Introduction To Music Bard High School Early College 2010/2011 Instructor: Mr. Matthew Barnson E-mail: mbarnson@bhsec.bard.edu Course Description & Objectives This class introduces students to the history, theory, and genres of Western classical music, and touches upon American blues and jazz, and modern popular idioms including such as hip hop and electronica. Each class is guided by several questions to explore as well a set of concepts and/or terms to understand along the way. The course aims to teach the basic musical concepts that inform music. This includes ear training, basic rhythmic and melodic competency, listening skills, and an understanding of the socio-cultural contexts in which musical practices live. In addition to gaining specific musical skills and experience, students are encouraged to become aware of how musical ideas, aesthetics and practices can have general relevance across art disciplines, and across other academic disciplines. Through the critical study of music, we are exploring ways of thinking that can sharpen students' capacity to engage with and make coherent statements about the world. There is no required textbook for this class. However, students are expected to take notes, participate in class discussion, ask questions, and attend closely to the audio and video examples explored in class. Most of these examples (and Mr. Barnson s presentations) will be posted on our class blog http://bhsecmusic.wordpress.com/. Course Components Music Blog - Due weekly at class time. Each student will create and keep a music blog for a portion of the course. This blog consists of a weekly writing post on the music you have been listening to and to questions asked by the instructor. You can write about new sounds you have discovered, a concert you attended, or what you like about a particular music. Alternately, you can reflect on what we have learned in class so far and how this intersects with your understanding of music. Think of these as a kind of annotated bibliography for the sounds you have been listening to. Finally, you can answer the question that Mr. Barnson posts on the blog. Each blog post should be substantial (200-300 words) and make specific points. Re-posts, hyperlinking, posting YouTube videos is highly encouraged. However, there should be a substantial written component to each post.
Each Monday we will read 2-3 blog entries as a class. One student may volunteer to have their entry read, while another student will be chosen at random. Please create a blog specifically for this class at wordpress.com. This software is user-friendly, it has a variety of privacy settings and it is free. If you decide to use maximum privacy settings, you must add Mr. Barnson s wordpress username: BARDBARNSON or your work will not be graded or counted. Please check the link on at least two different computers. Students whose blogs do not correctly link when grades will be penalized as late and, during finals week, will receive no credit. Music Performance Review - Due May 6 at class time. Each student will write a review of a music performance of their choice. This consists of a 500-750 word analytical description of a performance that involves music. This review should be posted on your blog and clearly labeled as your review. Students are advised not to put this off until the last minute. It should go without saying that there are numerous concerts every night and day of the year in New York City. Many of these concerts are free. If all else fails, try Juilliard. (juilliard.edu) Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic offer students tickets for $10 - $12.50 a great deal to hear world class performances for less than the price of a movie. The Metropolitan Opera offers students the best seats in the house for $20 on week nights. Most organizations allow two tickets to be purchased. Exams Three or four exams will be given throughout the quarter. April 12 May 10 June 3 Class Etiquette Come to class on time. Excessive tardiness will result in a lower grade for the class. On time means in your seat, ready to learn. On time does NOT mean to check-in. If you re not in the room and in your seat, you re late. Listen when someone else is talking. Raise your hand when you wish to speak. Engage respectfully with all members of the class. Use the restroom, get a drink, etc. before or after class. Do not ask to be the exception to this rule. You may eat in class as long as you bring enough to share. It is only polite. However, food that is loud or odorous is distracting and unwelcome. Students that are disrespectful or consistently distract from the learning of others will receive drastically lower participation grades.
Grading Participation 15% Music Blog 20% Music Performance Review 5% Exams (3-4) 60% (15%-20% each) Syllabus Fundamentals Class 1: Music, Sound and Time/Introductions Survey questionnaire: Write me a letter about your interests, past and present musical experience, as well as your hopes (and worries) regarding this class. Examples: free write to 4 musical examples to generate lexicon of concepts Questions: How do you define music? What is sound made of? Concepts: noise versus music, frequency, amplitude, duration, Class 2: Rhythm and Pitch Questions: How does music move through time? Concepts: time, meter and time signatures (2/4, 3/4, 4/4), measure, pulse, beat, free rhythm, odd meter, syncopation, groove and funky music, playing a polyrhythm Class 3: Musical Notation Questions: How do we represent music? Concepts: neumes and the history of notation, the staff, bass (F) and treble (G) clefs, notes and rests, ties and dotted notes, Examples: reading and writing simple notation Class 4: The Structure of Music I: Melody & Harmony Questions: What makes a good melody? Concepts: whistling and breathing, tonic, octave, the money leap, Beethoven s Ode To Joy Class 5: The Structure of Music II: Texture, Tonality & Modality Questions: What is most important in establishing the mood of a piece? Concepts: Texture, tonality, modality. Class 6: Musical Instruments Concepts: The Sachs-Hornbostel System, electrophones, corpophones Questions: How can we classify the world s instruments?
