COURSE SYLLABUS

MUSI 1306 – Music Appreciation

Dr. Thomas Singletary

tsingletary@nctc.edu

ONLINE OFFICE HOURS:

Mondays & Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Or, anytime BY APPOINTMENT: e-mail tsingletary@nctc.edu to arrange a meeting.

Online help sessions will be scheduled throughout the semester—see the announcements in Canvas for specifics.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

(From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog)

GRADING CRITERIA

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Because the online content in this class is taught asynchronously, the attendance policy refers more to the due dates for assignments rather than for actual attendance at class meetings.  Due dates are not flexible, so please check the calendar each day to make sure the required assignments are completed. Many assignments may be completed ahead of time.

Regular “attendance” is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered; “attendance,” in this course, is considered the regular submission of assignments. On rare circumstances, a student may become ill or have another emergency and be unable to complete an assignment on time; these instances are considered to be unauthorized unless the student can provide documentation for the emergency (i.e. doctor’s note) for approval and judgement by the faculty member.

Valid reasons for “absence,” however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student who is compelled to be unavailable when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam. Students will be dropped from this class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has missed multiple assignments that may preclude meeting the course’s objectives. Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College.

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 5, 2021.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

If you feel you have needs for services that the institution provides, please reach out to either Wayne Smith (940) 498-6207 or Yvonne Sandman (940) 668-4321.  Alternative students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct.” 

Copying answers from online search engines is academic dishonesty. Don’t do it.

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

1. Grade of ZERO
2. Dropped from Class

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

WHAT IS MUSI 1306 ALL ABOUT?

It’s about learning to listen and enjoy music in ways that are new, different, and exciting! Like any other learning environment, an online course presents some opportunities and some challenges. I highly recommend that you regularly “attend” the course by using the course calendar, logging in to Canvas and completing assignments on Mondays and Wednesdays—STAYING AHEAD WHEN POSSIBLE. I think we all know the feeling of falling behind, and deadlines in an online course are rather unforgiving.

Tips for success in this course:

• READ the assigned text (e-book recommended) and take notes using the class notes I’ll provide as a structure. There will be timed, open notes quizzes over this material, and the quizzes will be easy if you’ve completed the class notes (they will be more difficult if you come unprepared, because the quizzes are timed).
• WATCH the assigned lectures…there are quizzes embedded within those videos, so pay attention!
• COMPLETE each project by carefully reading the instructions. Each project is a bit different, so feel free to ask me any questions throughout the semester.
• Above all, LISTEN to the music in the “required listening” lists as they appear in the course. You’ll be learning lots of new music, and you’ll be asked to identify titles and composers when you hear each piece. It’s a lot of fun if you spend some time listening and “memorizing” as you go.
• CHECK IN to the course on Canvas nearly every day to see announcements, messages from me, grades/feedback, and new assignments.

The structure of this course is as follows:

First, we learn about how music works by studying its elements. Next, you’ll have a chance to listen to some modern popular music of your own choosing, applying your new knowledge of the elements of music. It’s at that point that we begin studying music in a historical context, always listening for how the musical elements have changed through time.

Some of the material in the class is very structured and some of the material is chosen by you—I like to give students some opportunity for input in this way. I hope you will rise to the challenge and enjoy gaining some perspective and a new appreciation for music!