• This course is designed to expose the general education student to the principal forms of traditional Western art music as well as multicultural music genres through the study of music history and literature.
• This is a 3 credit course which fulfills the fine arts general education requirement.
• It is a prerequisite for all music majors before taking MUSC 3500 (Music History I) and MUSC 3510 (Music History II).

Course Materials: There is no assigned text for this class. Most of the information will come to you through the powerpoints and videos that are posted in Canvas. I will introduce the music for each unit and give a brief history and description in my welcome video. There are also a series of powerpoints that you can study with. The powerpoints were designed when a textbook was used in this class. You can disregard any statements asking you to refer to the text. This has been replaced with the videos and playlists.

Course Objectives

• This course will acquaint the student with basic musical elements and help develop listening skills to a more advanced level
• This course will increase understanding, awareness and appreciation of the relationship between music and historical and sociological trends and occurrences.
• “Serious” or “classical” music will be contrasted to “popular” music to show these relationships.
• This topic will be approached through readings, recorded lectures, LearnSmart assignments, listening assignments, written critiques of live or recorded concerts and Instructor guided discussions among classmates.

Student Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes for this course are aligned with the university Essential Learning Outcomes: Communication, Creative Thinking, and Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World.

Communication: Students develop and express ideas and will be able to do so in a variety of ways, namely in writing, by speaking, visually, kinesthetically, through design or aurally.

Student Learning Outcome: Students will:

• be able to develop and express ideas through listening journals, discussion posts, responding to other discussion posts on assigned topics throughout the semester as well as creating and writing the group composer project.

Creative Thinking: Students combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways, as well as think, react, and work in an imaginative way.

Student Learning Outcome: Students will:

• be able to identify music by synthesizing historical, instrumental, cultural, and social knowledge and understanding.

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World: Students demonstrate knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world through study in the fine arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, life and physical sciences.

Student Learning Outcome: Students will:

• demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of musical elements, including instruments, notation, terminology and historical, cultural, and social influences from the Western world as well as other diverse cultures.

Learning outcomes will be assessed using the following methods:

Additionally the learning outcomes for the course align with the following College of Performing and Visual Arts learning outcomes:

• Communicate effectively
• Develop curiosity
• Critical and creative thinking skills
• Process the history, principles, training, skills and knowledge associated with performing and visual arts to facilitate success in their chosen field.

As this is an introductory course in the study of music, mastery of these outcomes is NOT necessary, but progress toward the outcomes is expected. Given the following table, a 2 is an acceptable level of achievement for this course:

Exams: In Canvas there are 11 total exams listed plus a final exam. However, these exams are actually 5 PAIRED exams plus Musical Elements exam. In Canvas and on the Calendar Tool in Canvas I have provided the due dates to complete the exams. Each exam has two separate parts----a multiple choice exam and a listening exam (except for Exam 1). For example: Exam 2-Middle Ages is paired with Exam –Middle Ages Listening. You should take both of these exams AT THE SAME TIME. You are allowed 70 minutes for EACH one of the two exams (140 minutes total for both exams together). Due Dates: All Exams are due by 11:59 pm on the due date listed.

Listening Response Playlists: Please listen to your playlists and choose five pieces that you can respond to using the knowledge you gained from Musical Elements unit. Respond to EACH piece with a well-formed paragraph. This assignment should be about one page in length.

Group Composer Project: Students will sign up on a Google Docs form in Canvas for a group presentation on an assigned composer in groups of 4 (section 30i). Groups will ‘meet’ or discuss the topic via the Discussion Board or email and post the presentation in Assignments. This is an ESSENTIAL component of the project. If you do not collaborate with your group in a timely manner, this will be reflected in your grade. Please make sure each group member is given the proper credit for the slides they create and the narration they include on those slides. You may complete this project on your own if collaborating with a group would be difficult for you. Please email me for permission and DO NOT sign up on the group project page. Please submit your project with a shareable link so that we can share the link for peer reviews.

