Syllabus


-->
Music Appreciation (MUSC 1100-02) Tom Rule
CRN 26521 Spring 2013 (1/02/2013 revision)
Prerequisites: NONE Location/Time: ART 234 MW 12:30 - 1:45
Textbook: Music: An Appreciation by Kamien, brief edition. Should come with a set of CDs AND an access code for Kamien Connect. There is also an eBook edition that is available.
Class Blog: http://maconstate.blogspot.com – Go subscribe now!
More than you want to know about me: http://www.tomrule.info. I’m on Facebook. I'm also all over the web.

Goal:
No, I can’t force you to “appreciate” anything! The goal for the class is for you to:
• develop some listening skills so you will actually hear what you are listening to
• have an understanding of what has happened musically over the last several centuries
• experience music you have never experienced before.
No, it’s not all about just some dead white guys that have no impact on you. Even hiphop owes something to Mozart.

What you need:
1) Something to take notes in - you’ll need them!
2) The textbook AND the cds AND Kamien Connect - you’ll need them!
3) Your brain AND ears engaged.- you’ll need them!
4) A willingness to learn something - and the gumption to search for something interesting even when your initial impression is “booooooring!”.

PARTS OF THE CLASS [Each is covered below]
  1. Concert Reports
  2. In-Class Presentation
  3. Kamien Connect
  4. Tests
  5. Final Exam
1) Concert Reports:
Each report MUST BE TURNED IN by the 2nd class after the concert took place.
All must be turned in by 11:59pm the day of the last class meeting. Any exceptions will be announced in class and on the blog. THEY ARE RARE.
I will NOT grade them if turned in late. (Talk to me if there was a hospital or funeral home involved)
You will be required to attend TWO concerts this semester, and turn in a report. The report will be an analysis of the concert - details and suggestions are posted on the blog. Note that these count for a GRADE AND A HALF on your final average– so it behooves you to do them!

The concerts are to be “jazz” or “classical”. There are more possible events that you think - you just have to look for them! Possibilities: GC&SU music department (Milledgeville), Mercer music department (sign up for the email list), Macon State’s music department, Little Carnegie of the South, The Grand Opera house, the Macon Symphony (ALL OF THESE HAVE WEBSITES). Also check in the Macon Telegraph on Fridays for listings covering ten days. Also allowed: performances by high school or middle school performing groups - concerts, not theatrical productions.
WRITE WELL. WRITE ORGANIZED. WRITE FORMALLY.
TREAT THIS LIKE AN ENGLISH ESSAY. SEE SUGGESTIONS ON THE BLOG.
2) In-class presentation:
Bring in a favorite piece/performance. Play a 3 minute segment [-ish] of the piece, and then present some information about it. The only limitations: 1) nothing that would warrant a parental advisory sticker, & 2) only LEGAL copies of music. TIME LIMIT: 10 minutes! Talk fast and be organized!!
What to cover :
• who wrote it (and some BG info)
• who performed it (and some BG info)
• Form of the piece
• Instrumentation
• Style - what style is it, and what about the piece makes it this style?
• What thing about the piece you found most interesting – why you like/dislike it [be specific]
• ID the piece, album, and the source (label, catalog #)
NO ILLEGAL COPIES ARE TO BE USED! (Gnutella, Limewire, torrents, etc.)

You should speak up, speak clearly, know your stuff, act confident – the standard good public speaking stuff. Remember, you are trying to engage your audience, not put them to sleep, so make it interesting. For that matter, you are trying to keep your instructor awake as well!

Possible formats: CD, mp3 player, online source (youtube). Practice doing the presentation. Powerpoint can be used, but is NOT required. Other possibilities: Word, Google Docs……

What to turn in: If you have handwritten notes, turn them in (DO NOT make them “pretty” – it’s just a reminder for me as I grade your presentation). If you only have your stuff in electronic form, email a copy to tom.rule@maconstate.edu.

This will be scored on a rubric (by your instructor AND by your classmates – classmates score is 20% of your score for this project) - 3 pts=done well, 2=done partially, 1=barely passable, 0=not done – on how well you covered the material listed above.
3) Kamien ConnectKamien Connect will be used for two purposes for this class: Review/studying/music listening, and for graded assignments. You can take “homework” quizzes of 25 random questions as many times as you like, listen to the music online complete with an animated listening outline, and do several other activities that will help you learn the material being studied.IN ADDITION, there are several graded quizzes that count towards your final average. There will be ONE to TWO quizzes per Era being studied. Each will be available while we are studying that era, and will close the day of the exam at 11:59 pm. See the calendar for the dates we study each era.

