Fine Arts 101. Cultures of the World through Music and Dance
Summer II 2008
Instructor: John Rack, Ph.D.
Office: CA1053
Phone: 962-3729 Email: rackj@uncw.edu
Office Hrs: TBA
Course Webpage: www.uncw.edu/music/rackj/courses.html
Catalogue Course Description:
Examines a variety of
musical styles and dance forms from around the world, with attention to
cultural issues and practices. Includes
participation in dance and musical experiences.
Required Materials:
Course packet – available at
the campus bookstore and Seahawk Books
Competencies:
Upon successful completion
of this course the student should be able to:
1. Identify the distinguishing characteristics of each
music and dance style studied.
2. Identify factors believed to have influenced the
development of each music and dance style, including rudimentary geographical
and sociological aspects such as religion, ritual and recreational practices.
3. Identify the musical instruments and their uses from
the various regions studied.
4. Compare and contrast the music and dance styles of
the various cultures studied.
Course Outline: (subject to change!)
June
24 Course Introduction & Elements of Music
June
25 Elements continued
June
26 Music & Dance of
June
30 Research question on
July
1 Quiz on
July
2 Test #1; End-of-chapter question on
July
3
July
7 Research question on North India due;
July
8 Quiz on North India;
July
9 End-of-chapter question on
July
10 Research question on
July
14 Test #2; End-of-chapter question on
July
15
July
16 Oral Progress Reports on Presentations; Research question on Bali due;
July
17 Quiz on Bali;
July
21 catch-up/review
July
22 Test #3; End-of-chapter question on
July
23 Group Presentations
July
24 ?
July
25 Test #4 (open notes); Peer evaluations for presentation groups
Evaluation:
Participation
1/3
Tests
1/3
Oral
Group Presentation 1/3
GRADING:
Norm-referenced grading
procedures will be applied to tests and presentations.
Participation:
You are expected to attend
class. This is essential to learning the
material and experiencing the music and dance covered. Your attendance is necessary not only for
your own acquisition of knowledge and skills, but also for the success of class
activities, discussions and group presentations. Having said this, roll will not be
taken.
Your participation grade
will include:
Quizzes are
intended to help you prepare for tests.
Quizzes will be announced only one class in advance. Norm-referenced grading will be used for
quizzes. Your lowest quiz grade will be
dropped from the average, but that does not include a zero for a missed
quiz! Missed quizzes cannot be made up
without a legitimate excuse. If you can
document an excuse such as medical, funeral, or UNCW athletics participation,
see me about a makeup research assignment.
Excuses must be documented upon return to class and are accepted at the
discretion of the instructor. Only
one missed quiz can be made up. Makeup
research assignments are due one class meeting after you have returned to class. No late assignments will be accepted. A makeup assignment will not be graded
and averaged with quiz grades; but you’ll avoid getting a zero calculated in
your quiz average.
Research questions are intended to expand your knowledge beyond class material, and should
help develop your research skills for your presentation topic. You are to provide details on a significant
aspect of music or dance not covered in the course packet. It must be about traditional music or dance,
not popular music, and not solely about something like religion or
culture. Answers must be typed
(1/2 to 1 page) and include your source!
Sources must be scholarly. Print
sources are highly preferred. The only
acceptable internet-based sources are those listed in the FNA 101 Course Guide
located at: http://library.uncw.edu/web/research/subjects/music/guides/fna101.html.
A hardcopy is due in
class on the due date, otherwise it’s late!
Grading will be: 4.0 – satisfactory and on time; 3.0 - deficient in one
area (e.g., detail, unsatisfactory reference, missing complete reference
information, or one class day late); 2.0 – deficient in two areas; 1.0 –
deficient in three areas; 0.0 - missing work.
Assignments later than one class day will not be accepted without a
legitimate and documented excuse.
Answers to end-of-chapter questions will be turned
in via email only by 6:00
p.m. on due dates (see me if email access is a problem). The assignment grade will be lowered to 3.0
if up to one class day late, later assignments will not be accepted without a
legitimate and documented excuse.
Class
activities usually include two dance sessions each semester. If you miss one dance session and provide a
legitimate and documented excuse you can do a makeup research assignment to
make up one absence. This is due one
class meeting after you have returned to class.
If you don’t make up the missed session, or if you miss a second dance
session, your class activities grade
will be lowered one letter grade for each (4.0 – 3.0, etc.). No makeup will be given.
Tests:
Missed tests cannot generally be made up! However, if you have a legitimate and
documented excuse, contact me to reschedule as soon as you know you’ll have to
miss a test. Excuses must be documented
upon return to class and are accepted at the discretion of the instructor.
Oral Group
Presentation:
A 15-20 minute group oral presentation is required of
all students. Presentations will be
prepared by groups of three students and scheduled for the last class
days.
Those students who do not express their preference
for group membership will be assigned to groups at random by the third week of
class.
Objectives:
1.
Apply knowledge
and skills acquired in class to researching an unfamiliar music and/or dance
topic.
