LAMAR STATE COLLEGE-ORANGE
Division of Arts and Sciences
Music Department
Fall 2010
Syllabus
Introduction to Music Appreciation – MUSI 1306 -01
Room 112 Academic Center, TU/TR, 6 PM – 7:15 PM
Instructor: Dr. Don Ball, Jr.
Office: Room 211 Student Center
Office Phone: (409) 882-3310
Cell Phone: (409) 893-3409
E-Mail Address: don.ball@lsco.edu
Office Hours: Before and After Each Class (5 to 6 PM and 7:30-8 PM)
Course Description:
Catalog: MUSI 1306 –Introduction to Music Appreciation is a broad overview of academic music from
the Middle Ages to the present, designed to develop a basic understanding of the elements of music.
It is a three hour course (3 Hrs.) that serves as a Fine Arts or a Humanities credit.
General/Objectives: In MUSI 1306 the student will study the musical elements of melody, harmony,
tone, texture, style, form, dynamics, and tempo in Western Civilization Music since 1300 A.D. and a
brief study of music from earlier times. Upon completion of this course, formal concert etiquette and
critical listening skills will be demonstrated through written reports on concerts attended. Students will
demonstrate critical thinking skills as evidenced by the ability to analyze facts, synthesize factual
information, and evaluate opinions in light of the information presented throughout this course.
Credit Transfer: Students must check in advance with the particular college to which they plan to
transfer credit. (If an academic course, note that state rules require that the course be transferable to
any state institution.) MUSI 1306 is an academic elective and fulfills requirements for Humanities or
Fine Arts.
Prerequisites: The ability to hear well, and competence in writing English papers.
Required Textbook: Music: An Appreciation (Any Edition from the 6th Edition to the Present Edition)
with accompanying 5-CD Set by Roger Kamien. The book and CD's are published by McGraw-Hill.
Supplementary Materials: Required Concert List – supplied by the instructor separately from this
syllabus. See locations at the end of this syllabus.
Make-up exams. Make-up exams will generally not be given unless prior arrangements have been
made. Make-ups will be considered on a case by case basis. Students have (3) three days from the
mixed exam to arrange make-ups unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Exams: Exams will cover the information in the text, from class notes, and from listening to and
identifying musical examples on CD. Each exam or quiz will cover material since the previous one, with
the exception of music fundamentals that will be built upon during the semester. Students will
recognize the elemental themes of melody, harmony, form (structure), texture, tone, style, dynamics
and tempo, and in the case of vocal/choral music, textual meaning.
Course Outline:
1. Introduction and Course Syllabus presented. Short Lecture: “What does music mean?” Brief
Listening: Stravinsky Firebird Symphony.
2. Short Lecture: Traditional Expectations for Audience Participation. Kamien Part I – Sound,
Instruments
3. Kamien Part I – Elements of Music
4. Kamien Part I – Instruments and Elements of Music
5. Review – Kamien Part I – Instruments and Elements of Music.
Quiz # 1 – Kamien Part I.
6. Start Kamien Part II – The Middle Ages. Library Search (Quiz # 2) Distributed.
7. Continue The Middle Ages
8. Finish The Middle Ages. Start Kamien Part II – The Renaissance
9. Library Search (Quiz #2 on Middle Ages) Due. More on Renaissance
10. Finish Renaissance - Introduction to Opera
11. Kamien Part III – The Baroque Period
12. Continue Baroque
13. Continue Baroque – First Concert Report Due
14. Finish Baroque, Exam Review, Start Class Presentations
15. Exam I on Kamien Parts II and III. Start Kamien Part IV – The Classical Period
16. More on Classical Period
17. Finish Classical Period and Review for Quiz 3
18. Quiz 3 on Classical Period. Start Kamien Part V – The Romantic Period
19. Continue Romantic
20. Continue Romantic – Opera and Oratorio
21. Finish Romantic Period and Review for Quiz 4.
22. Quiz 4 on Romantic Period. Start 20th Century – Kamien Part VI
23. Continue 20th Century
25. Class Presentations
26. Finish 20th Century – Jazz Rock and Country, Discuss Rap.
Class Presentations – Second/Final Concert Report(s) Due
27. World Music. Last Chance for Class Presentations.
28. Review for Final Exam – Class Party with Jazz and Light Refreshments
Final Exam on Kamien Parts IV, V and VI. [See Final Exam Schedule]
Be an active member of the class by reading your textbook, taking notes, asking questions and
preparing for exams as the class progresses. This will create success much more quickly than by
“cramming” at the last minute for exams.
Library Search: You will be given a short list of questions that can be answered by exploring the music
reference section of the university library. The exercise is intended to familiarize you with available
resources that may be helpful to you when you work on your class presentation. Internet sources are
not always reliable. Confirming them in the library, or finding them first in the library can be invaluable,
and much more accurate. The library search is one of the quizzes.
Class Presentation: You will play a recording of a musical work (or section) of your choice for the class.
You may use a recording you have purchased or a website such as “Youtube” to present your song.
