PREREQUISITES: NONE
This 3-credit course may fulfill the General Education Program requirement for "Cultural and Historical Foundations". Consult the GEP section of your catalog, your major degree requirements, and with your advisor.
TEXTBOOK and MATERIALS (Used copies of the specified edition are acceptable):
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is a an introduction and exploration of Western Art Music (often called "Classical," "Serious," or "Art" music), following the traditions established in Europe, beginning roughly in the Middle Ages (c. 1000 CE) and devloped in the following historical eras (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century). The objects of study will include the basic music principles, instruments and vocal techniques, musical forms, and other aspects associated with these historical eras.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: By the end of this course you will:
ATTENDANCE: Regular class attendance is expected of all enrolled students, and attendance and class participation will count for 5% of your grade in this course in the following manner:
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class on a sign-in sheet. Habitual tardies will be counted as partial absences.
Anyone who signs the attendance sheet and then leaves the classroom before the conclusion of class will be counted absent for the entire period. If you must leave the room a few minutes early for a legitimate reason, inform me before class begins, preferably in writing (email works best).
NB. Because attendance is part of your grade, any attempts to misrepresent your own attendance or someone else's on the sign-in sheet or in any other fashion will be considered acts of academic dishonesty, i.e., cheating, and dealt with accordingly.
NB. Anyone not in the classroom will be counted as absent, regardless of the reason, e.g., illness, car trouble, work-related issues, child-care or other family problems, court appearances, etc. The only exceptions to this rule are:
Attendance Policy for Tests: No unexcused absence from an announced test or quiz will ever be allowed. Failure to appear at an announced test/quiz will result in a grade of "0" (zero) for that test. Late arrivals at announced tests will not be given any additional time to complete the test, nor will instructions or audio portions of the test be repeated.
Make-up Policy: Should you be unable to attend an announced test due to participation in an officially sanctioned UCF event or personal observance of a religious holiday, you must notify me at least one week in advance of that test to schedule an alternate time. For personal or family emergencies, e.g., funerals, you should notify me as early as possible. At a minimum, send an email message as soon as possible to inform me of your situation. In some cases, I will require documented proof of the reason for your absence. You may then be allowed to take a make-up test no later than 48 hours after the scheduled test or your return to campus. Make-up tests may be different from announced tests to ensure the integrity of the testing process.
TESTING and GRADING: Your grade in this course will be determined by your performance in the following:
| Assignment / Test | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Attendance & Class Participation | 10% |
| Quiz on Elements of Music & Terminology | 5% |
| Two (2) Multi-Chapter Tests (15% each) | 30% |
| Two (2) listening Quizzes (5% each) | 10% |
| Two (2) Concert Reviews (10% each) | 20% |
| Final Examination (cumulative) | 25% |
Failure to complete any significant individual course assignments will be considered failure to complete the course and will result in a grade of "F" for the course, regardless of the grade(s) on any other assignments in the semester.
The Quiz on the Elements of Music, the two (mid-semester) Tests, and the Final Exam will be in-class tests in which you will demonstrate your mastery of the course materials. None of these exercises will use true/false or matching questions. Instead, each test will include primarily "brief answer" questions, followed by a variety of open-ended essay questions.
The Listening quizzes will be based on your assigned course listenings or recordings or similar works.
The two Concert Reviews will be formal written papers, reporting on your attendance at two different live concerts (or recitals) of classical music performances.
