MUS 744 : Musicians’ Health and Well-being

Creative Arts and Industries

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An advanced examination of the critical physical and psychological health issues musicians encounter when preparing for performances and when performing. Topics include aspects of musculoskeletal health, focal dystonia, the protection of the voice and hearing, the role of movement disciplines and the management of stress and music performance anxiety. An inquiry into research from both science and arts disciplines that informs how musicians maintain physical and psychological well-being.

Course Overview

Musicians'  Health covers a broad range of topics relating to the lifestyle, injuries and treatment, mental health and stressors a musician experiences throughout their careers.  Students will hear from several specialists in their fields and gain invaluable insight into how they are able to create sustainable and enjoyable pathways for themselves.  There is a particular focus on the mental health of musicians which covers both the performance anxiety that musicians can experience, as well as other mental health issues  many experience both on and off the stage.  How to prevent injuries and create healthy practice habits, alongside movement modalities that support this is also explored.  
The assessments have been designed and structured in such a way that each builds onto the next assignment with the final body of work being an essay on a significant area within  musicians' health.  

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Identify some of the central health issues relevant to musicians’ physical and psychological health. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  2. Demonstrate your critical thinking, analytical writing, and presentation skills. (Capability 1.2, 3.2, 4.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  3. Understand and apply specific strategies related to health promotion and the prevention of injury. (Capability 1.2, 8.1 and 8.2)
  4. Be able to engage with issues associated with areas of musicians’ health. (Capability 3.2, 4.1, 5.1 and 7.1)
  5. Reflect upon upon your own influence on your psychological and physical health. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  6. Be able to investigate and discuss medical and complimentary health strategies to facilitate performance health needs. (Capability 3.2, 6.1 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Class Participation 10% Individual Coursework
Critical Review 20% Individual Coursework
Seminar Presentation 25% Group & Individual Test
Essay 45% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Class Participation
Critical Review
Seminar Presentation
Essay

Assignments are to be submitted, according to submission type specified on CANVAS, by the due date. If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, please complete an application for extension form at the following link

https://www.forms.auckland.ac.nz/en/student/creative-arts-and-industries/te-whare-o-ng_-pkrero-poro---school-of-music-undergraduate-exten.html

You must submit your extension application as early as possible before the assignment due date.

 Late assignments that do not have an approved extension will be penalised 10% for each day or part thereof and will be automatically deducted on CANVAS. No assignment will be accepted after that assignment has been returned to students. 

 .

Teaching & Learning Methods

The course will be delivered by a series of lectures and workshops. The lectures cover a wide range of performance -related topics which will include formal lectures and interactive workshops. There is a 3 hour weekly class for which attendance is compulsory. Preparatory readings are to be completed before each lecture.

Exam Mode

  • There is no final exam for this course

Further information about exams can be found at https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/about-exams.html

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including seminars/tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions/tutorials.
Attendance on campus is required for the test.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

SET evaluations did not make the threshold in 2022 so any adaptations in coursework have been based on oral feedback from students across the course. 

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

We undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions, the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. In the event of a disruption, the University and your course coordinators will make every effort to provide you with up to date information via Canvas and the University website.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 23/11/2024 08:58 a.m.