MUSC117 Music of the World
Syllabus
(Online – Winter 2012)
Instructor:
Bob Adams
E-mail: Please
use the email function in the online course software. If necessary, you may
also email me at bob.adams@bellevuecollege.edu,
but the response may not be as fast.
Phone: 360-710-6416
Office Hours: Flexible.
Please call me with questions or email me through Blackboard Vista.
Course Information
After successfully completing
this course, students will be able to:
·
Understand and discuss the relationship between music and society in
selected cultures of the world
·
Understand and describe how the music they typically enjoy and listen to
is a part of, and is emblematic of, their own culture and social milieu
·
Identify selected styles of world music.
·
Demonstrate a greater appreciation, understanding and respect for other
cultures.
The learning objectives of the
course will be met through 1) listening to and viewing musical performances and
course lectures, 2) reading, 3) classroom discussions, 4) occasional on-line
music library assignments in which students find and share additional samples
of music related to the units we cover.
The course is divided into the
following units:
·
Introduction to Music and Music Cultures
·
Music of Sub-Saharan Africa
·
North Indian (Hindustani) Classical Music
·
Middle Eastern/Arabic/Islamic Music
·
Music of the Southeast Asian Gong Culture
·
Music of East Asia
·
Music of Latin America and the Caribbean
·
Global Fusion Music
There will be two major exams: a
mid-term and a final covering content in class lectures and assigned listening,
viewing and reading. These exams will typically include identification of music
samples and multiple choice or other ‘objective’ questions. The exams will be
‘open-book;’ i.e., you may use your notes, textbook, etc. to look up the
answers. You can take them any time you like during the quarter, as long as you
have them in by midnight on the final day of the quarter. Note that once you
begin an exam, however, you will have a specified time limit for completing it.
There may also be a short listening quiz for each unit,
to keep you focused on the most important part of the class: the musical examples.
The intercultural understanding
we’re pursuing in this course will come more easily if everyone shares their
insights and experiences, so classroom forum discussions on one or more specififed
topics will be assigned for most units. Students will be expected to make at
least three substantive contributions to each discussion, either as original
posts or as responses to those of others.
There will be no major research
paper required.
Assignment deadlines
and course calendar
The policy on assignment deadlines is much different
in this class than in most others. Because online courses are meant to provide
flexibility to the student, and because unforeseen circumstances always arise
every quarter that require some students to adjust their study schedules
significantly, all assignments and exams (unless otherwise specified) will
be due by midnight on the final day of the quarter.
Please
note: This
policy rests on the assumption that college students are significantly mature
to manage their own workloads effectively. It is important for you to respond
accordingly.
The course calendar (accessible from the home page)
indicates the pace at which one should
work in order to stay “on schedule” and divide the work evenly over the
quarter. Be sure not to fall too far behind as it becomes extremely difficult
to catch up at the end of the quarter, especially if you are taking other
classes, too.
Grading scale
Grades will be assigned based on each student’s
accumulated points as a percentage of the total points possible:
A: 95-100%
A-: 92-94%
B+: 89-91%
B: 86-88%
B-: 83-85%
C+: 80-82%
C: 77-79%
C-: 74-76%
D+: 71-73%
D: 68-70%
D-: 65-67%
F: <65%
Books and Materials
Required
No
textbook is required.
Reading assignments from a variety of sources will be provided to students
without charged.
Classroom Learning Atmosphere
Instructor’s Expectations
No musical talent or prior music
training is necessary for success in this course, but students do need to be
willing to:
·
learn about some of the basic concepts of music: rhythm, pitch, melody,
etc.;
·
listen to different types of music with open ears and an open mind;
·
learn to recognize music samples from the cultures covered in class (if you
do the assigned listening this will not be any more difficult than recognizing
the music of your favorite bands).
In a traditional, in-class format
this course would meet for about 1 hour every day, and a student would need to
spend at least 1-2 additional hours each day on homework. You should expect to
invest the same amount of time in this online version of the course.
Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an
environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to
participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and
discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and
students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another
with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp
Statement on unacceptable behavior:
“Cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the
ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) and
inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code
of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples
of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to: talking out of turn,
arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell
phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or
classmates. The instructor can refer any
violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Vice President of Student
Services for possible probation or suspension from Bellevue College. Specific student rights, responsibilities and
appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct, available in the
office of the Vice President of Student Services.” The Student Code, Policy 2050, in its
entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp
Important Links
Disability Resource
Center (DRC)
The Disability Resource Center serves students with
a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who
has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have
seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order
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If you are a person who
requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire,
earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a
safety plan within the first week of the quarter.
The DRC office is located in
B132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by video phone at
425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit our website for
application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc
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provides personal safety, security and crime-prevention services to the campus
community 24 hours per day,7 days per week. Public Safety is located in
K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/.Their
phone number is 425.564.2400.
Bellevue College’s calendars provide information
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Getting started
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This
syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.