Course: Musc 9-Section #6656, 3 units (transferable to the UC or CSU system, GE credit in Humanities, required for Jazz Music Majors)
Jazz Appreciation-Understanding Our Spontaneous American Musical Art-Form: lecture survey of jazz centered on an understanding of its essential musical elements, its evolution, and the cultural contributions of African Americans. Special attention is given to the study of standard jazz forms, stylistic differences, and analysis of live and recorded performances.
Day/Time/Location: T/Th 5:15-7 pm, Jacobs Hall room PC123, Petaluma Campus (Santa Rosa Jr. College) Instructor: Pete Estabrook office hour 4:45-5:15 pm in Jacobs Hall room PC127
Text: Essential Jazz the First 100 Years by Henry Martin and Keith Waters (published by Thompson/Schirmer) Book and 2 CDs (isbn # 978-0-495-50525-9) 2nd ed. This text and 2 CDs are required for the course and it is the responsibility of the student to obtain a copy for his or her own use. (The CD-Rom, which may be included with the book, is NOT required.) Please be aware that B. Friedman, the instructor teaching same (Music 9) course on the Santa Rosa campus, uses a different text. Please make sure you have the correct text before purchasing it. The text and 2 CDs should be purchased online prior to the second class meeting.
Student Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1) Demonstrate a broad-based understanding of the historical and aesthetic development of jazz.. 2) Explain the role of African Americans in the invention and evolution of jazz.
Grading: based on the "points" system and the standard A=90%, B=80%, C=70%, D=60%, F=50% etc. Students accumulate points during the course of the semester in the following ways:
Study Guides-8 total: one for each chapter in the book: Questions are drawn from the text. It is strongly recommended that the student keep all study guides so that he or she may correct any missed questions and use this work to study for the mid-term and final exams. Study guides are designed to prepare the student for class discussion and, therefore, should be completed prior to class discussion of new material. (not graded or handed in)
Listening Quizzes-4 total (consult the class schedule for due dates): Quizzes are drawn only from the tracks that are on the 2 CDs that accompany the text. The student is responsible for written and auditory identification of all the material on the 2 CDs. The student must identify a composition by ear (only a short example will be played-usually less than 30 seconds and usually not from the beginning of the track). The student must write (1) the name of the composition, (2) the name of the musician associated with that composition, and (3) make a brief specific statement about some unique characteristic of that composition based on terms given in the text and during class discussion. Points vary for each quiz (90 points possible).
Jazz Concert Report-1 total: During the semester, each student is required to attend one live jazz performance that occurs during the semester. Several performances occur on SSU and SRJC campuses (tickets are free or discounted). Prior approval of the instructor is required if the student attends a non-school performance. Pop, rock, blues, bluegrass, or brass band performances are not acceptable as a substitute for this assignment. A short report must be completed that examines various musical elements (in detail) from the live performance, which relate to class discussion and terms in the text. Reports should be typed and 2-3 pages in length. (30 points possible)
Mid-term Exam-This is held on a date selected by the instructor (consult the class schedule) which does not necessarily correspond to the campus wide mid-term schedule. Please consult the class schedule. Questions will be drawn from the study guides given up to that date (chapters 1-4). Mid-term questions MAY include the following: true/false, matching, fill-in and complete sentence responses. Failure to take the final exam without notifying the instructor prior to an absence of (a legitimate reason) may result in the denial of a make-up exam. (40 points possible)
Final Exam-This is held on the last class meeting for evening courses (consult the class schedule). This test is drawn from the study guides provided from the mid-term exam forward only (chapters 5-8). Final exam questions MAY include the following: true/false, matching, fill-in and complete sentence responses. Missing the final exam, without notifying the instructor (in advance of the final exam) of an extreme emergency, may result in failure of the course and denial of the ability to request an incomplete. (40 points possible)
Participation-Students are expected to attend all class meetings on time and prepared for discussion.
(200 total points possible for the semester)
Additional Policy and Grading Information:
Make-up Work-The student may take a missed listening quiz (or mid-term exam) the following week (that the student attends class). Make-ups are given immediately at the END of class (not during the break or before class). The student must have a legitimate reason for an absence to qualify for a make-up. The instructor reserves the right to deny make-ups for quizzes more than 3 weeks late. In this case, the student may be asked to write an essay as a substitute for the missed work (pending discussion and instructor discretion). Make-up work will not be given in advance of the class schedule for anticipated absences.
Late Work (concert report)-Work not handed in on time MAY be subject to a reduction in points. Absolutely no late work is accepted on the day of the final exam. Email may be used as an emergency measure for handing in assigned work and should not be relied on as a sole means for turning in assignments. When using email, please be sure to paste the text into the body of the message. Attachments will not be accepted.
Cheating and Plagiarism-Students caught cheating on an exam or quiz will be immediately dropped from the course and given an "F" for the semester. A concert report which includes plagiarism will result in and "F" on the assignment and a grade of "incomplete" for the semester.
Class Work (concert report)-All class work must be received prior to the last class meeting for the semester. No late work of any type will be accepted on the day of the final exam. As stated above, all class work must be completed in order for the student to pass the course and receive credit.
Attendance/Absence-Please notify the instructor of absences via email or voice mail prior to class time. Legitimate absence includes: extreme illness (running a fever, uncontrollable coughing, vomiting, extreme dizziness, etc.), car accident, death in the family; NON-Legitimate absence includes: work schedule, vacation plans, ball game tickets, family events, birthdays, dental exams, etc.
Pass/No Pass-This option is available. Students taking the course credit/no credit must take all quizzes, take the mid-term and final exam, and receive an overall score of 70% (equal to a C-) in order to receive credit for the course.
Adds, drops, petitions, late withdrawals, etc. are primarily the responsibility of the student. If a student stops attending class for any reason (academic or personal), the student must take care of the appropriate administrative paper work in order to avoid receiving a poor grade at the end of the semester. Please do not assume that the instructor will take action on behalf of a student in order to protect a student's GPA.
Academic Accommodations-If a student has a disability and needs assistance, please notify the instructor and contact the Disability Resources Office.
Emergency Evacuation Plan-In the event of an emergency during class that requires evacuation of the building, please leave the class room immediately, but calmly. Our class will meet in the parking lot in front of the main building to make sure everyone has left the building safely. Please wait at this location in order to receive further instructions. If you are a student with a disability who may need assistance in an evacuation, please see me immediately to discuss an evacuation plan.
General Facility Information: