ONLINE MUSIC APPRECIATION

http://insight.ccsf.edu

Music 27A, taught by Larry Ferrara

City College of San Francisco, Spring, 2009

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, January 18th. After you know how to login, build your profile, and are familiar with how to navigate in the course, the orientation will be held on Tuesday, January 19th, from 8:30-9:30 PM. Please enter the class on that day and join the live discussion where I will welcome you, and provide information and procedures on how to successfully complete the course. At the orientation I will also answer any of your concerns, explain the logistics of the class and discuss the responsibilities and requirements. If you have questions or class related concerns before the orientation you can e-mail me anytime between now and when the course 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, web-lectures and links to other resources on the Web. Music Appreciation also features a Bulletin Board, and a weekly quiz that will help prepare for the midterm and final exam.

Once you’ve logged in, visit the Welcome page and be sure of all the requirements before you start working online.

 

TEXT BOOK—

 

There is one item which must be purchased for this course:

1.) The textbook: Listen, Brief Fifth or Sixth Edition by Joseph Kerman, published by, Bedford St. Martin, which comes with an optional CD set, which not required for this course.

How to obtain the text book-

The best place to obtain the book is at the City College of San Francisco bookstore. But if you run into problems, you can contact the publisher, Bedford St. Martin, directly by calling: 1-617-399-4000.

If you prefer online ordering you can try www.amazon.com This site carries new as well as "gently used" books, which will save you some money.

WEB REQUIREMENTS—

You can use Internet Explorer or Firefox, while Safari (which 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 with corresponding web lectures, reading homework, and listening files. To access the appropriate assignments for each week go to the current section or "block" of content that will be dated for that week, work on it, and complete it.

There will be one weekly Quiz with questions that will help you better understand the concepts you will be learning and the music you will be listening to. To access the weekly quiz, log into this course, go to the current dated section or "block" of content that will be upload, and read the web-lecture and text book, listen to the steaming sound files, and then precede to take the assigned quiz, and answer the discussion question fot that week.

There will be weekly Bulletin Board postings with questions and discussions for you to answer and participate in. To answer these weekly questions, log into this course, go to the current section of content, and look for the discussion room and find the weekly question, answer it, respond to a classmates contribution and participate.

There will by 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, the textbook readings and the listening portions of the class. 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 one quiz, one week of web-lecture, text book reading, and listening. 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 quiz and related bulletin board question.

QUIZZES—

You will need to take a quiz each week and these weekly quizzes 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, on the web, and through the bulletin board. The midterm and final exam is to be taken in person at City College of San Francisco’s 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. You will  be allowed two attempts which will be spaced 24 hours apart and your highest score will be the permanent and final result.

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. If you download them, you will have them for future reference and can hear them “off line.” On the Review portion of the Welcome page there are zip files that contain all of the music found in the course. It is recommended that you download them (for future review) as well as listen to the streaming files embedded in the web-lectures. If you have a fast internet connection (T1, DSL or cable) then opening them from their current location will be a quicker way for you to hear the examples. It is still possible to download the sound files with a dial up connection it will just take longer. To download any of the sound files from the course right click the file and [Save Target As].

All of the recorded examples are also available in the Media Center. If you prefer you can listen to them 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 Supplemental 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 prefer you will find the CD play list on this link. 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, by listen to streaming audio example available to you from the weekly web lecture, or optionally visiting the Media Center (see above) to do your listening. Your listening hours will be kept track of by your instructor tracking the amount of files you down load from the Music Appreciation pages and the amount of time you are actually listening to the streaming sound files from the web lectures.

BULLETIN BOARD—

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 quiz, 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 them, as well as reacting to other class members contributions.

To keep up these questions you will contribute with 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 I pose, 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. Your participation will be rated and you will be asked similar questions during the final exam. 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 response but not necessarily respond to it.

CONCERT REVIEWS—

During the course each student is assigned the writing of three music reviews of classical concerts, 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 will be 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 summer 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.

ATTENDANCE—

Attendance in the class will be followed by: 1) how often you log on to the course to do the work and experience the listening, 2) your weekly quiz performances, and 3) weekly bulletin board 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 quiz to take and a new bulletin board question. You will have only one week to complete the readings, learn two and sometimes three web lectures, do the listening, take the quizzes, and answer or respond to two bulletin board questions. 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.

MIDTERM AND FINAL—

You will be actively viewing, listening 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 they may better match your schedule.

Midterm Exam: face-to-face, either Tuesday, March 16, 6:00 – 7:00 PM in room A214 (second floor of the Creative Arts building room 214, on the Ocean/Phelan campus opposite Riordan High School and behind the new Health Center)  or Saturday, March 20, 9:00-10:00 AM in room A132 (bottom floor of the Creative Arts building room 132, on the Ocean/Phelan campus opposite Riordan High School and behind the new Health Center)


Final Exam: face-to-face, either Tuesday, May 18, 6:00 – 7:00 PM in room A214 (second floor of the Creative Arts building room 214, on the Ocean/Phelan campus opposite Riordan High School and behind the new Health Center)  or Saturday, May 22, 9:00-10:00 AM in room A132 (bottom floor of the Creative Arts building room 132, on the Ocean/Phelan campus opposite Riordan High School and behind the new Health Center)

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 questions.

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

Taking an in class midterm and final exam.

 

Logging on, participating, reading, listening                     20% of final grade

Weekly Quizzes                                                20% of final grade

Bulletin board participation                                      20% of final grade

Concert reviews                                                20% of final grade

Midterm and Final Exam                                       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@aol.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 links to the weekly web lectures (2 or 3), listening files and the corresponding readings from the text.

 

7) QUIZZES. You will have one week to complete the assigned quiz 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.