GREAT BASIN COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
SPRING - 2012
I. COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE: Music 121 - Music Appreciation
II. CREDITS: 3
III. PREREQUISITES: None
IV. CATALOG DESCRIPTION: The historical and cultural background of music and
origins to the twentieth century.
ADA STATEMENT: Any student with a disability requesting accommodations is requested to contact the Student Services Office in Elko at 753-2279 as soon as possible.
V. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION: (NAME, OFFICE LOCATION, PHONE, E-MAIL,
OFFICE HOURS. HOW AND WHEN TO
CONTACT WHEN NOT TO CALL.)
Minnis Alderman: 1280 Avenue F (E. Aultman), Ely, Nevada; (775) 289-2116 or 289-5468;
9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Saturday. Fax: (775) 289-5217
VI. REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS (include ISBN) AND OTHER MATERIALS: Listen, Seventh Edition by Joseph Kerman and Gary Tomlinson
Recommended: references listed in the textbook Course material may be purchased
online at http://www.efollett.com
VII. GRADING POLICY/POINT SYSTEM: G.B.C. wants students to succeed. Grades describe the quality of work completed. Class attendance is vital. Three points for each unexcused absence and two points for each tardy will be deducted from points earned. Final grade is a compilation of all test scores, assigned reports and projects, and class participation.
GRADE VALUES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A+ 98 & above 12
A Superior 94 11 Refer also
A- 90 10 to
B+ 87 9 GBC catalog
B Above Average 84 8
B- 80 7
C+ 77 6
C Average 74 5
C- 70 4
D+ 67 3
D Below Average 64 2
D- 60 1
F Failure Below
I Incomplete - See guidelines in course catalog.
W Withdrawal - See guidelines in course catalog.
MAKE-UP WORK may be accepted, possibly, upon reasonably explained request.
LATE WORK will be accepted on the basis of lowering by one letter grade for each day's delay.
MAKE-UP EXAMS will be permitted only if excused absence is pre-arranged or if the absence is the result of emergency.
VIII. COURSE GOALS/OBJECTIVES:
After successful completion of this course, the student will be able to
1. identify structural form in music;
2. identify musical examples from Medieval/ Renaissance, Baroque,
Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras.
IX. ASSIGNMENTS/CONTENTS
Each student will have the opportunity to discuss a topic of particular interest in music and to prepare a research paper. Subjects for research or discussion may be chosen from the following.
1. Acoustics of Instruments
2. Violin Makers of Italy
3. Music of Spain
4. Music of Mexico (colonial period)
5. Music in Medicine
6. History of the Pianoforte
7. Music of South America
8. Lieder
9. Oratorio
10. Baroque Suites
11. Gregorian Chant
12. Greek Influences on Music
13. History of the Orchestra
14. Hurdy-gurdy
15. Canons and Fugues
16. History of Opera
17. Music of Russia
18. Impressionism and Expressionism in Music
19. Jazz in the Concert Hall
20. Ballet in the Twentieth Century
21. Jazz
or a topic of the student's own choosing with instructor's approval.
X. STUDENT OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to
1. identify the basic elements of music as rhythm, melody, harmony, and
tone color in a piece of music;
2. identify texture of a piece of music;
3. perceive the form/structure of a musical piece through an ABA
structural analysis;
4. identify common musical vocabulary terms;
5. identify at least one major composer of a particular period;
6. identify the genre of a piece of music.
XI. MEASUREMENT METHODS:
Exams: Multiple choice, Matching, Essay, Completion
Class Participation
Daily Feedbacks: logs, questions from students, appraisal of learned material in chapters and discussions.
FINAL GRADE WILL BE THE AVERAGE OF EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES:
1. Dailies
Class participation
Logs (pg. 5)
Synopsis and Questions (pg. 6)
2. Tests
3. Discussions and Presentations
4. Research paper (pgs. 7 & 8)
5. Final examination
The instructor reserves the right to adjust the course calendar to meet the needs of the students. Logs, summaries, and questions are due each class session. Refer to pages 6 and 7. Page 8 is the guideline for Research Papers.
