Commercial Musicianship I – CMUS 107

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 04/18/2023

Course Description

Listening skills are developed through rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic dictation. Commercial musicianship skills are refined through sight singing and rhythm exercises from a variety of styles. Special attention is given to tonal center referencing. The course also develops the ability to identify harmonic rhythm while listening to a variety of musical styles.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

Aural perception and sight reading are essential skills for any person desiring to function successfully in the field of music. While such skills require many years to develop, the fundamental elements must be explored for a successful music career with intent to build skills. Skills are practiced and immediately applied to “real world” situations. Likewise, the listening portion is designed to develop the skill of listening to music from a variety of media sources in order to do transcriptions of melody and harmony for use in diverse musical settings.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Teaching Assignments (16)

The student will practice course concepts using an asynchronous video technology. These for credit assignments help the student build skills and apply learned concepts.   

Unit Assignments (8)

The student will apply listening techniques and skills to “real world” situations by notating what is requested on each Unit Assignment.

Performance Evaluation Assignments (7)

The student will be evaluated on the material reviewed in the assigned textbook unit. Regular practice of assignments is required and encouraged for successful completion of the course. Evaluations are designed to track the student’s skill development. Each evaluation is completed through a video submission.

Final Dictation Assignment

Using a provided list, the student will transcribe a select portion of a song in lead-sheet format.

Quizzes (10)

Weekly quizzes assess student skill development in the basic aspects of musical dictation. Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module: week. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 5-10 multiple-choice questions, and will have a 10-20-minute time limit.