LOGISTICS

Professor: Ben R. King [ben.king@houghton.edu]
 
 

Semester : Fall 2008	Time: 2 TTh [9:00-9:50 each Tu & Th]
Office: CFA105	Place: CFA 300
Phone: x4000	Office Hours: MWF 9-10, or by appt.

MUS 250 Music in Christian Perspective: An Introduction (2, F)
Introduction to music studies in the context of Christian worldview. Examination of Biblical, philosophical, and scientific bases for human creativity. Discussion of music’s role in society and in the liberal arts context. Orientation to college-level work in music, including diagnostic examination of background knowledge.

MATERIALS

Required:

DeMol, Karen. Sound Stewardship: How Shall Christians Think About Music?. Dort, IA: Dordt College Press, 1999. ISBN 0-932-914-44-6.

Green, Barry. The Inner Game of Music. NY: Anchor, 1986. ISBN 0-385-23126-1.

Levitin, Daniel. This Is Your Brain on Music. NY: Dutton, 2006. ISBN 0-525-94969-0.

On-line or e-Bible w/search capability.

PURPOSES
 

°to begin an inquiry into the nature of music as a Godly creative act. °to explore ways in which the pursuit and study of music plays a role in the life of the believer. °to examine the historical and philosophical bases of music in culture. °to provide background/review for the undertaking of serious musical studies at the college level. °to introduce/build upon the modes of thought and attitudes essential to success as a musician. °to survey options available to the musician in society, with particular attention to their relevance for the believer. °to further explore the aural milieu of the classical repertoire. °to begin integration of current technologies with musical practice °to consider the place of music in service to the greater society

PROCEDURE

As indicated above, this course has a variety of objectives with one goal in mind: your successful growth, both musical and spiritual, while a student of music at Houghton College. We will read about and discuss a number of subjects surrounding the general topic of what it means to make music Christianly.

While this dialogue is underway, we will be discovering together what skills and mental disciplines you collectively possess regarding the art and craft of music. This will be accomplished through a series of diagnostic exams. If you pass a given exam the first time, you are done with that component. If not, you must retake the exam until it is completed satisfactorily. Tutorial help will be available.

Assignments will include readings, listening, written reports, journaling. Tutorial and computer lab work will also be assigned according to individual needs.

Exams and Quizzes: You should expect a "pop quiz" any time there is a reading assignment. Major exams will be given on October 11(midterm) and Wednesday December 12, 4-6pm (final).
 
 

BASIC FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW, & WHERE TO FIND THEM

Musical
 

°Names of treble & bass lines/spaces & leger lines/spaces, at good speed. See Web Links °All key signatures, with major & minor key connotations, near automatically. Class notes. download on-line .pdf °All basic rhythmic identification [both notes and rests]. See Web Links °All basic meter signatures and the rhythmic conventions associated with them. Experience, class notes. °All basic interval names [3rd, 5th, etc.], with their quality [Major, minor, perfect, etc.]. Download on-line .pdf °Basic symbols and guide posts of musical grammar. See Web Links °Meaning of principal musical terms in Italian, German, & French, from the list provided. Google. °Aural identity of specified "standard repertoire" pieces. Music Library reserve, Naxos Online °Major period divisions in the history of music, together with their basic characteristics. Harvard, class notes. download on-line.pdf, Naxos.com overview. °Basic approaches to dealing with musical performance problems. Green. °When concerts are scheduled [attendance at 14 per semester is required of music majors].  School of Music Performance Calendar °Who the faculty are, and a bit about them.  School of Music Faculty Bio Pages °Normal procedures and policies of the Greatbatch School. Music Student Handbook on-line; special attention to Introduction, Sections 1-2.

Useful links for Music Fundamentals: Music Theory Net [bookmark this one folks!] Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory Guitarland Music Fundamentals MiBAC Music Theory Pages Indiana U Theory Resources Links [bookmark this one folks!]

Conceptual
 

Varying [and basic] ways of thinking about: how music affects humans & human culture. Source Readings, Assigned Articles, DeMol. what constitutes quality/excellence in music [and in life!]. Source Readings, Assigned Articles, DeMol. how [or if] music conveys meaning. Class Discussion, Levitin, assigned readings.

Theological
 

Varying ways of thinking about: how musical endeavor relates to Christian walk. Scripture, Assigned Articles, DeMol, Class notes. how music-making [and creative activity in general] relates to the nature of humans and the nature of God. Scripture, Assigned Articles, DeMol, Green, Levitin, Class discussion. how [or if] music conveys moral content. Source Readings, assigned readings, Class notes.

bold = central themes of the course
 

GRADING

30%	Readings (assessment via a combination of reports, evaluation of class discussion participation, quizzes, essays, and journaling) N. B.: apart from exams and quizzes, all written work turned in will be in the form of computer printout from a word processor.
56%	Class exams [includes mid-term (25%), final (25%), listening (10% rolled into mid- and final), and foreign terms (6%) exams]
06%	Service Project and Report
8%	Diagnostics*
	*However, note that the diagnostic/listening exams will be recorded as follows (3.5% each): lines/spaces P/F; P=90+%; F= -2 full letter grades; grammar P/F; P=80+%; F= -1 full letter grade; keys (M/m) P/F; P=80+%; F= -1 full letter grade; intervals P/F; P=75+%; F= -1/2 letter grade* meter/rhythm normal scale; F=-1/2 letter grade*; *for example, A would become B+, A- a B, etc.