SCHEDULE: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00 A.M. to 9:15 A.M. – NO CELL PHONES
CLASS DATE ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT
1 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Introduction, Unit I: Fundamentals
2 Thursday, 26 Chapters 1 and 2
3 Tuesday, 31 Chapter 3 and Appendix B
4 Thursday, February 2 Chapters 4, 5 and Review
5 Tuesday, 7 TEST #1
6 Thursday, 9 PRESENTATION, Unit II: Early Music
7 Tuesday, 14 Chapters 6 and 7
8 Thursday, 16 Chapters 7, 8 and Review
9 Tuesday, 21 TEST #2
10 Thursday 23 Unit III: 18th Century, Chapter 9
11 Tuesday, 28 Chapter 10
12 Thursday, March 1 Chapters 10 and 11
13 Tuesday, 6 Chapters 11 and 12; Proposal for Research Paper due
14 Thursday, 8 Chapters 12 and 13
15 Tuesday, 13 Chapter 13
16 Thursday, 15 Chapter 14 and Review
17 Tuesday, 20 TEST #3
18 Thursday, 22 Unit IV: 19th Century, Chapter 15
19 Tuesday, April 3 Chapters 15 and 16
20 Thursday, 5 Chapter 17
21 Tuesday, 10 Chapters 17 and 18
22 Thursday, 12 Chapters 18 and 19
23 Tuesday, 17 Chapter 19 and Review
24 Thursday, 19 TEST #4
25 Tuesday, 24 Unit V: 20th Century, Chapter 20
26 Thursday, 26 Chapters 21 and 22
27 Tuesday, May 1 Chapters 23 and 24
28 Thursday, 3 Chapter 24 and Review
29 Tuesday, 8 TEST #5
30 Thursday, 10 Research Paper Due/Presentation
31 Tuesday, 15 Review
32 Thursday, 17 FINAL EXAMINATION
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MUSIC 121 - MUSIC APPRECIATION
VIDEO/CHAPTER/ARTICLE ASSIGNMENT LOG
Name: ______Date: ______
Title and number of article: ______
Briefly state the main idea of this article: ______
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List three important facts that the author uses to support the main idea: ______
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What information or ideas discussed in this article are also discussed in your textbook or other reading you have done? List the textbook chapters and page numbers: ______
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List any examples of bias or faulty reasoning that you found in the article: ______
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List any new terms/concepts that were discussed in the article and write a short definition:
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MUSIC 121 - MUSIC APPRECIATION
Name: ______Date: ______
What are the most important things you learned during class?
What important questions remain unanswered?
Paper Proposal
Proposal: Select a topic that is of interest to you. Submit a proposal for your specific topic. The proposal should include
a. clear description of your selected topic
b. why you are interested in this area
c. a brief description of what your paper will cover
d a list of references that you intend to use (the list will not necessarily be complete at this point.
The purpose of this proposal is to help you select a topic early to facilitate your research. It will
be returned to you as quickly as possible with suggestions and comments about revisions, additional references, format and presentation, and further questions. This feedback should then be incorporated into your final paper.
The paper should be a thoughtful and critical commentary on your chosen topic.
The final paper should conform to the specifications pertaining generally to term papers (e.g., title page, references, headings, and content). The paper should be about ten (10) pages long, double-spaced, typed or word processed, and should contain substantial references.
RESEARCH WRITING EVALUATION FORM
Writer______Assignment______Date______
Minimum Standard RequirementsAn essay receiving an evaluation of “unacceptable” in any of these first three areas is considered unfinished and receives no grade. / Excellent
8 points / Good
6 points / Adequate
4 points / Weak
2 points / Unacceptable
1 point
(1) The essay uses the conventions of standard edited English (spelling, punctuation, grammar, paragraphing, etc.).
(2) The essay’s format and presentation follow the specifications of MLA or APA format (typed with standard margins, fonts, correct parenthetical references, etc).
(3) The essay’s sources (whether primary or secondary sources) and the use of those sources are appropriate for college writing. This includes the quality and quantity of sources, as well as the analysis and integration of them into the essay.
(4) The essay completes the assignment specified by the instructor.
Additional Requirements
(5) The essay’s purpose is clear and persuasive.
(6) The essay is directed toward and meets the needs of its audience.
(7) The essay is well-organized, focused, and unified, with an effective beginning, middle and end. Transitions between paragraphs and sections are clear.
(8) The essay provides effective supporting arguments, evidence, examples, and details.
(9) The essay uses appropriate language and tone.
(10) The essay shows originality and creativity in realizing (1) through (8).
Overall Evaluation
Total points ______
Grade ______
Comments:
IMPROVING MEMORY
OR
THE SQ3R STUDY TECHNIQUE
1. SURVEY – Take a “bird’s-eye” view as you note the headings of the chapter, article, etc.
2. QUESTION – During the survey, form questions that come to mind.
3. READ – Then read, searching for answers to questions. Read only as much as you can absorb without tiring.
4. REHEARSE – Recall in your own words what you have read, glancing back over that that you can’t recall.
5. REVIEW – Quickly review the whole chapter, article, etc., to know what you have not grasped.
STUDY REPEATEDLY TO BOOST LONG-TERM RECALL. Overlearn. Provide yourself with many separate study sessions.
SPEND MORE TIME REHEARSING OR ACTIVELY THINKING ABOUT THE MATERIAL. Speed-reading (skimming) complex material – with minimal rehearsal – yields little retention. Rehearsal and critical reflection help more. It pays to study ACTIVELY.
