West Salem High School
Music Appreciation - Fall Semester 2015
Mr. Thomson
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LOCATION: A101 (Orchestra Room)
Class information access via REMIND: text @wsmusapp15 to the number 81010
INSTRUCTOR E-MAIL ADDRESS: thomson_george@salkeiz.k12.or.us
INSTRUCTOR WEB PAGE: titanorchestras.wordpress.com, titanorchestras.com
PREREQUISITE(S): none for this course.
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A. COURSE DESCRIPTION
Music Appreciation provides students with the foundation for listening to serious music intelligently. The
course explores the historical, theoretical, and cultural aspects of different musical styles and genres. The
student will learn the basics of reading music, identifying a wide variety of musical forms and
instruments, becoming acquainted with the general sweep of Western music history, examining how
music reflects the values of the culture that creates it, and applying this knowledge to the music they
listen to daily.
B. METHOD OF INSTRUCTION
Music Appreciation is about listening, but also involves reading, reflecting, writing and speaking.
Students will become acquainted with course topics in class lectures and guided listening, which will be
supplemented with printed materials and at-home assignments. Students will demonstrate understanding
of course concepts by means of frequent quizzes, short written assignments and worksheets, concert
reviews, and presentations in front of the class.
C. COURSE OBJECTIVES
• Students will be able to define and identify essential elements of music (pitch, rhythm, timbre, texture,
melody, harmony), organizational principles (musical forms), and aesthetic criteria (musical styles).
• Students will be able to present a favorite musical work to the class, identifying its essential elements
and organizational principles, and explaining why they feel the work has merit.
• Students will, having learned about the lives and careers of composers, be able to show relationships
between those lives and careers and the pieces those composers created.
• Students will, having learned about many historical musical styles and genres, be able to place a
previously unknown work in the correct genre and style, defending their choice with evidence.
• Students will be able to explain, for each musical form and genre studied, the essential roles of
composer, performer, and audience—what these were at the time the musical works were new, and
how these may have changed up to the present day.
(over)
D. COURSE TOPICS/UNITS (note: some of these will overlap.)
1. Essential Elements of Music
 Pulse, Rhythm, and Meter
 Pitch: Melody, Harmony, and Tonality
 Timbre and Texture
 Musical Instruments
 An Introduction to Musical Notation
2. Organizational Principles
 Musical forms
 Musical genres
3. Aesthetic Criteria and History
 What is a “piece?”: who creates it? Who performs it? Who listens to it?
 Musical styles (historical periods) of the Western classical tradition
 Major composers of the Western classical tradition
 Music and Art
 Non-Western Music
 Developing criteria for evaluating music
 Music and Values—through history, and now
E. TEXTBOOK AND REQUIRED SUPPLIES
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Textbook: Machlis and Forney, The Enjoyment of Music, 10th edition, with accompanying DVD
Additional materials provided by the instructor. Students will also use internet-based resources
for finding and listening to music. You will want headphones if you need to use library computers
for listening.
For class each day: A notebook or three-ring binder with plenty of paper; pencils.
F. GRADING PLAN
1. There will be four types of assignment for the class: a) Worksheets and short written assignments, b)
quizzes, c) an individual project, and d) a mid-term and a final exam.
2. Worksheets and short written assignments (a) will be collected and corrected, but assigned credit for
completion only—in other words, you have to do them, but you don’t necessarily have to get every
answer right. The other assignments (b-d) will be graded on a point system. The grading scale will be:
90%-100% A; 80-89.9% B; 70-79.9% C; 60-69.9% D; 0-59.9% F. The assignments will be weighted as
follows:
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Worksheets and short assignments (a): 45%
Quizzes (b): 25%
Individual project (c): 10%
Mid-term and final exam (d): 10% each
3. Quizzes and the mid-term can be re-taken (you may be given an identical-length quiz or test with
different questions) and the better score substituted, subject to your and my availability. The goal is for
you to learn the material, not to punish you for having learned it incompletely and then just moving on!
G. HOMEWORK, ABSENCES, ETC.
Homework assignments are due at the beginning of class.
If you have an excused absence, see me to obtain any worksheets or short assignments you may have
missed. You can make these up, along with any quizzes or other assignments, in a reasonable time
without penalty. I will try to post assignments on my website (also handy if you happen to misplace one).
If you have an unexcused absence, you may not be able to make up work missed during the absence.
H. CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
THIS CLASS MEETS EARLY IN THE MORNING. I know. Musicians are not generally morning
people! Please make every effort to be on time. If you are late you MUST stop first at the attendance
office and bring a slip, thereby wasting even more class time.
Do not bring food or drinks into the classroom. Water is OK.
Respect the instruments in the classroom, and do not touch them unless directed to do so.
The Tardy Policy, Electronic Device Policy, and Cheating/Honor Code Policy described in the
Parent/Student Handbook will apply in this class.
In this class we shall be listening purposefully to a great deal of music. Absolute quiet and full attention to
the music is expected. MUSIC IS NOT ON “IN THE BACKGROUND.”
NO HEADPHONES/EARBUDS on in class unless specifically directed otherwise.
An open-minded appreciation of a diversity of musical styles is required in this class. Respect the musical
preferences, tastes, and learning needs of your fellow students.
MUSIC APPRECIATION – Fall 2015 – Mr. Thomson
Please read through the entire syllabus with your parent(s) and return this page.
My signature below indicates that I have read and understand this syllabus and have kept the preceding
pages.
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Student Signature
Date
I have read through this syllabus with my student and understand its contents:
________________________________________________________________________________
Parent Signature
Date