Music 704 Graduate Music History
Fall 2010
This course is fully online
Prerequisite: Graduate status and department recommendation
Taught by: Judith Kuhn
Office: Room 109, Music Building
Cell phone (please use with discretion): (414) 335-6722
E-mail (generally more efficient):
Office hours: 12:30-1:30 MWF and by appointment (please stop by and say hi!)
For D2L help: Please contact or call (414) 229-4040. The Help Desk can also help you with other technical issues for the class.
Table of contents in this loooong! syllabus (but you’d better read it all! J):
Required texts and CDs 1
Course Objectives 2
Course format: intro to online learning 2
Communication 3
Course organization and TECHNOLOGY! 3
Course design: student centered assmts 5
Listening 5
Module organization 6
Discussion forums 6
Quizzes and examinations 7
Writing skills 7
Grading 7
Links for administrative policies 7
Class schedule 8
Listening notes form 10
Listening tips 11
Texts
Required texts, scores and CDs
Text: J. Peter Burkholder, Donald Jay Grout and Claude V. Palisca, A History of Western Music, 8th ed. (New York and London: W.W. Norton, 2010)
OR: Barbara Russano Hanning. Concise History of Western Music, 4th ed. New
York and London: W. W. Norton, 2010.
OR: Any good music history textbook (you can perhaps use your undergraduate textbook), the more recent, the better!
AND scores: J. Peter Burkholder and Claude Palisca. Norton Anthology of Western Music (NAWM), 6th ed. 3 vols. New York and London: W.W. Norton, 2010.
AND CDs: Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music. 3 vols. (CDs). New York and London: W. W. Norton, 2010.
Note that the scores and CDS are REQUIRED! I know these are expensive, and I know that students have been known to “share” the CDs, but I’d ask that you have the actual physical CDs, as old-fashioned as that may seem. You may now be able to get them used, as this is the second year for this edition (try www.AbeBooks.com , ALibris.com, Amazon.com and other used book sites for used copies; the UWM bookstore may also have used copies). Many of the Power Point “lectures” for the course include direct links to CD tracks, allowing me to use listening examples to demonstrate points during the lecture, and these won’t work unless you have the physical CD inserted into your computer.
Course objectives
This course provides an overview of musical styles and works in the Western art music tradition from the middle ages through the present. We will focus on listening and score study, the comparison of musical styles from different periods, and discussion of important historical trends. Undergraduate students cover this material in three semesters at UWM. We have to move three (!) times as fast, so this course covers a great deal of material in a short time; you will be busy!
When you complete the course successfully, you will have an overview of the history of Western art music, and a study strategy for preparing for the comprehensive examinations in music history. You will be able to:
· Place important historical and musical events on a large-scale time-line,
· Identify important stylistic characteristics of music of different periods from about 500 A.D. to the present,
· Identify important works from each period, and describe their musical and historical significance,
· Hear and describe stylistic differences in music, and
· Study effectively for the comprehensive examination in music history.
Course format: fully online: An introduction to online learning
This course is a fully online course. We never meet face-to-face (f2f).
Many students have the misconception that an online course will be less work or will be less rigorous. This is not the case. An online course has the same rigor as a face-to-face (f2f) course, except that you have more flexibility regarding when and where you complete your work. So, the good news is that you can go to class in your pajamas or on your lunch hour. Night owl? No problem. Early bird? Have a worm. Is the baby sitter sick? Don’t worry. However, online classes teach through student-centered, active learning. Rather than attending lectures, you will need to complete and submit assignments each week.
The online class is always open, and you can listen to or read the course content any time. You can even talk about them any time through threaded discussions. This gives you a chance to think about your response. Because of this, many online students come for the convenience and return for the quality. They find they make more thoughtful contributions to these asynchronous conversations than they do in traditional f2f settings. And everyone participates, bringing a variety of viewpoints to bear on complex issues.
The bad news is that you have to be self-disciplined and highly organized, learn how to communicate without meeting face-to-face, and learn how to use technology effectively to do well in the course. You have to remember to complete the lectures and listening assignments online, actively participate in the discussions, and e-mail or call the professor or a classmate when you are lost or have questions.
Even though we do not meet face-to-face 3 times a week, it is still important that you schedule time
online. For example, you might schedule Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from 9:00p.m.-10:30p.m. to review the agendas, review lecture slides, take a quiz, and interact with your classmates in the discussions. Make sure to schedule at least 3 days a week for 1-2 hours online. Add it right into your Pantherlink Calendar or date book. Further, you need to schedule time off-line to complete reading and listening assignments, develop responses for the discussion questions, and study for quizzes and exams.
You can plan to spend approximately 10 hours a week on this course: 3-6 hours a week online and
4+ hours reviewing lectures and listening excerpts, and creating posts for the discussions. It’s about the same as you’d spend on a face-to-face course, but the time you’d normally spend in class is now spent on your own. Assignments are usually due on Sundays and Tuesdays (but there are a few exceptions, see the schedule below).
The successful online learner:
• communicates effectively in writing;
• enjoys the challenge of learning independently;
• is highly motivated and challenged by being in charge of his/her own learning;
• may need flexible scheduling but understands that flexibility does not imply that completion of the course requirements will be easy;
• demonstrates problem-solving skills and the ability to work through difficulties;
• manages time well by prioritizing and establishing a personal schedule;
• completes assigned work by deadlines;
• uses a personal computer and the Internet to access information and to communicate, and
• possesses above-average reading skills.
For a good overview of the pros and cons of online learning, please visit: http://campus.arbor.edu/ma_com/online_learner.html
Communication!!!
