THE VICTORIA COLLEGE

Course Title: Music Appreciation                      
Course Identification: Music 1306
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 3

Class time: TTH 8:00-9:15 a.m.                                                                                    
Room: AB209

Date: Fall 2012
Prerequisites/Corequisites:  TSI complete in Reading and Writing
Division:  Humanities and Fine Arts
Department:  Music
Faculty Member Preparing Syllabus: Dr. Marylynn L. Fletcher

Office Telephone Number: (361) 572-6425
Email: marylynn.fletcher@victoriacollege.edu
Webpage: http://www.victoriacollege.edu/~mlfletch/
Fax Number: 361-582-2512
Division Secretary phone number: 361-582-2530
Campus Switchboard phone number: 361-573-3291

Office: Fine Arts Building, Room #115
Office Hours: I am usually on campus from 8am-3pm daily. 
I will be in my office meeting with students during student office hours and by appointment.

MWF: 10:00 am – 10:50 am
TTH: 9:30 am – 10:40 am

Victoria College Tutoring Center: email -- tutorhelp@victoriacollege.edu
Blackboard materials for this course are accessed through the Luminis portal at https://luminis.victoriacollege.edu/cp/home/displaylogin

Normally, I will not be available to answer emails Friday after 3pm through Monday.

Music Appreciation
MUSI 1306
Fall 2012

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Marylynn L. Fletcher
PREREQUISITE: TSI complete in Reading and Writing

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:

1.      Music, An Appreciation, seventh brief edition by Roger Kamien
2.      Connect Music password to accompany the textbook (for streaming audio)
3.      Scantron Form  882:  4 for the semester, 1 for each exam and 1 for the final exam

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 
This course is a musical survey for non-music majors. Emphasis is placed upon the basic elements of music and learning to listen to large-scale works, stylistic differences between composers and historical changes through the various genres of music, from the Middle Ages to the present. (This course does not count towards a music degree.)

COURSE OBJECTIVE/LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT: 
After completing MUSI 1306, Music Appreciation, students will have studied the basic elements of music, i.e. rhythm, harmony, melody, and tonality. In addition, students will have gained knowledge of stylistic features that are found in the music of the major historical periods (Medieval through Contemporary). Students scoring 70% or higher on the final exam have met these objectives.

CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES:
This course meets core curriculum objectives 1and 5. 
1:  To demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities. 
5:  To articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities. 

Students scoring 70% or higher on the final exam have met objectives 1. Students scoring an average of 70% or higher on the three concert reports have met objectives 5. 

INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS:
The Library Media Center contains numerous records and compact discs you may use to assist you in this class. Music scores and biographies are located on the third floor of the VC/UHV Library located on Ben Jordan Street. The music that will be on your exams is streamed through Connect Kamien, but if you wish to explore further, the library is available. In addition to my electronic reserve, you may go to the media center which is located on the 2nd floor of the VC/UHV Library on Ben Jordan Street. For each compositions listed on your Listening List, you should know the composer, title of work, and historical period in which the work was composed. The media center also has the CD’s which accompany the text. They have the 9 CD set. Those tracks are in red ink on the Listening Lists.

I encourage you to use both Connect Kamien and the publisher’s online learning center at www.mhhe.com/kamien7e. The student online learning center has flashcards and interactive exercises available that will help you study for exams. All exams are multiple choice and nearly all of the non-listening questions come from the multiple choice quizzes on this site. Click Student Edition to find these aids. 

When installing the Connect Plus program, you will register for a specific course web address in Connect Kamien (Connect Plus). Your Blackboard course will have a web link to it.

CONCERT ATTENDANCE and REPORTS:
You must attend and write three concert reports for this class. All three concerts must occur during this semester. Students will submit a program and double-spaced, type-written report for each performance according to the class guidelines. Concert reports should include specific musical elements that support the student’s views. In addition, the report should mention the musical era, the composer, and the type of instrumentation or voices used. I strongly urge you to have all concert reports reviewed by tutors in the tutoring center. The VCtutoring center notifies me every time you use their services for this class. Please ask them to notify me every time they review your work for this class. For each concert report that is reviewed twice by the tutoring center before submitting, I will award 5 extra credit points. I do deduct points for grammatical errors, spelling errors, comma splices, and run-on sentences.  See the Concert Report Instructions for a grading rubric and detailed instructions.

All concert reports must include documentation for the concert. This should be a program and/or ticket where possible. If no program or no ticket is available, other documentation must be provided such as concert memorabilia, a written announcement, or a photo. At least two concerts must have a printed program. You may scan the program, ticket, and documentation and attach it to your report or you may drop it by my office if you are on campus. If you attend a concert that does not have a program, such as a rock concert, in addition to your documentation you must send me a web address where I can find the date of the concert. This should be the band’s website or the venue’s website. Do let me know if you are giving me a hard copy and be sure your name is on it. All written concert reports must be completed to receive credit for this course. 10 points will be deducted from your graded paper for each day a paper is late. Concerts may be submitted in any order, but I must have a concert report by each due date.  Also, one report must be a symphony orchestra concert and one must be a choral concert. The third report can be any type of music concert.

