MU 101-01, Musicianship I, Syllabus, 3 credits [last updated: fall 2008]

David B. McGrew – Assistant Professor

Contact: 570.585.9298 (office ext.) – dmcgrew@bbc.edu

Musicianship I approaches the fundamentals of music systematically-corroborating theoretical implications with experience. Basics of notation are reviewed and simple models for understanding melodic and harmonic elements are introduced. A survey of motives, phrase structures, period construction, cadences, and textural analysis underscores the relationship between melody and harmony. [Description from the 2007–2008 Online Catalogue, p. 145]

There are many good ways to organize a course of study in music theory. Our approach involves four sequential stages for each concept (I–IV below) with three intermediate steps (a–c below). The student learning process can be assessed by evaluating where the steps are successfully passed from stage to stage. Individualized help can be tailored for each student if particular steps prove to be consistent challenges.

STAGES

I.    OVERVIEW: intellectually grasping rudimentary systems from theoretical analysis. Class lectures present concepts in orderly steps. Overview assignments are simple review drills.

II.  PRACTICE: physically testing and experiencing theoretically extracted systems. The process of putting overview concepts and systems into practical exercises is begun in class lecture. Practice assignments are hands-on drills that stress live interaction between concepts and physical music production.

III. ANALYSIS: examining primary works for nuances and variations within systems. Class content includes model analysis projects. Analysis assignments bring these prior simple concepts and experiences into contact with the maze of actual artistry. Primary sources are analyzed towards the end that principles are seen but reconfigured with a nuanced understanding.

IV. COMPOSITION: creatively applying concepts through focused composition assignments. Class lectures include model projects. Composition—the most advanced stage—is guided by limited composition assignments that stress the application of concepts, through practice, with analyses of actual works in mind.

STEPS

(a)  OVERVIEW →PRACTICE: theoretical systems are applied to simple exercises.

(b)  PRACTICE→ANALYSIS: models for analysis are confirmed, stretched, and nuanced through analysis of actual pieces. “Laboratory data” is taken out to be “field-tested,” so to speak.

(c)  ANALYSIS→COMPOSITION: nuanced system is put into application through small composition assignments. What has been viewed is engaged in personal practice—similar to the process of moving from being a student to becoming a teacher.

Kostka, Stefan and Dorothy Payne. Tonal Harmony with an Introduction to Twentieth-Century

Music. 6th ed. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. 713 p. [ISBN: 9780073401355]

Burkhart, Charles. Anthology for Musical Analysis: Postmodern Update. 6th ed. Thompson /

Schirmer. 653 p. [ISBN: 9780495189763]

• Assignment deadlines are final. Late work is dead work. All exceptions are at the discretion of the professor.

• Attendance is required in keeping with institutional policy. Review the current BBC Student Handbook for specific policies. Students are responsible to sign in when an attendance roster is passed around. Students must keep track of their own absences—including reasons for each absence—in order to appeal any missed classes with the Academic Office.

• If you have a particular need (learning, visual, hearing, etc), please speak with the course Instructor It is our desire to understand, care about and help all students who want to be successful.

• Procurement of all three required textbooks should occur prior to the end of the first week of classes. They are available in our college bookstore.

• This class may be more or less difficult depending on the degree of familiarity incoming students already have with course content. The least prepared students should expect between two and three hours of work outside of class for every one class hour.  

• As a courtesy to the financial investment and commitment of time made by each class member, please completely turn off all cell phones, pagers, etc. before entering the classroom.

Weekly Grades (40% of final grade)

Weekly grades are returned on a regular, weekly interval. Timely feedback is very important in this kind of a course. Ideally, units could be covered on a weekly basis; however, the subject matter must be delivered at a varied pace depending on the musical background of each class member and the relative difficulty of material in different units. Given this situation, regular grades are earned by each student on a weekly basis. Students can easily track their GPA this way. There are two sources for weekly grades: Homework and Quizzes.

Homework (30% of final grade)

Homework is assigned in class and the due date is determined at the time of assignment. In-class announcements always take precedence over any tentative assignment descriptions or assignment due dates on a course calendar. Homework is designed to sequentially follow the pedagogical approach outlined above in “Course Structure”—Overview, Practice, Analysis and Composition. Homework is really the backbone of this course. By reviewing homework, students ought to be able to determine (1) where their learning is reliably grounded (2) where any learning problems occur.

Quizzes (10% of final grade)

Quizzes are primarily for the teacher to evaluate how well concepts are being grasped by students. They are often unannounced, and will cover content from reading or class lecture.

Unit Examinations (30% of final grade)

Four Unit Examinations cover class lectures pertaining to the content studied since the preceding exam, and correspond with the following chapters in Tonal Harmony:

Unit I   Exam: Ch. 1–4,     scheduled for Monday, September 15

Unit II  Exam: Ch. 5–12,   scheduled for Friday, October 3

Unit III Exam: Ch. 13–15, scheduled for Monday, November 3

Unit IV Exam: Ch. 16–20, scheduled for Friday, December 5

These dates may be subject to change. Announcements in class concerning dates take precedence over the tentative calendar.  

Cumulative Examinations (30% of final grade)

For these two exams, all prior course content is subject to testing. Study all previous exams, quizzes, handouts and homework assignments thoroughly to prepare properly.

Mid-Term Exam (15% of final grade), scheduled for Friday, October 10

Final Exam (15% of final grade), scheduled for Final Week [TBA]

The Mid-Term Exam date may be subject to change. Consult with the Registrar’s Office regarding Final Exam date, time, and place.