Winter 2011 Syllabus

Coordinator of lecture series: Nicole Harreld                         Office: Room 204
E-mail: bowties185@gmail.com*                                         Phone: (206) 543-6926
Office Hours: By appointment only

Teaching Assistant: Jason Wells, Composition Student 
TA Office: Music Building - Room 13
TA E-mail: bowties185@gmail.com*                                  TA Phone: 206 543-9339
Office Hours: Monday - 12:30 to 1:30, Tuesday - 1:30 to 2:30

Class meets 3:30-4:20 Tuesdays in Kane Hall 120
All concerts unless otherwise noted will be in Meany Hall at 7:30PM
QUIZ DATES: February 1 and March 8
CLASS WEBSITE: http://www.bowties185.blogspot.com

*Any emails asking questions that can be answered by looking at the syllabus or the website will not receive a response.

COURSE INFORMATION

There are two components to this class: weekly lectures given by various faculty and voluntary concert attendance. Two quizzes will draw on material presented in the lectures. Students are responsible for taking notes at these lectures, as there will be no review sessions nor study guides provided. Our TA has regular office hours to meet with students who have questions, but they will NOT provide missed notes nor will they be available for last-minute consultations before the quizzes.

All students are expected to be respectful of the guest lecturers that come in. If a student decides to be disrespectful or disruptive during class time they will be asked to leave for the day. 

No textbooks are needed for this course, but students interested in attending concerts will be issued a coupon at the second class entitling them to purchase a special “notecard”, available only to the Music 185 class. The coupon must then be taken to the UW Ticket Office, located at 4001 University Way, NE, (543-4880) to be surrendered upon purchase of the notecard. This notecard ($15) will admit you into the Meany Hall lobby for the concerts listed in the syllabus as well as any other concerts presented by the School of Music, but only in the quarter that you are registered for Music 185. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOUR COUPON WILL NOT ADMIT YOU TO THE CONCERT HALL. IT MUST BE EXCHANGED AT THE TICKET OFFICE LISTED ABOVE FOR THE SPECIAL NOTECARD. ONLY ONE COUPON PER STUDENT IS NEEDED!!

You should purchase three scantrons, available at the University Bookstore. 2 scantrons will be used for the two quizzes and one will be used to record any concerts that you attend for extra credit.

CONCERT ATTENDANCE

Concert attendance, though not required, is strongly recommended as an important component of the class and one that will greatly enhance your experience. For each concert that you do attend (maximum of four), you will be awarded two points (the equivalent of one quiz question) that will be added to your total points earned for the class. Even though attendance will not be monitored, you MAY NOT run into the concert hall, grab a program and leave nor take more than one program. If abuses such as these are reported to me by School of Music administration or Meany Hall ushers, mandatory attendance will be reinstated and any extra credit forfeited. Please arrive on time, as late seating is extremely disruptive and sometimes not allowed. If you must leave before the end of the concert, wait until the intermission so as not to disturb the performers or others in the audience. All extra credit forms are due no later than Monday, March 14, 2011 by 9:00AM in Nicole’s office (Room 204 of the music building). If Nicole is not in her office, you can slide the forms under her door. The music building is also open on the weekend. See the Concert Attendance Scantron Guide for detailed instructions on how to fill out the extra credit forms.

CONCERT SCHEDULE

Concert #1 January 15 Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra: German Masterworks***

Concert #2 January 27 University Symphony: Concerto Competition Winners

Concert #3 February 17 Symphonic, Concert, and Campus Bands

Concert #4 February 22 Percussion Ensemble: Meany Beat

Concert #5 February 24 University Symphony

Concert #6 February 28 Baroque Ensemble with Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra

Concert #7 March 4 Composers' Workshop (in Brechemin Auditorium in the MUSIC Building)

Concert #8 March 7 Studio Jazz Ensemble

Concert #9 March 11 Combined Choruses & Symphony: Elijah

*** Concert is in Downtown Seattle in the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall (click link for directions and parking information). Due to travel and potential extra ticket cost, this concert is worth 4 extra credit points (the equivalent of 2 quiz questions)!

To request disability accommodations, contact the Disability Services Office at (206) 543-6450, dso@u.washington.edu or call Terry Dobrich at (206) 685-7208

GRADING POLICY AND EXAMS

Final grades will be based on total possible points (70) earned during the quarter from the two quizzes. Quiz 1 will have 15 questions and Quiz 2 will have 20 questions; both will be in multiple-choice format, closed-book, and each question is worth 2 points. Remember, you have the possibility of bettering your total score by attending up to four concerts. You cannot receive credit for attending more than four concerts.

Quiz 1 will be given on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 from 3:30-4:20 P.M. and will be worth 30 points. Quiz 2 will be given on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 from 3:30-4:20 P.M. and will be worth 40 points. Quiz 2 will be cumulative. Questions will be taken from material presented in the lectures, PowerPoint presentations, overhead projections, and the class website. See the Grading Scale for details.

THERE CAN BE NO CHANGE OF THE DATE OR TIME OF THESE QUIZZES.

CONCERT ETIQUETTE

For many of you, these concerts will be your first experience hearing classical music in a live setting. It is important to understand that the audience can very easily distract the performer(s) with unnecessary noises. The degree of concentration required for the performer to achieve what he/she has spent countless hours refining is something most people do not readily comprehend. Therefore, the audience is expected to remain silent during the performance. Talking, coughing, whispering, shuffling programs, opening candy wrappers, putting feet up on seats ahead, using laptops, etc. are all tremendously disrespectful behaviors which effectively jeopardize everyone's enjoyment. Also, headphones, CD players or cassette players are not allowed. Cell phones and pagers going off during concerts will not be tolerated. Turn them OFF during the concerts and during our class sessions. Better still, leave them at home, if possible.

Although the stated concert etiquette may strike you as stifling, think of it as a way to personalize your own experience - to allow the artist to effectively communicate with you alone. Remember, what you feel and respond to is different from anyone else. This is the beauty of art and in particular, live music. It is perfectly ok to not like something, but it is NOT ok to insult the performer. At a concert or recital, audiences show their appreciation and express their enthusiasm by applauding at the end of a work; if a work has more than one movement (the classical symphony, for example, usually has four movements, sometimes three), audiences do not customarily applaud between movements. At an opera, however, audiences often applaud at the end of particularly significant arias (pieces spotlighting a solo vocalist), duets or ensembles (pieces for three or more singers).

Taking photographs and using recording equipment are not permitted at either concerts or operas.

This syllabus is subject to change at any time.