Houston Community College, Northeast Campus
Music Appreciation
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Music
Music Appreciation
MUSI 1306
Spring 2011/ 76155
Northeast Campus – Room 217
9:30-11:00 Tuesdays/Thursdays
3 hours lecture
48 hours
16 weeks –January 18th-May 15th, 2011
Lecture
Wenli Zhou Meyer, DMA Candidate, Rice University, Master of Music,
The University of Michigan, Bachelor of Music, Western Michigan
University
wenli.meyer@hccs.edu
11:00-11:30 Tues/Thurs or by appointment at least 24 hours in advance
COURSE OBJECTIVE
This course is intended to expose you to a variety of music and musical experiences through
lecture, discussion, and experiencing a lot of listening. We will address music not only in its own
terms, but also its place in the world when it was written (socially, philosophically, politically).
Our main focus will be on what is commonly termed "classical" music, art music of Western
European tradition. By the end of the semester, you should have acquired a general knowledge of
musical styles and a vocabulary with which to describe music.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Roger Kamien: Music: An Appreciation, 10th edition, 2011, McGraw-Hill Publishing, ISBN: 9780-07-802508-2. Please note: CD’s of musical excerpts used in this course are to be regarded as
optional but are strongly encouraged. The student choosing not to purchase CD’s is still
responsible for all listening assignments related to class preparation and testing. Students may
borrow CD’s from Professor Walsh for on-site study on a case-by-case basis
GRADING CRITERIA
1) You will be required to attend at least four on-campus (HCC Spring Branch, University of
Houston, and Rice University’s Shepherd school of music) and off-campus musical
performances, i.e., concerts, recitals, etc. (reports on off-campus events must be approved in
advance, as must on-campus performances not sponsored by the HCC, UH, or Rice Department
of Music), during the semester and write separate reports of them. You will receive a list of many
of this semester's on-campus performances, and others will be announced in class. Reports must
be handed in one week after the performance takes place. The first report is due by Thursday,
March 3, and the second by Tuesday, May 10 (no late papers will be accepted - plan ahead).
Please follow the guidelines given on the next page.
2) There will be two exams, a mid-term and a final, this semester. The final written exam will be
comprehensive. You must be present for these exams; an unexcused absence on the day of the
exam will be an automatic F - no make-ups. Both exams will include listening identification.
3) There will be quizzes and written assignments throughout the course of the semester. Quizzes
and assignments will be announced well in advance of the due date/quiz date.
4) Attendance is mandatory: there will be a great deal of listening done in class, followed by
class discussion, and borrowing notes will not be enough. Beyond two absences, your grade will
be diminished one percentage point per absence. Please take part in class discussions; the more
you involve yourself in the music, the more you will learn, and your assignments and tests will
show it.
Attendance Policy:
The HCC policy is that if a student is absent for 12.5% of the time
(10 class hours during a 16-week semester), he/she may be dropped from the course. The
student is responsible for all work missed while absent. It would be wise to have the phone
number of one or more students in the class who can be contacted about material covered
during the absence. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you will be absent from the class for
more than one hour.
Make-up Policy: It is very important that you be in class on the day of a presentation or
quiz/exam because there will be no make-ups except in documented extreme emergencies.
You must notify me by email prior to class time if you have an emergency.
Breakdown of Grade
2 exams = 40%
Concert reports = 20%
Quizzes and assignments = 30%
Class Participation = 10%
A = 100-90, B= 89-80, C = 79-70, D = 69-60, F = 59 and below
CONCERT REPORT GUIDELINES
There is no specific recipe for writing these concert reports, but there are some elements that you
should try to include.
If you have never attended a "classical" concert before, I recommend attending one before writing
your first report. This way, you can become familiar with the surroundings of a concert and be
more focused when you are listening to the next concert. Concert etiquette is always important;
make sure not to talk while the music is being performed, and fidgeting a lot in your seat is
distracting to those around you. When you do attend the concert on which you write a report,
make sure that you are very quiet about taking notes- no ruffling, ripping or loud turning of
pages, and no clapping between movements; these things are very distracting for everyone,
including the performer(s)!