Plagiarism and cheating are serious and have consequences. Anyone submitting a paper or assignment that copies material from a published work (book or magazine), website, or another student will face consequences. Read about plagiarism and academic offenses in the student handbook. Consequences for academic offenses are outlined in the student handbook. Briefly, if an instructor determines students have plagiarized or cheated, the instructor may:

1.      Assign any grade to the paper or exam involved.
2.      Assign any grade for the course in which the offending paper or examination was submitted.
3.      Recommend to the Division Dean the student be dropped from the course.
4.      Recommend to the Division Dean the student be dropped from a program of a division.
5.      Recommend suspension or dismissal from the Victoria College.

Concerts Required:

1.      One concert must be a symphony orchestra concert. (This is not a wind symphony concert or any other type of “symphony” concert. It must be a “symphony orchestra” concert.) Victoria Symphony Orchestra Concerts are at 8:00 pm Sept. 15 and Oct. 20, 2012. Student Rush symphony tickets are $5. There should be plenty of seats, so I suggest that you purchase tickets this way. You can purchase two Rush Student Tickets at the door, 15 minutes before the concert if you have cash and your student ID. Performances are in the new VISD auditorium located at the intersection of Sam Houston and Airline. Plan on attending the concert Sept. 15, and then if you get sick or have an emergency you will still complete the course.

The Spooktacular, a family-friendly concert is Oct. 18 at VISD Fine Arts Center. The Spooktacular is a family concert that lasts approximately one hour. It is informal and geared towards children. RUSH tickets are not sold for this performance. Tickets last year were $7 per person. Time is probably 6:30 pm.

You may attend symphony concerts in other cities, but ticket prices are usually higher. Do contact me first. Victoria Master Series Concerts usually last until 10 pm. If you cannot attend a Victoria Symphony Concert on one of these dates, you must inform me in writing (email is fine) no later than August 31, 2012 so that we can find another symphony orchestra concert for you to attend.

2.      One concert must be a choral music concert. There are two Victoria College choral concerts this semester. You may attend either one.

a.       The VC Choir will perform a Fall Choral Concert, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012 in the Johnson Symposium Center.  Admission is free.

b.      The Victoria Civic Chorus and Victoria College Choir will perform a concert of Christmas Music on Friday, November 30, 2012. The concert will be at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church. $5 admission will be charged. See the welcome for information about earning extra credit and free admission to any choral concert. If you cannot attend one of these concerts, you must inform me in writing (email is fine) no later than August 31, 2012 so that we can find another choral concert for you.

3.      The third concert must be at least one hour long. It may be an instrumental or vocal concert. I will try to provide dates of free concerts as they become available in the discussion group titled concerts. You may also post upcoming concerts to this discussion group. (This concert may be any type of concert including, popular concerts, school concerts, or rock concerts.)   

Concert Report 1 due Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012
Concert Report 2 due Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012
Concert Report 3 due Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012

If you cannot attend one of these three VSO concerts or one of the choral concerts, you must contact me in writing by email before Aug. 31, 2012 to make alternate arrangements.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR:

1. Students who talk at inappropriate times during class will be asked to leave.
2. Any student found cheating on an exam will receive a “0” for that exam.
3. Work that is turned in late will have 10 points deducted from the grade for each day it is late.
4. If your cell phone rings during class, you will lose 5 points from your final grade.

GRADING: Your grades will be calculated according to the following formulas.

There will be three Exams and a comprehensive Final Exam. Each exam consists of multiple choice questions and each begins with listening excerpts from your listening list. You must identify the composition heard and movement from which each excerpt is taken. You may also be asked to identify playing techniques and what instrument is playing. Listening Quizzes will help you prepare for the exam. Most exams have 15 -20 listening excerpts.

ATTENDANCE: 
I must submit an attendance record at the end of the semester for every student. Regular and prompt class attendance is expected of every student. A student’s absence means that the student is not able to participate in the class.  For purposes of attendance, I will use quizzes given at the beginning of each class as your attendance record. The following policies apply through the 11^th week of classes. The instructor

1.      MUST drop a student who has not attended class by the 12^th day of classes that semester.
2.      May drop a student who misses 7 classes.
3.      MUST drop a student who misses 13 classes.

WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS: 
Students who officially drop this course will receive a grade of "W" or “Q” if they withdraw before the official withdrawal date.

Semester Schedule is Subject to Change

MUSI 1306                                                                                                                                                           MUSIC APPRECIATION