AURAL SKILLS I - MUTH 2291
section 2: T-Th 9:25-10:15 AM, SUA-106E
e-mail: LRHolzer@ualr.edu office phone: 569-8436
Office: Fine Arts 101-D; Office Hours by appointment. It's best to talk with me after class, or contact me by email or phone to set a time for us to meet. (Please do not interrupt piano lessons. I teach in my office studio, and I will not halt a piano lesson to have an unscheduled meeting, because it is unfair to the piano student.)
Aural Skills I is a required course for music majors. It is intended to be taken in conjunction with courses in performance studies (private lessons and ensembles), and music theory. Performance skills at the level of a music major in vocal or instrumental studies are necessary for this course.
Pre-requisites: Music Theory 1310, "Music Fundamentals." Music Theory I, MUTH 2391 may be a co–requisite. A pre-test will be given on the first day of class to verify that those enrolled have the pre-requisite music theory background. The pre-test will be graded pass/fail. A score of 75% or higher is required for "pass" status. Students who do not pass the pre-test should drop the course.
Additionally, students need to be aware that singing is required for this course. Singing is part of each class period, and is part of the weekly homework. The ability to accurately match pitch is essential to succeeding in the course. If you have little or no prior experience singing, it is strongly recommended that you take Class Voice I (MUAP 1204) first. You will be graded on sight-singing on several quizzes during the semester.
Required Materials: Manuscript paper & pencil (NOT pen), Music for Sightsinging 8th edition by Robert Ottman (Amazon.com, UALR Bookstore, various sources, ca. $87). MacGAMUT 6 software (UALR Bookstore or buy directly from MacGAMUT, ca. $40). This cd-rom is cross-platform software, and may be used on either a Macintosh computer or a PC. Remember, the textbook and software are used for both Aural Skills 1 and Aural Skills 2, so it is a good investment.
You are expected to attend class prepared, with required materials.
Class Format: A notation and performance skills demonstration environment. Aural Skills is a required course for all music majors. Facility with scales and key signatures is required; a pre-test will be administered on the first day of class. Blackboard will be used throughout the semester to deliver course content, in addition to our face-to-face class meetings in SUA-106E. Please get in the habit of regularly reading the homework assignments and logging onto Blackboard to keep up with assignments.
Objectives: Development of inner hearing; performing in tune and in time, aural memory, the ability to maintain a steady beat and to relate rhythms to that beat. Fluency in sight-singing, melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic dictation.
Sight-singing: using scale degree numbers or pitch names, scales, triads, and simple major and minor key diatonic melodies.
Rhythm: patterns in simple meters: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 3/2, 3/8, 4/8 and compound meters: 6/8, 9/8, 12/8, 6/4.
Dictation: notation, interval identification, triad patterns (major, minor, diminished, augmented),rhythmic patterns, melodies, scales, and common cadence formulas.
Grading: Weekly quizzes: students will receive weekly grades based on their performance and written testing of assigned examples during Tuesday classes. Work will be evaluated for accuracy of notation, pitches, intervals, rhythms, pitch names or numbers (sight-singing examples), and overall musical knowledge. There will be NO MID-TERM or FINAL EXAM. By the semester’s end each student will have the opportunity to accumulate approximately 9 quiz grades. The average will be calculated. This grade will count for 70% of the student’s semester grade in Aural Skills I.
Lab: Computer drill and written drill. Lab work will count for 30% of the semester grade. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to the due dates for lab assignments. Completed lab work turned in on time earns an "A;" turned in up to 1 week late earns a "C;" and anything later than 1 week or incomplete earns an "F." It is to your advantage to always turn in complete lab assignments on time.
Grading Scale: A = 90-100% B = 80-89% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = below 60%
Attendance Required: Missing a class means missing the lesson and possibly the quiz, which will lower your grade. Make-up quizzes will only be administered in the case of an authorized excused absence. Written documentation and advance or same-day notification of absence for a medical reason, car trouble, or for a death in the family is required, NO EXCEPTIONS.
The door to the classroom will be locked 10 minutes after the start of class, and latecomers will not be admitted after that time. Latecomers are disruptive to the learning process; please plan ahead and arrive on time.
Tardiness will also lower your grade. Three tardies will lower your semester grade by 5 percentage points. (In other words, if your semester grade was 85%, and you had 3 tardies, it would result in your semester grade being lowered to 80%. Six tardies will lower your grade by 10 percentage points, and so on.)
Academic Integrity. It is expected that students will conduct themselves honestly in their work for the course. In general, be aware that academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, cheating, collusion and/or duplicity, and all of these are punishable offenses, described on the web site for the Dean of Students. The work you turn in is expected to be your own work.
Extra Credit. There will be no extra credit option. Please put any available time into the homework, MacGAMUT and studying for quizzes.
Classroom Behavior. The classroom is a formal learning environment, and formal conventions should be observed. Professionalism and courtesy
are expected of all participants.Prohibited behavior includes:
- No cell phones! Turn off cell phones before class.
- No reading newspapers or other non-class materials, and no activities that may distract, disturb or interrupt the learning environment.
- No conversations during class.
Students with Disabilities: It is the policy of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or to accurate assessment of achievement–such as time-limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos–please notify the instructor as soon as possible. Students are also welcome to contact the Disability Resource Center, telephone 501-569-3143 (v/tty). For more information, visit the DRC website at http://ualr.edu/disability/.
It is policy and practice of UALR to make all web information accessible
to students with disabilities. If you, as a student with a disability,
have difficulty accessing any part of the online course materials for
this class, please notify the instructor immediately.