Course: Music 9-Section #7627, 3 units (transferable to the UC or CSU system)
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
7-10pm, room 201, Petaluma Campus (Santa Rosa Jr. College)
Instructor: Pete Estabrook office hour 6:30-7 pm in room 186b
additional consultation time is available via email and phone as
needed
(contact information is withheld due to spam threats-go to this page to contact the instructor)
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. Please be aware that the instructor teaching same (Music 9) course on the Santa Rosa campus uses a different text. Therefore, the text and CD should be purchased online or from the Petaluma Campus Bookstore prior to the second class meeting.
Grading: Semester grades are based on the "points" system and the standard percentage A=90%, B=80%, C=70%, D=60%, F=50%. Students accumulate points during the course of the semester in the following ways:
Homework-8 assignments total: one for each chapter in the book: Questions are drawn from the text. Homework is assigned (a printed sheet of questions are given) at the end of class. Homework is due at the beginning of class. Late homework is not acceptable. No homework assignments will be given early (at the beginning of class or at the break). If the student has a legitimate reason for an absence (see below) a homework assignment may be given (at the discretion of the instructor) via email after the weekly class meeting. Late work may be accepted (on a case by case basis) at the discretion of the instructor based on legitimate absence. Assignments will be graded and returned the following week. It is strongly recommended that the student keep all homework assignments so he or she may correct any missed questions and keep a running total of points. Homework is designed to prepare the student for class discussion. Points vary for each chapter-(185 points total possible)
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)
Concert Reports-3 total: During the semester, each student is required to attend one live jazz performance. 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 bands and blues bands are not acceptable as a substitute for this assignment. A short report must be completed that examines various musical details discussed in class. Two practice assignments will be given prior to the final report date. Superficial, non-musical general statements and poor Englise are not acceptable. (10 points for each of the two practice reports and 20 for the final version) Scores may be lowered at the discretion of the instructor for reports handed in after the due dates listed on the class schedule. (40 points possible)
Trivia Assignment-2 possible (extra credit): The student will be given "hints" about a musician. The student must then conduct research (online or in the library) to uncover who the musician was and what was significant about their career. The student should write a single (well-structured, well-organized) paragraph highlighting the musician's background and contributions to jazz hisory.The student must correctly identify the musician or event in order to receive credit. Conflicts that may arise concerning this assignment will be resolved at the discretion of the instructor. Poor grammar, sentence structure, or slang is not acceptable. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee that all points will be awarded. Extra credit is graded by the same standard as regular assignments. Consult the class schedule for the due dates for this optional assignment. (This serves to raise point totals.) 10 points each (20 points possible)
Comparison and Contrast-2 possible (extra credit): The student may choose to compare and contrast two different recordings of the same composition. Several options exist for this on the CD that accompanies the book. Papers should be constructed of 2-3 well-constructed, coherent paragraphs including references to terms covered in the text. Superficial, non-musical general statements and poor English are not acceptable. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee that all points will be awarded. Extra credit is graded by the same standard as regular assignments. Consult the class schedule for the due dates for this optional assignment. (This serves to raise point totals.) 10 points each (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 homework assignments given up to that date (chapters 1-4). Mid-term questions follow the same format as the homework assignments. Failure to take the final 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. (25 questions for a total of 50 points).
Final Exam-This is held on the last class meeting for evening courses (consult the class schedule). This test is drawn from the questions from the mid-term exam forward only (chapters 5-8). 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. (50 points)
(395 total points possible for the semester-40 points of extra credit is sufficient to raise the point total by one full letter grade)
Additional Grading Information:
Attendance and Participation-It should be obvious from the manner homework assignments are set up, that consistent attendance (and participation) is expected. Please attend class only if you wish to learn and contribute to this class and your own educational goals. If you cannot stay for the entire class meeting and conduct yourself in a fashion that is respectful of others' desire to learn or the instructor's ability to teach, please do not enroll in this class.
Make-up Work-The student may take a missed listening quiz (or mid-term exam) the following week (that the student attends class) immediately at the END of class (not during the break). The student must have a legitimate reason for an absence to qualify for make-ups. 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-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 weekly means for turning in work. 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 copying homework assignments will be immediately dropped from the course and given an F for the semester.
Class Work-All class work must be received prior to the last class meeting. No late work of any type will be accepted on the day of the final exam. Extra credit is not a substitute for class work. It is given in addition to homework and exams. As stated above, all class work must be completed in order for the student to pass the course and receive credit.
Absence-Please notify the instructor of absences via email or voice mail prior to class time if possible. Legitimate: illness, car accident, death in the family; NON-Legitimate: vacation plans, ball game tickets, drug rehabilitation, etc.
Credit/No Credit-This option is available. Students taking the course credit/no credit must take all quizzes, complete all homework assignments, take the mid-term and final exam, and receive an overall score of 70% (equal to a C-) in order to receive credit.
Academic Accommodations-If a student has a disability and needs assistance, please notify the instructor and contact the Disability Resources Office.
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 your behalf to protect your GPA.
General Facility Information:
Absolutely no food or drinks are permitted in the classroom. (Water is ok.)
Absolutely no smoking is permitted on campus. SRJC is COMPLETELY smoke free.