In each report, you should write a little bit about each piece performed, unless there are many
works on the concert (more than five), in which case, you can concentrate on a few pieces (4 or 5)
that you find the most interesting or moving. Make sure to discuss the performing forces (what
instruments are playing or what voices are singing, or both). Other things to mention are the
tempo, rhythm, form, melodic and harmonic material, and general affect of each piece (don't
worry if some of these terms sound foreign - we'll be discussing them); use the terms that we
learn in class, but don't try to make your report sound only like a musical glossary. You should
also discuss your emotional response to the music; it is important. Make sure to introduce the
performers in your report, so you can refer to them by name. Be specific when referring to
movements of a work; underline (or italicize) the name of an entire piece, and put movement
names in quotations.
Each concert report should be 2 pages long, typed and double-spaced. You must attach a
program or photocopy of the program from the concert. Make sure to write carefully;
grammar, punctuation and spelling will be taken into account. Reports are due one week after the
concert. If you cannot get to at least two concerts during the semester because of class or work
conflicts, please let me know as soon as possible and we'll work out an alternative. Remember
that reports should be about on-campus performances sanctioned by either HCC, University of
Houston, or the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Exceptions will be approved on a
case by case basis.
A FEW WORDS OF ADVICE
1) You can't listen to the assigned music too much! Listen to the assigned works before class, and
listen to them repeatedly; there is a lot to be learned from that alone. This will also make listening
tests much easier. Do the same with the reading assignments - they can also help you out with the
listening.
2) Keep a notebook in which you write about the listening assignments. Describe what you hear
(this will become easier as you learn about an effective musical vocabulary) and jot down
questions that you have or things you don't understand.
3) Don't be afraid to ask questions in class. Chances are, you are not the only person who needs
an answer to your question. The more you inquire, the more you will end up learning and
appreciating the music.
4) Don't hesitate to come and ask me questions after class or via email. I want to help you
understand and enjoy this music as much as possible. We musicians need informed and
appreciative audiences, you know!
COURSE OUTLINE
This is an outline of what we will be covering this semester. Be ready for adjustments to the
schedule if they become necessary. Important changes will be announced well in advance.
Reading, listening, and writing assignments will be given in class.
Week and Topics
Jan. 18, 20
Course introduction
Elements of music: rhythm, pitch and harmony
Jan. 25, 27
Elements of music: texture, form
Performing media: instruments and voices
Feb. 1, 3
Writing about music
Intro. to Medieval and Renaissance music
Middle Ages and Gregorian Chant, Secular music, Polyphony and Machaut
Elements of Music Quiz (February 3)
Feb. 8, 10
Introduction to Baroque Music
Baroque opera
Feb. 15, 17
Bach and Handel
Feb. 22, 24
Introduction to Classical music: Classical forms
Music of Haydn and Mozart
Early Music Quiz (March 14)
March 1, 3
Music of Haydn and Mozart (continued)
Beethoven
Concert Report #1 due (March 3)
March 8, 10
Introduction to Romantic music
Review for Midterm Exam (4/6)
MIDTERM EXAM - April 8
March 15, 17
NO CLASS - Spring Break
March 22, 24
Programmatic Music
Romantic opera and its origins
March 29, 31
The music of Brahms
Nationalism
April 5, 7
Late Romanticism: Transition to the 20th Century
20th Century “isms”: Expressionism, Impressionism
April 12, 14
20th Century “isms”: Expressionism, Impressionism (continued)
Stravinsky: Primitivism and Neoclassicism
Romantic Music Quiz (April 14)
April 19, 21
Influence of folk music and music from other cultures in the 20th Century
Music in America
April 26, 28
Music since 1950
Life as a modern musician
May 3, 5, 10
Final Exam Review
Concert Report #2 Due (May 18)
May 12
FINAL EXAM (listening and written)
HCC Policy Statement - ADA
Services to Students with Disabilities
Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are
encouraged to report to Dr. Becky Hauri at 713-718-7910 to make necessary
arrangements. Faculty is only authorized to provide accommodations by the
Disability Support Service Office
HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty
A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, not showing that the
coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an advantage not
available to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each
student's individual achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete
on a level playing field. Thus, in our system, the instructor has teaching, grading,
and enforcement roles. You are expected to be familiar with the University's
Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the catalog. What that means is: If you are
charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules will not help you.
Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in
fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be
initiated by College System officials against a student accused of scholastic
dishonesty. “Scholastic dishonesty”: includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a
test, plagiarism, and collusion.
Cheating on a test includes:
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Copying from another students’ test paper;
Using materials not authorized by the person giving the test;
Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization;
Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in
whole or part the contents of a test that has not been administered;
Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged
incorporation of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit.
Collusion mean the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing
written work offered for credit. Possible punishments for academic dishonesty
may include a grade of 0 or F in the particular assignment, failure in the course,
and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System. (See
the Student Handbook)
HCC Policy Statements
Class Attendance - It is important that you come to class! Attending class
regularly is the best way to succeed in this class. Research has shown that the
single most important factor in student success is attendance. Simply put, going
to class greatly increases your ability to succeed. You are expected to attend all
lecture and labs regularly. You are responsible for materials covered during your
absences. Class attendance is checked daily. Although it is your responsibility to
drop a course for nonattendance, the instructor has the authority to drop you for
excessive absences.
If you are not attending class, you are not learning the information. As the
information that is discussed in class is important for your career, students may
be dropped from a course after accumulating absences in excess of six (6) hours
of instruction. The six hours of class time would include any total classes missed
or for excessive tardiness or leaving class early.
You may decide NOT to come to class for whatever reason. As an adult making
the decision not to attend, you do not have to notify the instructor prior to missing
a class. However, if this happens too many times, you may suddenly find that
you have “lost” the class.
Poor attendance records tend to correlate with poor grades. If you miss any
class, including the first week, you are responsible for all material missed. It is a
good idea to find a friend or a buddy in class who would be willing to share class
notes or discussion or be able to hand in paper if you unavoidably miss a class.
Class attendance equals class success.
HCC Course Withdrawal Policy
If you feel that you cannot complete this course, you will need to withdraw from
the course prior to the final date of withdrawal.
Repeat Course Fee
Any MUAP class may be repeated a maximum of seven times.
Classroom Behavior
As your instructor and as a student in this class, it is our shared responsibility to
develop and maintain a positive learning environment for everyone. Your
instructor takes this responsibility very seriously and will inform members of the
class if their behavior makes it difficult for him/her to carry out this task. As a
fellow learner, you are asked to respect the learning needs of your classmates
and assist your instructor achieve this critical goal.
Use of Camera and/or Recording Devices
As a student active in the learning community of this course, it is your
responsibility to be respectful of the learning atmosphere in your classroom. To
show respect of your fellow students and instructor, you will turn off your phone
and other electronic devices, and will not use these devices in the classroom
unless you receive permission from the instructor.
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is
prohibited in classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations where
instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to use
a recording device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for
Students with Disabilities for information regarding reasonable accommodations
Instructor Requirements
As your Instructor, it is my responsibility to:
 Provide the grading scale and detailed grading formula explaining how
student grades are to be derived
 Facilitate an effective learning environment
 Description of any special projects or assignments
 Inform students of policies such as attendance, withdrawal, tardiness and
make up
 Provide the course outline and class calendar which will include a
description of any special projects or assignment
To be successful in this class, it is the student’s responsibility to:
 Attend class
 Prepare consistently for each lesson
 Plat the jury exam
 Keep copies of all paperwork, including this syllabus