LSC-O has computers in each classroom with CD players and USB ports. (Do not count on an earphone
or input jack.) You will give the reason you chose the piece and you will give an oral presentation,
telling about the composer and giving a description of the musical elements of the work. The instructor
will approve your selection and your sources by the due date in the course outline. If you miss this
deadline, you will receive zero points for the presentation.
Critical Listening Concert Reports: In this course, MUSI 1306, Music Appreciation/Introduction to
music, students will be required to attend at least two concerts/recitals. An approved list of concerts is
provided. Other concerts may be approved with advance notice. As a critical listener, students will be
challenged to us all their training and knowledge to effectively report on the concerts they attended.
They must show their mastery of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the performances attended,
according to the music elements they have studied and the listening skills they have developed in class
and in homework assignments. Mastery will be demonstrated through written
concert reports that are 300-400 words in length. A sample concert report is included on our home
page separately from this syllabus.
Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is a process involving higher order thinking skills. These skills include,
but are not limited to, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of factual information. Lamar
State College – Orange Advances Critical Thinking Skills (LSC-O ACTS) through assignments of varying
natures within the course that are designed to challenge and improve the student’s critical thinking
processes.
A well cultivated critical thinker1:
• Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
• Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively;
• Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and
standards;
• Thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be,
their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and
• Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
1Paul, Richard & Elder, Linda (2005). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts & Tools.
Dillon Beach: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Evaluation Method: (The evaluation method includes the attendance policy).
Attendance Policy: Research has shown a cause and effect relationship between class attendance and
college success. There are 30 class sessions for this course. Students may receive up to 150 points for
attending class. Zero absences = 150 points. 1 absence = 125 points.
2 absences = 100 points. 3 absences = 75 points. 4 absences = 50 points. 5 absences – Please see the
instructor, because the student may be failing the course at this point. There are no excused absences.
However, additional concert reports may be allowed to replace an absence with the instructor’s
approval.
Evaluation Method (Continued)
Grading Formula
Individual Presentation for Class 250 points or 25% of the grade
1 Exams (150 each) and 4 Quizzes (50 each) 350 points or 35% of the grade 2 Concert Attendance
Reports* 250 points or 25% of the grade
Class Attendance* 150 points or 15% of the grade
Bonus Points – 50 points each for up to 2 additional concerts – (attendance with reports).
A concert report may replace an absence with the instructor’s approval.
Grading scale:
100 -90 = A
89-80 =B
79-70 =C
69–60 =D
Below 60 =F
Policy on a Grade Incomplete: The grade of “I” may be given when any requirement of the course,
including the final examination, is not completed with instructor approval. Arrangements to complete
deficiencies in a course must be made with the instructor. Incomplete work must be finished during
the next long semester; if not, the Admissions and Records Office must change an “I” grade to the
grade of “F.” The course must then be repeated, if credit is desired. An “I” grade also automatically
becomes an “F” if the student registers for the course before removing the deficiencies and receiving a
grade change. The instructor may record the grade of “F” for a student who is absent from the final
examination and/or is not passing the course. All efforts must be made to prevent the grade of “I.”
Procedure for Review of Test Grades: If the student has an issue about his/her grade, the instructor
must be contacted no later than three (3) days after receiving the grade.
Exam Schedule: Quizzes and report due dates are in the syllabus course outline. The Final Exam will
follow college finals schedules, May 6-12.
Classroom Policies: No food, drink, tobacco, cell phones, listening devices (other than hearing aids),
etc. Bottled water is permitted.
Classroom Behavior: Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor’s ability to conduct
the class or the ability of other students to learn from the instructional program. Unacceptable or
disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior may be
instructed to leave the classroom. Inappropriate behavior may result in disciplinary action. This
prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups,
field trips, etc.
Withdrawals and Drops: Please take note of drop dates on the academic calendar for Spring 2010.
Never attending or ceasing to attend classes DOES NOT constitute a withdrawal or drop. You remain
registered until you file a Drop/Withdrawal Form at the Registrar's Office by the appropriate deadlines.
Failure to act in a timely manner will result in an "F" grade for the course. It is the student's
responsibility to turn in all Drop/Withdrawal Forms and follow up to ensure that they were processed
as desired.
Instructor-Initiated Drop: The instructor may drop a student for any illegal or dishonest activity such
as plagiarism, breaking of copyright law, i.e.. copying a CD/DVD, sheet music, etc., illegally. The
instructor may also drop a student for excessive absences, disruptive behavior, dishonesty or any other
act that would be considered inappropriate in the classroom. Violators of copyright law may be subject
to investigation by the proper authorities.
Students subject to penalty due to academic dishonesty have the right to appeal to the
department chair and eventually to the dean and/or academic vice president before imposition of the
penalty.
Academic Honesty: LSC-O will not tolerate cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as "taking and
using as one's own the writings or ideas of another." Any student caught cheating or plagiarizing, or
aiding another student in cheating or plagiarizing on a quiz, test, individual assignment, or examination
will be referred for disciplinary investigation and action.
Again, students subject to penalty due to academic dishonesty have the right to appeal to the
department chair and eventually to the dean and/or academic vice president before imposition of the
penalty.
