Music 133 Syllabus: Fall 2025 (07:700:133)
Department of Music Mason Gross School of the Arts, Arts Online Division
© 2025, Stephen Wilcox & Robinson McClellan (all rights reserved)
Instructors
Section(s)
90, 91, 92, & 93
94, 95, 96, & 97
98 & 99
Instructor
Prof. Stephen Wilcox
Prof. Robinson McClellan
Prof. Jay Dubin
Email
spwilcox@mgsa.rutgers.edu
robinmcc@mgsa.rutgers.edu
jay.dubin@rutgers.edu
Course Description
Music, in all its many forms and styles, is an integral part of human nature, culture, and society,
playing a significant role in the expressive and creative development of the individual. In this
course, students will develop an appreciation of music as a means of personal communication
through an intensive introductory study of music theory. Students will be able to understand
and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of music: pitch, rhythm and meter,
notation, keyboard layout, scales and keys, intervals, chords and chord progressions, and basic
musical form. Knowledge of these principles will equip students with the practical and
cognitive skills to engage directly in the reading and composing of music.
Detailed online lessons with extensive audio and visual components are supplemented with
regular practice via assignments and examinations. The unit and lesson structure mirrors
Joseph Straus’s theory textbook, Elements of Music. All course materials, coursework, and
interaction with the professor take place online.
School of Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum Learning Goal
1. Areas of Inquiry
c. Arts and the Humanities
Ø Students will be able to engage critically in the process of creative expression.
Course Learning Objectives
• To demonstrate theoretical and practical knowledge of standard pitch and rhythm
notation, keyboard layout, meter and time signatures, scales and keys, intervals,
consonance and dissonance, chords and chord progressions, and basic musical phrase
structure.
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• To develop the ability to perceive, analyze, describe, and transcribe simple musical
passages.
• To identify and define the elements of musical composition.
• To articulate musical terminology and concepts effectively.
• To analyze a short musical composition, thus demonstrating a critical understanding of
the principles and concepts of music theory.
Technology/Materials
Music 133 is designed to be best viewed on a desktop display. Students should use either
Firefox or Chrome browsers on a desktop machine. Viewing the course on a mobile device
may result in missing important information.
All course materials and activities are on Rutgers' Canvas site: https://rutgers.instructure.com/.
The Music 133 course site contains a set of online lessons with embedded audio and video,
which together serve as an "online textbook." All homework assignments (HW) and exams
also occur on the course site. Live interaction with professors occurs via email and video chat.
Staff paper (for writing music) is recommended for taking notes as you read the online lessons
and practicing and working out your online assignments. Here is a good source of free
printable staff paper: https://www.musicca.com/files/documents/staff-paper/no-clef-8letter.pdf.
Time and Workload
Students should expect to spend at least 3-7 hours per week reading the online lessons,
watching and listening to online videos and music examples (embedded in the lessons), and
completing weekly homework assignments and exams.
Reading/Listening: Lessons with embedded audio/video: 1-2 hours/week
Homework Assignments (HW): Multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank format: 1-4 hours/week
Creative Projects: Compose and Perform Simple Melodies. variable
To be successful in this course, you should:
• Thoroughly complete all the reading and listening contained in the online lessons.
• Complete all homework assignments (HW).
• Complete the Core Concept Exams.
• Strictly observe all deadlines.
• Complete all Creative Projects
• Read all instructions carefully!
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Teaching Strategies
To enable student achievement of the learning goals, your instructor will:
• Respond to your questions and requests for extra help promptly and fully.
• Initiate regular email contact (reminders, news, updates) with all course students.
Grade Weights
Tasks
Homework assignments (HW)
Core Concepts Exam
2 Creative Projects (10% each)
Chord Identification Project
TOTAL:
Grade Weights
62%
10%
20%
8%
100%
Homework Assignments (62%)
There are 31 required homework assignments, all worth between 1% and 2%.
- Assignments (12, 14 & 30) must be handwritten and submitted as a pdf.
Unless noted, assignments can be submitted multiple times prior to their due date.
Core Concepts Exam (10%)
CC Exam is the only exam in Music 133. It covers the most critical skills you will learn in units
1-3, skills that will allow you to continue to study music theory if you so choose. There are very
few timed assessments in Music 133; please inform your instructor if you are entitled to
accommodations.
The exam can only be taken once. You will have 60 minutes to complete this exam.
Creative Projects (20% = 2x10%)
There are two creative projects, one following each of Units 3 and 5.
Required Completion
This SAS Core Competency Course requires critical engagement through creative expression.
> To pass Music 133, you must complete both creative projects.
Late Submissions
CPs are graded individually in the order received. It can take time, so have patience.
> -10% penalty for the first late day
> -5% penalty for each subsequent day
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Chord Identification Project = 8%
Students will identify triads in a real-world chorale. The chord project can be taken multiple
times.
