ONLINE MUSIC APPRECIATION

http://insight.ccsf.edu

Music 27A, taught by Larry Ferrara

City College of San Francisco, Spring, 2012

E-mail: larryferrara27A@gmail.com Office A129, ph: (415) 239-3856

 

ORIENTATION—

 

The fall orientation will take place online within the Music Appreciation course. Your account will be made active on Monday, January16th. Please login on that day so you know how to, build your profile, navigate the course, and be familiar with how to find the online orientation which will be held the next day, Tuesday, January 17th, from 8:00-9:30 PM.

 

I will be holding four orientations and the schedule will be as follows:

 

Orientation times on Tuesday evening, January 17, 2012

CRN/SECTION 31806 831 8:00-8:20 PM

CRN/SECTION 32101 832 8:20-8:40 PM

CRN/SECTION 31532 833 8:40-9:00 PM
CRN/SECTION 33935 834 9:00-9:20 PM

 

When you enter the online Music Appreciation class orientation at the appropriate time I will welcome you live, provide information and procedures on how to successfully complete the course, and go over the class requrements.


During the orientation I will also answer any of your questions or concerns, explain the logistics of the class and discuss the responsibilities you will have while partaking it.
Or, if you have questions or class related concerns before the orientation you can e-mail me anytime between now and when the orientation starts and I will be happy to assist you. Many of these inquiries may be answered by the information below and if not, here is my class e-mail address larryferrara27a@gmail.com

 

HOW TO LOGIN—

 

To login to the class go to the Insight web page, http://insight.ccsf.edu and enter your password and username. Your password will be sent to you by way of e-mail and your user name is your CCSF ID. The username must be in lower case letters (change a W to w and an X to x) and numbers (not “o” or letters for numbers).


 

OVERVIEW—

Music Appreciation is an exploration in the materials and masterworks of great music, from Medieval Chant to Contemporary Popular styles. Students begin by studying the elements of music (pitch, melody, rhythm, harmony, form, etc.) then learn about the instruments of the orchestra and build a comprehensive vocabulary with which to understand and evaluate musical expression. From there, they survey the continuum of musical history in Western Civilization, from the Middle Ages through the present time. Along the way the student will become aware of musical form, the great works and composers of Classical music and in ultimately by the end become a better music listener.

The 22 web-lectures are embedded with over 90 audio examples. There are reading assignments, informative web-lectures and links to MyMusicLab and other resources on the Web. Music Appreciation also features a lively discussion board, and a weekly quizzes that will help prepare you for the midterm and final exam.


TEXT BOOK—

 

You will need to purchase a text for this course. You can either acquire a hard bound copy or and electronic e-book. It can be acquired in one of formats below:

1.) The textbook is: Listen to This, Second Edition by Mark Bonds, published by, Pearson, 2011.  All of the audio for the course will be accessed or downloaded from both the CCSF Insight pages or the http://www.musicappreciation.com pages. It will not be necessary to buy the CD set or the Music Lab (MyMusicLab). You may purchase the CD's or the music lab (www.mymusiclab.com) as an option but they are NOT REQUIRED. Only the text book Listen to This is required.


How to obtain the text book:
One of the best ways to purchase the text is at the City Colllege San Francisco bookstore. But you may wish to buy it online.

If you prefer online ordering you can obtain the text directly from the publisher, Pearson  Or, www.amazon.com The Amazon site carries new as well as "gently used" books, which will save you some money. Be aware that when you buy this book new or used you do NOT need the music lab that comes along with it (the lab is an option and NOT a requirement).



There are three formats to the text. Here are your choices:
(Take note that the Music Lab portion of the text is NOT required)


1) LISTEN TO THIS, BOUND BOOK, 2/Edition, by BONDS, Pub. by Pearson, ISBN-9780205777365

2) LISTEN TO THIS, UNBOUND BOOK, Books a la Carte (suitable for 3 ring binder), 2/Edition, by BONDS, Pub. by Pearson, ISBN-9780205021758


3) LISTEN TO THIS ETEXT, (electronic version of the text book), 2/Edition, by BONDS, Pub. by Pearson, ISBN-9780205794379 


The text book will be on reserve in the CCSF library, and the Media Center of Rosenberg Hall.

WEB REQUIREMENTS—

You can use Internet Explorer or Firefox, while Safari (which is a good browser, may have a few short comings) can be used for this course I would recommend IE or Firefox. The only other requirement is an mp3 player, and a video player which many computers already have installed in their operating system. If you don't have one, you can download it using this website:

COURSE CONTENT—

There will by weekly Assignments for you to fulfill by both reading, listening, and video viewing to corresponding web lectures, text book reading, and guided listening. At the end of the week you will be asked to take two chapter quizzes, a unit quiz and also answer a critical thinking question. To access the appropriate assignments for each week go to the current section or link of content labelled "Assignment." It will be dated for the current week, and you will be asked to work on it, and complete it.

