TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MUSICSYLLABUS: AURAL SKILLS I MUSC 1250

TR 9:40-11:05, ROOM 287INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Carlos Castilla, PASB OFFICE:TBA

EMAIL: contact@carloscastilla.comCOURSE CREDIT HOURS: 1

Required Text: Ottman, Robert W. and Rogers, Nancy. Music for Sight Singing. Seventh Edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2007.

PREREQUISITE/COREQUISITE

Students must have successfully completed MUSC 1011-Materials of Music at TSU or transferred equivalent credit and passed the TSU Dept. of Music competency test for MUSC1210-Music Theory I in order to register for this course. Upon successful completion of the prerequisites, students must register for BOTH MUSC 1250-AURAL SKILLS I AND MUSC 1210-MUSIC THEORY I.

COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will develop the student’s ability to both identify musical materials aurally and to sight-sing melodies.

MUSC 1250 will provide: 1. a brief overview of conducting patterns

2. knowledge of music fundamentals: pitch notation, rhythm, meter, intervals, scales, key signatures, and chords 3. key concepts in pitch recognition, dictation of diatonic melodies and simple meter and rhythmic figures

4. skills required for successful sight-singing of non-modulating diatonic melodies and simple meter rhythms

5. drill and practice for intervals and harmony

Office Hours: 11:05-1:00 pm (By appointment)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES-Each student must own the required textbook.-Each student is responsible for providing his/her necessary supplies in class.-Professional appearance is required at every meeting.-Hats are prohibited.-Cell phones, pagers, ipods, and other personal computing devices are not allowed in class.

REQUIRED MATERIALS AND REQUIREMENTS

-Pencils and erasers-notebook or 3 ring binder of manuscript paper-textbook-notebook for note-taking

ATTENDANCE

Students are expected to be in class. The University Handbook specifies that absences must not exceed the number of sessions that the class meets weekly; thus, for this class, total absences must not exceed 3.

Every unexcused absence beyond three (3) will result in the lowering of a minus to the final grade. Any work missed during an excused absence must be made up within a week. Any work not made up will become a zero.

Tardiness beyond ten (10) minutes is not acceptable. Once the classroom door is closed, students may not enter.Tardiness within the first ten minutes of class after I take attendance will be equivalent to half attendance, therefore two times being tardy is equal to an absence.

Motivation:Students who observe a perfect attendance will be honored by my dismissing of their lowest grade. I will instead replace that grade with the highest one achieved.

This bonus works for quizzes and assignments, not for exams.

EVALUATION SIGHT-SINGING ASSIGNMENTSSight-singing assignments will due every Tuesday. Assignments will be made in class the preceding week. We will follow the schedule of assignments given at the beginning of the semester, unless otherwise notified. Students will be given a letter grade based upon their accurate performance in class. Students must have their own copy of the assignment in class to perform for grades. A student without the assignment in class will receive a grade of F on the assignment unless he/she is able to provide an excuse deemed reasonable and acceptable by the professor. Only students with an excused absence will be allowed to make up assignments. Students who are absent will receive a zero if work is not made up within the following week.

All tests and class work must be written in pencil. Homework assignments may be graded and given a daily grade. Late assignments will not be accepted. Students missing a test must provide a written excuse that is recognized as an acceptable reason for absence by the instructor. Arrangements to make up the test must be made within the week following the student’s return to class.

The following percentages will be used in determining final grades: Homework, quizzes, sight-singing grades: 30% Test grades, written : 45% Final exam: 25%IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A GRADE OF “C” OR HIGHER, STUDENTS MUST ALSO PASS THE COURSE COMPETENCY EXAM (FINAL EXAM) WITH A MINIMUM SCORE OF 75.

For success in MUSC 1250, the student must:

1. come at the appointed hour to every class meeting.2. complete all assignments on time.3. own and read the textbook.4. devote significant effort to understanding and applying the concepts covered. 6. participate in class exercises.

The Music Department, in conjunction with the Office of Disabled Student Services, makes reasonable accommodations for qualified students with medically documented disabilities. If you need an accommodation, please contact Dan Steely of TSU’s Disabled Student Services at 963-7400 (phone) or 963-5051(fax).