University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Curriculum Proposal Form #4A
Change in an Existing Course
Type of Action (check all that apply)
Course Revision (include course description & former and new syllabus)
Contact Hour Change and or Credit Change
Diversity Option
General Education Option
area: Select one: *
Grade Basis
Repeatability Change
Other:
* Note:
For the Gen Ed option, the proposal should address how this course relates to specific core courses, meets the goals of General
Education in providing breadth, and incorporates scholarship in the appropriate field relating to women and gender.
Effective Term: 2127 (Fall 2012)
Current Course Number (subject area and 3-digit course number): MUSC 143
Current Course Title:
Survey of American Jazz
Sponsor(s):
Michael Dugan and Michael Allsen
Department(s):
Music
College(s):
Arts and Communications
List all programs that are affected by this change:
This a course open to all University majors as a GA General Education elective.
If programs are listed above, will this change affect the Catalog and Advising Reports for those
programs? If so, have Form 2's been submitted for each of those programs?
(Form 2 is necessary to provide updates to the Catalog and Advising Reports)
NA
Yes
Proposal Information:
I.
They will be submitted in the future
(Procedures for form #4A)
Detailed explanation of changes (use FROM/TO format)
FROM:
TO:
Add Diversity credit.
II.
Justification for action
Both MUSC 143 (Music’s long-established General Education GA class designed for all
majors) and MUSC 344 (a new upper-division class designed for those pursuing a Jazz
Certificate, music majors or the music minor) fit within the University’s new standards for
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applying Diversity credit. We applaud a long-overdue revision to these standards which have
made them more inclusive and which allow us to request Diveristy for these 2-credit classes.
In the following justification, the Diversity guidelines are inserted in italics.
For a course to be considered for Diversity, at least 70% of its content must relate to American
minorities.
This standard is clearly met in MUSC 143. Jazz was the unique creation of African Americans.
While, by the 1930s, it was an increasingly integrated activity, African Americans have been
leading performers and innovators throughout its history, though to today’s Jazz.
For the specific purpose of course approval and developing diversity programming, please use
the following objectives as guidelines:
1. Understanding that American society has been and continues to be shaped by the interaction
of diverse groups.
Jazz is the first art form that originated wholly in the United States, and most later American
musical forms—Country Music, Rock & Roll, Soul/R&B, and Hip-Hop/Rap—are rooted firmly
in aspects of Jazz. Jazz was born out of the melting pot that was New Orleans at the turn of the
20th century, a music deeply rooted in African American spirituals, work songs, the blues, and
ragtime. In American history, the bandstand was one the first places a Black man could stand
next to a White man at work. It was integration is its best form: in jazz, then and now, the color
of one’s skin was/is not nearly as important as was/is the musical conversation between those
musicians.
2. Understanding and knowledge of cultures other than one’s own.
This comprehension is at the very core of understanding the early history of Jazz: understanding
the vastly different cultural traditions within the various populations of African American,
Creoles of Color, and Caribbean Islanders living in New Orleans is fundamental to
understanding the musical style and cultural significance of early Jazz. Though Jazz was
eventually a racially integrated form, it remains a vital entry-point to understanding many of the
great social movements of African-American culture: the Harlem Renaissance, the Great
Migration, and the long Civil Rights struggle. In the context of this class, Jazz is also, for most
students, the discovery of a musical culture other than their own.
3. Ability to reflect on one’s own perspectives and how these relate to others who we perceive as
different from ourselves.
In discovering this new musical culture, students gain the listening skills necessary to understand
how to hear with an empathetic ear and understand how different styles of Jazz work. Being able
to reflect on these styles and understand their historical significance is fundamental to the course.
Culturally, discovering Jazz should also be be a discovery of African American culture and
history.
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4. Understanding of how group differences are expressed, including cultural practices as well
as differences in power or access.
As noted above, Jazz has always been a form in which African Americans expressed their
reactions to social conditions—whether overtly or in “coded” form. A more overt example is the
explicitly political work of Charles Mingus, such as Fables of Faubus, where he listener gets a
sense of the racial tension the in the U.S. Listeners are also exposed to how Mingus used Jazz as
an outlet to express his opinions about the racial tensions in the south. In Fables of Faubus,
Mingus uses a call and response format, similar to the format used in early New Orleans Jazz, to
express the cultural differences in Arkansas, circa 1957.
