COURSE: AURAL SKILLS/SIGHTSINGING III - MUS 211-200

TIME/PLACE: Fall 2009; 8:30-9:20 TR; CA1080

INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Mike Waddell; e-mail - waddellm@uncw.edu

Office hours 11-12 TR or by appointment (CA2059; 962-3390)

TEXT (required): Sightsinging Complete (7th ed.) - Maureen Carr & Bruce Benward

(McGraw-Hill, pub.)

DESCRIPTION: This course serves as the laboratory to Music Theory III: Class activities include melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic dictation, sightsinging drills, and possible keyboard assignments.

OBJECTIVES: Since this is a sequence course, the student should be advancing in the following areas:

1. The ability to sing unfamiliar melodies at sight including more advanced rhythms, meters, intervals, and more challenging melodies

2. An aural recognition of various scales, including chromatic, major, various minors, pentatonics, and whole-tone

3. Intervallic recognition (singing and dictation)

4. Harmonic dictation to recognize chord quality and movement, both on the staves as well as using Roman numerals and chord symbols

5. Error detection drills to improve score-reading

6. Keyboard concepts which enhance understanding of the above

GRADING: Four dictation tests and two singing tests are given. The lowest grade will be dropped. Each count 20% of the final grade.

The grading scale is a 10 point scale: 92-100=A; 90-91=A-; 88-89=B+; 82-88=B; 80-81=B-; 78-79=C+; 72-78=C; 70-71=C-; 68-69=D+; 62- 68=D; 60-61=D-; 0-59=F. Note: There is no extra credit offered.

ATTENDANCE: Three absences only are allowed without penalty. Each unexcused absence thereafter deducts three points from the final grade.

An excused absence must satisfy the discretion of the instructor.

An excused illness, family emergency, or legal conflict requires documentation (doctor’s note, funeral bulletin, airline ticket, court notice)

Please check with a classmate for any notes you missed.

Promptness to class is expected. Door locks at 8:35.

Latecomers, please take the closest available desk to the door.

Making up an exam requires prior notice - instructor discretion only.

 

POLICIES: A notebook, and staff paper should always be brought to class.

Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during class.

Note: Laptops are not to be used in this class.

All tests must be taken in pencil.

No food or drink, please!

Daily practice outside of class is extremely important. Be persistent.

Take a break when frustrated, but don’t give up!

Note: Dates are subject to change, except for the final exam.

On sight singing tests, any assigned example needs to be thoroughly prepared, with attention to good intonation, accurate rhythm, steady tempo, and phrasing. Yes, “non-vocalists” also need to be able to use their voices in the professional world.

Test #1…..…..Thurs, Sept. 10; dictation

Test #2……....Thurs, Sept. 24; dictation

Test #3…..…..Tues/Thur, Sept. 29/Oct. 1; sightsinging

Test #4………Tues, Oct. 27; dictation

Test #5………Tues, Nov. 19; dictation

Final Exam….Thurs, Dec. 10, 8-11; sightsinging

 

Dates to remember:

Tues, Oct. 6.……Fall break

Thurs, Oct. 8.…...Last day to receive a W

Thurs, Nov. 26.…Thanksgiving holiday

Tues, Dec. 1…….Last class day

 

* UNCW practices a zero tolerance policy for violence and harassment of any kind.

For emergencies contact UNCW CARE at 962-2273, Campus Police at 962-3184, or Wilmington Police at 911.

For University and community resources visit http://uncw.edu/wrc/crisis.htm.”

 

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is committed to the proposition that the pursuit of truth requires the presence of honesty among all involved. It is therefore this institution’s stated policy that no form of dishonesty among its faculty or students will be tolerated.