duc­tion

  • Course level: Bachelor/Master.
  • Year of study: One semester, spring.
  • Preliminary schedule: Fridays 10:00–11:30.
  • Final assessment: Exam portfolio.
  • Prerequisites: MUSTEK22 or equivalent.
  • Language of instruction: Norwegian or English.

Course description

Production of vocals in multi-track setups and ProTools. For example, using the Playlist, and when and how to use Auto-Tune / Melodyne.

The aim of the course is that the students will be able to supervise themselves or others in vocal recording or production processes, focusing on text delivery, timing and pitch.

Students must be able to use features of ProTools 10, and additional tools like Auto-Tune and/or Melodyne, and be able to put together a complete vocal track from several cuts without this being audible.

Responsible department: Composition, Music Theory and Music Technology Department.

Course instructor: Ulf Holand.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to

  • be able to implement and communicate a vocal expression in Norwegian or English
  • have good knowledge of Auto-Tune / Melodyne and their application areas
  • be able to instruct a singer regarding textual comprehension, diction and intonation
  • master relevant communication and motivational techniques
  • master continuously writing an evaluation of interpretation during vocal recording

Overview

  • Basic textual comprehension in Norwegian and English.
  • Notation systems for continuous evaluation of quality during a recording. Create a "map" for faster editing regarding timing, intonation and diction.
  • Practical training with editing pre-recorded vocals, and training in recording vocals.

Structure

Tuition takes place for 90 minutes per week for one semester. Some tuition may be organised as projects.

Some assignments may be linked to the elective course SASA20 Singer-songwriter, where the MUSTEK45-students will be co-producers in the SASA20-students' recordings.

Course requirements

1. Participation in group meetings is compulsory. More than 20 % of absence from class will normally result in a failing mark.

2. Process portfolio: Students will assemble a process portfolio including

  • textual analysis
  • recording methods
  • one vocal recording
  • one vocal editing
  • one vocal tuning

Deadline: The process portfolio must be complete and approved by 15 May.

Final assessment

All course requirements must be approved prior to obtaining a final assessment.

Assessment is based on learning objectives. The final assessment is given as a pass/fail mark based on the exam portfolio. Assessment is done by two internal examiners.

Exam portfolio

Based on the process portfolio students will submit an exam portfolio including

  • one vocal recording based on three recording methods and a short written evaluation of them
  • one vocal editing
  • one selected assignment from the process portfolio

New assessment

In the case of re-assessment, the same procedures apply.

Study component

Published: Apr 3, 2020 — Last updated: Feb 1, 2024