Students have sometimes reported that the most frustrating part of online learning is difficulty communicating with the instructor and with other students. Solving this problem takes initiative on the part of students and the instructor. At the top of this syllabus, I’ve provided my e-mail address and my cell phone number; please make use of these when you aren’t able to find answers in the course materials or through our discussion groups. I’d appreciate it if you’d use the cell phone number only in emergencies.
Because this is an online class, it is important that, if at any time you have a question or are uncertain about the course content, you review the syllabus and assignments for the answer to your question. If you are still uncertain, please take the initiative to contact me, ask another student, or post your question in the discussion group. If it is an urgent question, please call me for a quick response. If it is a general question or issue that needs clarification within a day or so, please contact me via e-mail. If I don’t respond (I’m usually pretty speedy, but occasionally I’ll delete 20 e-mails that I didn’t intend to delete or your e-mail will end up in my spam filter), please e-mail again or call. I’ll also ask you to include your questions and to highlight any “muddy points” in your discussion postings (you’re probably not the only one with this question!), so that you can help each other and I can work with you to solve problems. One of the goals of online learning is to create a sense of community between all of us, as we work to make this class rewarding and productive for you, but this only happens if we work hard to communicate, so please take the initiative to stay in touch!
Course organization and technology
This course consists of an introduction, followed by six two-week modules, organized by stylistic “period.” The “period” modules will correspond roughly to medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, nineteenth-century and twentieth-century music. Each module will require that you review lecture slides, listen to about 15 assigned excerpts and read Peter Burkholder’s excellent “blurb” for each excerpt in the Norton Anthology (NAWM), post to a discussion group and take a quiz. There is no assigned textbook reading, but you will need to take the initiative to use your music history textbook for general reference, to clear up questions and terminology and to help give you a larger overview. Skim your textbook for the information you need. Tables, maps and timelines are especially helpful for providing historical and geographical perspective.
I will provide online “lectures” by using Power Point slides (sometimes with an audio introduction from me). The slides often link to assigned listening excerpts on the Norton Recorded Anthology CDs, so you will need to insert the appropriate CDs while you are reviewing the lecture.
Technology!!
Course website
The online course management system used at UW-Milwaukee is Desire to Learn, usually called D2L,
available at https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/ or from the drop-down quick links on the UWM home page.
Need Help? Any problems with access to D2L, please contact the UWM technology help desk, or call (414) 229-4040. The Help Desk can help you with your technical issues with the class.
For a handout on using D2L, check the content section of the class website under “Basic course documents”.
Hardware
Since this course is fully online, you will need routine access to a computer that has a reliable high-speed broadband or cable internet connection. A dial-up modem isn’t sufficient, and UWM’s free Prowlnet service can be unreliable during busy times in the afternoon or evening. You should also have access to a desktop or laptop computer at home that is capable of accessing the course site and course materials. Not having adequate technology is not an acceptable excuse for missing assignment due dates, so you need to take responsibility for acquiring the necessary technology. If you do have a tech breakdown at home, there are computers on campus that can rescue you.
UWM’s recommendations for computer specifications can be found at:
https://www4.uwm.edu/uits/purchasing/hardware/personal/recommendations/. UWM has educational discounts on hardware and software for students at its Tech Store; see http://www4.uwm.edu/techstore/
Some activities in the class require listening to CDs on your computer. Computer speakers just aren’t good enough (some of the listening is too soft even to be audible on my computer), so I recommend the use of headphones. If you have a portable CD player or iPod, you can try plugging that device’s earphones into your computer to see if they work (I use my really old CD player headphones!). The “ClearChat Pro USB” headset or the “ClearChat Comfort USB” are both good and include microphones; however, any set of earphones would be acceptable. You can order online directly from Logitech: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/webcam_communications/internet_headsets_phones/&cl=us,en
Software
On your computer, you will need to be able to view, edit, and create Word (.doc) files and PowerPoint files. You will also need to view Adobe PDF (portable document files, .pdf) files, and listen to .mp3 files and CDs on your computer. Microsoft Office 2003 or later (see UWM Tech Store http://www4.uwm.edu/techstore/ for discounted student pricing), Adobe Reader (available free for download at http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/ ) and Windows Media Player or iTunes will solve these problems.
You will also use E-mail for the course, so you need to open and use your PantherLink UWM e-mail account. Make sure to put me in your address book (). If you do not wish to check your UWM e-mail regularly, you can find information on forwarding your e-mail at: https://pantherlink.uwm.edu/zimbra/help/en_US/advanced/Zimbra_User_Help.htm. Click “Managing your e-mail” on the menu and then on “Setting a forwarding address.”
Internet
You will also need high-speed cable or broadband Internet access to efficiently and effectively download course materials. Time Warner Road Runner offers cable internet access and AT&T offers DSL broadband service, and there are also other providers in the area. You will need a reliable high-speed internet connection at home to take this course, with its timed online quizzes.
Don’t neglect or skimp on technology!
Not having the appropriate technology to complete course requirements is not a valid excuse for failing to do coursework. You must be willing to obtain the needed hardware, software, and Internet access, and take the initiative to get help with technical glitches through You must be willing to check your e-mail on a daily basis and access the course site at least 3 times a week. UWM goes to some lengths to make the technology affordable and to provide technical help, but you need to take the initiative to equip yourself properly and become familiar with how this course operates, or you will not complete it successfully.
Course Design: Student-Centered Assignments
This course is designed as a learner-centered course. In many of the courses you have taken, you may have been a passive learner; it was a teacher-centered course. You may have listened to lectures, read books, and taken exams in order to test your ability to remember and apply the content. In teacher-centered courses, knowledge is transmitted from the instructor to the students. In this course, you will be constructing your own knowledge and skills by gathering and synthesizing information and integrating it with general skills of inquiry, communication, problem solving, and so on. You are actively involved rather than passively receiving information.