Student with Disabilities:
A request for special accommodations must be made through the ADA Counselor and the appropriate
form submitted to the instructor two weeks in advance of need.
Any student with a verifiable learning or physical disability who requires special accommodations is
encouraged to speak to the instructor in private regarding his/her special accommodations need.
Children in the Classroom:
The LSCO Student Handbook specifies that no children under the age of 15 are allowed in the
classroom or the hallways.
Syllabus Content: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus, if deemed
necessary. All changes will be provided to the students orally or in writing before the implementation
of the change.
SEE SAMPLE CONCERT REPORT and APPROVED CONCERT LOCATIONS BELOW
Sample Concert Report (11 to 12 pt., 1 to 1.5 line spacing, 300-400 words)
The Neches River Symphony and Chorus presented its final concert of the season on April the 5th at
the Beaumont Civic Auditorium. The orchestra and chorus were smaller than I expected with 26
instrumentalists and 32 singers. The concert in its entirety was only one work, Handel’s Messiah,
parts II and III.
Messiah is a Baroque period work, and the legend is that it was composed in only 26 days, mostly of
new tunes, but also utilizing a few of the composer’s earlier works with new texts. It was first
performed as a benefit concert for an Irish orphanage, but when the king of England heard the famous,
“Hallelujah” chorus, he stood to his feet. Of course, when a British king stands everyone else must
stand, so it is now a tradition that the audience stands during that movement.
The orchestra had no conductor. Rather, it seemed that the harpsichordist and first violinist took turns
setting tempi and directing the ensemble with nods of the head or movements of the bow. More than
once, the keyboardist lifted one hand for soloist cues, but he never made any kind of conducting
gesture that would signify any kind of dynamic. The concert mistress seemed to be working with the
ensemble to handle the sense of phrasing. According to the program notes and what I heard in the
program, with the exception of a few final cadences, all dynamics were terraced.
Smaller groups performed to bring about quiet dynamics and the entire group sang and played to
accomplish the louder sounds. “Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs” was filled with dissonance and
many crescendos, but in most of the other movements, consonance reigned supreme.
There were five soloists: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass with strikingly contrasting voices.
Most of the solos were ternary form, but three were through-composed. The instruments used
included a small string section with only one double-bass, two recorders, an oboe, a bassoon, the
harpsichord, two trumpets that rarely played, and two timpani. There were no clarinets, trombones or
horns. The vocal soloists sang independently of one another with the exception of one duet. What
amazed me was the variety of music in this one work. And, many of the pieces sounded like something
I had heard before. “Lift up Your Heads” reminded me of “Joy to the World.”
With a few homophonic sections in part the second and the songs, “The Lord Gave the Word” and
much later, “Worthy is the Lamb,” the remainder of the choruses were contrapuntal and polyphonic.
While the work was composed over 200 years ago, from beginning to end, I found this concert of
Handel’s Messiah to be one of the most engaging and inspiring events I have ever experienced. The
rest of the audience was just as enthusiastic with a five minute standing ovation.
The Following IS NOT the Approved Concert Schedule (2 Concerts are Required – There will be Bonus
Points for more than two). Rather it is a list of some of the locations and some approved concerts. Not
every program at the following locations will be approved. A separate list will be attached to the class
home page on “Desire2Learn” by the 4th class day. Ask the instructor in advance if something you
might attend would be approved.
Lamar University, Beaumont, Brookes Hall
Any 10:10 AM Recital Hour – almost every Friday. (Approved)
Any Lamar University Recital (Approved)
Any Lamarissimo! or Lamar University Choir Concert or Opera (Approved)
Any Lamar Civic Orchestra Concert (Approved)
Call (409) 880-8145 for information.
Any Youth Symphony of Southeast Texas Concert (Approved)
Any McNeese State University Recital (Approved)
Any McNeese State University Choir Concert (Approved)
Lake Charles Symphony Concert #1 (Approved)
Lake Charles Civic Center, Rosa Hart Theater
3 PM, Sunday October 3, 2010
Beethoven, Strauss and Brett Smithey, Bass-Baritone
For more information and tickets, please contact the Symphony Office at 337-433-1611.
Lutcher Theatre - Mention LSC-O Music Appreciation when calling for tickets at (409) 886-5535.
DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Approved )
Saturday, December 4th, 2010 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 5th, 2010 1:30 & 7:00 PM
Note: The above is the only Lutcher Theatre approved program for fall semester.
Any Symphony of Southeast Texas Concert (Approved)
Wesley United Methodist Church of Beaumont (FREE) (Approved)
Masters Concert Series – Selected Sundays at 2 p.m.
First United Methodist Church of Beaumont (FREE) Choral Concerts (Approved)
Mobil Oil Federal Credit Union - Any Industrial Carillon Concert (Approved)
Jefferson Theatre (Check with instructor or approved list)
Julie Rogers Theatre (Check with instructor or approved list)
Beaumont Civic Center (Check with instructor or approved list)
Port Arthur Civic Center (Check with instructor or approved list)
At a student’s request, additional concerts may be approved in advance.