Oh, Lord, don't let 'em shoot us!
Oh, Lord, don't let 'em stab us!
Oh, Lord, don't let 'em tar and feather us!
Oh, Lord, no more swastikas!
Oh, Lord, no more Ku Klux Klan!
Name me someone who's ridiculous, Dannie.
Governor Faubus!
Why is he so sick and ridiculous?
He won't permit integrated schools.
Then he's a fool! Boo! Nazi Fascist supremacist!
Boo! Ku Klux Klan (with your Jim Crow plan)
Name me a handful that's ridiculous, Dannie Richmond.
Faubus, Rockefeller, Eisenhower
Why are they so sick and ridiculous?
Two, four, six, eight:
They brainwash and teach you hate.
H-E-L-L-O, Hello
The spoken word about the anti–integration in Arkansas in 1957, blended with modern day Jazz
instruments using “old” Jazz techniques, is a fascinating way to start the understanding process
of why different groups of people think, act, and express themselves the way they do.
5. Skill/facility/experience working with people who are different from oneself (for example,
travel study, guest speakers, experiential learning).
In a classroom that houses freshman through graduate students, musicians and non-musicians,
and a host of different ethnicities, the opportunity to learn with someone who is different than
you is part of the experience. Music is often considered the universal language, so what better
way to provide an experiential learning experience than through listening and discussing
America’s art form with a diverse group of college students.
III.
Syllabus/outline (if course revision, include former syllabus and new syllabus)
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Survey of American Jazz
Fall 2011
MUSC 143
M/W 8:50 AM – 9:40 AM
CA 11
This syllabus is subject to change with sufficient notice
Instructor: Dr. Mike Dugan
Office: Greenhill Center of the Arts (CA) 2007
Office Phone: 262.472.4655
Email: duganm@uww.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
*I am not available after class due to the Music Department Convocation Hour*
Text: Jazz by Scott DeVeaux and Gary Giddins
ALL ADDITIONAL MATERIALS ARE OR WILL BE POSTED ON DESIRE2LEARN (D2L)
Class Website: http://www.uww.edu/desire2learn
Course Description: “A listening approach to jazz with emphases both upon styles and the
contribution made by selected jazz musicians of America. Other influences upon jazz will also
be surveyed.”
Course Goals: This class is designed to introduce you to the history and cultural contexts of
jazz, as well as to cultivate awareness and an understanding of the process of jazz improvisation.
The semester will be a chronological survey of the major styles and artists of jazz, from African
acculturation in the New World to the present will be discovered with special emphasis on the
following artists: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Dizzy
Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, John Coltrane, Miles
Davis, Charles Mings, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, Weather Report, and Jaco Pastorius.
Major figures and trends in jazz will be investigated with special emphasis upon recordings as
documentation of stylistic development. Students will come away with an understanding of the
historical and cultural aspects of jazz, in addition students will be able to understand the various
musical styles and idioms of the art form.
This course requires no previous musical experience.
COURSE POLICIES:
What You Can Expect From Your Instructor
You can expect me to be prepared for class, to take you and the subject seriously while exploring
and enjoying the learning process, to begin and end on time, to let you know what to expect on
tests, to grade your work fairly and promptly, to allow time for questions and discussions in
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class, to be available outside of class at office hours, and to remember that this is not the only
class you are taking.
What Your Instructor Expects Out of You/Attendance Policy
A college course is (or ought to be) an experience, not merely a certification that you earn by
passing tests. If you miss class, you miss a part of that experience that cannot be made up. Some
absences, I realize, are unavoidable. I am also interested in helping you cultivate the disciplined
professionalism that is expected of collegiate study. Regular attendance is very important and I
will pass around an attendance sheet in class. Just as you need to show up for work, you need to
show up for class. If you miss class for any reason, you’ll need to contact another class member
to get missed notes and handouts.
