Western Carolina University

SYLLABUS

Music Appreciation

MUS 101 – 01

Spring 2010

MWF, 9:05 – 9:55 am

Coulter 357

Instructor: Dr. Travis Bennett

Office: Coulter 154

Office hours: MWF, 10:10-11:00 am, TR, 9:00-10:00 am, or by appointment

Phone: 227-3957

Email: tbennett@email.wcu.edu

Website: http://paws.wcu.edu/tbennett/

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature

cannot do without.”  ~Confucius

Course Description:

MUS 101 provides an introduction to the elements, vocabulary, history and development of music in Western civilization.

Objectives:

1. To identify elements in music which define style, genre and period

2. To develop listening skills concerning the various elements of music

3. To develop a vocabulary necessary to communicate the attributes of music as they relate to the various elements in music and historical periods

4. To define historical style periods in Western classical music

5. To identify composers and major compositions related to historical style periods in Western classical music

6. To place composers and major compositions in historical context by examining visual arts, architecture, and contemporaneous social, political, and economic conditions and events.

Liberal Studies Perspectives Area P5 Course Objectives:

· Appreciating, interpreting, and critically analyzing creative works and events

· Understanding the artistic intentions of the creator

· Analyzing works that include self-expression

· Critically evaluating works considering their socio-cultural context

· Participating in out-of-the-classroom experiences such as visits to exhibitions, performances, lectures, and readings

Required Materials:

· Roger Kamien, Music: An Appreciation (sixth brief edition), rental.

· Brief Set of Five Compact Disks to Accompany Music: An Appreciation. These CD’s may be bought (optional) at the University Bookstore or are available in the Hunter Library on the Mezzanine Level.

· Loose-leaf paper for note-taking, quizzes, and in-class assignments

Websites:

The website for this course is http://paws.wcu.edu/tbennett/MUS101-Home.htm. On the site you will find this syllabus, concert report forms that you can print out, guidelines for completing the concert reports, review sheets for the exams, and other information pertinent to the course.

The publisher of the textbook also has an Online Learning Center, which contains a variety of materials to supplement this course. This is found at http://www.mhhe.com/kamien6.

Assignments:

· Reading: Students are expected to have read the appropriate chapter(s) in the textbook before it is covered in class. Occasional readings from other sources may be assigned. These will either be handed out by the instructor, posted on the course website, or placed on reserve at the library.

· Listening: One of the primary objectives of this course is to develop your listening skills. It is extremely important that you listen intently to the assigned pieces, and follow along with the Listening Outlines in your book. You should listen to each piece repeatedly, until you can recognize it easily, and understand the important aspects of the work. The CDs that accompany your text are available for purchase at the bookstore. They are also on reserve at Hunter Library, on the mezzanine level. Many of the recordings can also be found online at this Online Classical Music Library. Duplication of this material is prohibited and illegal.

· Quizzes: There will be a variety of in-class quizzes, activities, and assignments.

· Exams: 4 exams. These will be multiple choice, and each exam will include questions based on musical examples that will be played during the exam. The multiple choice portion of the final exam will not be cumulative, but the listening portion of the final exam will be cumulative.

· Concert Reports: 3 reports. You are strongly encouraged to read the “Concert Goer’s Guide” found online at the text book publisher’s website. All reports should be completed using the standard form for this section. The reports can be turned in at any point before the deadlines in the course calendar. The Concert Report forms, along with guidelines for completing the reports, are available on the course website.

· Concert Attendance: During the semester you will attend at least 5 concerts (check the website under “Concert Calendar” for a list of approved concerts). You are strongly encouraged to attend a variety of concerts, both vocal and instrumental. As you enter the concert, you will be greeted by a monitor who will swipe your CATcard. You must swipe your card at the beginning and the end of the concert. You must attend the entire concert to receive credit. If you attend a concert where there is no monitor present, you must have a faculty member or performer sign your program and turn it in with your name on it. You are encouraged to attend off-campus concerts. However, you must check with the instructor to ensure that the concert is approved, and you must present a program and ticket stub to receive credit. Failure to attend at least 5 approved concerts during the semester will lower your final average by one level (an A becomes an A-, an A- becomes a B+, etc). *You can earn extra credit by attending more than 5 approved concerts. Each additional approved concert that you attend will add 1% to your final course average, up to 5%.

· Extra credit: occasionally, you may have the opportunity to earn extra credit by completing additional assignments. These assignments are optional, but highly encouraged, as they can only help your grade.