A suggested notebook organization for future reference:

three-ring loose-leaf w/tabbed dividers class & reading notes in chronological order by subject, from laptop a. Lecture, not tied to text b. Green. Inner Game. & discussion c. Source Readings & discussion d. Best. MttEoF & discussion Assigned article reflections learning resources: notes, ideas, sites, etc. community service project report listening notes, if applicable all exams & quizzes: a. daily b. diagnostics c. terms d. mid-term & final final reflection essay N.B.: Neither computer nor printer failure of any sort is acceptable as a reason for not turning in any work when due. You are responsible for maintaining sufficient back-ups of your information so that the information can be gotten to working machines in time for presentation [normally three copies will do: hard drive, floppy, and either network or backup device such as Zip, tape, floptical, or flash memory device]. Also, to work without autosave at 7:00 or less or without hitting save keys after every three—six sentences is to court severe frustration and lost effort. You are warned!

GRADING POLICIES
 

Each student is responsible for all assignments and for the content of all class sessions, whether in attendance or not. Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Late papers will be docked one letter grade per class day after the due date. Each missed quiz or assignment will receive a zero. Quizzes are always given at the beginning of class. At the end of the course, the lowest quiz grade for each student will be dropped before figuring the semester average. Therefore, if you miss one quiz (and therefore get a zero for it) but all the rest of your work is in, the missed quiz will not count against you. However, if you miss more than one quiz or assignment, each one missed beyond the one dropped grade will receive a zero (not an F, a -0-! makes a big difference when averaging).

ATTENDANCE POLICY
 

1.	Regular attendance is expected, and a portion of the class grade is based on class participation and in-class quizzes. No makeup quizzes will be given.
2.	Recorded absences in excess of 3 class sessions [i.e., 1.5 weeks of class] will automatically result in the final grade being lowered by one letter grade.
3.	On three days throughout the course diagnostic exams will be administered, either in MCP, Theory I or in the evening. Once you have passed all diagnostics, you will not be required to attend these sessions. Depending on the progress of the class on diagnostics, one or two additional class sessions may be devoted to review of fundamentals. Attendance at these sessions will be mandatory for all who have not yet passed the diagnostics, and optional for others. Depending on demand for diagnostic re-takes, later sessions may be scheduled outside class time. Those testing out of or who have previously taken Theory I are exempt from diagnostic exams and from the classes at which they are administered.

N.B. Any student who may have any unobservable disability, such as a learning disability, should report to Student Academic Services, located on the first floor of the Academic Building, for assistance. I will be pleased to work in conjunction with them to assist as possible. Appropriate documentation of any claimed disability is the student's responsibility. If you have questions regarding this issue, contact Student Academic Services, x2610.

End of Syllabus. Calendar and Reading Assignments will come via Synapse.

READINGS: LINKS & LISTS (subject to change, addition or deletion as needed)

Article Readings included here are for student use only, as a member of this class, and are shared under the copyright principles of fair use. Anyone with questions or comments regarding these listings should contact Ben R. King.

