MUSIC

Continuing Education Course

Breyer State University
Instructor: Linda Kobler

SYLLABUS

COURSE OVERVIEW: Introduction to Music is a fascinating tour through the world of music. It begins with an orientation to the elements of music, including sound, harmony, rhythm, and form. Students learn the vocabulary of music and analyze examples from Western and Nonwestern repertoire. The primary historical periods of music--Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern/Contemporary--are surveyed with emphasis on identifying principal composers and styles of each period. Composers from Leonin to Lennon are presented, each within the context of their era, and including a study of the social, political, and economic factors which influenced their writing. The course features 28 web lectures which are embedded with over 160 audio and video examples. There is also a library of online quizzes used to prepare for exams. The course is taught by Linda Kobler, who served on the faculty of The Juilliard School in New York City for 7 years, and is a recording artist, writer, performer, and radio commentator. The instructor personally introduces concepts through videos, and also encourages dialogue through email and chat sessions.

TEXTBOOKS: There are three required items.

Book 1: Music: An Appreciation, Fourth Brief Edition, (also called "Student Shorter Edition") Roger Kamien, McGraw Hill.

Book 2: The set of 4 AUDIO CDs to accompany the book. ISBN 0-07-242640-3 (These are distinct from the CD-ROM which comes bundled inside the book, and which we will NOT be using.)

Book 3: The "Study Guide and Student Workbook" to accompany "Music: An Appreciation." ISBN 0-07-245765-1

You can purchase your textbooks at a local bookstore or on one of these websites.

Amazon.com
www.amazon.com

Barnes & Noble
www.bn.com

Borders Books
www.borders.com

Compassion Books
www.compassionbooks.com

COURSE GOALS/OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES: You begin by learning about the elements of music (sound, harmony, melody, rhythm, form, etc.) and build a comprehensive vocabulary with which to understand and evaluate musical expression. You will be able to identify which composers and also the period a composer belongs to (Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern/Contemporary, based upon the historical and stylistic characteristics they have been taught to recognize.

EXAMS: You will have seven online examinations.

GRADING: Grades are based upon the outcome of the seven exams, which are worth 15 points each. The grade scale is as follows:

90%-100% = A
80%-89%   = B
70%-79%   = C
60%-69%   = D
59%-0%     = Fail

SCHEDULE: You are required to complete all of the assigned Study Guide exercises and 'Test Yourself' Online Quizzes before taking each of the exams. These exercises and quizzes are self-correcting and may be done on a timetable set by the student, as long as they are completed before the appropriate exam. Exams are scheduled at the convenience of the student. However, there are two deadlines: one deadline, approximately halfway through the course, for completion of at least 3 tests; and the final deadline for completion of all 7 tests. This schedule can be found in the assignment section of your classroom.

To Apply, or if you have questions, follow the links below:

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