MUSC 224-50

The Appreciation of Music, Honors Section

Fall 2006

Course: MUSC 224-50; The Appreciation of Music

Class Meeting Time & Place: Mon., Wedn. & Fri. 1:00-1:50 pm, 105 WYG

Instructor: Dr. Christopher Swanson

Email: swansoncl@longwood.edu

Phone: 395-2496

Office: WYG 226

Office hour: Tuesday 2:00-3:00

Credit hours: 3

Printed Sources:

· Copland, Aaron. What to Listen for in Music. 1939.

· Kelly, Thomas Forest. First Nights: Five Musical Premieres. Yale: New Haven, 2000.

· New York Times, M – F. You will need to pick up your papers at the bookstore every day.

Internet Sources:

· Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/

· Groves Music Online: accessible though: http://www.longwood.edu/library/research/db/music.htm

· Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Other Required Materials for Class:

· 3 x 5 index cards (about 500 for the whole semester)

· An index card case or box, large enough for all cards (or two smaller cases).

Course Catalogue Description:

“Study of Musical Arts with regard to the composers and composition of major style eras. Laboratory concerts will emphasize critical analysis of live concerts, rehearsals and recitals.”

Course objectives:

To gain an understanding of Western Art Music by developing a musical vocabulary and critical listening skills.

Course Requirements:

You are required to:

· Attend all scheduled classes

· Actively participate in all class activities

· Prepare for all activities (studying, reading, researching, completing homework, etc.).

· Turn in all assignments on time. Assignments handed in after the due date will receive a failing grade.

 
General Education Statement:
This course fulfills the General Education Criteria.  It is designed to:
1. teach a disciplinary mode of inquiry and provide students with practice in applying their disciplinary mode of inquiry, critical thinking, or problem solving strategies;
2. provide examples of how disciplinary knowledge changes through creative applications of the chosen mode of inquiry;
3. consider questions of ethical values;
4. explore past, current, and future implications (e.g., social, political, economic, psychological or philosophical) of disciplinary knowledge;
5. encourage consideration of course content from diverse perspectives;
6. provide opportunities for students to increase information literacy through contemporary techniques of gathering, manipulating, and analyzing information and data;
7. require at least one substantive written paper, oral report, or course journal and also require students to articulate information or ideas in their own words on tests and exams;
8. foster awareness of the common elements among disciplines and the interconnectedness of disciplines;
9. provide a rationale as to why knowledge of this discipline is important to the development of an educated citizen.
 

Grades:

At the end of the semester, students will receive a letter grade that reflects their participation, achievement, ability and improvement. If students miss classes without an excuse, they will not receive the points. If the students miss classes with an excuse (see ATTENDANCE POLICY for definition of excused absence) they can make up the points at a time that will be arranged by the instructor.

Breakdown of grades:

1 Exam 10 points 10%

2 Tests 10 points each 20%

20 Quizzes 1 point each (#7 is worth 2) 21%

4 Assisgnments 5 points each 20%

Library Assignment 5 points 5%

New York Times Assignment 5 points 5%

Concert Attendance (5) 2 points each 10%

Class Participation (40 meeting times) 0.1 points each 4%

Note Cards 5 points 6%

Extra Credit variable up to 5%

up to 105%

Grading Scale (7 point scale)

A+ 101 – 105

A 93 – 100

B 85 – 92

C 77 – 84

D 69 – 76

F 0 – 68

Explanation of Assignments, Quizzes and Tests

Final Exam: Worth 10% of the total grade. This will be a cumulative test at the end of the semester. It will be a written and a listening test. Closed book – no notes allowed.

Tests: Two tests, each worth 10% of your grade. The test will cover material since the previous test and up until the class before the test is given. Closed book – no notes allowed.

Quizzes: 20 quizzes, each worth 1% of your grade. Details of what each quiz will cover are on the schedule. Students may use their notes and note cards (no text books) when taking quizzes, however the quizzes will be timed and will only last 5 minutes (sometimes shorter). Quizzes will be written or listening.

Quiz 7: September 25. This is a listening quiz. I will play excerpts from Peter and the Wolf by Serge Prokofieff and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten. You will be asked to identify solo instruments.

Assignments: Variable credit.

Assignment 1: The Appreciation of X. Worth 3% of your grade. Due August 30 (second class period). Choose a topic about which you are passionate and knowledgeable and something that you think no one else in the class knows about. In a 3 minute presentation, explain this topic to the class. Your goal is to get the class excited about your topic.

Requirements: 3 minutes oral presentation; one page hand out with a few basic facts on it (do not read your hand out for your presentation). Any other materials are fine to use as long as you can keep within the time limit.

Grading: Grades will be based on following directions, keeping with the time limit, communication skills, efficiency of time and your ability to excite the audience.