Extra Credit = 8% possible
Entry survey, 6 optional discussions, 1 optional HW, & 3 gated assignments.
Gated Assignments
At the ends of Units 1, 2 & 3, there are "gated" assignments.
To begin the next unit, you must identify a set number of pitches in the indicated 1min, 45
sec..
Unit 1 Gate = 12 in 1 min, 45 sec
Unit 2 Gate = 15 in 1 min, 45 sec
Unit 3 Gate = 18 in 1 min, 45 sec
Grade Scale
Final grades are assessed using the following scale.
Grade
A
B+
B
C+
C
D
F
Range
90 – 100
86 – 89.9
80 – 85.9
76 – 79.9
70 – 75.9
60 – 69.9
less than 60
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Assignment List
Unit
1
2
3
4
5
6
Assignment
Assignment 1: Melodic Motion
Assignment 2: Musical Alphabet
Assignment 3: Enharmonics & Piano Identification
Assignment 4: Notation Conventions 1
Assignment 5: Treble Clef
Assignment 6: Bass Clef
Unit 1: Optional Discussion
Unit 1: Pitch Identification Gate
Assignment 7: Beat & Tempo
Assignment 8: Meter
Assignment 9: Rhythmic Durations
Assignment 10: Beat Divisions, Subdivisions & Meter
Assignment 11: Time Signatures
Assignment 12: Rhythm Notation (Barlines & Rests)
Assignment 13: Notation Conventions 2
Assignment 14: Practical Notation 2 (Beaming)
Unit 2: Optional Discussion
Unit 2: Pitch Identification Gate
Assignment 15: Semitones & Whole Tones
Assignment 16: Major Scales
Assignment 17: Natural Minor Scales
Assignment 18: Key Signatures
Assignment 19: Harmonic & Melodic Minor Scales
Assignment 20: Relative & Parallel Scales
Assignment 21: Harmonic Function
Creative Project 1
Unit 3: Optional Discussion
Unit 3: Pitch Identification Gate
Assignment 22: Generic Intervals
Assignment 23: Fourths & Fifths
Assignment 24: Thirds & Sixths
Assignment 25: Seconds & Sevenths
Assignment 26 Diatonic Intervals
Core Concept Exam
Unit 4: Optional Discussion
Assignment 27: Triads
Assignment 28: Diatonic Triads
Assignment 29: Seventh Chords
Assignment 30: Chord Inversions
Creative Project 2
Unit 5: Discussion
Assignment 31: Phrase & Cadence
Optional Assignment: Dominant to Tonic Resolution
Chord Identification Project
Unit 6: Optional Discussion
Due Date
Sept. 16th, 2025 @
11:59pm
Oct. 7th, 2025 @
11:59pm
Oct. 28th, 2025 @
11:59pm
Nov. 11th, 2025 @
11:59pm
Dec. 2nd, 2025 @
11:59pm
Dec. 12th, 2025 @
11:59pm
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The Classroom Environment
Classroom citizenship
All members of the Rutgers University community are expected to conduct themselves in a
manner that reflects our shared commitment to the university as a site of learning, open
inquiry, and respect for intellectual, cultural, and personal differences. All voices in this
classroom are important, and it is incumbent upon all of us to acknowledge and honor the
variety of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds that we bring to our work together. I
will do my best to set a positive tone in the classroom, but if you have any concerns or
become aware of problems, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You must also
familiarize yourself with—and abide by—the university’s Policy on Student Conduct.
Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination
As a teacher, I strive to foster a safe, secure, and supportive learning environment for all
students. To this end, I recognize that the space of inclusion and trust is predicated on a
community that is anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-transphobic, non-ableist, non-ageist, and is
reverent to different religious beliefs and practices. I strive to establish expectations for care,
respect, and compassion in all our activities as a class community.
As a school with students, faculty, and staff from different states, countries, racial and
ethnic backgrounds, religions, and gender identities, as well as first-generation college
students, veterans, and those with diverse learning styles, we at Mason Gross are in a unique
and privileged position to be inspired, challenged, and transformed by and through our
differences. Your voice, your safety, and your experience both in and out of this classroom
matter and are deeply valued.
We all have different experiences and literacies that inform who we are and that
contribute to our artistic work. We all have room to grow to deepen our commitment to
equity and care. Our attitude towards navigating these differences should be one of
engagement, curiosity, openness, honesty, and the ability to listen.
Names and pronouns
If you use a name and/or gender pronoun that is not indicated on the class roster, or if it
changes over the course of the semester, please let me know. If I make an error in addressing
you, please correct me.
Land acknowledgment
We acknowledge that the land on which we stand is the ancestral territory of the Lenape
People. We pay respect to Indigenous people throughout the Lenape diaspora—past,
present, and future—and honor those who have been historically and systemically
disenfranchised. We also acknowledge that Rutgers University, like New Jersey and the United
States as a nation, was founded upon the exclusions and erasures of Indigenous peoples.
