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Jazz History Class Syllabus

Course: Music 343-Studies in Music Genres (Jazz History), Section #001, 3 units (upper division), satisfies GE (area C)

Jazz History-The study of jazz from its origins to the present. Listening to music is the core of the class; emphasis is on developing skill in recognizing and describing what happens in classic performances. The changing styles of jazz are related to the social and cultural context of the music in each style period.

Day/Time/Location: 1-3:40 pm, GMC 1058, SSU Campus

Instructor: Peter Estabrook 664-2134 x 2, peter.estabrook@sonoma.edu, office hours by appointment in GMC 2062

Text: Essential Jazz the First 100 Years by Henry Martin and Keith Waters (published by Thompson/Schirmer) Book and CD (isbn # 0-534-63810-4). This text and CD are required for the course and it is the responsibility of the student to obtain a copy for his or her own use. Therefore, the text and CD should be purchased online or from North Light Books (on E. Cotati ave.) prior to the second class meeting.

Grading: Semester grades are based on the standard points and percentage system: A=90%, B=80%, C=70%, D=60%, F=50%. (495 points possible for the semester)
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 he or she may correct any missed questions and use them to prepare for the mid-term and final exam. Study guides are intended to direct the students reading of the text and prepare the student for class discussion. (not scored for points)

Listening Quizzes-4 total (consult the class schedule for due dates): Quizzes are drawn from the CD that accompanies the text. The student is responsible for written and auditory identification of all the material on CD. The student must identify a composition by ear (only a short example will be played-usually not from the beginning of the specified 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 (70 points total possible)

Jazz Concert Report-1 total: During the semester, each student is required to attend one live jazz performance. Several performances occur on the SSU or the SRJC campus. Prior approval of the instructor is STRONGLY advised if the student must attend a non-school performance. Pop, rock or blues band concerts are not acceptable as a substitute for this assignment. A short review must be written for each concert that examines at least one specific composition played at the performance and gives specific details using the terms provided in the text and/or discussed in class. Other details should also be included. A list of guidelines will be provided by the instructor. (20 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 will appear in the form of: true/false, one word fill-in, complete sentence responses and matching questions. Failure to take the mid-term exam without notifying the instructor of an absence and legitimate reason may result in the denial of a make-up and/or failure of the course. (40 points).

Final Exam-This is held on May 25th from 2-3:50. This test is drawn from the study guide questions from the mid-term exam forward only (chapters 5-8). Questions will be drawn from the study guide questions only. Missing the final exam, without notifying the instructor of an extreme emergency, may result in failure of the course and denial of the ability to request an incomplete. (40 points)

Additional Information:

• Students are expected to take notes during each class meeting. Lecture notes generated during class are the responsibility of the student and will not be provided as a substitute for attendance and participation.
• Students are expected to attend all class meetings on time and prepared (having completed reading, and study questions)
• If a student does not call or verbally notify the instructor with a legitimate reason for absence (preferably 24 hours prior to class), the student may be denied the ability to take a make-up quizzes or exams.
• Missing 4 or more consecutive classes during the semester may result in a student being dropped from the class.
• Legitimate absence: illness, SSU ensemble performance, car accident, etc.
• Non-legitimate absence: work, vacation plans, homework, dentist appointment, car maintenance, ball game tickets, drug rehabilitation, etc.
• Take responsibility for class time. It should be a self-test of your preparation and daily work not a study session.
• Attendance and Participation-This is considered as a factor if a student's grade is borderline. Excellent attendance, interest, and verbal participation, which are strongly encouraged, will help raise a student's grade in the positive direction.
• In general, one missed class is not a problem. Several missed classes may lower the final grade.
• Make-Up Work and Exams-The student may take a missed quiz at the END of the following class meeting they attend (if the student has a legitimate reason for an absence). Quizzes and exams more than two weeks may be subject to make-up denial.
• Cheating and Plagiarism-Students caught cheating on an exam or copying homework assignments will be immediately dropped from the course and given an F for the semester.
• 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 failing 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 GMC 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 notify the instructor immediately to discuss an evacuation plan.

General Facility Information:

No food or drinks in the classroom (bottled water is ok).