Assignment 2: You are the Composer. Worth 5% of your grade. Due September 8. Compose an original piece of music. It can be any form and any length. There are no parameters to the assignment except that it must original, it must be composed only by the student (no assistance) and the notation must clearly show the intentions of the composer.

Assignment 3: The Instruments of the Orchestra. Worth 4% of your grade. Due September 25. Listen to Peter and the Wolf by Serge Prokofieff and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten. In this assignment you will describe how each composer uses the specific color and qualities of each instrument for a specific purpose.

1. Two questions for each letter. First, in Peter and the Wolf, what instrument(s) does the composer use to portray the following characters? Second, why are the instruments appropriate for the characters – what quality of each instrument might the composer have identified with each character?

a. Peter

b. The Bird

c. The Duck

d. The Cat

e. The Grandfather

f. The Wolf

g. The Hunters

2. In Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Britten writes solo passages for each family of the orchestra and then each instrument of the orchestra. Each section focuses on a specific character of that instrument. Does Britten’s use of the instruments named in the previous question reflect Prokofieff’s use? Discuss each instrument separately. How is Britten’s use of that instruments similar or different than Prokofieff’s use? You will be discussing seven different instruments and for each you are answering two question.

Assignment 4: Music in the Movies. Paper and Presentation. Each part is worth 4% of your grade. Due November 6. This is a group project. Each group will be assigned a movie to watch. It is probably a movie with which you are already familiar. You may watch the film as many times as necessary. Your assignment is to watch the movie paying special attention to the film score – the background music that was composed especially for the film. Keeping in mind everything you read in Copland chapter 17 and our class discussions answer the following questions:

1. Who is the composer? Find some biographical information about the composer.

2. For what ensemble of players was the music composed?

3. When was the film made/the music composed?

4. Are there Leit Motifs present in the score (are there special themes for different characters/settings/objects/etc.)? Describe a few.

5. Is the film score successful? Try to reach a consensus within the group. Discuss this point in detail. If there is a definite difference of opinion, discuss that.

6. Is there one particular theme that links the entire score together? This could be a melody, a rhythmic pattern, a chord, an instrument or many other things. Listen closely.

7. How does the music underline the psychological refinements – the unspoken thoughts of the characters or the unseen implications of the situations?

8. How does the music create a convincing atmosphere of time and place? or does it?

Each group will turn in one copy of their answers, typed, single-spaced. It is expected that all group members participate. In addition to turning in the answers each group member will turn in a signed sheet of paper stating that they participated in the activity and that all other members equally participated (see below).

FINALLY on Monday Nov. 6 each group will give a short presentation about the film and the music. For the presentation, the group must choose one short scene from the movie in which the music was especially effective and memorable. The presenters will show the scene to the class and then give a short analysis of the music and how it works in that scene.

Requirements: For the written assignment, turn in one copy of the answers typed and double-spaced plus one signed copy for every individual of the “Group Participation Form.” For the presentation, one five minute presentation given by all members of the group.

Grading: For the written assignment, grades are based on following directions, accuracy of the information given or the amount of thought and imagination put into an answer – which ever is applicable, and the group’s ability to show a full understanding of the topic. For the presentation, grades will be based on following directions, keeping within the time limit, communication skills, efficiency of time and the group’s ability to get their message across to the audience.

Library Assignment: Worth 5% of your grade. The class will meet in the Library on Friday, September 15 to hear a presentation on using the Music Resources on-line and in the library. There will be an assignment given this day that will be due the following Wednesday, September 20. If you do not attend the class in the library, you may not turn in the assignment for credit.

New York Times Cultural Pages Assignment: The M – F subscription of the NY Times is a required text for this class. Subscriptions begin on Tuesday, September 5. On that day all students must pick up their copy. There will be a sign out sheet that you must sign. A class participation point will come from that signature. There will be a semester-long assignment involving the Cultural Section of the NY Times which will be worth 5% of your grade. Details will be given at a later date.

Concert Attendance: Worth 10% of your grade. Each student is required to attend 5 concerts during the semester, on or off campus. These must be “Classical” music concerts – no rock & roll, folk or jazz. Sorry, but we are not covering those styles in this class. You will need to turn in the program of the concert you attended no more than one week after the concert. If it is more than a week after the concert you will not receive credit for the concert. During the concert, please take notes on the program. These notes should be your observations of the performance and they must clearly demonstrate that you were there. If your comments are too vague you will not receive credit for the concert (this is at the discretion of the instructor). If you are attended an on-campus concert, make sure you get a signature from a faculty member on the program. You do NOT need to write a paper. Each program is 2 points.

Participation/Attendance Points: Every class meeting there is the potential to earn a participation point. To earn the points, you must be present and must actively participate in class. There are 40 class meetings this semester and the total participation grade is 4% of your grade.

