Central Arizona College
8470 N. Overfield Road
Coolidge, AZ 85228
Main Phone: (520) 494-5206 Fax: (520) 494-5212
MHL 100 Music Appreciation
Term: Fall 2013 Instructor: Courtney Piercey
Email: Courtney.Piercey@centralaz.edu Courtneygp@gmail.com
Class Meeting Time/ Location: ONLINE / Virtual Office Hours: Blackboard chat by appointment
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Music history and literature with emphasis on listening to and evaluating all types of music, noting the
influence of the major composers and the media through which music is produced.
Attendance at live musical events in a variety of venues will be encouraged.
CREDIT HOURS: 3
TEACHING METHODS: Lecture/ Discussion
PREREQUISITE(S): RDG100A or RDG100B
COREQUISITE(S): None
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Explain the properties of sound: pitch, volume, duration and tone color.
2. Compare and contrast the basic elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm and form.
3. Aurally recognize voices and instruments commonly found in choral music and symphony orchestras.
4. Practice active listening in order to recognize the elements of music and sound in everyday situations.
5. Connect significant historical developments with shifts in musical styles.
6. Identify the main characteristics of music distinctive to each historical period from ancient Greece and
Rome to the present.
7. Identify common musical forms from each historical period.
8. Aurally recognize selected significant compositions by prominent composers of the Western world.
9. Research and identify musical events currently happening in Arizona, the United States, and the
world.
10. Explain the makeup and function of various modern ensemble combinations, such as string quartet,
symphony orchestra and concert band.
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MHL 100 - Music Appreciation
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CLASS MATERIALS:
High Speed access to the class Blackboard site. We will be streaming lectures, video and music in
addition to Powerpoint presentations.
The Enjoyment of Music Second Essential Listening Edition with access code for Total Access. Hardcopy or e-book and access codes may be purchased at the CAC Bookstore on Signal Peak Campus, or at
the following website:
http://wwnorton.com/college/music/enjoyess2/welcome.aspx
ATTENDANCE POLICY: Because this is a 100% online course delivery, attendance is not an issue
per se. However, your participation is integral to the success of our class! Assignments will be assigned
and updated continuously through the blackboard system and you will be notified of all changes and
updates via email from Blackboard. It is your responsibility as a student in this class to check your
email/blackboard course portal at least once daily throughout the semester. While I will be generally
available to answer questions via email from 9 AM to 5 PM EST daily (I check roughly hourly and will
respond within 24 hours), I will make myself available for online real-time chat by appointment.
STANDARDS/GRADING:
In general, for every credit hour earned for the course, the student will spend two hours outside of class working
on coursework.
Recognize at least a 70-percent minimum of:
*the properties of sound;
*the elements of music;
*various instruments and voice types;
*connections between world history, art and music;
*characteristics of each historical period in music;
*musical forms common to each historical period;
*Identify works studied in class.
*Attend at least one concert outside of the classroom and critique the experience.
Grades will be based on the following criteria:
1. Participation in class discussions (You will be required to participate in discussions regarding the
topics we are covering at least five times a week): 30%
2. Homework, Short Essays, and Listening Logs: 40%
3. Quizzes: 15%
4. Final Project (TBA): 15%
Grade Values: A= 90-100, B=80-90, C=70-80, D=60-70, F= 59 or Lower
Central Arizona College
MHL 100 - Music Appreciation
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Fall 2013 IMPORTANT DATES:
Semester Begins August 16 (Our class officially begins August 19)
Last Day of Fall Registration August 17
Class Changes/Add-Drop August 19 - 24
Labor Day - College Closed September 2
All College Day September 3 (No classes prior to 4:30 pm) (No services all day)
45 Day Census October 3
Spring Registration Begins October 4
(Continues through January 18)
Mid-Term Week October 7 – 11
Last Day to Apply for December Graduation October 14
Last Day to Withdraw from Semester Length Classes October 26
Veteran’s Day - College Closed November 11
Thanksgiving Break November 28 – 30 (No evening classes /college services after 4:30 pm Nov.
27th)
Final Exams December 9-14
Semester Ends December 14
CLASS REGULATIONS:
This is your class! There are no foolish questions to ask! I do not consider it my job to “make” you like
the music we listen to. It is my job to expose you to new music and guide you to understand what it is
you may think or feel about the music. You can feel free not to like something that we may listen to. It is
your job to think about (and articulate) what it is about the music you do not care for.
*** All assignments will be submitted through the blackboard system. They can be directly typed
into the assignment on blackboard (when applicable) or uploaded to blackboard and attached as a
PDF, Word, or RTF file (Submit ONLY in these formats, please). Assignments will not be
accepted via email. ***
ONLINE ETIQUETTE:
When you are communicating with a professor or your colleagues online, please be respectful of your
language and tone. It is easy to misread a person’s intentions when you cannot see them face-to-face.
Ask questions and respond in full words (no txt spk, pls!), sentences and paragraphs. Remember too,
ALL CAPITAL LETTERS DENOTES YELLING! Please use language that is appropriate to the class
and respectful to all. In all correspondence, please make sure that you include your class name
(MHL 100) in the subject heading.
