HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

MUS 101 - MUSIC FUNDAMENTALS

SYLLABUS

Instructor :  Philip B. Cunneff

Office Location:  Joppa Hall, Room J-113

Office Hours:  by appointment

Phone:  (410) 836-4000 ext. 7576 (voicemail)

E-mail:  pcunneff@harford.edu

 

 

REQUIRED TEXT:

Foundations of Music Sixth Edition (with accompanying CD-ROM)

Nelson, Robert and Christensen, Carl J.

ISBN 0-534-59556-1

Thomson Schirmer

2006

 

CD-ROM:

The CD-ROM which accompanies your text has several components.  Before loading the disc, be sure to read the chapter "Use of the Computer."

When you set up your records file (instructions on pages xx and xxi), which will record your scores on the drills, be sure that you remember its location in your computer or are able to find it at will.  This is VERY IMPORTANT, as your grades from this file must be sent to your instructor as an attachment to a Blackboard Mail message when you finish each unit's work.

The CD also contains audio files, which can be accessed using any standard multimedia program, such as Windows Media Player or QuickTime.

The MIDI files (optional) can be accessed by a MIDI sequencing program, or you can set Windows Media Player to play them by associating this file type with the player.

 

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS:

For the Foundations of Music CD and program,  you will need either a PC running Windows 98 or higher (2000, XP), or a Power PC processor-based Macintosh running OS 8.6 or higher.

You will need a CD-ROM drive in your computer.

 

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

Music Fundamentals includes the study of basic elements of music theory, rhythmic and pitch notation, major and minor scale intervals, basic chord structures, melodic and rhythmic dictation; as well as an introduction to the keyboard and singing. Three lecture hours per week.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES (formerly known as Course Objectives) LINKED TO RELEVANT STUDENT OUTCOMES:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1.          Recognize elements of musical notation including the staff, clefs, measures, meters and note values. (Outcomes: Communication, Critical Thinking)

2.          Recognize notes and notate in treble and bass clefs.  (Outcome: Communication)

3.          Recognize and notate major and minor scales; key signatures,  the cycle of fifths (Outcomes: Communication, Critical Thinking, Information Literacy)

4.          Recognize and notate melodic and harmonic intervals and diatonic chord structures (Outcomes: Communication, Critical Thinking)

5.          Demonstrate basic conducting patterns and tap basic rhythms from written music (Outcome: Communication)

6.          Perform major and minor chords and scales  (Outcome: Critical Thinking)

7.          Recognize basic elements in music including rhythm, melody, harmony (Outcome: Critical Thinking)

 

ASSIGNMENTS AND DEADLINES:

Music Fundamentals is an asynchronous course.  There are no required class meetings or discussions.  The purpose of this course is to equip you with the technical skills for reading and writing (notating) music, whether your intent is to pursue further study in music theory, or to be able to notate the music you now play and compose.  It is also intended to provide you with an elementary understanding of the ways in which melody, harmony, and rhythm work in Western music.

Because this is a skills course, the emphasis is on practice and drill.  Each unit of study contains numerous drills on the topic at hand.  The procedure for these drills is explained in your text's chapter "Use of the Computer."  It is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL that you read and understand this chapter.

After reading each chapter and practicing the assigned drills in "practice" mode, you will load the drill in "test" mode and complete at least ten problems in the drill.  Your cumulative grade for the drill will appear on your screen.  The more problems you do, the better your odds as far as your grade.  Ten problems is the minimum.

When you have completed the "test" drill, save the score (you will be prompted to do so).  Upon completion of the unit, send the ASCII file containing your scores to the Instructor by attaching it to Mail message (using the mail client within the course platform) with the unit number in the subject line and the unit number and name in the body of the message.

There will be no exams.  Your grade for this course will be based entirely upon your performance in the drills.  The deadline for all work is (varies, usually the next-to last day of the semester); I strongly recommend that you plan to complete your work at the rate of at least one unit per week.  There are one hundred fifty-seven drills to complete by the semester's end.  You do not want to attempt to do them all in the last week of the course.

 

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE/GRADE POSTING

In most cases, discussion questions and e-mails will be responded to and grades will be posted within 24 hours.  I will make every effort to generate feedback for your work as expeditiously as possible. I usually check in to the course twice a day, unless I am out of town or experiencing an unusually busy schedule.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

The Harford Community College Catalog defines academic dishonesty as:

1.          Cheating, which means knowingly using or attempting to use unauthorized 
materials, information or study aids as defined by the instructor;

2.          Fabrication, which means intentional and unauthorized falsification or 
invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise;

3.          Facilitating academic dishonesty, which means knowingly helping or attempting 
to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty; or

4.          Plagiarism, which means knowingly representing the words or ideas of another 
as one’s own in any written academic exercise.

Any such offenses will result in a failing grade and immediate notification 
of the Dean of the Division of Visual, Performing and Applied Arts and the Associate Vice President for Student Development for further action.

 

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

Harford Community College is committed to serving students who have documented physical, learning, psychological, or other disabilities. Students who have a disability are responsible for contacting Disability Support Services at 410-836-4402 to discuss their needs for accommodations. All shared information will be held in confidence.

 

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STUDENT SERVICES:

A wide variety of services are available to HCC students. A comprehensive list of these, with directions for access, is available at the Student Services Homepage

 

 

 

STUDENT CONDUCT:

Students will be familiar with and adhere to the policies and sanctions governing student conduct as written in the HCC Catalog.

 

 

 

COURSE POLICIES:

HCC students are bound by the academic policies outlined in the most current HCC Catalog.
It is the student’s responsibility to review these policies prior to the start of each semester.

 

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:

Philip B. Cunneff, lecturer in jazz history and percussion instructor at Harford Community College, has led his own innovative piano-less jazz trios for over fifteen years. His musical apprenticeship was served in the jazz clubs of Virginia, Washington DC, Boston, and New York.
During a two year residence in Charlotte, NC, he performed and lectured with the American Indigenous Music Project. He attended Rutgers University, majoring in jazz performance and leading his own quartet and quintet at the world-famous Blue Note and other New York and New Jersey venues. Mr. Cunneff also designed and presented jazz concert/lecture programs in schools throughout New Jersey under grants from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, administered by Young Audiences.

His newest recording, "Levi," was released in spring 2005 on the Fells Point Jazz label. He can also be found supporting jazz guitarists Paul Wingo and Rick Hannah, Steve Kraemer's Bluesicians, and the vocal jazz group After Hours (Harford Community College Artists-in-Residence). He has performed with pianists Sammy Price, Kenny Barron, Dorothy Donegan, Bill Mays, George Colligan, and Harry Pickens, vocalists Jon Hendricks, Carol Sloane, and Mark Murphy, saxophonists Houston Person, Eddie Barefield, Clifford Jordan, Harold Vick, Julius Hemphill, Ken McIntyre, Carl Grubbs and Thomas Chapin, bassists Drew Gress, Mike Formanek, Larry Ridley and Paul Gill, trumpeters Doc Cheatham, Terence Blanchard, Marcus Belgrave and Virgil Jones, trombonists Dicky Wells, Curtis Fuller, and Benny Powell, violinist Sara Caswell, and guitarists Ted Dunbar, Paul Bollenback, Rory Stuart, Sheryl Bailey, and Joshua Breakstone.

Mr. Cunneff joined the HCC faculty in 2001.