Note Cards: As preparation for every class period in which we begin a new chapter of a book, you will need to define all terms on your note cards and write up a brief biographic outline for every person mentioned in the textbook. You will keep these cards with you for the whole term and will use them when studying for tests and exams and sometimes you will use them when taking in-class quizzes. A full list of the terms and names will be available for you. On the day of the final exam, you will turn in your note cards to me.

Extra Credit: There is the potential for 5 points of extra credit this semester. If you have an idea for an extra credit project, please come talk to me. The details and the points for each project will vary depending on the nature of the project. You are only qualified to receive extra credit if you have attended all 5 concerts during the semester.

A few ideas for extra credit: For 2 (two) extra point each, attend more than the required number of live performances and then turn in the program with your notes and reflections on it. If you are going to a concert anyway, this is a really easy way to get two points.

OR:  Watch one of the Leonard Bernstein Young People’s Concerts. This collection of 10 videos can be found on the top floor of the library [ML3928 .B49 1993, vol. 1-10]. One tape usually has two or three concerts on it. Watch the video and write a one or two page summary of the video. You may not use a video that we watch in class. Two points each).

Attendance Policy:

Longwood University attendance policy: “Instructors may assign a grade of "0" or "F" on work missed because of unexcused absences. Instructors have the right to lower a student's course grade, but no more than one letter grade, if the student misses 10 percent of the scheduled class meeting times for unexcused absences. Instructors have the right to assign a course grade of "F" when the student has missed a total (excused and unexcused) of 25 percent of the scheduled class meeting times.”
 You are expected to attend all classes. Daily in-class assignments, quizzes and tests cannot be made up for unexcused absences; students will receive 0 points for such. Assignments, quizzes and tests grades can be made up for excused absences, but it is the student’s responsibility to find out what they need to do to make up the work. 

Students must assume full responsibility for any loss incurred because of absence, whether excused or unexcused. Students are permitted to make up work when the absence is excused. Excused absences are those resulting from the student’s participation in a university sponsored activity, from recognizable emergencies or from serious illness. Students must provide the instructor with documentation for excused absences. Student Health Services can provide the necessary documentation if a student is to be hospitalized locally or if the student is to be absent from class at the direction of the Student Health Services personnel. Such documentation must be given to the instructor no later than twenty-four hours after the absence.

Honor Code Statement:

“We will not lie, cheat, steal or plagiarize, nor will we tolerate those who do.”

“I, having a clear understanding of the basis and spirit of the Honor Code created and accepted by the students of Longwood, Farmville, Virginia, pledge myself to govern my life at Longwood according to its standards and to accept my responsibility for helping others to do so, and with sensitive regard for my institution, to live by the Honor Code at all times and to see that others do likewise.”

Statement from Disabilities Support Service:

Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability should contact me privately. If you have not already done so, please contact the Office for Disability Services  (103 Graham Building, 395-2391) to register for services.

A List of Some of the Concerts going on at Longwood (and in the area) this Semester: 
· Sept. 16 - Chamber Series, Mardirossian and Phillips, violin and piano, , Molnar Hall, 7:30
· Sept. 25 – Faculty Saxophone Recital, Dr. Charles Kinzer and Dr. Lisa Kinzer, Molnar Hall, 7:30
· Oct. 7 – Faculty Voice Recital, Dr. Christopher Swanson and Dr. Lisa Kinzer, Buckingham Art Center, 7:00
· Oct. 10 – Faculty Voice Recital, Dr. Christopher Swanson and Dr. James Kidd, Hampden Sydney College, Crawley Forum, 7:30
· Oct. 25 - LU Wind Symphony, Jarman theatre, 7:30 pm.
· Oct. 30 - Washington Saxophone Quartet, Molnar Hall, 7:30 pm.
· Nov. 2 - LU Choral ensembles, Molnar Hall, 7:30 pm.
· Nov. 4 - Nathan Koch, senior recital (sax) - Molnar Hall, 7:30 pm.
· Nov. 10 - Tiffany Graves, senior recital (voice) Molnar Hall, 7:30 pm.
· Nov. 11 - Beth Reynolds, senior recital (voice) Molnar Hall 7:30 pm.
· Nov. 21 – Masterclass with Countertenor Michael Harper - Molnar Hall, 3:30 pm.
· Nov. 28 – Guest Artist Recital, Countertenor Michael Harper with Dr. Christopher Swanson and Dr. Lisa Kinzer, Hampden Sydney College, Crawley Forum,7:30 pm.
· Nov. 30 – Advent Lessons and Carols Service, Johns Memorial Episcopal Church, 7:00 pm.
· Dec. 3 – Messiah, Commonwealth Chorale, 4:00 pm.
All dates and times are subject to change. 
Check the Department of Music web-site frequently for new dates. Also, look out for fliers and posters around the music building.