MAKE THE MATERIAL PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL. Form images, understand and organize information, relate the material to what you already know or have experienced, and put it in your own words.
USE DEVISES TO HELP REMEMBER UNFAMILIAR ITEMS. Peg-words, chunk, stories, etc.
REFRESH YOUR MEMORY BY ACTIVATING RETRIEVAL CUES.
MINIMIZE INTERFERENCE.
TEST YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE, BOTH TO REHEARSE IT, AND TO HELP DETERMINE WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW YET. Do not be overconfident. Overlearn. Test your recall. Take practice tests. Study guides will help.
GREAT BASIN COLLEGE
MUSIC APPRECIATION
I. DAILIES
Logs ______
Q & S ______
II. PRESENTATIONS ______
______
III. TESTS #1 _____
#2 _____
#3 _____
#4 ______
IV. RESEARCH PAPER ______
V. FINAL TEST ______
VI. EXTRA CREDIT ______
DEDUCTIONS FOR TARDIES ______
DEDUCTIONS FOR ABSENCES ______
FINAL GRADE ______
DATE: ______NAME: ______
GBC Assessment Documentation Collection FormFor Gen Ed Courses
1. Program or Department Name: MUS 121/Music/Fine Arts/Humanities
2. School Year of the Assessment: 2010/2011
3. Person Responsible for Assessment: Minnis Alderman
4. How is each Gen Ed Coursee Learning Outcome described on the syllabus for this particular course?
a. Communications Skills: This course requires that each student complete a 5 to 8 page essay by the end of the semester on a creative topic relating to music studies; whether musicology, composers, ethnomusicology, or any range of other topics approved by the instructor. The essay is assessed on grammar, originality of thought, style, and format (the standard format learned in ENG 101/102 courses). In addition, students are required to participate in weekly written discussions through the WebCT environment, posting their reactions to and analysis of various music traditions from centuries past to our present day.
This course also requires that students develop a heightened ability to listen for small details in musical selections; for example, to listen for instrumentation, meter, tempo, mood, whether a key is minor or major, and then to put in written form their observations.
b. Critical Thinking: This course encourages students to think about music in a more technical and cognitive manner than simply as uninterested hearers. Utilizing the mathematical principles upon which music composition is based, they are able to think rationally about the tools and techniques composers utilize to create the sounds they listen to. Thus, students must critically analyze music of all types for not only emotional effect but also for technical understanding. In addition, this course helps students to reason on the various influences and uses for music of varying epochs and cultures. They gain the ability to discern between various methods of music composition, its place in the society in which it was written, and the ultimate influence of the piece throughout the ages.
c. Personal and Cultural Awareness: _ Studying music from around the world and throughout the ages imbues an appreciation for and acceptance of such musical traditions and the roles they played, which might otherwise have been viewed as ‘un-listenable’ previously. This heightened understanding of music effects in students an extended global sense of the world and its cultures. Students will understand the historical aspects surrounding the masterpieces, not simply viewing them in a ‘vacuum,’ or as an anomaly in human creativity, but as they truly are: signs of the development of human ability to express musically what painters may brush, sculptures may hewn, writers may pen, or politicians may espouse - a reflection, not just of the composers brilliance, but rather of the encompassing range of influences surrounding those composers. Each week students are required to write discussions that demonstrate their understanding of and appreciate for the musical era being studied.
d. Personal Wellness: Since the time of King Saul, who was soothed by David’s harp, people have recognized the mental value of music. How much more so does music have this effect, when the listener engages it, understands it, and can fully appreciate it. What is more, this class opens the range of music from which the individual can benefit by appreciating what was previously foreign and lost to him.
e. Technological Understanding: Students use technology every time when they complete assignments and research paper.
5. Corresponding Methods of Assessment for Learning Outcomes:
Goals Assessments
1. Identify structural form in music. / Quizzes, discussions, and end of term essay.
2. Identify musical examples from Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras. / -Through study, use of listening guides, and written discussions based on the various styles of music throughout the ages.
3. Identify the link between cultural and societal values and systems and the music they produce. / -Complete end of semester essay based on this topic or one similar approved by instructor.
-Reading of textbook and lecture and videos that cover cultural background material.
-Also, this topic is discussed in class.
4. Identify the basic elements of music as rhythm, melody, harmony, and tone color in a piece of music. / Students listen to musical samples provided, complete the accompanying listening guides, and analyze compositions in the discussion groups.
5. Comprehend common music vocabulary terms. / Students must study musical terms and incorporate them into the end of term essay and weekly discussions. Also, in order to pass quizzes, students must grasp this special vocabulary.
6. Brief Summary of Assessment Findings:
7. Actions Taken as a Result of Assessment Findings:
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