• Offered by School of Music
  • ANU College ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
  • Course subject Indigenous Studies
  • Areas of interest Cultural Studies, Australian Indigenous Studies, Musicology, Music

The Contemporary Australian Indigenous Music Studies course is designed to give students the knowledge and skills to interact with Australian Indigenous music in its contexts inclusive of narratives and issues pertinent to the music and its peoples. Students will examine a range of protocols and TCEs (traditional cultural expressions) that serve to inform them in their research and practical assignments and/or engagements with Australian Indigenous music. A comprehensive study of contemporary Australian Indigenous music styles and aural analysis of the same serves to introduce students to a widening cultural biography and a living culture with which they can have relationship. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

  1. identify and explain aspects of 'traditional' Australian Indigenous music;
  2. analyse and critique Australian Indigenous music with reference to style, aural awareness, context, narratives and issues;
  3. identify and explain aspects of Australian policy pertaining to our Indigenous people in the C20th, and how it has shaped content in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander music; and
  4. actively engage with Australian Indigenous peoples and their songs, and from a culturally informed position pertaining to protocols and TCEs (traditional cultural practices), in either information or performance environments.

Indicative Assessment

  1. Tutorial participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,4]
  2. Analysis/Essay (2,000 words) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4]
  3. Oral Presentation, 15 minutes (20) [LO 2,4]
  4. Final Examination, 2 hours (held during the formal examination period) (40) [LO 1,2,3,4]

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Workload

130 hours of total student learning time made up from:

 a) 36 hours of contact: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of workshop and workshop-like activities.

 b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.

Inherent Requirements

None

Prescribed Texts

Texts will be provided on Wattle.

Preliminary Reading

Repertoire list with accompanying reader.

Majors

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees

Student Contribution Band:
12
Unit value:
6 units

If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Units EFTSL
6.00 0.12500
Domestic fee paying students
Year Fee
2024 $3780
International fee paying students
Year Fee
2024 $5280
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.

Second Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
8142 21 Jul 2025 28 Jul 2025 31 Aug 2025 24 Oct 2025 In Person N/A

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