Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Woodwind Methods (Face-to-Face)

MUSC 3720-01

Course: MUSC 3720-01
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: MUSC
CRN: 32595

Course Description

This course is designed to prepare music education students in the pedagogy and methods of teaching woodwind instruments. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Music Education majors only

Required Texts

Required Materials

1) Byo, James L (2016). The Woodwinds: Perform, Understand, Teach
Routledge
 
2) At least one clarinet reed OR one saxophone reed (Vandoren traditional reed strength 2 or 2.5)
 
3) At least one oboe reed OR one bassoon reed (Jones medium soft, red coloring)


Learning Outcomes

Develop successful executive skills on the assigned woodwind instruments.
Organize, synthesize, and apply knowledge and skills related to music and human learning, particularly as it relates to woodwind instruments.
Self-critique their own teaching and critique their peers as a means to become better prepared to be music teachers.
Develop successful personal teaching skills by applying fundamental principles of effective instruction in guided experience with peers.
Observe a minimum of six (6) hours of a public-school teacher teaching band.

Course Requirements

Demonstration/Playing tests
        Students will perform tasks/melodies for a grade for each of the three instruments studied. Demonstration/Playing tests must be performed at the specific day and time assigned unless the student arranges with the instructor before the test.
 
Quizzes on each of the 5 woodwind instruments. 
These are short in-class quizzes on general knowledge of the five woodwind instruments. Information asked on these quizzes come from class discussions and the text book.
 
Teaching demonstrations
        Students will have opportunities to teach to their peers. Teaching demo #1 consists of teaching a song to the class by rote. Each student will choose a short, unison melody appropriate for the class (consider key, tempo, length, and difficulty) and teach it to the class by rote using the secondary instrument assigned to you. Write a lesson plan that includes materials, objectives, procedures, and assessment and provide one copy to the instructor on the day you teach. Your teaching will be recorded and students will do a self-reflection on their teaching. 
 
 Teaching demonstration 2:
        Compose an original tune or arrange an existing tune and add at least one harmony line for the class. Keep in mind appropriate ranges, keys, and difficulty level for each of the woodwind instruments. Include a detailed lesson plan that includes objectives, materials, procedures, and assessment and provide one copy to the instructor on the day you teach. Your teaching will be recorded and students will do a self-reflection on their teaching.
 
Observation Hours
        Students must complete six (6) observation hours outside of class time. Students are NOT allowed to contact teachers on their own to set these up. Students must follow SUU-procedure, including fingerprinting and a background check. The Iron County School District will determine which teachers/classes can have SUU students visit and when. Caitlin Ravenelli (caitlinravanelli@suu.edu) is in charge of keeping track of visitations and helping students obtain appropriate credentials. Visit the Sonia Portal for guidance on finger printing. 
After each visitation, please submit on Canvas a short report for each observation discussing teaching techniques used both to the ensemble in general and specifically to woodwind instruments. The Education Department will be notified of observations. Students must complete all six observation hours and submit a report to count toward final grade.

Instrument return and care
        Please be careful with these instruments! Do not leave them in cars and do not leave them unattended in open areas or practice rooms. Please lock them in lockers or securely in your dorm/home. Students are responsible for repair costs for damage to university instruments. Failure to return university-owned property as they relate to this course will result in an Incomplete until the property is returned.

Grading
 
5 quizzes                                                                                      40%
3 playing exams                                                                            25%
Two teaching demonstrations                                                        15%
Instrument demo 4 and 5 (putting instrument together correctly)    10%
Observation Hours and Reports                                                    10%


Course Outline

Class schedule/calendar (may change)

Aug 28 Syllabus, introduction, instruments
Sep 2 Rotation #1, Bring instruments, Flute introduction | Sep 4 First sounds
Sep 9Small chunks and assemble instruments | Sep 11 Three note songs
Sep 16 Flute Quiz, Clarinet intro | Sep 18 Playing
Sep 23 Playing | Sep 25 Playing exam #1
Sep 30 Rotation #2 | Oct 2 Clarinet quizOboe intro
Oct 7 Playing | Oct 9 Playing
Oct 14 Fall break - no classes | Oct 16 Playing
Oct 21Playing | Oct 23 Oboe quiz, Bassoon intro
Oct 28 Teaching Demo 1 | Oct 30 Teaching Demo 1
Nov 4 Playing Exam 2 | Nov 6 Rotation #3
Nov 11 Bassoon quiz, Saxophone intro | Nov 13 Playing
Nov 18 Playing | Nov 20 Playing
Nov 25 Thanksgiving break - no classes | Nov 27 Thanksgiving break - no classes
Dec 2 Teaching Demo #2 | Dec 4 Teaching Demo #2
Dec 9 Final Exam: 9am-10:50am, Saxophone quiz, Playing Exam 3

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Assignments are due on due dates. An opportunity to make up work may be granted with effective communication to the instructor prior to the absence.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend every class. Please be communicative with me in advance regarding absences. Absences will negatively affect grades due to missing content and missing valuable playing time. Students with excellent attendance and good efforts in the class are far more likely to succeed in this class.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.