MUSC117-MUSIC OF THE WORLD

Course Information

COURSE OUTCOMES

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.

HOW OUTCOMES WILL BE MET

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. Student progress will be measured by an exam after each unit, and by the quality and frequency of class discussion participation.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course is divided into the following nine units:

· Introduction to Music and Music Cultures

· Music of Sub-Saharan Africa

· Music of India

· Middle Eastern Music

· Music of the Southeast Asian Gong Culture

· Music of East Asia

· Native American music

· Caribbean & Latin American Music

· Global Fusion Music

EXAMS

Every unit concludes with an exam that includes questions related to identifying and describing musical examples from the unit (approximately 20% of each exam), as well as multiple-choice, true/false, matching and other “objective” questions about factual course content.

There is no mid-term or final exam.

All of the exams are “open-book,” meaning students may refer to the textbook and online readings, their notes, and the musical examples during the test. However, the exams all have time limits, and there won't be enough time to look up every answer. Students should still prepare ahead of time as they would for any other test.

The exams all differ in length and total points, but they all weigh equally in the final grade calculation -- except for the lowest score for each student, which is dropped from the grades altogether.

MY UNUSUAL ASSIGNMENT DEADLINE POLICY

The policy on assignment deadlines is much different in this class than in most others. Because online courses are meant to provide flexibility for the student, all assignments and exams (unless otherwise specified, as for assignments 1-3 of the Concert Review Project) will be due by midnight on the final day of the quarter, regardless of the deadline shown on the course calendar or on the assignment or exam itself.

Earlier deadlines that may appear on the calendar and on the individual assignments and quizzes are merely SUGGESTED due dates, to indicate the pace at which a student should be progressing in order to stay “on schedule.”

Please note: This policy rests on the assumption that college students are adults and therefore sufficiently mature to manage their own workloads effectively. It is important to respond accordingly. Don't fall behind, as it is extremely difficult to catch up at the end of the quarter in this class because of the time you need to invest listening to the music.

GRADING POLICY

A-level work:

· is excellently done, and goes well beyond the minimum requirements of the assignment.

· demonstrates a high degree of intellectual engagement in the assignment and enthusiasm for learning.

· is well organized, submitted on time, and communicates ideas clearly, with a minimum of spelling and grammar errors.

· displays excellent analytical thinking skills, originality and insight, and the ability to recognize and synthesize relevant facts and concepts.

· demonstrates a high degree of understanding of and facility with the ideas and skills taught in the course, including the ability to recognize and describe musical events using appropriate terminology and concepts, and an openness to unfamiliar types of music and ways of listening.

B-level work:

· is good work that clearly goes beyond minimum requirements for the assignment.

· is on the right track to “A” work, but does not score as highly on the criteria outlined for above for “A” work.

C-level work:

· is acceptable, but only minimally meets expectations and minimal requirements for the assignment and scores only at threshold levels on the criteria outlined for above for “A” work.

· typically demonstrates inconsistent or merely superficial understanding of or facility with course concepts and skills, and little intellectual engagement in the activity.

D-level work:

· is substandard.

· clearly lacks sufficient content and depth of thought, demonstrates only limited understanding of course concepts or interest in the assigned activity, and falls substantially short of fulfilling the minimum assignment requirements and the expectations outlined above.

F-level work:

· is unacceptable and not worthy of a passing grade.

· falls far below the minimum requirements of the assignment, demonstrates only the most minimal level of effort and intellectual engagement in the activity, and meets virtually nont of the requirements and the expectations outlined above.

Grade weighting: Your course grade will be determined by your performance on exams and the class discussions, in the following ratios:

Unit exams (usually 8 total): 85%

Class discussions (up to 16 total) and other assignments (if any): 15%

Grading scale: Grades will be assigned based on each student’s accumulated points as a percentage of the total points possible, according to the following scale (Note: I sometimes curve this scale to the benefit of students, if needed at the end of the quarter to offset the difficulty of exams):

A: 94-100%

A-: 91-93%

B+: 88-90%

B: 85-87%

B-: 82-84%

C+: 79-81%

C: 76-78%<

C-: 73-75%

D+: 70-72%

D: 67-69%

F <67%

Books & Materials Required

The textbook for this course is World Music: A Global Journey, by Terry Miller and Andrew Shahriari (Routledge, 3rd ed.), with CDs.

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 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.

Affirmation of Inclusion

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. (View the document at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp.)

Student Code 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

DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Email: disted@bellevuecollege.edu
Phone: (425) 564-2438 or 1 (877) 641-2712 (toll-free)
Office: Bellevue College Main Campus, Room A140
Web page: http://bellevuecollege.edu/distance/

DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER (DRC)

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you have a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation, or you have seen someone for treatment, and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact the DRC as soon as possible.

If you require assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your instructor immediately.

The DRC office is located in B132. The reception desk can be reached at 425-564-2498. Deaf students can contact the DRC by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110.

Please visit the DRC website, at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc, for program and application information other helpful links.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Bellevue College Public Safety Department staff 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 room K100 and on the web at:http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/. Contact Public Safety by phone at 425-564-2400.

ACADEMIC CALENDARS

· Enrollment Calendar (http://bellevuecollege.edu/enrollment/calendar/deadlines/): Dates for admissions, registration, withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.

· College Calendar (http://bellevuecollege.edu/enrollment/calendar/holidays/1011.asp): Quarter end and start dates, holidays, scheduled closures, and final exam dates and times.

*This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.