There will be weekly Quizzes with questions that will help you better understand the concepts and listening skills you will be learning and developing. To access the weekly quizzes, log into this course, go to the hompage of the class and look for a red check mark which indicates that the link will lead you to a test. The quizzes will be based on material you have been working on for that week such as reading the text and the web-lectures, and also listening to the steaming sound files and videos. You will then precede to take the assigned quizzes, which will have content questions as well as listening questions.

There will be a weekly Discussion with questions, projects, and disscussions for you to participate in. To take part in these weekly discourses, log into the course, go to the current dated section and look for the discussion board (a small people icon) to fulfill the weekly critical thinking question. After you answer it, also respond to a classmates contribution and participate.

There will be a scheduled Live Discussion on certain occasions and especially before exams. To access the chat room, log into this course, and go the Review Session room.

ASSIGNMENTS—

Each segment of the website will coordinate the web lectures, and the textbook readings. Each weekly assignment will contain one unit of work that you will need to complete within the duration of 7 days – in other words – you will need to complete a set of quizzes, one week of web-lectures, text book reading, and bulletin board discussion. Once you've visited, read and listened to that week’s units of web-lectures, listening, and textbook reading you will then proceed to the corresponding quizzes and related bulletin board question.

QUIZZES—

You will need to take two chapter quizzes and one unit quiz (three total) with embedded listening questions for each weekly assignment. These are required for they are a way for you (and me) to make sure you are keeping up with the listening and learning the material in the text, the listening, and through the discussion board. The midterm and final exam is to be taken in person at City College of San Francisco’s Ocean/Phelan Campus. (see below for dates and times). The weekly quizzes will be recorded and graded. They are open book and or open computer. The weekly quizzes are in multiple choices, matching, or true and false format. The in person midterm and final is closed book and closed notes.

LISTENING—

Most of the genres, terms and instrument explanations are embedded with sound files or mp3’s. You can either down load these files to your computer and then open them, or open the files directly from the server location, either from the CCSF Insight page or the http://www.musicappreciation.com website. If you download them, you will have them for future reference and can hear them “off line.”

All of the recorded examples are also available in the Media Center. If you do not do the listening online and If you prefer to, you can listen to the course audio from the Media Center located on the 4th floor of Rosenberg library, City College Phelan campus. When you enter the Media Center ask for the any of the Listen to This CDs (CD’s 1-7) for Music Appreciation taught by Larry Ferrara. The content of the CDs will be found in a three ring binder in the front of the media center and will coordinate with the sequence of web lectures. If you opt to use the Media Center on the Phelan campus of City College of San Francisco be sure to keep track of the time you spend there. This is done by filling out (with the stamped date and time) a blue time card supplied by the Media Center. Going to the Media Center to do the listening is NOT a requirement but an option for you to fulfill the listening requirement because all of the sound files are contained within the online course.

You need to do the equivalent of one hour of music listening a week in this course. The way you fulfill that requirement is by either downloading the files from the Music Appreciation website or from the Insight pages, or by repeated listening to the streaming audio examples available to you from the course website. You can also opt to visit the Media Center (see above) to do your listening. Your listening hours will be kept track of by your instructor by tracking the amount of time you spend listening to the files or by how often you download them from the Music Appreciation pages.

BULLETIN BOARD DISCUSSION—

Each week there will be a question posed to you from each weekly unit of information and material. These questions will formulate discussion threads in the class. In addition to the weekly readings, web viewing, listening, and weekly quizzes, the bulletin board question will contain critical thinking inquiries about musical issues for you to consider. These questions are designed to make you think about what music is and how to listen to in an intelligent and aesthetical way. There will be new questions each week for you to answer. You are expected to keep up with these questions by responding to the instructor's questions, as well as reacting to other class members contributions.

To keep up these questions you will contribute each week (a minimum of 15 postings and 15 responses to other class member’s posts): Your bulletin board participation will be graded and by answering the question that the instructor poses, and also commenting on another class member’s response to a question regarding a current or previous post, you can earn up to 100 points for each discussion question. Your participation will be rated and you will be asked similar questions during the midterm and final exams. I will read all of your posts and participate in most if not all of the current weekly discussions. If you miss a week’s set of questions you can answer them from the previous week for partial credit, and I will read and grade your responses but not necessarily give a written reply to the late posts.

