Music Appreciation Syllabus for 2016-2017
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a class must:

• consult with their instructor to obtain a signed academic withdrawal request form to submit to the AskAC department for processing
• consult with the financial aid office if receiving financial aid
• consult with the Veterans Benefit Coordinator if receiving veteran benefits
• consult with their academic advisor to determine how withdrawing may affect their enrollment in future semesters
  • NOTE:  The Texas Education Code stipulates that students attending Texas institutions of higher education for the first time fall 2007 and later may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career, including courses from which transfer students have withdrawn at other Texas institutions of higher education. (Senate Bill 1231) Rule 4.10.

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The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

MUSI-1306-003 Music Appreciation

Prerequisites

Course Description

Designed for the non-music major to increase understanding and enjoyment of music as represented by prominent composers throughout the history of Western Civilization.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) have developed a comprehensive overview of neuromusculoskeletal, vocal and hearing health issues for postsecondary schools and departments of music.  Information of a medical nature is provided by PAMA; information regarding contextual issues in music programs, by NASM. The following links address the risk of noise-induced hearing loss, neuromusculoskeletal and vocal injury—all of which are widespread and serious public health issues for musicians and others.

NASM-PAMA Advisories on Neuromusculoskeletal and Vocal Health

• Student guide: https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/02/4a_NASM_PAMA_NMH-Student_Guide-Standard_June-2014.pdf

NASM-PAMA Advisories on Hearing Health :

• Student guide: https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/publications/brochures-advisories/nasm-pama-nms-vocal-health/

Student information sheets:

• Musculosketal: https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/02/5a_NASM_PAMA_NMH-Student_Information_Sheet-Standard-NMH_June-2014.pdf
• Vocal: https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/02/6a_NASM_PAMA_NMH-Student_Information_Sheet-Standard-Vocal_June-2014.pdf
• Hearing: https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/publications/brochures-advisories/nasm-pama-nms-vocal-health/

Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Machlis, Joseph, and Forney, Kristine. The Enjoyment of Music, 12^th Edition, Shorter Version, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-393-93638-4, with Total Access Package

 

eBook: http://books.wwnorton.com/books/webad.aspx?id=4294989755

Supplies

 A brain that can focus, synthesize, learn, and recall information in regards to music appreciation; pencils/writing utensils, notebook paper/note-taking apparatus, a working computer that meets all needs of the course, MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, etc.), a consistent and stable internet connection, and a strong work ethic with responsibility.

Student Performance

STUDENT PERFORMANCE/LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the completion of this course, the student should be able to:

·       Identify and understand the basic building blocks of music

 

·       Identify major social characteristics that have affected the history of music

 

·       Identify historical musical periods

 

·       Identify principal composers of each musical period

 

·       Understand basic formal structures of music from these periods

 

·       Pinpoint primary environmental influences on the lives of composers from each period

 

·       Master a common vocabulary for discussion of music of all styles

·       Develop skills of aesthetic judgment and critical thinking through music listening

·       Integrate the role of music within historical, artistic, and cultural traditions

·       Understand the roles that music plays in different cultures

·       Grasp the influence of popular and world music on art music

·       Build skills related to the appreciation of music and music listening

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Professionalism at all times is expected within this course.  Also, the student is required to adhere to any and all policies within the course syllabus without complaint.  By enrolling in this course, the student agrees to these requirements.

Grading Criteria

GRADING CRITERIA/GRADE SCALE:

Exam 1- 10%

Exam 2- 10%

Exam 3- 10%

Exam 4- 10%

Exam 5- 10%

Exam 6- 10%

Exam 7- 10%

Attendance, Participation, and Discussion- 30% (Yes, one must participate in the course discussions)

(Extra credit- READ CAREFULLY: Reviews of Professor-Approved Concert Events ONLY!  See concert review section below.  For each properly written concert review/concert attended, only after it is approved in ADVANCE (not the afternoon of the event), I will add 3 points to the student’s final grade.)

Final Grade is based on the following scale (a 10-point scale):

A= 90-100

B= 80-89

C= 70-79

D= 60-69

F= Below 60%

Attendance

Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement; therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class (Log onto the course and do the coursework every week/ Keep up with the work!).  Emergencies can occur, and these will be dealt with on an individual basis, but please contact me without panicking, and know that I want you to succeed but will not allow slacking.  Any course-problem excuses must be accompanied with an appropriate document of legal note (Physicians note, court order, death certificate, Police report, etc… ) “My Girlfriend’s goldfish died” is not an appropriate excuse, and yes, I heard that one in-class before!

Please regulate your time in this course.  I want you to be successful, but one cannot be successful if one is not putting forth a proper effort and doing the required work. 

Calendar

Additional Information

Discussion Postings: Students are expected to respond to discussion postings in a respectful, and educated manner.  These discussion questions are designed to help expand one’s concepts of musical topics.  There will be new discussion board(s) each week. (Monday-Sunday: Post early (like Monday!) in the week for your researched statement, then, discuss the rest of the week) Please use at least 3 credible sources and cite them in your writing (No citations can be construed as plagiarism).  Remember, no student in this course is a “Music Expert,” nor does the internet provide you with vetted and completely truthful information.  Is this not why this course is a common education component?

