Competences developed in the course

Transversal competences

CT7: Use communication skills and constructive criticism in teamwork.

CT8: Develop ideas and arguments in a reasoned and critical manner.

CT9: Integrate effectively into multidisciplinary teams and diverse cultural contexts.

CT13: Strive for excellence and quality in professional activity.

CT17: Contribute through professional activity to raising social awareness of the importance of cultural heritage, its impact across different fields, and its capacity to generate significant values.

General competences

CG1: Know the theoretical principles of music and have developed appropriate skills in the recognition, understanding and memorisation of musical material.

CG2: Demonstrate appropriate skills in music reading, improvisation, creation and recreation.

CG3: Produce and accurately interpret the written notation of musical texts.

CG4: Recognise musical materials through well-developed aural skills and apply these abilities to professional practice.

CG6: Demonstrate an appropriate level of mastery of one or more musical instruments within the student’s principal field of activity.

CG7: Demonstrate the ability to interact musically in different types of collaborative musical projects.

CG8: Apply the most appropriate working methods to overcome challenges encountered in individual study and collective musical performance.

CG9: Understand the characteristics of the principal instrument, including its construction, acoustics, historical development and relationships with other disciplines.

CG11: Be familiar with a broad and up-to-date repertoire centred on the student’s specialisation while remaining open to other traditions. Recognise and clearly describe its stylistic characteristics.

CG17: Be familiar with different musical styles and practices in order to understand and enrich one’s own field of activity within a broader cultural context.

CG22: Possess broad and diverse musical resources to create or adapt musical works and to improvise in different contexts based on knowledge of styles, formats, techniques, trends and musical languages.

CG24: Develop lifelong self-learning skills.

CG25: Know and apply study and research methodologies that support the continuous development and innovation of professional musical activity.

Specific competences

IN1: Perform the core repertoire of the specialisation while appropriately addressing its stylistic characteristics.

IN2: Develop a coherent and personal interpretative concept.

IN3: Demonstrate the ability to interact musically in all kinds of collaborative projects, from duos to large ensembles.

IN4: Express oneself musically through the instrument or voice based on mastery of instrumental and physical technique, as well as knowledge of acoustic, organological and stylistic characteristics.

IN5: Communicate musical structures, ideas and materials rigorously as a performer.

IN6: Explain and justify interpretative decisions verbally while facilitating the audience’s understanding of the musical work.

IN7: Develop music-reading and improvisation skills.

IN8: Appropriately assume subordinate, participatory or leadership roles within a collective musical project.

IN9: Understand orchestral and ensemble working processes and resources, demonstrating strong sight-reading skills, flexibility in responding to the conductor’s directions and the ability to integrate effectively into the ensemble.

IN10: Understand the stage-related implications of professional performance and apply them effectively.

Learning outcomes (general objectives)

1. Develop the values and abilities required for effective communication in ensemble performance, with or without a conductor, in a variety of representative ensemble settings.
2. Apply, in a coordinated and contextualised manner, the elements that support and optimise ensemble performance.
3. Apply appropriate interpretative criteria in ensemble performance, demonstrating solid ensemble awareness and aural control to ensure complete stylistic and sonic cohesion while assuming differentiated roles within the ensemble.
4. Develop sufficient individual awareness of the ensemble to take initiative when appropriate and respond effectively to the initiatives of other members.
5. Broaden and apply stylistic awareness across a wide and varied ensemble repertoire.
6. Apply the most appropriate interpretative criteria for different musical styles in a coordinated manner.

Contents

Improvisation within ensemble performance. Standard ensemble formats. Characteristic roles of the different instruments and sections in each ensemble and style. Standard repertoire. Diversity of repertoire. Elements of ensemble performance. Communication through ensemble performance. General and style-specific rehearsal techniques. Ensemble performance in a variety of representative ensemble configurations. Performance of both original and existing repertoire. Improvisation within ensemble performance. Stylistic and sonic blend. Aural control of ensemble performance and awareness of one’s own role within the ensemble. Adaptation to specific stylistic requirements. Ensemble sound reinforcement according to different parameters. Initiative and commitment to collective work.

Teaching methodology

The teaching and learning methodology is based on ensemble performance, in either small or large groups. Independent work consists of studying and preparing the repertoire to be rehearsed in class, as well as rehearsing with fellow ensemble members.

Assessment systems

The assessment system is based on continuous assessment, founded on diagnostic evaluation and culminating in summative assessment leading to the final grade. Continuous assessment is carried out through different assessment records derived from specific assessment activities, such as class progress and participation in auditions or concerts.