CONCERT REVIEWS—

During the course of the semester each student is assigned the writing of three music reviews of classical concerts, chamber music, jazz, world music, ballet, choir or opera performances; There is also the option of reviewing two live music reviews and one video review, still - three total reviews. These reviews are based on two attended live performances and one rented video, or three live performances. Your video choice must be taken from one of the following: Immortal Beloved (BEETHOVEN), Impromptu (CHOPIN) or Amadeus (MOZART). These 3 concert reviews (or one video review and two concert reviews) are due by the by the end of the semester and should be typed and handed in to me before or at the final exam. You must include a program or ticket stub along with your live concert review and if you rent a video include the rental receipt. There will be a listing of free and fee recommended concerts for your  consiteration on the Insight course homepage.

ATTENDANCE—

Attendance in the class will be followed by: 1) how often you log on to the course each week to do the work and experience the listening, 2) your weekly quiz performances, and 3) weekly bulletin board discussion participation, 4) showing up to take the midterm and final exam. You are expected to login and do the work each week. Each week you will have a new reading assignment, a set of quizzes to take and a new bulletin board discussion question. You will have only one week to complete the weekly readings, learn the web lectures, do the listening, take the quizzes, and answer and respond to the bulletin board question. If you do not log onto the course and do the work each week it will directly affect your grade. If you fail to log on and do the work for two weeks or 14 consecutive days your letter grade in the class will decline and your progress directly affected. If you miss three weeks of consecutive work (21 days of not logging on), you will be dropped from the class. The course week will run from Monday until Sunday and new content will be updated each ensuing Monday.

MIDTERM AND FINAL—

You will be actively viewing, listening to and reading material on music in this course. The assignments, corresponding quizzes, and bulletin board bulletin board postings are specifically designed to teach you how to listen to music and help you prepare for the face-to-face midterm and final exam. The more you do them, the better you will understand the material and the better you will fare on the exams. Person to person contact will during the in class midterm and final. The material on these tests will be covered by the weekly quizzes, the weekly listening, text book reading, website viewing and live discussion review. The midterm and final exam questions will be multiple choice, matching, true false or fill in/short essay format. The midterm and final will reflect how well you kept up with the class, website viewing, listening, discussing and textbook reading.

The following dates and times will be when the midterm and final exams will take place at the City College or San Francisco Ocean/Phelan campus. You only need to attend one midterm and one final exam. Two are offered so that they may better match your schedule.

Midterm Exam: face-to-face, either Thursday, March 15, 6:00 – 7:00 PM in a room TBA  or Saturday, March 17, 9:00-10:00 AM in the new Mulit-Use Building (MLB) room TBA. The Multi-Use Building is the newest CCSF structure. It is located on the west side of Phelan Ave. slightly south of Riordan High School and opposite the CCSF Science building.


Final Exam: face-to-face, either Wednesday, May 9, 6:00 – 7:00 PM in a room TBA  or Saturday, May 12, 9:00-10:00 AM in the new Mulit-Use Building (MLB) room TBA. The Multi-Use Building is the newest CCSF structure. It is located on the west side of Phelan Ave. slightly south of Riordan High School and opposite the CCSF Science building.

GRADING—

Your grade in this course will consist of:

Regular website viewing, listening and text book reading.

Partaking in weekly quizzes

Contributing  weekly to the bulletin board discussions.

Handing in three concert reviews (three live reviews or 2 live and one film review).

Taking an in class midterm and final exam.

 

Logging on, participating, reading, listening     15% of final grade

Weekly Quizzes                                                15% of final grade

Bulletin board participation                               15% of final grade

Concert reviews                                                15% of final grade

Midterm and Final Exam                                   20% + 20% of final grade

Attendance                                             regular attendance is mandatory

                  (see above for details)

STUDENT/TEACHER INTERACTION—

As far as interaction is concerned-- the more the better! There are three different ways to communicate:

1) DIRECT E-MAIL (for private communications to Mr. Ferrara, larryferrara27a@gmail.com Best used for “private” questions about registration, grades, problems, etc.

2) BULLETIN BOARD (answering questions that are placed each week ALL students can see; (not private)

3) LIVE CHAT: Before exams the discussion room will be utilized and material will be reviewed especially before the final exam.
 

4) The WELCOME PAGE contains information on how to use the course and other pertinent course information such grading policies, and exam dates.

 

5) The SYLLABUS PAGE contains an overview of the entire course and will give you a list of the topics covered during the course.

 

6) ASSIGNMENTS contain text or E-text reading tasks, links to the weekly web lectures, listening files and every goal you will need to fulfill for that week.

 

7) QUIZZES. You will have one week to complete the assigned quizzes and then they will be replaced with a newer quizzes which will be based on later course content. Remember the quiz questions will help you greatly on the midterm and final exams.

 

8) The GLOSSARY PAGE gives you quick access to definitions to musical terms and words.

 

9) The LINKS PAGE takes you to other recommended music sites on the World Wide Web.