2.
Comprehend,
synthesize and communicate clearly and accurately key ideas and concepts from
what you have read, seen and heard in your research.
3.
Work
cooperatively to prepare and present an informative and cohesive presentation.
The Topic:
You must register your topic with the professor
before proceeding. There will be no
duplication of topics; first come, first served. If you have a strong preference, register your
topic early. A bibliography list is
available in my course materials pages on the internet. This is not a complete list of the holdings
in Randall Library, but it could help you to define your topic. Please note that the materials on this list
will not be on reserve so obtain them early.
A
library guide has been created for this course by the Fine Arts Librarian Liza
Palmer. It will be immensely helpful in
doing your research. The address is:
http://library.uncw.edu/web/research/subjects/music/guides/fna101.html
Requirements:
1.
Your group must
use at least five references. Of those,
at least two must be print media – book, journal article, etc. A hardcopy of your reference list is
due on the day of your presentation.
2.
Your topic must
be from a region or culture NOT covered in class. It cannot be from contemporary American
culture. It should be culturally “rich”.
3.
Your
presentation must be relevant to this course and have substance and
detail. It may focus on music, dance, or
both.
4.
A brief ORAL PROGRESS REPORT will be required
on July 16th. It will be graded and must include references
and a statement on each person’s duties regarding research and presentation. Everyone must have some part in both research
and presentation.
5.
On presentation
day you must provide a one-page handout containing the important details
on your topic. Be thorough, include
history, practices, terms with explanations, etc. It will be graded. I will make photocopies for the class. This will allow your classmates to
concentrate on your presentation and not slow it down with detailed note
taking.
Suggestions for a Successful Presentation:
1.
The objective is
not to present all of the information you have read. Focus your presentation on the points of
greatest interest. Remember, your group
has only twenty minutes!
2.
By merely
listening to you the audience’s ears cannot pick up information and concepts as
effectively as if they were reading it (like you have done). Therefore, reinforce what you say with visual
aids (projected photos, video clips, outline of key points), demonstrations,
and aural examples. The use of
PowerPoint is highly recommended!
3.
Speak slowly,
enunciate your words, and project your voice.
4.
Rehearse
pronouncing any foreign terms as best you can.
5.
Explain things
in your own words, do not simply read an author’s words!
6.
Do not talk over
any musical example. We need to listen
with a purpose.
7.
Consider
actively engaging your audience in learning some new skill, possibly in rhythm,
song or dance.
8.
You are strongly
advised to bring your presentation media to me before the day of your
presentation to be sure everything will work properly! WEB connections and
video and audio clips added to PowerPoint shows should be tested first. Typically these peripherals are on your hard
drive and not actually in the PowerPoint file.
You are responsible for the success of your presentation, including the
functioning of all technology.
Evaluation:
Your presentation grade is based on how well you
achieve the objectives and requirements stated above. Generally all group members will receive the
same grade, but exceptions (higher or lower) will be made when justified.
You will also complete peer evaluations within your
project group. These will be considered
in the event of any grade variations within a group.
The group as a whole will earn 0-5 points in each of
the following categories:
·
Oral Progress
Report
·
Handout
·
Reference List
Each student will earn 0-5 points in each of the
following categories:
·
Evidence of
thorough and cooperative preparation, cohesion of presentation
·
Effective
communication or presentation of media
·
Sufficient
detail and accuracy of information
Scoring rubric for all categories:
5 = thorough, accurate, effective, no more than one
minor deficiency
4 = generally high level, but with two areas of minor
deficiency
3 = shortcomings are generally minor, but with one
significant oversight or
omission
2 = two or three significant shortcomings, oversights
or omissions
1 = inadequate, many problems
0 = nonexistent
The group’s point average will determine the
grade. Please understand that evaluation
will be influenced by a comparison to what other students have presented this
semester as well as in past semesters (norm-referenced).
Concert
Attendance:
From time to time there are performances of music
&/or dance from other cultures on campus.
These are rare opportunities and it is expected that you will make every
effort to attend them during the semester.
Attendance is not mandatory at this time. However, a brief write-up of an approved
concert can serve as a makeup research assignment for a missed quiz.
The
Learning Center, located in room
1056 Westside Hall, will provide
free tutorial assistance for students in this or any Basic Studies course. They emphasize what to study and how to
study, thereby fostering the development of skills that will transfer to other
courses. If you are interested in taking
advantage of this service, register with the
Accommodations
for Disabled Students: The course instructor is happy to make
appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities, as specified in
federal regulations. If you have a
disability and need accommodation, please register in the Office of Disability
Services (x3746). Then obtain a copy of
your accommodation letter and speak with the instructor. Assistance will be provided based on the
recommendations of that office and our mutual agreement.
All
students are encouraged to read section V "Academic Honor Code", in
the UNCW Student Handbook, for definitions of plagiarism, bribery, and
cheating, and the procedures for reporting and adjudication of any activities
involving student dishonesty.