MUSIC 329

AMERICAN MUSIC

Fall, 2007

 

INSTRUCTOR:          Dr. Patricia Holland

                                    Office NFAC 308

                                    Office phone 346-3119

 

TEXT: The following is available as a TEXT RENTAL from the University Book Store:

 

Ferris, Jean.  America's Musical Landscape, Fourth edition.  New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002.

 

COURSE GOALS: Students will become familiar with genres and trends in American music, and the historical events and social conditions which impacted on this music.  This is also a Writing Emphasis course, so another goal will be for students to hone their writing skills and increase their familiarity with music research procedures.

 

WRITING EMPHASIS: This is a Writing Emphasis course.  The Writing Emphasis component of the class will involve several short writing exercises and discussions as well as a larger paper.  There will be two related assignments specifically preparing students to write the paper.  The goals of the writing emphasis component of the course will be to improve students’ general writing skills and to facilitate writing within the music discipline.  ALL WRITING EMPHASIS ASSIGNMENTS (paper and two related assignments) MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A GRADE.  FAILURE TO COMPLETE WRITING EMPHASIS ASSIGNMENTS WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE.

 

COURSE WEBSITES: There are two important websites for this course.  One is on UWSP's web, and contains outlines of information about various topics related to the class.  This URL is http://www.uwsp.edu/music/pholland/329/index.htm.  The other important site is Desire2Learn ("D2L"), a web-based system for online discussions, quizzes and other coursework.  This URL is https://uwsp.courses.wisconsin.edu/

ONLINE ACTIVITIES: This is a hybrid course, meaning that several class meetings have been replaced with online activities.  The online activities will take place largely within the Desire2Learn web-based environment.  Students will receive information on how to use D2L. There will be online quizzes on course material as well as specific assignments for discussions or writings on course material.  A rubric explaining evaluation of online discussion assignments is posted in D2L in the Content area; the rubric may also be viewed from the web version of this syllabus. 

ATTENDANCE:   Your on-time attendance at every class meeting is expected.  Class members find latecomers very disruptive, and so do I.  More than three events of unexcused absence or tardiness (combined) may result in a reduction of your final grade.  Grossly excessive absence and/or tardiness may result in failing the course.  Oversleeping is not an excuse for absence.  Make up exams and quizzes will NOT be given without a written excuse from a physician. 

LISTENING:  There are three compact disc recordings for this course.  The CDs are on reserve at the LRC (first floor). The textbook (pp. xiv-xv) lists the contents of the first two CDs.  A Listening List with the contents of the third CD is included in this syllabus.  There will be quizzes on listening material, where you will be asked to identify pieces of music and/or answer questions about them.

PAPERS: All students will be assigned to write a research paper.  Further details will be provided a few weeks into the semester along with a rubric explaining evaluation criteria for research papers; the rubric may also be viewed online from the online version of the syllabus.

GRADES:  Your final grade will be determined by your performance on several evaluative opportunities worth varying numbers of points.  The points available and translation to letter grades are listed below:

Online Quizzes

4 @ 25 points

100

Online Writing Assignments

5-6 @ varying points

100

Listening Quizzes

2 @ 20 points

40

Paper

 

80

Paper-Related Assignments

2 @ varying points

30

Comprehensive Final Exam

 

50

Total Possible

 

400

 

Grade translations (minimum points for each letter grade):

A (93%) 372                                        C+ (77%) 308

A- (90%) 360                                       C (73%) 292

B+ (87%) 348                                      C- (70%) 280

B (83%) 332                                        D+ (66%) 264

B- (80%) 320                                       D (60%) 240

                                                             F less than 240

 

Late assignments will be graded on their merit; then the points will be reduced by one (1) for each day the assignment is late.  Points for late research papers will be reduced by four (4) points per day. The final grade may be lowered in the event of more than three unexcused absences. See Attendance above.