Collateral Readings, Articles, Web and Video-Audio Resources
Article Number	King Reserve Binder (s), Music Library Desk. All published articles are also available in the serials section of the WH Library, either current or bound. E-links, if avaiable, are noted.	Topic
1	Gordon, D. "The Dominator." Newsweek. June 18, 2001. (43-47) copy on reserve in music library	Perf.
2	Nafzger & Kropf. "Lift Every Voice & Sing." Crossroads. Summer 1998 (4-7)	Worship
3	Praeger, D. "A Civilization that Believes in Nothing." The Door. December 1990.	Culture
4	Myers, K. "Lord Byron to David Byrne: The Romantic Roots of Popular Culture." Genesis. V.2/6-8 (1-9)	Culture
5	Bowman, E. "The Relationship of Music & Popular Culture in Schooling." PNM. (118-123)	Culture
6	—. "Religious Music in the Schools." MENC. 1996.	Culture Education
7	Marsalis, W. "Who will put them in the Groove?" M&E. (7-9)	Education
8	Suzuki, P. "Children at Risk." M&E. (24-27)	Education
9	LeBlanc, D. "Crossover Dreams." Moody. Sep-Oct 1997 (24)	Worship
10	—. "You Heard What?" TM. April 1999 (30-31).	Health
11	Wexler, M. "Teaching Music Students to Make Music for Love, Not for a Living." Chronicle. 8/1/2000. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v46/i47/47b00601.htm (subscription)	Education
12	Schwartz. "Electronic Portfolio Assessment"	Education
13	Boers, A. "Learning the Ancient Rhythms of Prayer." CT. Jan 8, 2001 (38-45) include boxes.	Worship
14	Gorner, P. "Brain processes music…as language." Chicago Tribune. ND.	Science
15	—. Music & the pleasure zone. Washington Post. ND.	Science
16	Rideout, R. "Psychology and Music Education Since 1950." MEJ. Sep 2002 (33-37)	Science Education
17	Hotz, R.L. "Brain is tuned to Music…" Buffalo News, Sunday Dec 22, 2002	Science
18	—. "Researchers find Brain Center of Music Appreciation." CNN.com, Dec 13, 2002	Science
19	Allman, W. "The Musical Brain." US News. Jun 11, 1990 (56-62)	Science
20	Miller, S."Isn't Knowledge a Useful Thing?" STLtoday.com. Apr 20, 2003 (3pp)	Culture
21	Bobb, J. "Accepting God's Call to Excellence." Focus. Fall 1986 (20-23)	Worship Calling
22	Hamilton, M. "The Triumph of the Praise Songs." CT. Jul 12, 1999 (29-35)	Worship Culture
23	Noll, Mark. "We Are What We Sing." CT. Jul 12, 1999. (37-41)	Worship Culture
23a	Kennolly, C. "Songs of Ourselves." Boston Globe. Nov 9, 2003 (2pp)	Science
24	Dutton, D. "Art of the Piano." P&L. V.27, 2003 (285-94) review of Charles Rosen book. http://www.denisdutton.com/rosen.htm	Culture
Web, E-Format, or PDF Articles
W1	Best, H."You Shall not Worship Me this Way." CT. June 4, 2004. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/114/24.0.html	Worship
W2	Balmer, Randall. Hymns on MTV. CT, Nov 15, 1999 http://www.christianityonline.com/ct/9TD/9TD032.html	Worship
W3	Stephenson, T. Researchers Find Way to Improve Musical Performance.ICSTM. July 2003.	Science
W4	Calidonna, M. "Let's Give our Kids Bach…" Newsweek, 8 SEP 2004.	Culture
W5	Plato.  from The Republic.	Phil.
W6	Aristotle.  from Politics.	Phi.
W7	Neimark."Is Music Dead?"	Phil.
W8	American Psychological Society. Music Study & Intellect.www.sciencedaily.com	Science
W9	King. Creation/Creativity Paper.	Worship
W10	Lewis, C.S. "On Music." The Joyful Christian.
W11	HearingLoss/Page_1.GIF HearingLoss/Page_2.GIF  Source: Teaching Music, April 1999 (30)	Science
W12	Boston Globe: "Songs of Our Selves" http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/11/09/songs_of_ourselves/
W13	Charles Rosen on the Piano and Modern Music (http://www.denisdutton.com/rosen.htm)
W14	Barenboim. "Sound & Vision." The Guardian ( October 25, 2004)	Phil.
	Tonality-Atonality
	BBC.DigitalMusicFormats
	Transformation of American Religion
	The Younger Evangelicals
	Wendel. T. "Healing Memories." USA Weekend. Oct 26.28, 2001. (6-8) copy on reserve in music library, include text boxes by Emmett & Stout

Listening List, Fall 2007

REFERENCE MATERIALS
 

Randel, D. The New Harvard Dictionary of Music REF. ML100 .N485 1986

Sadie, S., ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians, 2nd ed. 20 vols. NY: Macmillan, 2002. REF. ML100 .N48 [copy in music library]

Listening materials are on reserve in the music library, immediately below this classroom. You are fully responsible for scheduling sufficient listening time to digest the musical selections on the list.

A REFERENCE LIST (subject to addition or deletion as needed)
 

Gardiner, H. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. NY: Basic Books, 1983. BF431 G244 1983

Randel, D. The New Harvard Dictionary of Music. REF. ML100 .N485 1986

Sadie, S., ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians, 2nd ed. 20 vols. NY: Macmillan, 2002. REF. ML100 .N48

Strunk, O. Source Readings in Music History. NY: Norton, 1950. ML160 S89

Additional articles, published and unpublished, may be assigned as appropriate.

Additional Resources for Studio Studies & Performance:

Ristad, Eloise. A Soprano on Her Head. Moab, Utah (1982). ISBN: 0-911226-21-4. Another way of thinking about many of the principles that Green addresses.

Emmons, Shirlee & Alma Thoma. Power Performance for Singers. NY:Oxford (2000). ISBN: 0-19-511224-5. Specifics of these principles, and others, for singers.