Instructor: Dr. Bruce H. Frazier, Coulter 254, 828-227-2400 (office), 227-2733 (studio)
Office Hours, posted at Coulter 254, and by appointment
Email address: bfrazier@email.wcu.edu - Web address: http://paws.wcu.edu/bfrazier/
Link to WebCat: https://online2.wcu.edu/

OVERVIEW
This course provides full-or part-time work experience in an area of commercial and electronic music of the student's choice. This class is available to students as a music elective upon completion of the C&EM music core. MUS 479 is required for a practicum in the recording studio. A minimum of forty-five hours of work must be documented for each credit hour of the class.  The purpose of the practicum is to provide industry-related experience that the student may find on the job in his his/her chosen career path.   Although primarily designed for recording arts, live sound and motion picture/multimedia development experiences, any of the areas within the realm of commercial and electronic music may be appropriate.  The work will likely be associated with a project within the university community.  Students desiring industry work for a agency outside of the university should take MUS 489-Internship

PROPOSAL FORM
The student must locate and secure the location of the practicum.  The student must submit a proposal for approval the semester prior to the work. This form must list the pertinent information about the project: including the name of the project, the type of work requested, the location of the work, the estimated length of the project, and the contact information of the project supervisor.  It must be signed by the responsible C&EM faculty member, the student, and the project supervisor. A PDF copy of the form is available at the link below.

DAILY LOG
The requirements include keeping a daily log of work on the project.  The log should list the type of activity and the number of hours worked.  A brief description of each type of activity should be included.  Any other helpful information is welcome.

LOG ENTRY SAMPLE

* Setup entails loading a console project, launching a Pro Tools session, putting microphones on stands, plugging in headphones, routing and patching, and filling out logs.
* The session recordist works with the engineer, operating Pro Tools, recording each musical take as it is performed.
* Mixdown is where all of the recorded tracks are balanced, EQued, processed, and recorded to CD.
* Duplication involves making additional copies of the CD master for the client.
* During tear-down, microphones are taken off the stands and put away, the session and project files are saved and the console and patch bays are reset.

I learned proper miking techniques for 4-part acappella choral music during this session.

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DUTIES
A list of duties that can be assigned on campus for a practicum is available in PDF format.

EVALUATION FORM
The supervisor of the project will be responsible for assigning and supervising the work.   The supervisor must be willing to verify the number of hours on the log and complete an evaluation form at the conclusion of the project.  The documentation is due the last week of classes prior to exams. A PDF copy of the evaluation form is available at the link below.

EXIT INTERVIEW
At the end of the on-the-job work experience the student will schedule an appointment for an exit interview with music faculty.  The interview must be completed before the last day of classes for the semester for which the student registered.  A grade will be assigned at the conclusion of the interview.

GRADING
Grading for this class is either "S" (satisfactory) or "U" (unsatisfactory). The grade is determined by examination of the submitted log and other completed paperwork, the project supervisor evaluation, and the exit interview with the responsible faculty member.  If for any reason the project is not completed and the proper number of hours unearned, a grade of "I" (incomplete) may be given for special circumstances.  The incomplete must be removed during the semester immediate following.

CourseEval:
The CourseEval web evaluation links will be active during the last month of classes. Please take advantage of this opportunity to give us your feedback on the class.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions.  Students who require reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and/or medical condition and provide current diagnostic documentation to Disability Services.  All information is confidential. Please contact the Office of Disability Services for more information at (828) 227-3886 or lalexis@wcu.edu  You may also visit the office’s website:  disability.wcu.edu

Academic Honesty Policy:
Western Carolina University, a community of scholarship, is also a community of honor. Faculty, staff, administrators, and students work together to achieve the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense at WCU because it threatens the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend on knowledge and integrity. Academic dishonesty includes the following:
A. Cheating. Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.
B. Fabrication. Intentional falsification or invention of information or citation in an academic exercise.
C. Plagiarism. Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of someone else as one’s own in an academic exercise.
D. Facilitation of Academic Dishonesty. Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help someone else to commit an act of academic dishonesty, such as knowingly allowing another to copy information during an examination or other academic exercise.
For specific information on procedures for cases involving allegations of academic dishonesty, see relevant sections in the Student Handbook.

The following links, forms available in PDF format, may be printed out or saved to disk.

LINKS:

483 Proposal Form

Supervisor Evaluation Form

MUS 483 Syllabus

Duties