Upper-division Writing Requirement Review Form.
I. General Education Review – Upper-division Writing Requirement
Dept/Program
Course # (i.e. ANTH
Music
Subject
455) or sequence
Course(s) Title
Music of the 20th C. to the Present
Description of the requirement if it is not a single course.
MUSI 415
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
James Randall
Phone / Email
james.randall@umontana.edu
Program Chair
Maxine Ramey
Dean
Stephen Kalm
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only
Reason for new course, change or deletion
Date
Change
Remove
Request for renewal of designation
IV Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description
Music 415 is an introduction to Western art music of the 20th century to the present. By
studying representative works of major composers, we learn something about the immense
changes in musical style that characterize this time period. Through primary and secondary
source readings, we’ll learn about the important cultural, political, and social movements that
inspired and shaped such diverse works. As this course fulfills the upper-division writing
requirement, you’ll also develop skills in writing and research that are crucial to a professional
career in music.
V Learning Outcomes: Explain how each of the following learning outcomes will be achieved.
This course is organized as a seminar. Our
Student learning outcomes :
Identify and pursue sophisticated questions for weekly readings, listening, and discussion
questions (on Moodle) serve as a springboard
academic inquiry
for our face-to-face meetings, in which students
are expected to pose questions directing course
content and to share their own independent
analyses of the musical works and source
readings.
The writing assignments expect and assess
Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize
these skills.
information effectively and ethically from
diverse sources (see
http://www.lib.umt.edu/informationliteracy/)
Manage multiple perspectives as appropriate
Recognize the purposes and needs of
discipline-specific audiences and adopt the
academic voice necessary for the chosen
discipline
Use multiple drafts, revision, and editing in
conducting inquiry and preparing written work
Follow the conventions of citation,
documentation, and formal presentation
appropriate to that discipline
Develop competence in information
technology and digital literacy (link)
Each essay requires students to critically
engage with multiple perspectives and points of
view that are presented in assigned readings
and listening, from both primary and secondary
sources. Students are expected to incorporate
those points of view as well as independent
research and musical analysis into each of their
formal essays.
Each essay is modeled after a specific kind of
professional writing common in the field of
music: (1) a research piece (program note
assignment); (2) criticism (a critical review of a
new musical composition); and (3) an editorial
response (an opinion piece). For each
assignment, a particular audience is identified
so that students can tailor their essay
appropriately.
Depending upon the assignment, students
submit drafts for peer or instructor review.
Students incorporate feedback into their
revisions and final drafts.
Students are provided with resources I post to
Moodle, cover in class, and supplement
through handouts.
These skills are covered primarily in class, but I
also devote discussion forums on Moodle
presenting and sharing resources. I also use the
music subject area resource guide developed by
Tammy Ravas for the Mansfield Library
website. Links to helpful resources are posted
on Moodle.
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25 students.
If not, list maximum course enrollment.
Explain how outcomes will be adequately met
for this number of students. Justify the request
for variance.
Briefly explain how students are provided with
tools and strategies for effective writing and editing
in the major.
Which written assignment(s) includes revision in
response to instructor’s feedback?
We discuss these in class and links are
provided to resources on Moodle. In
particular, I use resources available through
the Mansfield Library website and Purdue
University Online Writing Lab
The program note assignment.
VII. Writing Assignments: Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to
individually compose at least 20 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Quality of content and writing
are integral parts of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
3 essays ~ 5 pages each; 2 take-home short
Informal Ungraded Assignments
answer and essay exams (~5 typed pages
each). These assignments comprise 80% of
the total course grade.
Weekly discussion forums on moodle.
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  For assistance on
syllabus preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
The syllabus must include the following:
1. Writing outcomes
2. Information literacy expectations
3. Detailed requirements for all writing assignments or append writing assignment instructions
Music 415H: Music of the 20th Century to the Present
Upper-Division Writing Course: 3 Credits
Fall 2013
Instructor: James Randall
E-mail: james.randall@umontana.edu
Office/phone: 214 Music Bldg.
Office Hrs: Wed 10-11:30, or by appt.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Pre-requisites:
Students must have completed both their upper-division recital program and piano proficiency degree
requirements, or have the consent of the instructor to enroll in this course.
Course Description:
Our course is an introduction to Western art music of the 20th century to the present. By studying
representative works of major composers, we’ll learn something about the immense changes in musical
style that characterize this period, and also about the important cultural, political, and social movements
that inspired and shaped such diverse music. As this course fulfills the upper-division writing
requirement, you’ll also develop skills in research and writing that are immediately relevant to a
professional career in music.
Student Goals and Objectives:
1) Gaining practical knowledge of composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including a familiarity with
musical styles, compositional techniques, and sources of creative inspiration.
2) Developing active listening skills, including the ability to identify and discuss broad musical styles
and the styles of specific composers.
3) Developing skills in research and writing in the discipline of music: in particular, fostering digital
literacy and a working knowledge of current information technology relevant to our field. Each essay
assignment explores a specific type of musical writing, including music criticism, program notes, and
original research.