You'll be able to take each quiz THREE times – but the LAST score is what counts. The second quiz may or may not be exactly the same thing. 60 minute time limit, OPEN BOOK is ok! YOU MUST WORK ALONE, THOUGH.
4) Tests
Tests are taken in a computer lab – details to be announced in class. Each test WILL have Listening – I play a segment, you identify the piece, taken from the CDs included with the textbook. I suggest you bring some earbuds/headphones – we have some for use, but the sound quality is merely OK.
5) Final Exam
is “semi-comprehensive”. You'll see new questions for Jazz and Music Business on it, but other questions will be taken from the previous tests. There will be listening on it, but a completely different format – we'll practice in class. DO NOT PANIC.

Final Grade consists of: [Grading Scale is 90-100 for A, 80-89 for a B, etc.]
  • Presentation 10%
  • Concert Reports 15%
  • Kamien Connect Graded Assignments 10%
  • Tests 50%
  • Final Exam 15%
Absences:
You get a week’s worth of free absences - that’s 2. Every absence after that drops your final average 3 points. Exceptions: extreme illness, death in family, etc. - i.e. major life-altering sicknesses. Stay in touch with your instructor! Example: Your Mom having surgery will be excused. Your dog having surgery won’t.
The point: You are here to learn. For that to happen, you have to be in class.

Office Hours:
Since I am adjunct, I don’t officially have an office! Unofficially, I have a cubbyhole down the hall from the classroom, and I am often in the piano studio (also down the hall).
The best ways to contact me:
• Before class – probably down in ART-244, aka the cubbyhole (door with all the comics on it)
• ART–250, when I’m teaching piano (schedule is on the door)
• Leave a note in MCA Office in my mailbox.
• Fill out the contact form at www.tomrule.info
• Email: tom@tomrule.info, tom.rule@maconstate.edu. I check tom@ tomrule.info MUCH more often.
My cell phone number will be given out in class. You can leave a message in the piano studio at 757-6639 – I get emailed when you leave one. You can also leave a message in the MCA Division office at 471-5792. You could even fax me at 314-9269.

The legal stuff:
STUDENT CONDUCT: As a Macon State College student and as a student in this class, it is your responsibility to read, understand, and abide by the MSC Student Code of Conduct. The Student Code of Conduct is included in the MSC Student Handbook and is available online at http://www.maconstate.edu/studentlife/docs/studenthandbook.pdf.
Students seeking academic accommodations for a special need must contact the Macon State College Counseling Center (478-471-2985) located on the first floor of the Learning Support Building, Room 110, on the Macon Campus


TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE (Subject to change!)
Intro Jan 7
Elements[3] Jan 9, 14, 16
Medieval/Renaissance [2] Jan 23, 28
Test Jan 30 in PSC109
Baroque [4] Feb 4, 6, 11, 13
Classical [4] Feb 18, 20, 25, 27
SPRING BREAK
Test Mar 11 in PSC 109
Romantic [4] Mar 13, 18, 20, 25
20th C [5] Mar 27, Apr 1, 3, 8, 10
Test Apr 15 in PSC 109 [TAX DAY!]
Jazz [4] Apr 17, 22, 24, 29
Final Exam: Mon May 6 1-3 pm Location PSC109


Final notes
MOST of your learning will take place OUTSIDE of the classroom.
I’m a guide, not a fountain.
Read the chapter BEFORE I talk about it
WARNING: THIS IS NOT AN EASY CLASS!
You’ll need to listen to the CDs dozens of times
over a period of weeks to “get” them
W e l c o m e   t o   c o l l e g e !



Listening CDs - which tracks go on which test

TENTATIVE! THIS MIGHT CHANGE A BIT!

Which Test Which tracks
page # - CD/Track - Composer
   1st track on the test
   Last track on the test
Elements/Medieval/Renaissance page 7 - 1/1+ Stravinsky
page 86 - 1/63+ - Dowland
Baroque/Classical page 109 - 2/1 - Bach
page 198 - 3/35+ - Beethoven
Romantic/20th Century page 217 - 3/42 - Schubert
page352 - 5/47+ - Carter
Final Exam: Jazz plus all of the above, sorta page 358 - 5/51 - Smith
page 374 - 5/59+ - Bernstein
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)