This course is organized in two-week cycles, beginning with the second week of the semester.  Each cycle covers one of the textbook's units (Dr. Kamien calls them Parts). On Tuesday of the first week of each cycle I will open the next Study Quiz, Listening Quiz and Listening Outlines on the Connect website to prepare you for the exam you will take at the TC Testing Center during the second week through the next Monday.  I will normally transfer your grades to myTC each Tuesday.

During your study time you will complete and submit all of these study assignments for your study grade.  Obviously, you should score very high, since you will be looking up the answers in the textbook.  You will need to restudy them to do well on the exams.

Using the special LearnSmart "Practice" feature will improve your understanding and retention of the information in each section and even earn you some extra credit at the end of the semester.

The College requires that online students turn in at least some of each week's assignments in order to be counted present for that week, as if you were showing up in a classroom on campus.  You may be dropped from the course if you have 3 unexcused absences or continuously submit failing work. 

You will be allowed to continue to resubmit any of the study work until the end of the semester to improve your grade.  Let me know when you complete any late work, as I have to transfer your grades manually from Connect to myTC.

It is essential to this course that you listen to plenty of great music -- masterful performances of compositions by the geniuses of previous generations -- the Classics, as it were.  As you proceed through each Unit, you will play the musical examples as they appear in the text -- BUT -- in order to get credit for them you must use the Listening Outlines assignments on the Connect assignment page and listen all the way through each example.  You can click "Save" after you finish each example, then after you finish all of them for the Unit click "Submit."  I recommend you listen on the best-sounding equipment you can -- even decent headphones will sound better than your tiny laptop speakers. 

The Listening Quizzes contain questions that can only be answered as you listen to and analyze the music.  As you listen more and more, your analytical skills should improve, and the process will become easier. 

I will combine the points of the Listening Outlines with the Listening Quizzes for your Listening Score that will show up on your Gradebook on Jenzabar (myTC).

Again, you will be allowed to continue to resubmit any of the study work until the end of the semester to improve your grade.  Let me know when you complete any late work, as I have to transfer your grades manually from Connect to myTC.

On the second Tuesday of each Unit's two-week cycle, I will open the assigned Unit Exam on Connect to be taken on a computer in the supervised setting at the TC Testing Center in the Library. There you will log into the course, then the worker will enter the password to open the Exam. If you have computer problems during the test, let the worker know and later contact the Help Desk so they can let IT know.

The questions will be selected directly from the Study Quizzes as well as the Listening Outlines and Listening Quizzes you have just completed. Each unit will have two exam versions available -- one to take during the week it is assigned, the other to take any time later until the end of the semester.  This allows flexibility in your schedule plus an opportunity to a second attempt  to improve your score (the higher score will be used).  There is no penalty for late submissions, but -- and this is really important -- it is always better to stay on schedule so that things don't get so hectic at the end of the semester.  Once again, let me know when you complete any late work, as I have to transfer your grades manually from Connect to myTC. 

You are required to attend at least two significant musical performances during the semester and turn in a report on each within seven days of the event. Some students procrastinate on this assignment and end up with a grade a letter below what they have earned with their other work. Your best bet is to get started early and make plans to attend a major concert soon. You will be awarded points (up to 100) based on the types of the events, as follows:

• High Art - 50 points - Live professional-quality concerts of classical music lasting more than an hour, including symphony orchestras, operas, ballets (with live orchestra), chamber ensembles, professional recitals (instrumental or vocal), and choral concerts of major classical works.
  

• Premium Performance - 30 points - Presentations of high quality classical music at least 45 minutes in length, including Broadway, jazz, student or professional recitals, ballets (with recorded music), etc.  I will count online videos of full orchestral concerts, operas or ballets in this category, as well as episodes of the PBS series called "Keeping Score" and other similar documentaries.
  

• Great Entertainment - 20 points - Performances of pop, country, rock, gospel, etc. These performances must be at least one hour in length. I will also allow some videos and movies about classical music or musicians (Disney's "Fantasia" or the movie "Amadeus").

Take notes during the performance and pretend that you are submitting an article or critique for the school paper.  Include in your report details about times, places, performers and each piece presented in the concert, as well as personal reactions and unusual details - enough information to convince me that you were there and attentive to the entire presentation.  The quality of your report will also be reflected in your grade. You can submit your reports using the upload feature on the assignment page or in an email to me.

Part of this assignment is to research the web and other sources for suitable performances coming up in our area during this semester. Although I may sometimes suggest opportunities, it is up to you to find appropriate concerts.  I will open a "Treasure Hunt" forum where you can share your findings with the class and even earn some extra credit. You will be allowed one entry per week, and they must occur between the date of your entry and the end of the semester.

Keep in mind that this is an academic college-level course, therefore you will be expected to produce college-level work. You will succeed in this online course if you are self-motivated and willing to spend time reading and rereading the text and listening attentively to the assignments on the Connect website. When you start to wonder why it's taking you so long to get through each unit, just remember that normally you would be spending 3 hours a week in class, plus your homework preparation, plus test study time, plus other assignments. Be ready to dedicate about 5 hours per week to this course.

I don't expect that you will like all the sounds you hear. That's really not important. The goal here is to gain an understanding and appreciation of the artistic, stylistic and historic significance of the art to which you are listening; there is a good chance you will hear some things that entertain, enlighten, or even inspire you!

Oh, and don't forget to take the short CIQ (Course Instructions Quiz) found on the Coursework page right away so that I will know that you have read and understand these instructions.

Marc André Bougie

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
~ Berthold Auerbach ~