Exams cannot be rescheduled except for extreme circumstances or reasons. They can only be
rescheduled or made up in the case of a serious medical problem or another situation of similar
seriousness, which must be documented in writing. If you are late for an exam you will not be
allowed additional time to complete the exam, nor will I replay ANY of the listening or visual
examples.
E-Mail: All students are required to have and use their UW-Whitewater e-mail account
daily: I will use this e-mail address to send out announcements, additional information, or
changes in schedule. I will try to answer any student e-mail I receive within 24 hours MF and within 48 hours over weekends. I expect that you will answer e-mail I send to you
within the same timeframe. I don't accept "I never check my University e-mail" as an
excuse. You may also access your University e-mail account by going to the University
website and accessing "Webmail." Please contact me if you don’t understand how to do
this.
E-Mail Etiquette: All email correspondence will comply with the following
guidelines.
1. Subject line: All messages from students will begin with the course number,
followed by the subject of the message. (e.g. RE: Music 143-bebop question). It is
vital for record keeping that I am able to file emails by course and subject
2. Body of the message: All messages must start with Dear or Hi, then Dr.
Dugan/Prof. Dugan/Mike. Then, messages must be constructed of whole,
grammatically correct sentences. This is not a conversation but a professional
correspondence.
3. All messages must end with the student’s signature, preferably with a cordial
greeting such as “Yours, Best or Sincerely.”
Messages that do not comply with all of the guidelines will be returned
unanswered, other than a request to rewrite the message to the guidelines.
Class Format. The majority of class time will involve a conversation about, discussion, or
observation of jazz examples—this is a “lecture class” but that is only part of the equation. I will
also have you work in class in small groups or in pairs for discussions. I will sometimes ask you
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to do short written assignments in class—these cannot be made up if you miss class. As much as
I would like to open up your skulls, dump in the information and send you on your way, it is not
that easy. For me, critical thinking includes understanding and analyzing the information
presented, synthesizing and evaluating knowledge while applying newly learned material to the
problem-solving process. Included within this area are problem identification, assessment,
solution generation and re-evaluation. The development of critical thinking skills occurs as the
student gains practical knowledge and is able to synthesize information from multiple contexts
and disciplined to increase understanding and apply knowledge.
To be respectful of our classroom, the following items may not be used during class
without prior approval: cell phones and pagers (please turn them off during class),
recording devices, video phones, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iPod, any MP3 player, laptop
computers, PDAs, and electronic games.
The use of any of these items during an exam will be interpreted as cheating and the
student involved may fail the course.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES:
University of Wisconsin –Whitewater Policies: The University of WisconsinWhitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive and non-discriminatory learning
environment. It is the responsibility of all undergraduate and graduate students to
familiarize themselves with University policies regarding Special Accommodations,
Misconduct, Religious Beliefs Accommodation, Discrimination and Absence for
University for University Sponsored Events. (For details please refer to the
Undergraduate and Graduate Timetables; the “Rights and Responsibilities” section of
Undergraduate Bulletin; the Academic Requirements and Policies and the Facilities and
Services sections of the Graduate Bulletin; and the “Student Academic Disciplinary
Procedures” [UWS Chapter 14]; and the “Student Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures”
[UWS Chapter 17]).
This means let me know if:
 You are in need accommodations or modifications because of a disability.
 English is not your first language and you will need to use a dictionary during exams,
please contact me ahead of time.
 You might need flexibility from me because of child-care issues.
 You must miss class because of a religious holiday.
 You must miss an exam because of a University-sponsored event. You will need to
provide me with written proof from the event's sponsor.
 You do not understand that the University has firm guidelines regarding academic
misconduct ("cheating") and I tend to follow them fairly strictly. If you are caught
cheating, the penalties are severe. University Expectations Regarding Time Spent on
Class Work (inside and outside of class): “The institutions shall award credit to
students successfully completing approved instructional programs, or demonstrating
competence or learning equivalent to that provided by such programs as either
semester credits, or quarter credits. It is assumed that study leading to one semester
credit represents an investment of time by the average student of not fewer than 48
hours for class contact in lectures, for laboratories, examinations, tutorials and
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recitations, and for preparation and study; or a demonstration by the student of
learning equivalent to that established as the expected product of such a period of
study. Study leading to one quarter of credit represents two-thirds of that set as the
standard for one semester credit.”