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Academic integrity
Academic integrity is the foundation of all scholarly inquiry; this means producing our own
work independently, honestly, and fairly, and giving credit to others upon whose work we
draw. As participants in this learning community, we must all agree to abide by this core
principle. All students are responsible for understanding Rutgers University’s policy on
academic integrity (http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu), including the range of
consequences and disciplinary actions that result from violation of the policy. It is essential
that we cite all sources; resources to learn this skill are available through the Purdue OWL
website, among many others. If you have questions about when to cite, please ask! And
please know that it is always better to provide too many citations rather than too few. I have a
zero-tolerance policy for violations of academic integrity and refer all violations to the Office
of Student Conduct (https://studentconduct.rutgers.edu).
Policy on Artificial Intelligence Technology
Cultivating ethical leaders is the foundation of our work. Our coursework is rooted in the
development of integrity, critical thinking, and personal growth. Intellectual honesty is vital in
our courses and in our assessment of our students' work. While AI has revolutionized many
fields, it is important to acknowledge that it is limited in contributing to students' academic
and personal growth. As such, our expectation is that all work submitted through our courses
is original work, completed in accordance with the Rutgers University Academic Integrity
Policy. It is expected that students do not engage in unauthorized collaboration or make use
of AI composition software such as ChatGPT for any of the assigned coursework.
Please Ask for Help If You Need It
Contact me
As your instructor, I am committed to helping you succeed in this course and in your studies at
the university. I encourage you to contact me or drop by office hours if you are encountering
obstacles to your academic success or personal welfare. In accordance with university policy,
please contact me through your Rutgers email account.
I am providing these links in case they are helpful to you:
• Rutgers Learning Centers: Services include tutoring, assistance with writing,
strategizing for schoolwork and stress management, and workshops to prepare for
exams, among others. https://rlc.rutgers.edu
• Rutgers Writing Program: Services, tutoring, and courses to assist with writing.
http://wp.rutgers.edu. Assistance for English Language Learners is at
https://wp.rutgers.edu/special-programs/reli.
• Counseling, ADAP & Psychiatric Services (CAPS): http://health.rutgers.edu/medicalcounseling-services/counseling/ or (848) 932-7884. CAPS provides counseling, alcohol
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and other drug assistance, and psychiatric services staffed by a team of professionals
within Rutgers Health Services. CAPS services include individual and group therapy,
workshops, crisis intervention, referral to specialists, and consultation and collaboration
with campus partners.
Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance: https://vpva.rutgers.edu or (848) 9321181. This office provides confidential crisis intervention, counseling, and advocacy for
victims of sexual and relationship violence and stalking to students, faculty, and staff.
Disability Services: https://ods.rutgers.edu/ or (848) 202-3111. (See the suggested
disability statement above.)
Report a Concern: http://health.rutgers.edu/do-something-to-help/
Speak Up Bias Prevention Campaign: https://diversity.rutgers.edu/speakup
Report a bias incident: http://inclusion.rutgers.edu/report-bias-incident/
Basic Needs Security: Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing
sufficient food, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect
their performance in this course, is urged to contact the Dean of Students
(http://deanofstudents.rutgers.edu; deanofstudents@echo.rutgers.edu) for support.
You can also find information for resources at basicneeds.rutgers.edu. Also, if you are
comfortable doing so, please inform me so I can help to connect you with campus
resources.
Office of the Dean of Students: http://deanofstudents.rutgers.edu;
deanofstudents@echo.rutgers.edu. This office provides resources to assist all students
at Rutgers in navigating the university.
MGSA Office of Advising and Student Success: Contact Assistant Dean of Advising
and Student Success Lisa Sanon-Jules. Dean Sanon-Jules is dedicated to supporting
all students at Mason Gross through advising, mentorship, and connections to
resources throughout the university. The following are the Advisors and Student
Success Counselors for each Mason Gross department:
o Art & Design: Sabrina Gattuso sig36@mgsa.rutgers.edu
o Dance: Christine Whalen (cwhalen@mgsa.rutgers.edu)
o Filmmaking: Sabrina Gattuso sig36@mgsa.rutgers.edu
o Music undergraduate: Ellen Leibowitz (ellenlei@mgsa.rutgers.edu)
o Music graduate: Dr. Robert Grohman (rgrohman@mgsa.rutgers.edu)
o Theater: Christine Whalen (cwhalen@mgsa.rutgers.edu)
Rutgers Student Food Pantry: Mason Gross has arranged with the Rutgers Mobile
Food Pantry to visit various locations for easy access for our students on Wednesdays
from 1:00 – 4:15 pm. You will need to register using PantrySoft and request a pickup
location for food in advance at basicneeds.rutgers.edu. Please register prior to 5pm on
Tuesdays, bring a Student ID and bag. http://ruoffcampus.rutgers.edu/food/;
ruoffcampus@echo.rutgers.edu.
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