Peer Reviews: After all projects have been submitted, four projects will be assigned to you to review. The links to the projects for you to review will appear on the Peer Review assignment AFTER the project has been submitted. You will have 3-5 days to complete the peer reviews. To review the project, please fill out the rubric and also leave feedback in the comments section.

The project is 50 points and is considered an important part of your course grade. Please allow adequate time to research, gather information, collaborate with your group, create engaging presentations, record interesting and helpful narration and coordinate your efforts as a group. I would expect you to spend 5+ hours on this project.

Final Task: The Final Task will be a summary of your musical journey. It is due on December 17, 2026. You can choose any mode of presentation to present a summary of your musical journey throughout the semester. Answer these questions: How has your musical identity changed or has it? Have you found music that you weren’t familiar with prior to this course that you find that you enjoy? Give specific examples from the playlists that demonstrate what you’ve learned and gained from this course. Be detailed in your descriptions. If there were pieces that were to your liking, why or why not? You may present this project as:

• 3-5 page formal paper with APA citation of references
• Powerpoint or other presentation platform (7-9 slides) - Post assignment with a link
• Video format - at least 5:00 minutes to 10 minutes long (Post assignment with a link)
• Compose a piece of music in one of the style periods you have learned about
• Learn a selection of music (new piece) from one of the style periods and video yourself performing it (Post assignment with a link)

Exam 1 Musical Elements/Musical Elements Listening — Due September 18, 2026

Part 1- Chapters 1-10

Elements Music

• Stravinsky, The Firebird, Scene 2 (1910)
• Ellington, C-Jam Blues (1942)
• Britten, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 (1946)
• Arlen, Over the Rainbow (1938)
• Chopin, Prelude in E minor for Piano, Op. 28, No. 4 (1839)
• Bizet, Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2 (1879)
• Tchaikovsky, Dance of the Reed Pipes from Nutcracker Suite (1892)
• Bach, Bouree from Suite in E minor for Lute (1710)

Exam 2 Middle Ages/Middle Ages Listening — Due October 2, 2026

Part II—Middle Ages and Renaissance — Chapters 1-2

• Alleluia: Vidimus stellam (We Have Seen His Star)
• Bingen, O successors (You successors)
• Estampie (13th century)
• Machaut, Puis qu/en oubli sui de vous (1363)a
• Machaut, Agnus Dei from Notre Dame Mass (14th century)
• Desprez, Ave Maria…virgo serena (1475)
• Palestrina, Kyrie from Pope Marcellus Mass (1562-1563)
• Weelkes, As Vesta Was Descending (1601)
• Dowland, Flow My Tears (1600)
• Praetorius, Terpsichore (1612)

Exam 3 Baroque Period/Baroque Period Listening — Due October 16, 2026

Part III The Baroque Period — Chapters 1-15

• Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, first movement (1721)
• Bach, Organ Fugue in G minor (Little Fugue 1709)
• Monteverdi, Act II: Recitative: Tu se’ morta from Orfeo (1607)
• Purcell, Act III: Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas (1689)
• Corelli, Trio Sonata in A minor, Op. 3, No. 10 (1689)
• Vivaldi, La Primavera, Op. 8 No. 1 from The Four Seasons (1725)
• Bach, Suite No. 3 in D Major (1729-1731)
• Bach, Cantata No. 140 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (1731)
• Handel, Selections from Messiah , Every Valley, For Unto Us a Child is Born, Hallelujah (1741)

Exam 4 Classical Period/Classical Period Listening — Due November 6, 2026

Part IV The Classical Period — Chapters 1-12

• Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550, all movement(1788)
• Haydn, Symphony No. 94 in G Major, second movement (Surprise, 1791)
• Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, third movement (1787)
• Beethoven, String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4, 4th movement (1787)
• Haydn, Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major, third movement (1796)
• Mozart, Don Giovanni, Act I: Introduction and Duet La ci darem la mano, (1787)
• Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488, first movement (1786)
• Beethoven, Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 13, first movement, (Pathetique 1798)
• Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, all movements (1808)

