Music Appreciation
Dr. Thomas Parchman
Office and office hours
100A Corthell Hall 780-5268. Email Parchman
@Usm.Maine.Edu. Office hours by will be announced
in class. I am easy to contact - go back to my home page.
Course description
A survey of western music from the Gregorian chant to the modern times,
covering musical practices of the renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic,
and contemporary periods. Representative works by outstanding composers
of each period.
Texts and Materials
Kamien, Roger. Music: An Appreciation (Sixth Edition). New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1996. Purchase either the cassette version or the CD version,
as you like. The 3 cd/cassette version is minimum.
Course Activities
There are three basic activities for this class. 1) The usual class lectures
and book assignments, 2) listening assignments, and 3) outside concert
attendance.
Listening list:
The course is structured around a set of musical works on the tapes or
CDs that you purchase with the text. Students will need to know these
works well enough to recognize them, and the concepts used in their discussion,
on exams. The music in these tapes/CDs, and your development of analytical
listening skills are the most important part of the course. Students are
encouraged to use the Gorham library where a variety of CD's are available
to further enrich their listening choices. Librarians can assist you find
the recordings that you want.
Concert reports
To give students opportunity to use their listening skills outside of
class, three public concerts will be attended during the semester. Reports
of these concerts will be turned in for a grade. Mix your concerts so
that you don't attend all of one type. Yes, you may attend a concert of
"popular" music, but balance it by attending other styles also.
Professional concerts are preferred, such as the Portland Symphony, Portland
String Quartet, or Portland Concert Association. Don't overlook faculty
and student recitals in Corthell Concert Hall. After attending a concert,
the student shall write a Concert Report (typed, 1-4 pages). The concert
report serves as an extension of classroom experiences and should show
a command of terms, analytical methods, and stylistic insights discussed
in class and assigned readings. The report therefore should focus on musical
style, interpretation, and perhaps(!) the listeners' subjective opinion.
These reports should not be critical pieces (ie the second violins stink).
One report is due in February, March, and April. Late reports will be
accepted with a letter grade per week penalty. Do not include the concert
program (spare my back!), just staple your ticket to the page. No report
will be accepted after the last day of classes.
Guidelines for Concert Reports
Going to a live performance of art or popular music is a far more exciting
experience than hearing it over the radio or listening to a recording.
You are expected to attend three concerts and write about them as part
of your course work.
CHOOSING A CONCERT: The Sunday Portland paper is the best resource for
upcoming concerts (it's in the library). If at all possible, find out
what works will be performed and preview one or more of them by listening
to a recording. You can also read about the composer's musical style in
your textbook or listen to other pieces by the same composer to get an
idea of his or her personal style. Concerts of "art music" are
often the easiest to write about and the least expensive to attend. Student
tickets for the Portland Symphony can be purchased for $5; tickets to
a Civic Center event with a "popular" group could be five times
this amount.
WRITING THE REPORT: Your purpose in this report is to discuss the musical
characteristics of the works you have heard performed. You don't need
to spend time on biographical or historical details (e.g., "Beethoven
was born in 1770 and composed nine symphonies", or "Axel Rose,
wanted by the police in three states for..."); concentrate on the
music.
First, note briefly the time and place of the performance, the number
and type of performers, and the content of the program, e.g.,
The Central Denver Wind Band, a group of two dozen saxophone and bassoon
players, presented a program of 19th century waltzes last night at the
Atlanta Civic Center.
Then discuss each of the works on the program. The works do not need be
treated in equal detail; you might want to concentrate on one piece that
you especially liked. Using the terms and concepts you have learned in
class and in you textbook, describe the principal musical characteristics
of each piece. What did you find most striking and memorable? If you liked
the piece, why? If not, why not? You can answer these questions most effectively
by discussing elements such as rhythm, melody, texture, harmony, timbre,
dynamics, etc. You can also discuss the ways in
which repetition, contrast, and variations create musical shape in a piece,
although this may be hard to discern in a single listening.
The most frequent mistake I encounter is reports from students who attend
popular concerts and spend pages lauding the group or and individual performer.
I want to hear about the music. I want to know how the music sounds so
that if I hear the group on the radio I could disguish them from other
groups that radio station might play. Tell me clearly why the music of
say, Michael Bolton is different from Luciano Pavarotti.
Enjoy the concert! Practicing your active listening skills and putting
your reactions into words will make the whole experience more rewarding
for you.
Grading, tests, and attendance
Attendance will be taken at all classes. Each absence, regardless of cause,
will result in 5 points being deducted from the Final Average up to a
total of 20 points. No absences will result in a 5 point bonus to your
final average. All materials assigned, lectures, films etc. are to be
included in the exams. In this type of course it is necessary to do the
work for each class beforehand so that complete participation is possible.
Last minute "cramming" usually does not give good results.
Instead of large exams, there will be a set of quizzes given more or less weekly. These will be short tests covering material due for that class or very recently covered. Because of the nature of these short exams and class size, there will be no make-ups. If you miss a test, it will be counted as a zero. Students will be able to drop their lowest score from these tests.
EXTRA CREDIT can be earned by completing extra
concert reports. I will accept 2 additional reports, with a possible value
of 5 percentage points each. These must be turned in by April 20th.
Grading
- Concert Reports (3) ------------------ 15%
- Attendance ---------------------------- 20%
- Quizzes -------------------------------- 20%
- Final Project ---------------------------50%
- total ------------------------------------ 100% + 5 pt bonus
The Final Project will be given out
on April 11, and due in class on May 9. Late projects will not be accepted.
Grades given in this class will follow University guidelines which are
as follows:
- A High honors
- B Honors
- C Satisfactory, successful, and respectable meeting of course objectives
- D Low-level work
- F Failure to meet the course objectives
If you need course adaptations or accommodations
because of a disability, please make an appointment with me as soon as
possible.
At any point in the semester, if you encounter difficulty with the course
or feel you could be performing at a higher level, consult with me. Students
experience difficulty in courses for a variety of reasons. For problems
with writing skills or time management, make an appointment to see a student
tutor at the Academic Support Center, 302 Payson Smith (780-4228). Help
is also available through the Counseling Center, 106 Payson Smith (780-4050)
and the Office of Academic Support for Students with Disabilites, 122
Payson Smith (780-4706).