Music 114

Welcome to Music 114, Music Appreciation. The purpose of this introduction is to acquaint you with the academic and technological aspects of the course. The technical aspects are not difficult, but do require some attention. That's one reason there is a MANDATORY ORIENTATION so that we can discuss it together. In addition, once you have begun the course it will be important to keep up with the classes. Once due dates have passed, you will no longer be able to access some parts of the course, so it will be important not to fall behind.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions. My email address is blangford@citruscollege.edu  and my phone number is 626.914.8585. I look forward to hearing from you. 

IMPORTANT DATES
First class posted online: Monday, September 7, 2009
MidTerm Exam: Thursday, October 22, 2009
Final Exam: Thursday, December 10, 2009

GETTING STARTED
To get started with the course:

• You will need to purchase a CD-ROM that has NOT been previously used by another student. CD Serial Numbers are tied to student records, and, therefore, each one must be unique. If you try to register a used CD-ROM Serial Number, you won't be able to enroll in the class.
• To successfully access this course, please purchase a clean, new, unused copy of the course CD-ROM at the Citrus Bookstore, or from [link opens in new window] amazon.com. To find your course package on amazon.com, do a Search for the title OnMusic.

COURSE DECRIPTION AND GOALS
Music is art as well as science. To be able to comprehend it to the fullest we must, therefore, be able to appreciate both its emotional and intellectual content.

The aim of this course is very simple: To provide you with the tools for a basic understanding of music. It will not make you a musician or teach you how to write music. It will, however, give you the necessary background to understand what is going on technically when you are listening to music so that your experience is not limited to a wash of sound that produces a certain feeling.

The course will concentrate on:
a) The development of an attentive style of listening,
b) The introduction and systematic study of the building blocks of music, and
c) Enhancing awareness of the main musical styles of selected western and non-western cultures.

OMA, OnLine Music Appreciation (c) 1998 Copyright is the property of i-cubed, LLC. All other rights reserved.

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
There are a number of things you will need in order to take the MUSIC 114 Online Music Appreciation course. Look over the following list to make sure that you have everything you need.

Hardware Requirements (minimum)

• PC
  Windows 95/98 or NT
  120Mhz or faster Pentium processor (or equivalent)
  8X CD-ROM Drive or faster
  32MB of RAM or more
  28.8 kbps modem or faster
  Sound card and speakers
  Stereo Headphones

• Macintosh
  MacOS 7.x or above
  PowerMac
  8X CD-ROM Drive or faster
  32MB of RAM or more
  28.8 kbps modem or faster
  Stereo Headphones

Software Requirements
You will need QuickTime 4.1.2, Real Player 7 Basic, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE 5) Web browser. You will need the most recent browser that supports functionality such as Java, JavaScript, and frames. Your browser should also allow you to turn "cookies" on. Netscape Navigator 4.7 or Internet Explorer 5.0 or greater are recommended.

E-mail Accounts
Next, you will need an e-mail account. Your email address is established when you sign up with an Internet Service Provider. You must have an email address prior to starting the class.

Note: You will need your own email account to participate in the course. You will not be able to use accounts belonging to other students because of the confusion this causes.

Computer Access on Campus: General Access Lab Information on the Web
Headsets won't be available at the Lab. You need to bring your own headsets in order to listen to the course music examples without disturbing other lab users.

COURSE FORMAT
There will be no lectures in this course. Actually, we will be at the opposite pole of the lecture paradigm. In this course, you are expected to communicate constantly with your classmates via electronic mail and Discussion Forums, and to cooperatively learn concepts, solve problems, and complete projects. This will be a major component of the learning experience.

This is a fully paperless class. All course materials, including the musical examples on CD-ROM, will be accessed electronically. Electronic mail (e-mail) and Discussion Forums will be the main source of information and interaction among us.

EVALUATION AND GRADING

Evaluation
Quizzes (25): 25%
Assignments (6): 12.5%
Mid-Term exam: 25%
Final exam: 25%
Concert Attendance Report: 12.5%

Grading
A fixed grade scale is used, so that it is possible for everyone to do well.
A.............. 93-100%
A-............ 90-92.99%
B+............ 88-89.99%
B.............. 83-87.99%
B-............. 80-82.99%
C+............ 78-79.99%
C.............. 73-77.99%
C-............ 70-72.99%
D+........... 68-69.99%
D.............. 63-67.99%
D-............. 60-62.99%
F............... below 60

If you have a disability documented by a physician or other appropriate professional and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact the DSP&S office at (626) 914-8675. Please discuss your accommodations with me by email and be sure to allow at least one week to arrange appropriate accommodations.