Music Appreciation – MUSC 103

CG • Section 8WK • 07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

An introduction to major musical styles (including representative composers and compositions) from Antiquity through the 21st century.

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

Rationale

MUSC 103 is an overview course that introduces the student to the elements of music and the engagement of music in historical and global contexts. In this course, the student will seek to understand music and its relationship to his/her life and other cultures. The student will study diverse music of both Western and non-Western traditions, including an introduction to a rudimentary familiarity with the Western art music (Classical) tradition. Additionally, the student will cultivate active listening skills and practice using vocabulary and analytical tools necessary to articulate his/her musical perceptions.

Course Assignment

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Readings and lecture presentations/notes.

Homework: Listening Exercises (50)

Weekly Listening Exercises help students to develop active listening skills on a higher level. Students will listen to musical excerpts and answer questions based on content for each module's materials. Homework Listening Exercises are accessed via MindTap links included within each weekly Module for the duration of the course.

Listening Journal Assignments (2)

Since this is a music course, the student must dedicate time to listening! To really understand and explore the songs, the student must listen multiple times to each song. Active listening takes time and cannot be rushed. The student should find a quiet place without distractions and listen to the music actively. Oftentimes, music becomes the background for other activities; this is passive listening. In this course, the student will need to focus closely on the music. A guide to active listening is posted in the course, which will help the student to focus on appropriate details needed to have success in the course (and to grow as a music lover!). Each Listening Journal Assignment’s word count will be between 250-300 words total.

Each piece/song of music will demand anywhere from 10-30 minutes of active listening, depending on the genre (e.g. art music pieces may take longer than popular music songs).

(CGE: 2; CIL 3; SSI 1)

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create threads to demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread post(s), the student is required to reply to posts by his/her classmates. The student will post one thread of at least 250 words, with an exception for the Module 8: Week 8 Discussion, where the student will post a thread of 500 words. The student must then post 2 replies of at least 100 words.

The student may post to all assignments as soon as the course opens; however, he/she must complete the lesson in the corresponding Module: Week prior to posting. Additionally, please do not expect others to post prior to the assigned week in order to satisfy reply requirements. Discussion assignments are fundamentally interactive; therefore, no late posts or replies are permitted (i.e. no extensions or make-ups), as there is no way to recapture the lost experience of critical listening and interaction with peers. Discussion grades are based on following instructions, satisfying the prompt criteria, and replying to multiple posts from other students. All submissions should be thorough and articulate, and demonstrate:

  • Understanding of the lesson’s concepts.
  • Technical skills learned throughout the course to that point (e.g. terminology).
  • Respect for new ideas and perspectives from classmates and/or the lesson(s):
    • The student must grant those with whom he/she interacts the benefit of the doubt. This does not mean the student must or is expected to agree with everything said by his/her classmates or in the lesson; the student is encouraged to mull and contemplate new concepts! However, disagreement—and ensuing reply/replies—must be courteous. 
  • University-level writing and communication skills***
    • Spelling, grammar, and cohesiveness are part of this process. This is a chance to improve expression in a professional, yet still conversational manner. 
    • ***Students with English deficiencies should notify the instructor by the end of Module 1: Week 1.

(CGE: 1, 2, 3, 4; CIL 3; CT 2; SSI 1)

Quizzes (8)

Quiz: Elements of Music, Medieval Music, & Renaissance Music is an assessment of material learned in Module 1; Quiz: The Baroque Period is an assessment of material learned in Module 2; Quiz: The Classical Period is an assessment of material learned in Module 3; Quiz: Early Romanticism is an assessment of material learned in Module 4; Quiz: Late Romanticism is an assessment of material learned in Module 5; Quiz: Modern and Post-Modern Music is an assessment of material learned in Module 6; Quiz: American Popular Music is an assessment of material learned in Module 7; Quiz: Global Music is an assessment of material learned in Module 8. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 20 multiple-choice, true/false, and multiple answer questions, and have a 1 hour time limit. The student will have one attempt for each quiz.

(CGE: 1, 2; CIL 3; SSI 1)

Final Project: Music Research and Analysis Assignment

Each student will select a composer, artist, or band/group who has made significant cultural contributions with their music. The student will write a four (4) page research and analysis essay based on biographical details of the chosen composer/artist/band and an analysis of three (3) pieces of music.

The analysis of three (3) pieces of music by the chosen composer, artist, or band is the primary focus of this essay in addition to discussing the significance of the composer, artist, or band to the student and brief biography details about the composer, artist, or band chosen.

(CGE: 1, 2; CIL 3; CT 2; SSI 1)