Course Description

This course is designed to develop your musicianship skills. Students demonstrate competence through various activities inclusive, but not limited to singing, moving, listening, composing, improvising, and reading musical notation.

Course Objectives

1.              To develop musicianship skills

2.              To audiate and sing melodies in both bass and treble clefs

3.              To understand and use a rhythm system for both duple and triple

4.              To develop ability to audiate and sing bass lines

5.              To take music dictation of learned rhythmic and melodic patterns 

6.              To improvise melodically and rhythmically 

7.              To develop ability to hear and demonstrate understanding of harmonic structure 

Required Textbooks and Materials

Music for Sight Singing (10^th Edition), Nancy Rogers & Robert Ottman, 2019

Rhythm Bible (without CD), Dan Fox

EarMaster 7 (Musicianship Training App – earmaster.com). Students will receive an invitation thru email to sign up for EarMaster.

Tuning Fork A=440

Students Expectations/Conduct 

Students are required to participate in all class activities. Students are to practice assigned material in preparation for each class. 

Students are to conduct themselves in a professional manner so that all students may learn without distraction or disruption. This includes cell phones turned off and no texting. 

College students are adults and are expected to behave accordingly. Classroom behavior that interferes with either the instructor’s ability to conduct class or the ability of the other students to benefit from instruction will result in the instructor’s removing the disruptive student(s) from class.

Cell Phones and Other Recording Devices

The use of cell phones and other recording or electronic devices is strictly prohibited during class. The instructor may direct, from time to time, on the possible use of cell phones for legitimate class reasons. Recording the class is prohibited, unless it is part of a reasonable accommodation under ADA, or by obtaining written consent by the instructor.

Grading Scale

Course Evaluation

The instructor reserves the right to cancel or adjust assignments as the course progresses. Students will be informed how this may affect grading. 

The Final Exam is Tuesday, December 8 8:00 am – 10:00 am.

Performance Opportunities

Students take 10 tests during semester. Students are expected to attend class on test days. Make up tests are not given. Competencies may be rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic. Each competency is weighted equally. 

Daily Grade

Every week students receive a daily grade. This grade is reflected by class participation and accuracy of performing assigned homework. Students may ask for their grade at the end of each class.

Attendance

Students participate in daily group and individual activities. Activities are cumulative in organization, building on previously learned concepts. Therefore, attendance is crucial to personal development. Students may miss class twice without a final grade reduction. Each absence that exceeds the allotted absences reduces the final grade by one letter grade. Tardies count toward absences. Students who arrive ten minutes late will be marked absent from class.Nonparticipation in class equals one absence for each occurrence. Class participation includes all classroom activities (singing, moving, rhythm activities, improvisation, chording, etc.). 

Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception.

Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters.

We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student.

We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed.

Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, (940) 397-4140.

The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MSUTexas e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed the 6 hours of Communication Core and 2) earned 60 hours. Students may meet this requirement in one of three ways: by passing the Writing Proficiency Exam, passing two Writing Intensive Courses (only one can be in the core), or passing English 2113. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at https://msutexas.edu/academics/wpr, or call 397-4131.

Senate Bill 11 passed by the 84th Texas Legislature allows licensed handgun holders to carry concealed handguns on campus, effective August 1, 2016. Areas excluded from concealed carry are appropriately marked, in accordance with state law. For more information regarding campus carry, please refer to the University’s webpage at https://msutexas.edu/campus-carry/rules-policies.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact MSU Chief of Police at police@msutexas.edu.