The following numeric equivalents apply to all grades (individual assignments & final course grade):
| 100.00 - 92.00 | = A | Clearly Exceptional Work, Assignments meet and often exceed all stated requirements, Strong writing that contains very few, minor errors, Work submitted on or ahead of time. |
| 91.99 - 90.00 | = A- | |
| 89.99 - 88.00 | = B+ | Clearly Superior Work, Assignments generally meet all stated requirements, Writing that contains minor errors that do not impede understanding, Work usually submitted on time. |
| 87.99 - 82.00 | = B | |
| 81.99 - 80.00 | = B- | |
| 79.99 - 78.00 | = C+ | Completely Satisfactory Work, Assignments meet most stated requirements, Writing contains more obvious errors that begin to impede understanding, Work not always submitted on time. |
| 77.99 - 72.00 | = C | |
| 71.99 - 70.00 | = C- | |
| 69.99 - 68.00 | = D+ | Generally Unsatisfactory Work, Assignments frequently do not meet stated requirements, Writing contains errors that significantly impede understanding, Work rarely submitted on time. |
| 67.99 - 62.00 | = D | |
| 61.99 - 60.00 | = D- | |
| 59.99 - 0.00 | = F | Unsatisfactory Work, Assignments do not meet most stated requirements, Writing contains excessive errors, lacks organization and/or approaches incoherence, Work not submitted or frequently late. |
Questions about the grading or evaluation of any test or other assignment must be raised at the time that item is returned to you. You may not argue for points based on your perception of the grading of a question vis-à-vis another student?s work. Only obvious clerical errors on my part will be corrected.
Items turned in late will be assessed a 10-point penalty for every 24 hours or fraction of a day that they are late. This penalty may be waived or lessened at my discretion, provided I am informed at least 24 hours in advance when you will not meet a deadline.
Final course averages are calculated to the nearest 1/100 of a point. In the case of a borderline final average, I reserve the right to award the next highest grade, based on class participation, preparation, attendance, and related factors.
No extra credit work or alternate assignments will be accepted in lieu of or in addition to the assignments and tests listed on this syllabus.
Due dates for all tests and graded assignments will be announced at least one week in advance.
The Final Examination for MUL 2010H is scheduled at: Thursday, 23 April 2020, 10:00 am - 12:50 pm (See: UCF Final Exam Schedule [Spring 2020] for all exams at the end of the current semester.) NB. Under no circumstances of any kind will individual final exams be moved.
Class Procedures and your Responsibilities: This course will generally follow the textbook (Titon) and recordings, although not necessarily in order. You should read and listen to the relevant items before they are discussed in class. Even if you do not understand some materials, you should attempt to complete the reading and listening before the scheduled class meeting so that you may ask relevant questions.
You should carry your textbook and notebook to all class meetings. You should take notes about any information presented in class, and you should feel free to ask questions at any time if something is not clear to you.
Following the class, you should re-read the relevant passages in the textbook and re-listen to the recorded items.
Additionally, Chapter Review Sheets will be posted on the course web site. These items will help you to organize your notes and guide your studies.
As a matter of respect to others in the classroom, you are not to engage in conversations unrelated to the current activities of this course, use cell phones or other electronic devices (turn off such items before entering my classroom), or work on anything unrelated to MUL 2720 (assignments for other courses, newspapers, puzzles, etc.) during the 50 minutes of class time. Individuals engaged in such activities will be asked once to cease. The second time they will be told to leave the classroom, and they will be marked absent for that day.
In preparing for each class meeting you should allot a minimum of 4 hours (= 8 or more hours total per week, beyond class time). You may find it useful to form study groups so that you may help one another in your preparations for class and for tests. You are not, however, allowed to collaborate on any graded assignments in this class. (see "Academic Integrity" below)
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: All graded work, i.e., tests, in this class must be your work alone. You are never to collaborate with anyone on tests in this class, and you are not allowed to use your text, notes, or other aides of any kind when you are testing. Violators will be referred to the appropriate UCF authorities for prosecution (see the latest edition of The Golden Rule for more details).
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with special needs. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students who need accommodations for their academic work must be registered with Student Accessibility Services, Ferrell Commons Room 185, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor (me).
STUDENTS ON ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY SERVICE: Students who are deployed active duty military and/or National Guard personnel and require accommodation should contact their instructors as soon as possible after the semester begins and/or after they receive notification of deployment to make related arrangements.
CAMPUS SAFETY STATEMENT(S): Emergencies on campus are rare, but if one should arise during class, everyone needs to work together. Students should be aware of their surroundings and familiar with some basic safety and security concepts.
NB. This syllabus may be revised, if circumstances warrant. You will be notified formally if any changes are made.