There will be discussion questions posted by the Professor during each week.  The students are required to read each discussion posting and post (in total) at least 5 total intelligent and insightful postings within each question (If there is any doubt as to the meanings of “intelligent” and “insightful,” then please use the dictionary to define these terms).  Remember, intelligent and insightful, not coy, flipped, or comments of an inconsequential nature.  If these are used, the Professor will NOT count them at all towards your credit of “5” for each discussion board.  A “5” is a perfect score for a discussion board.

Here are some examples that are NOT acceptable:

“I liked your post” – Really?  What did you like and why did you like it?

“I agree with you”-  OK.  That’s nice.  Why do you agree, and on what grounds? 

“That’s not right”- Why?  Explain your argument and discuss!

 “OK”- Seriously? Wow, we can type a two-letter word!

“You really made me think”- Think about what?  What has changed in your opinion?  Discuss!

If you must use a website as reference for your postings, please use a plausible source.  Wikipedia is not a good source of information and is banned for reference within this course.  It can put you on the correct track, but it is not source material.  The Virginia Tech University music dictionary website is a plausible reference site.  Joeschmuckguitarrockeridiot.com is not a plausible site.  Always CITE any and all information that is not original from your own brain!

Please be courteous and polite in our virtual classroom environment.  Remember, if members of this class already knew all of the information contained within this course, then they probably would not be enrolled in this course.  We all start from somewhere, and we all make mistakes, which is why we have erasers on pencils and a “backspace” key on our computer keyboards!  Also, I am completely surprised at the lack of personal responsibility in discussions.  The Student is not the expert in music, nor is your mother, brother, father, etc., not even if you’ve purchased music before! –End of experienced disclaimer-

Texas Co-Board Course Requirement: We will be forced to create an artifact for the course based on Texas Co-Board requirements.  Students must participate in this assignment, or the final grade for the course can and will be affected.  Students will be alerted to the timeframe and parameters for the exercise.  THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!  IF THE PROFESSOR TAKES ALTERNATE STANCES IN DISCUSSIONS, IT IS TO GET YOU READY FOR THIS ARTIFACT!!!!!

CONCERT REVIEWS (Extra Credit only): Since an important part of gaining an appreciation and understanding of music is based on listening to music, students are encouraged to write reviews of Professor-approved live concerts (Yes, you can find concerts that are free.   Yes, I will help guide you, not find them for the student).  Popular culture music reviews will not be accepted (if by any chance one does not understand what this means, contact the instructor for clarification). Reviews are due by December 11, 2016 23:59; 59 Central Standard Time, NO EXCEPTIONS!  Reviews should be submitted electronically via our AC Online course e-mail as a MS Word file attachment, and titled using your full name and the number of the review submitted. (Example- John Doe Concert Review 1) One can actually increase one’s grade a lot, if completed.  They are fun to attend, and the reviews are easy to write.

The format will be: Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx files only!), 12-point Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins, double spaced, footnotes are at 1 inch, >500 words.

How do I write a concert review?  One can Google search the term “concert review” and instantly have access to thousands of reviews to look at and understand how to critique concerts.  Also, the Amarillo Globe News frequently has concert reviews within its contents that one can use for reference.  Use the terms and ideas that you develop through this course to help describe the events.  Make sure to include who performed, what group, where, what was performed, whether or not you enjoyed the performance and why you did or did not enjoy the performance.  Be precise and in-depth.  DO NOT CONTACT THE PROFESSOR REGARDING HOW TO WRITE THESE, IT IS LISTED ABOVE!

QUESTIONS: This syllabus is only an outline of the course of study. If you should have any questions regarding any of the topics of the course, I will be happy to discuss them with you. No question is unimportant, and I look forward to having you in this course.  Be sure to read the syllabus before asking questions.  Answers that are covered within the pages of the course syllabus may go unanswered.

Disclaimer: The instructor reserves the right to alter the syllabus and/or other course content based on the instructor's continuing evaluation of the course.  Students will be alerted to changes made.

Students in this class will not be “given” a grade.  It is the student’s responsibility to “earn” their respective grade for this course.  So, please pay attention to the timeline for this class and all of the due dates for course materials.

Also, you must have a copy of Microsoft Office on the computer you use for this course, in order to fully utilize the potential of the materials for this course (This is available on any computer at Amarillo College for free to use by the student).  Do NOT send me “Open Office” documents, nor any .rtf files at all.  Use only MS Office file types.

Plagiarism on any level will not be tolerated, and it is the students’ responsibility to understand the forms of plagiarism including blatant and collusionary.  Cheating is really dumb.  It degrades the cheater and the academic environment.  Just don’t do it!  Also, textbooks cannot be used for examinations.  Please use academic honesty and integrity when taking examinations and writing within this course.  Any counts of plagiarism give the Instructor of this course the right to fail the student without question.  Please, just do not cheat.  You are better than cheating. 

The Professor receives around 1000 student e-mail messages per semester.  Please give at least 48 hours after you send an e-mail to the Professor, to get a response.  Also, I might be traveling during the semester.  Please be patient, you will get a response if one is requested and/or needed.