Exam 5 Romantic Period/Romantic Period Listening — Due November 20, 2026

Part V-The Romantic Period — Chapters 1-17

• Schubert, Erlkonig (The Erlking; 1815)
• Schumann, Carnaval, Estrella and Reconnaissance (1834-1835)
• Chopin, Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2 (1830-1831)
• Chopin, Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 12 (Revolutionary 1831)
• Chopin, Polonaise in A Flat Major, Op.. 53 (1842)
• Liszt, Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F minor (1851)
• Mendelssohn, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 64 all movements (1844)
• Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, fourth and fifth movements, (1830)
• Smetana, The Moldau (1874)
• Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 in E minor, first movement (From the New World; 1893)
• Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet, Overture-Fantasy (1869)
• Brahms, Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90, third movement
• Verdi, Rigoletto, Act III: La donna e mobile (1851)
• Puccini, La Boheme, Act I: Scene between Rodolfo and Mimi, (1896)
• Wagner, Die Walkure, Act I, love scene (conclusion) (1856)

Exam 6 Twentieth Century/Twentieth Century Listening — Due December 11, 2026

Part VI- The Twentieth Century and Beyond — Chapters 1-23

• Debussy, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (1894)
• Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring, Part II Sacrificial Dance (1913)
• Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21, Mondestrunken (1912)
• Schoenberg, A Survivor from Warsaw, Op. 46 (1947)
• Berg, Wozzeck, Act III, Scenes 4 and 5, (1917-1922)
• Webern, Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10, third piece, (19111913)
• Bartok, Concerto for Orchestra, second movement: Game of Pairs (1943)
• Beach, The Year’s at the Spring (1900)
• Ives, Three Places in New England, Putnam’s Camp, Redding, Connecticut (1912)
• Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue (1924)
• Still, Afro-American Symphony, third movement (1931)
• Copland, Appalachian Spring, Section 7: Theme and Variations on Simple Gifts (1943-1944)
• Ginastera, Estancia Suite, Op. 8a, Final Dance: Malambo (1941)
• Varese, Poeme electronique (1958)
• Zwilich, Concerto Grosso, first movement, (1985)
• Adams, Short ride in a Fast Machine (1986)
• Whitacre, Lux Aurumque, (2000)
• Smith, Lost Your Head Blues (1926)
• Armstrong, Hotter that That (1927)
• Parker, KoKo (1945)
• Davis, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (1969)
• Bernstein, West Side Story, America and Tonight (1957)
• Hitchcock (Bernard Herman, composer) Vertigo, Tower Scene (1958)
• Beetles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Exams will remain open until Monday, Dec. 14, 2026. They will be considered LATE after the DUE DATE listed and you will receive a 5 point reduction on your final score.

THIS ASSIGNMENT MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED LATE! (Group Composer Project)

The Final Task will be a summary of your musical journey. It is due on December 17, 2026 (no late submissions accepted).

Other Information and Rules:

1. No exams or resubmissions will be accepted after the December 14, 2026 deadline (other than the Final Task, which is due December 17, 2026)
2. Occasionally, I may allow a resubmission on a written assignment if I deem it appropriate. This is extremely RARE. However, if I do allow a resubmission, you will need to resubmit the assignment within 5 days, or it will not be accepted.

Instructor Communication

You should receive a response from me within 1 business (school) day and grades and feedback should be received within a week of the due date.

Communication with students

Every other Monday, the Instructor will post a video about the week's assignments and preparation the student should expect for the week as well as provide an overview of the week’s topic. The Instructor will also provide feedback from previous assignments and address questions that have been submitted by students throughout the week. The Instructor will also hold three ZOOM conference meetings with students throughout the semester. The first one will be held the first week of class. The second one will be held prior to the Group Composer Project submission date and the third one will be held the last week that class is held. Students are welcome to ask questions during the conference and receive feedback from the instructor.