Music 103: Introduction to Music

Objectives: to acquaint the student with a variety of musical styles from present and historical cultures in the United States and in the world at large, and to provide a basis for non-verbal appreciation of and verbal communication about diverse musical styles and genres.

Texts:

• Craig Wright, Listening to Music, 7th ed. (Boston: Schirmer Cengage, 2014).

Topics for discussion:

1. Preparation for listening
   1. Fundamentals of music (ch. 1-4)
   2. Music around the world (ch. 37-39
2. Music of the western past
   3. Middle ages and renaissance (ch. 5-6)
   4. Baroque and classical (ch. 7-17)
   5. Beethoven and the 19th century (ch. 18-26)
3. Music of the present
   6. Modern concert music (ch. 27-32)
   7. Jazz (ch. 33-34)
   8. Stage and film (ch. 35)
   9. Popular music(ch. 36

Course requirements:

1. Attendance and participation in class discussion; see below.
2. Reading and listening as assigned.
3. Class work as assigned.
4. Three concert reviews, as assigned.
5. Class project, including essay and oral presentation.
6. Two one-hour exams
7. Final examination. Bring a blue book.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is essential to all the values upon which the university is founded. Honors students must therefore embody academic honesty in all aspects of their work. A student with a documented case of plagiarism or academic cheating in an honors course will face the possibility of receiving the grade of F for the course and being dismissed from the Honors College. Specific consequences of such behavior will be determined by the administration and individual faculty member.

Attendance Policy

Honors courses are small classes, usually taught in seminar style with no more than fifteen students. They are reading, writing and discussion intensive. Student participation is therefore essential. In addition, the university commits extensive resources, especially in terms of faculty time, to these small classes. For these reasons, the Honors College has an attendance policy for all honors courses, both required and departmental. Students are entitled to two absences in Tuesday/Thursday classes and to three absences in Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes. Consequences of additional absences will be determined by the individual faculty member, but additional absences will lower your grade.

Links of interest:

• Login to Blackboard at Ole Miss.
• Naxos Music Library, on-campus access.
• Naxos Music Library, off-campus.
• The Voyager Golden Record (Flash jukebox)
• The Music on the Voyager Golden Record
• Magnatune is not evil.
• Video playlist for Music 103
• Dr. Steel's YouTube playlists
• UM concert calendar

[ Warren Steel | Music Department | Honors College | UM Home ]