Professor Michael Billingsley
Office: Lincoln Hall – Room #14
Telephone: (856) 227-7200, ext. 4563
Email Address: mbillingsley@camdencc.edu
Office Hours: Monday, 2:15-3:00 p.m., Tuesday, 12:45 pm –
3:15pm, and Thursday, 12: 15-1:00 p.m.
Music Appreciation
Spring 2012 – TR
Course Syllabus
Course Objectives
The purpose of this class is to:
 Heighten the experience of listening to music for each participant.
 Develop the participant's ability to communicate an informed opinion about a wide variety of music
These are achieved through constant listening, writing and discussing, performing/rehearsing as a class, creating musical compositions via
music software, music research, interacting with relevant written and/or recorded materials and a comprehensive album critique and
discussion.
Required Materials
 Flash Drive
 Notebook
 Pen or Pencil
 "Instrument" (chosen on 1/31 for a grade)
 Access to internet - Mikebillingsley.com – Music Education
– Music Appreciation
 Headphones
Grading (105 points..as in five extra credit points built in..so don't
ask…)
 Connection Project, 12 points
 Album Critique Podcast, 12 points
 Art Concert Attendance and Review, 12 points



Ticket to a concert from the Approved Concert List (in
Assignment/Grading document)
Course Documents - Print out and bring in Music
Appreciation Assignments/Grading Document,
Garageband Project and Listening Assignments from
mikebillingsley.com under Music Education and then
Music Appreciation for a grade on 1/24
Purchase your album for album critique (TBD)

In-Class Song Analysis, Performance and Reaction, 6
points
 Garageband Project and Project Sheet, 6 points
 Speech and Music Composition Project, 6 points
 Course Documents, Essay, Checklists, Narratives, &
Questions (x17), 3 points each (51 points total)
(Descriptions of assignments and instructions in their entirety in the Course Assignment/Grading Document on the website.)
Class Schedule
Date and class topic
1/19 Class overview - Things you’ll need to do to pass
1/24 Terms overview - Things you’ll need to know
1/26 Essays and Music Philosophy
1/31 Pop
2/2 Folk and Blues
2/7 Country
2/9 Choose song to perform and analyze*
2/14 Rehearse song*
2/16 Perform and record song*
2/21 Rock
2/23 Rap
2/28 R&B and Soul
3/1 Ambient
3/6 Jazz
3/8 Classical music and Concert report discussion
3/10-3/18 Spring Break
3/20 Classical Listening
3/33 World
Due or needed in this class as part of your grade
--------"Requests" survey due and grading documents and
listening reaction sheets from website –
mikebillingsley.com – checked off for a grade
Amazing essay and Music Philosophy reading questions
due
Pop reaction due and sign up for an instrument today
Blues reaction due
Country reaction due
Think of any song you’d like to nominate for us to learn to
play as a class before you come to class
Instrument required today (Big part of grade)
Instrument required today (Big part of grade)
Performance reaction and Rock reaction due
Rap reaction due
R&B reaction due
Ambient reaction due
Jazz reaction due
Sandow/Ross reading questions due
--------Classical reaction due
World reaction due
3/27 Connections and Garageband projects (separate)
discussion and How to use Garageband
3/29 Meet in L20 for Garageband
4/3 Meet in L20 for Garageband
4/5 “Sound Opinions” class
4/10 Analyze Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
4/12 Analyze Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
4/17 How to make your album critique podcast (Time
permitting listen to/evaluate GB projects)
4/19 Enhancing text with music
4/24 Meet in L20 for text enhancement projects
4/26 Meet in L20 for text enhancement projects
5/1 Meet in L20 for album critique podcasts
5/3 Meet in L20 for album critique podcasts
5/8 Final class – My final thoughts, your text
enhancement projects, view your class performance video,
and listen to 1 or 2 excellent album critique podcasts plus
treats (if we can pull it together…)
--------Headphones and flash drive required as part of grade
Headphones and flash drive required as part of grade
Connections project and Sound Opinions questions due
Sgt. Pepper review/critique questions due
Sgt. Pepper listening reactions due
------------Concert reports due and bring chosen text to class
Headphones, flash drive and text required as part of grade
Headphones, flash drive, and text required as part of grade
You’ll need your album critique script completed by this
day and headphones/flash drive
Headphones and flash drive required as part of grade
Album critique podcasts/notes and text enhancement
projects/reactions due
Assignment Submission
All assignments are to be handed in to me in class (or my department secretary Mrs. Bobbi Evans in L4A).
I will not take any assignments via email.
Late Assignment Policy
If you miss a class where a checklist, narrative or discussion item is due, you can hand it in within the next two meetings IF you staple
documentation justifying your absence (legal, funeral card, or medical only). Otherwise, I will not accept the assignment late. If you are in
class and do not have the assignment, you cannot hand it in late.
If you miss a class, where a paper or project is due, you can hand it in the very next class without penalty. If you are in class and do not
have it, you can get it to my secretary (Mrs. Bobbi Evans in L4A) that same day by 4:30 p.m. without penalty. Otherwise, it will go down
one letter grade each meeting it is late. I will not take any assignments via email.
Attendance, Tardiness and Early Departures
You'll be permitted three excused/unexcused absences with no questions asked. Also, you'll be permitted two latenesses/early departures
with no questions asked. Each absence or set of latenesses beyond those will lower your final grade one letter grade for each infraction. I
do allow you to make up one absence beyond the three with a paper on a topic chosen by you and approved by me. However, my best
advice is just make sure you come to class
Behavior Issues
Any behavior that disrupts the learning of other students will not be tolerated. Cell phones are to be turned off and put away before
entering class. You will automatically lose five points off your FINAL GRADE if your cell phone rings or you use it in any way during
class time. There is to be no usage whatsoever of cell phones during class unless notified otherwise. Do not text message. not play games.
Turn cell phones off and put them out of sight at all times. It is not o.k. for you to take or make important calls unless prior arrangements
with the instructor have been made.
This class is based off of a balance between lecture and discussion. Talking during lectures or while another classmate has the floor is
unacceptable. Direct any questions you might have to me. Any issues with cell phones, excessive talking, note passing and/or inactive
listening will result in your removal from my classroom. There will be no gray area when it comes to your undivided attention towards
classroom activities and discussion.
In summary, if I see you using a cell phone (in any matter & especially if it rings or you text), sleeping, and/or talking out of place, I will
deduct five points off of your final grade.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a very SERIOUS offense. It’s important that you note any thoughts that aren’t your own in your assignments. If you do not,
you very well might be in violation of our college plagiarism policy and, thus, its penalty. Please see the student handbook for more
information. Any assignments that are plagiarized (not cited/taken from others) will be returned for no grade.