Attendance and Participation:

You are expected to attend every class meeting. The lectures and guided listening activities that can only be experienced in class are invaluable to your success in this course. Furthermore, there will be occasional quizzes and other in-class assignments that are graded. Missing class will have a negative impact on your grade.

You are also expected to participate in class sessions by listening actively, responding to the instructor’s questions, and completing in-class exercises.

Make-up and Late Assignments:

Late assignments will not be accepted, unless previous arrangements have been made between the student and instructor. Make-up quizzes and exams will only be given for absences related to the following circumstances:

1) A death in the family

2) Illness accompanied by a doctor’s excuse indicating that the student was too ill to attend class

3) A recognized departmental or university function

4) Severe weather

Grading:

4 Exams (15% each) 60%

3 Concert Reports (10% each) 30%

Quizzes / other assignments 10%

Grading scale: 98-100=A+, 93-97=A, 90-92=A-, 87-89=B+, 83-86=B, … 59 or below=F

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities.  Students who require disability services or reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and provide current diagnostic documentation to Disability Services.  All information is confidential.  Please contact Disability Services for more information at (828) 227-2716 or 144 Killian Annex.            

Cell phone / electronic device policy: Cell phones and other electronic devices should be silenced during class, and should not be used for any purpose unless the instructor has been notified ahead of time that you have a reasonable expectation of receiving an emergency call. Text messaging is not permitted at any time during class. Accessing your cell phone or other electronic device for any purpose during a quiz, exam, or other graded assignment will result in a failing grade on that assignment.

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 Catamount Academic Tutoring Center
30 Hunter Library
227-2274
http://catcenter.wcu.edu
The Catamount Academic Tutoring (CAT) Center’s services are designed to provide a solid foundation for college success. Students in 100 and 200-level classes who participate in small-group tutoring sessions have an opportunity to improve their knowledge of course content, to cultivate an understanding of their learning preferences, and to develop study strategies that can be transferred to upper-level courses. Online Learning Resources (http://www.wcu.edu/9442.asp) are available to all students and include strategies for time management, note taking, studying, and test preparation. CAT Center tutors are successful students who are recommended by the faculty and trained in effective tutoring practice via an Internationally Certified Tutor Training Program. Tutoring sessions are available on an appointment basis, and instructions for scheduling appointments are available on the CAT Center website at http://www.wcu.edu/9441.asp.  Students are expected to arrive for their tutoring sessions on time and prepared with class notes, readings, assignments, and any questions they have about the material.

Tentative Course Schedule

MUS 101 – Spring 2010

Date	Topic	Notes
Mon, Jan 11	Introduction
Wed, Jan 13	Part I: Elements	p. 1
Fri, Jan 15
Mon, Jan 18	MLK Jr. Holiday – No Classes	No class
Wed, Jan 20
Fri, Jan 22
Mon, Jan 25
Wed, Jan 27	Review for Exam 1
Fri, Jan 29	Exam 1
Mon, Feb 1	Part II: Mid. Ages and Renaissance	p. 59
Wed, Feb 3
Fri, Feb 5	Part III: The Baroque Period	p. 91
Mon, Feb 8
Wed, Feb 10
Fri, Feb 12
Mon, Feb 15
Wed, Feb 17
Fri, Feb 19
Mon, Feb 22	Review for Exam 2
Wed, Feb 24	Exam 2	Concert Report #1 due
Fri, Feb 26	Part IV: The Classical Period	p. 149
Mon, Mar 1
Wed, Mar 3	Mid-Term Break – No Classes	No class
Fri, Mar 5	Mid-Term Break – No Classes	No class
Mon, Mar 8
Wed, Mar 10
Fri, Mar 12
Mon, Mar 15
Wed, Mar 17
Fri, Mar 19
Mon, Mar 22	Review for Exam 3
Wed, Mar 24	Exam 3	Concert Report #2 due
Fri, Mar 26	No class	No class
Mon, Mar 29	Spring Break – No Classes	No class
Wed, Mar 31	Spring Break – No Classes	No class
Fri, Apr 2	Easter Holiday – No Classes	No class
Mon, Apr 5	Part V: The Romantic Period	p. 207
Wed, Apr 7
Fri, Apr 9
Mon, Apr 12
Wed, Apr 14
Fri, Apr 16
Mon, Apr 19
Wed, Apr 21	Quiz	Quiz
Fri, Apr 23	Part VI: 20^th Century and Beyond	p. 287
Mon, Apr 26
Wed, Apr 28
Fri, Apr 30	Review for Final Exam	Concert Report #3 due *Last day to complete Recital Attendance

Final Exam in this course

Tuesday, May 4^th

8:30-11:00 am