European Music Literature • FAMH-452 • Syllabus: Spring 2008

Tuesday & Thursday, 9:25am-10:40am, Room #137 (Main Hall)

 

Professor: Dr. Mark Davenport                               Office Hours:  Tue. & Thurs., 8:15-9:15am/1:30-2:30pm

Office: #123C (Main Hall)                                                                                           (other times by appointment)

Office Phone: (303) 964-3609                                                                                     E-mail: mdavenpo@regis.edu        Website: www.regis.edu/music

Course Objectives:

European Music Literature is designed for Music Majors and Minors as an introduction to the study of the Western European Art Tradition. Through a historical survey of the style, structure, and function of music, students will discover the rich variety of Western European Art Music while developing a working vocabulary and understanding of musical terms. The course is also intended to improve listening skills and advance the ability of students to articulate relevant observations about music through independent, objective, and critical musical thought.

 

Required Textbooks:

Kerman, Joseph, and Gary Tomlinson. Listen, 6th Brief Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.

Bellman, Jonathan D. A Short Guide to Writing About Music, 2nd edition. New York: Pearson Education, 2007.

 

Required Listening:

Listening to music is the crucial component of this course. A set of six CD recordings accompany the Kerman text.

 

Required Concert Attendance:

Students will attend at least six concerts outside of class. Concert attendance is one of the requirements of all music classes. All of the required concerts in this course take place on the Regis campus and are free and open to the public. Students enrolled in this class should check the concert dates to make sure they do not have conflicting schedules that prevent them from attending. Any schedule conflicts should be brought to the attention of the instructor during the first week of classes. Concert attendance in this class fulfills the concert attendance requirements for all FAMR (Recital Hour) sections but does not fulfill the “Performance Class” requirements.

 

Written Assignments—Concert Reviews/Concert Analysis Report/Research Paper:

You will be asked to write two short concert reviews (2 typed pages), and two descriptive concert analysis reports (3-4 typed pages) covering performances attended over the semester. The main written assignment will be a research paper (8-10 typed pages). Students may select from a list of pre-designated research topics or choose their own topic by submitting a one-paragraph proposal which must be approved by the professor. Specific guidelines for written assignments will be distributed early in the semester.

 

Quizzes/Exams:

There will be two quizzes, a midterm, and a final exam. These will consist of multiple choice, listening identification, short answer, and essay questions. Study guides will be handed out during quiz/exam review time. Quizzes and exams are not cumulative in regard to specific historical information and musical examples studied in class (and in the text) but musical terminology is.

 

Extra Credit Opportunities:

All students are encouraged to keep a Scrap Book Journal with notes on extra concerts attended and/or clippings from articles of interest. For full credit, articles should be accompanied by a one- to two-paragraph reaction statement, in your own words, about what you thought about the article (rather than what the article said). These can be handed in near the end of the semester in conjunction with your research paper for up to 20 points of extra credit.

Attendance/Grading Policy:

The course will often follow a lecture/listening format but classroom discussion will play an important part of the activities that take place. The topics covered in class provide the majority of questions for the quizzes and exams. Classes will also provide opportunities for extra credit as well as supplementary reading and listening materials. This makes regular class attendance imperative.

 

Make-ups and late hand-ins: Quizzes and exams may not be made up unless there is a documented family or medical emergency. In such a case, the instructor must be notified at least 24 hours prior to the exam. Late written assignments are accepted but a full letter grade will be deducted for each class period assignments are handed in late.

 

Grading System:

An additive point system will be used to determine the final grade with a 1000-point maximum possible score.

 

Quizzes and Exams (50%):

Quiz 1                                                   = 100pts.

Quiz 2                                                   = 100pts.

Midterm Exam                                  = 200pts.

Final Exam                                          = 100pts.

 

Concert Reviews (10%):

Concert Review #1                           = 50pts.

Concert Review #2                           = 50pts.

 

Concert Analysis Reports (20%):

Concert Analysis Report #1         = 100pts.

Concert Analysis Report #2         = 100pts.

 

Research Paper (20%):

Research Paper                                 = 200pts.

 

Total Score -                                       = 1000pts.

 

Extra Credit :

In-class Exercises                              = ?

Reading Assignments                     = ?

Scrap Book Journal                          = up to 20 pts. (to be handed in with second concert report)

 

Extra credit points may not be made up)

 

Learning Support:

If you have a documented disability requiring academic adjustments for this class, please contact the Director of Disability Services, Joie Williams, (303-458-4941), mbwillia@regis.edu who will review your documentation with you and help determine appropriate, reasonable accommodations. Following this meeting, please make an appointment with your instructor to discuss your accommodation request in light of the course requirements. You may self-disclose and request an academic adjustment any time during the term. However, it is strongly recommend that you do so as soon as possible because accommodations are not provided retroactively and adequate lead-time is required.

 

Course Withdrawal Policy:

Students are expected to know and observe the published deadlines for (a) dropping the course and (b) withdrawing from the course. These deadlines are published on the University's Academic Calendar, which is available in the Bulletin, the course schedule and is in the Dean's Office. Please observe the following dates: Last Day to Drop the Course: January 22, 2008; Last Day to Withdraw from the Course (no refund): March 21, 2008. THESE DEADLINES ARE NOT FLEXIBLE.