Module manager: Dr Matt Pritchard
Email: m.pritchard1@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Is music a unique human category, or should we study it as one of many sonic practices, both human and non-human? Do we like the music we like because of the background we’re from? Is the way capitalism works a problem for creativity? These are some of the many questions asked within the critical theory of music. Critical theory is an indispensable part of modern scholarship in the arts and humanities, giving researchers insight into how ways of knowing and patterns of cultural consumption are influenced by structures of power, discourse, materiality and meaning. Its application to music has been far-reaching, encompassing everything from constructions of gender in performance to sound studies and ecomusicology. The module provides students with intellectual resources that will be of use in extended research work in their degree and potentially beyond. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The module aims to give students a grounding in contemporary critical theory in its intersection with music. Through readings and participatory seminars, students will be equipped with the skills required to assimilate complex texts and modes of thought and work through applications of them to a range of musical and sonic practices.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Apply critical theory to music, showing creative initiative.
2. Interrogate and critique methodologies used in the study of music.
3. Show critical judgement in the selection and use of relevant research, practice and scholarship.
4. Communicate ideas in precise, organised and accessible ways.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 10 | 20 | 20 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Formative feedback occurs orally within the seminar framework, through Q&A with module staff, group discussions, and informal oral summary/presentation work in relation to each week’s topic.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Assignment | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 13/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team