Required Texts
You have two required texts for this course: The Rest is Noise, by Alex Ross, and Strunk’s Source
Readings in Music History: The Twentieth Century, vol., 7, edited by Robert Morgan. Both are available
for purchase online (see Moodle for link). A few copies of Strunk’s Source Readings are available at the
UC bookstore. Additional assigned readings will be posted online in PDF format as part of your Moodle
course supplement.
Listening Materials
Listening examples for the course will be available through Naxos Music Library or YouTube playlists.
See Moodle for weekly assignments.
Evaluation:
Grades will be based upon the following:
Essay I (program note)
15%
Essay II
15%
Midterm I
15%
Midterm II
15%
Paper III
20%
Attendance and Participation in Discussion Group
20%
*Attendance will be taken at each session. More than three absences will result a letter
grade deduction of your final grade.
• Paper extensions will only be permitted with a valid excuse—illness, death in the family, etc.
• Students with special needs should consult with the instructor for accommodations.
Grading scale is as follows
A
AB+
B
BC+
93-100%
90-92%
88-89%
83-87%
80-82%
78-79%
C
CD+
D
DF
73-77%
70-72%
68-69%
63-67%
60-62%
59% and below
Academic Misconduct and the Student Conduct Code
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty by the course
instructor and/or disciplinary sanction by the University. All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct
Code. The Code is available for review online at www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/Index.cfm/page/1321.
SCHEDULE
Weekly reading and listening assignments, as well as other homework will be posted in the Weekly
Assignments folder on Moodle. The following schedule provides rough weekly topics of study, dates for exams,
and due dates for your three essays.
Week 1: Aug 27 and 29
Illegal Harmonies: Why does 20th-century music sound so different? Or does it?
Week 2: Sept. 3 and 5
The Rest is Noise [RIN]: Chapter 1: The Golden Age (Mahler and Strauss)
Week 3: Sept. 10-12
RIN: Chapter 2: Doctor Faust (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern)
Week 4: Sept. 17-19
RIN: Chapter 3: Dance of the Earth (Stravinsky, Bartok, Les Six)
Week 5: Sept. 24-26
RIN: Chapter 4: Invisible Men (Cook, Ives, Gershwin, Ellington)
*TURN IN ESSAY 1
Week 6: Oct. 1-3
RIN: Chapter 6: City of Nets (Hindemith, Schoenberg, Weill, Krenek)
Week 7: Oct. 8-10
RIN: Chapter 7: The Art of Fear (Shostakovich, Prokofiev)
*MIDTERM I EXAM
Week 8: Oct. 15-17
RIN: Chapter 8 (Copland, Seeger, Thomson, Blitzstein)
Week 9: Oct. 22-24
RIN: Chapters 9-10: Death Fugue: Music of the Third Reich; Zero Hour: US Army and German Music 19451949
*TURN IN ESSAY II
Week 10: Oct. 29-31
RIN: Chapter 11: Brave New World (Boulez, Babbitt, Cage, Stockhausen, Xenaxis)
Week 11 Nov. 5-7
RIN: Chapter 12: Grimes! Grimes! (Britten); Chapter 13 Zion Park (Messiaen, Ligeti, Berio)
Week 12 Nov. 12-14
RIN: Chapter 14: Beethoven was Wrong (Reich, Young, Riley, Partch, Feldman)
*MIDTERM 2 EXAM
Week 13: Nov. 19-21
RIN: Chapter 15: Sunken Cathedrals: Music at Century’s End:
Week 14: Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving break
TBA
Week 15: Dec 3-5
TBA
Week 16: Finals Week
Final Meeting: Tuesday Dec. 10 5:30-7:30
*Turn in Essay 3
SAMPLE ESSAY PROMPT
Music 415: Music of the 20th Century to the Present
Essay 1: Program Note
Description: Write a program note for one musical work of your choice. The composer and piece should be
from the time period roughly outlined in the first 4 chapters of your textbook, The Rest is Noise. The note must
be between 1000-1250 words (adhering to strict word limits is typical for published notes). Assume that your
target audience is educated and musically literate. In keeping with standard program note practice, source
citations are not required.
Although your approach to the note may vary in style, language, and organization, all notes should include
the following components:
1) Full title of the work; date of composition; composer and dates
2) Historical context: genesis of the piece, inspiration, interesting anecdotes, etc.
3) Stylistic context: how the piece fits in with other works by the composer and with the music of its era
4) Musical description: something to guide the listener through the piece
5) At the end of the note, you should append a “Further Reading” section with a short list (no more than
5 sources) of books, articles, and websites that direct the reader to resources that discuss the work and
composer in greater depth (for proper bibliographic citation, see handout on Moodle),
Format: MS Word document (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). Include your last name in your document title
(e.g. Randall.424ProgramNote.doc).
Getting Started: Read the following link for some helpful strategies for researching and writing your notes:
http://facstaff.uww.edu/allsenj/MSO/NOTES/WritingNotes.htm
Grading: You’ll be graded on the content and accuracy of your note, as well as on the appropriateness of the
note for your intended audience. Your notes should be within the exact word limits. Proofread carefully: points will
be deducted for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You should follow the standard editorial
guidelines for writing about music (see handout on Moodle).