Music Appreciation

Learning Goals:

1. To become familiar with musical terminology
2. To become familiar with structure and form
3. To be able to identify selected major works
4. To investigate unique characteristics and differences of each style period and of major composers
5. To be able to recognize musical characteristics of an unfamiliar work and to be able to identify the style period in which it was written

Part I

Basic information on rhythm, melody, acoustics, hearing, perception, copyright, forms (binary, ternary, and rondo), instruments of the orchestra, and related terms. Exam one.

            Part II and Part III

Brief discussion on Medieval and Renaissance music.  Majority of the time will be spent in the Baroque period covering vocal and instrumental forms along with stylistic characteristics of the period. Forms will include passacaglia, chaconne, recitative, aria, concerto grosso, cantata, oratorio, French overture, suite, trio sonata, as well as contrapuntal forms and the beginnings of opera.  Listening will include works by Monteverdi, Handel, J.S. Bach, and Vivaldi, as well as examples from Mexican Baroque literature.  Listening identification will be included on the exam. Exam two.

            Part IV

The Classic period.   Covered material will include the music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven as well as general characteristics of the period.  Forms and genre, as well as listening ,will include the symphony, minuet and trio, sectional variations, concerto for solo and orchestra, opera and sonata form. Listening identification will be included on the exam.  Exam three.

            Part V

Nineteenth Century Music, the Romantic Era.  General characteristics of the period will be introduced as well as the newer forms and genre including the character piece, program symphony, symphonic poem, tone poem, romantic opera, examples of piano literature, and the orchestral song.  In class listening will include the works of Schubert, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Brahms, Tschiakovsky, Richard Strauss, and Mahler.  Listening identification will be included on the exam.  Exam four.

            Part VI

Modern and post-modern Music.  With the many eclectic styles in the 20^th and 21^st century, this era will be approached historically by style.  After an introduction of Impressionism, twentieth century stylistic characteristics will include primitivism, expressionism, futurism or machine music, experimental music, serial technique, neo nationalism, neo romanticism, and neo classicism. The avant garde will include ultra rational, indeterminate, aleatory, as well as quotation music and minimalism.  There will be no listening identification for this period.

            Final Exam

The final exam will be an extensive comprehensive listening  exam where you will hear music which you have never heard in class.  You will be required to identify the period in which it was written and provide a reason for your choice. There will also be 12 questions covering Part VI.

                Final Critical Listening Exam

At the end of the semester, you will be given a listening exam containing 13 excerpts from music which you have never heard in class.  The excerpts will be taken from music written during the Medieval/Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic Periods.  Over the course of the semester, the stylistic traits will have already been presented and illustrated with musical examples.   You will be expected to learn the identifying characteristics of each period and you will be tested on them after each period is covered. 

On this final listening exam, you will need to synthesize both factual knowledge and aural knowledge to specifically identify the period that each work was written and then to support your reason for selecting that particular period by writing a short paragraph explaining what you heard or why you determined which period each listening example belonged.  You will be expected to include specific stylistic characteristics of each period covered in class in a coherent manner, accurate, and clear manner.

You will receive two grades for this exam.  One grade will be based on the accuracy of your identification and response.   The other grade will be based on how well you support your answers according to the Critical Thinking Value Rubric and the Written Communication Value Rubric, both attached to this syllabus.

Grading:

Attendance (3 or less unexcused absences)                                         25 points

Five assigned Listening Exercises in the Text                                      50 points

Exams (best three out of four exams)                                                  300 points

Final Critical Listening Exam                                                               200 points

                                                                                                            575 points total

A= 90-100% (518-575 points);            B=80-89% (460-517 points);   C=70-79% (403-459 points);  

D=60-69% (402-345 points);   F= 0-59% (0-344 points)

All  exams will be taken in class.

Listening exercises must be done online and will be emailed by the publisher to my mail box.

Absences in excess of 3 weeks of class ( 9 for MWF classes; 6 for TR classes) may result in being dropped with from the course with a WF

Excused absences are available for university sponsored activities, physician appointments, or contagious illness. Documentation may be required from appropriate university offices (athletics, dean of students, etc.) or physician.

Basis for faculty initiated drop with a grade of  F (or final grade of F without being dropped):

“Dishonest work:” submitting any work for a grade which is not the student’s own---including, but not limited to, plagiarism and using unauthorized “reference” material during exams [incl. copying off of a neighbor’s exam].  The use or view of cell phones or electronic devices during an exam will be considered “dishonest.”  Other than this statement, no warning will be issued.

Absences in excess of  9 mwf classes/6 tr (3 weeks of class!).

A student dropped by a faculty member for the reasons defined above has the right to an            appeal to the Student Conduct Committee through the Dean of Student’s Office.               

Other classroom Policies and Procedures:   

Please turn off and put away all cell phones and audio devices before arriving for class.  Appropriate classroom etiquette is expected at all times.  Examples of inappropriate behavior include talking, texting, listening to iPods or similar equipment, reading newspapers or other material unrelated to this class, the use of laptops for anything other than note taking, and any other activity which is disruptive or distracting to the class or to the professor. (Laptops must be closed during all exams as well as music listening and video presentations.)

Honesty is expected at all times.  Cheating (including collaboration) on exams is totally unacceptable, immoral, and should not be tolerated by any university student. Any student who is suspected of cheating will be dealt with in accordance with official university policies on academic dishonesty.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS REQUIRED BY THE COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

Privacy Statement

Federal Privacy laws prohibit faculty from releasing information about a student’s academic progress to other students or to those outside the university.  In this class, no information regarding your grades, exams, or confidential matters can be released to friends or relatives.  Friends may not pick up your exams and exam grades cannot be posted unless you provide a confidential 4 digit code on the first exam.

Special Needs Statement

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information that needs sharing, or if you need special accommodations in the event that the building must be evacuated, please register with the Disability Support Services and make an appointment with the professor as soon as possible.

Academic Dishonesty

Submitting any work which is not the student’s own, including but not limited to plagiarism; using or permitting others to use unauthorized material during exams; copying, providing, receiving or using exam questions from other students during exams; or viewing any electronic device during exams will be grounds for an F in the course.

Conduct Statement

A student may be dropped from the course and/or assigned an F in this course if their classroom behavior, including talking, is disruptive.

Academic Changes

The instructor reserves the right to adjust or cancel assignments as the course progresses.