Class 7: Music Form and Musical Style Concepts: Form in Music, Musical Style Questions: What words can I use to refer to a musical composition? A Brief Survey of Western Classical Music (and some Popular Music) Class 8: Early Music: The Middle Ages Concepts: Music and the church, music written down, plainsong, organum, polyphony Examples: Anonymous, Gregorian Chant; Hildegard von Bingen, Columbia aspexit; Perotin, Manchaut, works. Questions: What connections can you make between the music style of plainchant and the monastic life-style? Class 9: Early Music: The Renaissance Concepts: Music as expression, clarity vs. virtuosity, sacred music II Examples: Dufay, Ave maris stella; Josquin, Pangua Lingua Mass; Palestrina, Pope Marcellus Mass; Weelkes, Madrigals. Class 10: Early Music: The Early Baroque Period Concepts: The Birth of Opera, The rise of instrumental music Examples: Gabrieli, O Magnum Mysterium; Monteverdi, Orfeo; Purcell, Dido & Aeneas; Corelli, Concerti grossi Questions: What do you think of when you think of opera? The 18th Century Class 11: The 18th Century: Prelude: The Late Baroque Period Concepts: Absolutism, Science, Style of the Baroque Examples: Various excerpts of works by Bach, Handel, Scarlatti Questions: What characteristics do Baroque Arts and music share? Class 12: The 18th Century: Baroque Instrumental Music Concepts: Concertos & Fugues, Examples: Vivaldi, Concerto in G major, Op.4, No.12; Bach, Fugue in C-sharp Major, Brandenburg Concerto No.5 Class 13: The 18th Century: Baroque Vocal Music Concepts: Opera seria, Oratorio, Church cantatas, chorals Examples: Bach, Christ lag im Todesbanden; Handel, Julius Caeser, Messiah. Question: How does music express emotions? Class 14: The 18th Century: Music and the Enlightenment Concepts: The Enlightenment, Style features of Classical Music, Form in Classical music Example: Excepts from Amadeus Questions: What was the purpose of music in the late 18th century? Class 15: The 18th Century: The Symphony Concepts: Symphonic forms, Sonata-Allegro form
Examples: Haydn, Symphony No.88 Class 16: The 18th Century: Other Classical Genres/Mozart Concepts: Sonatas, Concertos, Opera buffa Examples: Mozart, Piano Sonata in B-flat, K. 570; Piano Concerto No.17, K.453; Excepts from Amadeus Class 17: Beethoven Concepts: Classicism vs. Romanticism, subjectivity; Music history; Genius Examples: Beethoven, Symphony No.5 Questions: What is a genius? What is self-expression in music? Class 18: The 19th Century: Music after Beethoven: Romanticism How are they different in the Romantic era? Concepts: Romanticism, Program music, Form in Romantic Music Examples: Schubert, Erlkönig; Schumann, Dichterliebe; Chopin, Nocturnes Questions: Do themes of self-expression and expression of emotions show up before the Romantic era? Class 19: The 19th Century: The Early Romantics Concepts: Program Music Examples: Schumann, Selected character pieces for piano; Berlioz, Symphony fantastique. Reading: Excerpts from Hector Berlioz s memoir Questions: Can music really tell a story? Class 20: The 19th Century: Romantic Opera Concepts: Romantic opera in Italy and Germany, motifs. Examples: Verdi, Aida; Wagner, Tristan und Isolde Class 21: The 19th Century: The Late Romantics Concepts: Nationalism, Responses to Romanticism, Tchaikovsky, Smetana, Brahms, Mahler Examples: Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet; Smetana, Bartered Bride; Brahms, Violin Concerto; Mahler, Symphony No. 1 The 20th Century and Beyond Class 22: The Twentieth Century: Prelude Music and Modernism Concepts: Literature and Art before and after World War I, Industrialism and Progress Examples: Debussy, Clouds; Schoenberg, Piano Pieces, Op.11 Reading: excerpts by Arnold Schoenberg Class 23: The Twentieth Century: The Early Twentieth Century Concepts: Expressionism, the importance of rhythm, Schoenberg, Stravinsky Examples: Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring; Schoenberg, Five Pieces for Orchestra Questions: Can you imagine anything that would cause a riot in a modern classical concert? What is so difficult about Schoenberg s music?
Class 24: The Twentieth Century: Alternatives to Modernism Concepts: Neo-Classicism, Nationalism II Examples: Bartók, Romanian Dances; Copland, Appalachian Spring, Rodeo Questions: Does Copland s music sound American? How? Class 25: Late 20th Century Classical Music Questions: How do you listen when there is no melody? Concepts: The Avant-Garde, Minimalism, Examples: Ligeti, Gubaidulina, Crumb, Glass, Reich Class 26: Late 20th Century Popular Music Questions: Why popular music now? How did popular music develop? Concepts: Jazz, Blues, Early Rock, Country Examples: Various TBD Class 27: 21st Century Popular Music Questions: How is popular music today? Concepts: Electronic dance music, the Diva, music and politics Examples: Lady Gaga, electronic dance music, modern country Class 28: 21st Century Classical Music Questions: Why does classical music often sound so complex? Concepts: Popular music and classical music collide, postmodernism Examples: Various, TBD