Please allow adequate time for response. As stated above, I will be online for virtual chat discussions via
the discussion board on MONDAYS and WEDNESDAYS from Noon-1:00 PM MST. If you cannot be
online at that time, please allow 24 hours for me to respond to your emails.
Central Arizona College
MHL 100 – Music Appreciation
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TROUBLESHOOTING:
Because this is a 100% online class, you may encounter technical problems this semester with content or
Blackboard. If you have problems accessing content, or if content displays incorrectly, it is important
that you alert the professor by email as soon as you encounter a problem. This way, the problem can be
resolved as quickly as possible for you and your colleagues. Please try to be as specific as possible
regarding the issues you are experiencing. For example: “Why isn’t the content working?” doesn’t let
the professor know what is happening. On the other hand, “The PDF file for (whatever specific subject)
that I opened in the content for this week is showing very small on my screen.” or “The link for (the
specific video) is not working. Blackboard reported that there was an error in opening (please give the
specific error).” is much more specific and easy to understand. For this reason, it is important to
check the course content as soon as it becomes available and not to wait until the last moment
before a module is due.
CODE OF CONDUCT:
All Students Must Abide by the Student Code of Conduct! Prohibited conduct includes, but is not
limited to the following: All forms of student academic dishonesty, including but not limited to,
cheating, inventing facts or sources, causing others to be dishonest, or representing another’s words as
one’s own.
Cheating is defined as the use or attempted use of information, academic work, research or property of
another as one’s own. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, sharing knowledge during an
examination, the unauthorized use of notes or other materials in an examination, or the willful
disobedience of testing rules.
PLAGIARISM:
CAC recognizes the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as turning in someone else's work and calling it
your own. At CAC plagiarism is treated as a dishonest action, an issue of dishonorable behavior.
There are two types of plagiarism to beware of--intentional and unintentional plagiarism. Intentional plagiarism
is an obvious type of cheating that includes turning in writing that you are falsely presenting as your own. It may
be writing that was produced by a roommate, a spouse, an essay bought from the Internet, and passages copied
from a research source such as a book, magazine, or web site. Allowing another student to copy your work is
another type of intentional plagiarism.
In addition, students are expected to avoid unintentional plagiarism, which means including in your own work and
passing off as your own writing, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or more, that are only slightly changed from the
original source. To avoid unintentional plagiarism, you must paraphrase properly and identify the original writer
and source; this is called citing your work. Citations can be done in a few different formats, and your instructors
are eager to help you learn how to cite your sources correctly. Unintentional plagiarism can also include passing
off somebody else’s ideas (not just words) as your own without indicating that the idea or information came from
somewhere else. Finally, unintentional plagiarism also can be allowing someone else to make significant wording
alterations or editing changes to your writing.
Central Arizona College
MHL 100 – Music Appreciation
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Penalties for plagiarism, according to CAC's Violations of the Student Code of Conduct, can be severe. They
may range from failure of an assignment to failure of a course, to referral to the Dean, to dismissal from a
program of study. These actions are not meant to be threatening, but to ensure that students understand that the
school takes plagiarism seriously. The underlying message of the CAC plagiarism policy is that instructors are
committed to encouraging student writers to use source material correctly and develop the confidence to express
themselves in their own unique ways.
I do random Google checks to detect plagiarized quiz answers, papers, or listening logs. If you do use
websites or books for information, CITE THEM! On the first offense, no credit will be given for the entire
quiz/assignment in which plagiarism is found. If it happens twice, the student will automatically fail the
class. NO EXCEPTIONS!
REASONABLE DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS: Central Arizona College seeks to provide
reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with disabilities. The College will comply with
all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing
reasonable accommodations as required to provide an equal educational opportunity. It is the student's
responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Service Office and discuss their specific needs
with the Disability Resource Service Coordinator to determine reasonable accommodations. Once the
student registers with the Disability Resource Service Office and provides documentation identifying the
need for accommodations, an Accommodation Plan will be provided to the student. It is the student’s
responsibility to show the Accommodation Plan to their instructor. The Disability Resource Service
Office is located in the M building at the Signal Peak Campus. Students may contact the Disability
Resource Service Coordinator at 520.494.5409 to set up a one on one meeting. The Disability Resource
Service Coordinator travels to all campuses and centers. All information is kept confidential.
YOU WILL BE “QUIZZED” TO INDICATE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND
THE TERMS OF THE SYLLABUS FOR THIS COURSE OUTLINED ABOVE
MHL100: Music Appreciation
Spring 2013
Topics covered
(Timing and content will be adjusted to fulfill the needs of the class and you will be
updated continuously via Blackboard announcement of all assignments or content
changes, additions or deletions)
Weeks 1-3:
Intro to Class
Elements of Sound
Elements of Music
How We Listen
Orchestral Instruments Voice-Parts/Identification
Musical Terminology
Week 4-5:
Ancient Music
Medieval Music
Renaissance Music
Weeks 6-8:
Baroque Music
Weeks 9-11: Classical Music
Weeks 12-14: Romantic Music
Weeks 15-16: 20th/21st Century Music
FINAL PROJECTS DUE BY 5:00 PM, Monday December 9, 2013