This means: over the course of the semester a 2-credit University class should involve 2
class “hours” per day and a minimum of 1-hour per day outside of class (homework,
studying class notes, reading assignments, attending arts events). If you are a slow reader
it will probably require more of your time.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): The 1974 Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act affords students certain rights with respect to their
education records. More information is available on FERPA (www.uww.edu/Catalog/0204/Legal/legal4.html)
This means: you are an adult and have a right to privacy concerning your work in this
course. I cannot discuss or release your grades or anything about your performance to
your parents, roommates, service organizations, fraternities, and sororities, without your
written consent (there is a form that must be filled out; see me if you need more
information about this).
Course Assessment
Grading Policy
Your semester grade will be determined by your performance on the five exams/assessments, 25
two-minute papers, and the jazz performance review. Each of the five assessments will be worth
50 points. The exams will be comprised multiple choice, short answer and essay style questions.
These questions will be based on the readings, listening and what is discussed in class.
Total points available= 350
 5 Assessment opportunities=250 points
 25 (basically one for each class and based on the reading/listening homework),
minute papers=50 points
 Jazz performance review=50 points
Your grade will be determined by a percentage (%) of your total points for the semester.
≥ 93% = A
< 92% =A< 90% =B+
< 88% = B
< 82% = B< 80% = C+
< 78% = C
< 72% = C-
< 70% = D+
< 68% = D
< 62% = D< 60% = F
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two-
Jazz Review
WORTH 25 POINTS
Events
Jazz Ensemble II Concert 11/7/11 @ 7:30 PM Light Recital Hall
Jazz Combos Concert 11/9/11 @ 7:30 Light Recital Hall
Jazz Ensemble I Concert 11/10/11@ 7:30 Light Recital Hall
Other jazz performances may be used with prior permission
This review is due ONE WEEK after the performance!
Main objective: Pick two songs (tunes) to discuss in detail.
The key is variety. Pick songs, which differ stylistically. Is it a swing tune, a ballad, a bebop
song? Are their lyrics (even if they are not sung)? How were the solos structured? How many
solos? Did they trade 4s?
Your answers to each question should be one paragraph in length.
1. Explain the instrumentation of the group, and hierarchy of instrumentation for the
specific songs you discuss.
2. Present a brief overview and biography that places the composer/arranger into
historical context.
3. Was there improvisation? If so, how did you know it was improvisation, and did it
fit the context of the music?
4. To which genre(s) do they belong, and why (you must support your answers and cite
your sources)?
5. Did you dig it?
6. Was it well organized from a musical standpoint?
Survey of American Jazz Class Schedule
Readings will be assigned at the end of each class, as well as what to
listen to. Recordings will be available on our D2L site, as well as the
Alexander Street Press subscription on the UW-W library site.
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9/7-9/26:
What is jazz?
Where did it come from?
Who did it come from?
How did it become jazz?
9/28-10/17:
Louis Armstrong
Swing
Duke Ellington and Count Basie
10/19-11/9:
Bop
Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Thelonius Monk and Bud Powell
Cool Jazz
Lennie Tristano, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Gil Evans
Hard Bop
Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Herbie Hancock
11/14-11/30:
Miles Davis
John Coltrane
12/5-12/14:
Avant Garde
Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, Albery Ayler
Fusion
Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Weather Report, Pat Metheny, Medeski Martin and Wood
Assessment Dates
9/26: Assessment 1
10/17: Assessment 2
11/9: Assessment 3
11/30: Assessment 4
12/16: Final, 7:45-9:45 AM (note the time!)
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Concert Dates (for review)
Jazz Ensemble II Concert 11/7/11 @ 7:30 PM Light Recital Hall
Jazz Combos Concert 11/9/11 @ 7:30 Light Recital Hall
Jazz Ensemble I Concert 11/10/11@ 7:30 Light Recital Hall
Other jazz performances may be used with prior permission
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