Course Syllabus
Music
4600: Advanced Composition, Fall 07
Instructor: Dr. Chris Arrell
Office:
213 Music Education Building
Phone: 678.466.4751
Email:
Website:
http://a-s.clayton.edu/arrell
Office
Hours: see website
Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations need to
register with Disability Services (DS) in order to obtain their accommodations.
You can contact them at 678-466-5445 or disabilityservices@clayton.edu.
If you are already registered with DS and are seeking accommodations for this
course, please make an appointment with me to discuss your specific
accommodation needs for this course and give me your accommodations letter.
Course Description and Expectations: Weekly applied lessons in music composition. You are expected to compose on average 2 or
more hours daily and to bring new work to each lesson. A weekly log detailing time spent composing
is due at each lesson (see below).
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the BMQE Composition
Learning Outcomes: (1) competence in composing including scoring for a variety of
ensembles, significant technical mastery and artistic self-expression, the
capability to produce work and solve professional problems independently, and
the ability to set and achieve artistic/intellectual goals; (2) an
understanding of compositional processes, aesthetic properties of style, and
the ways these shape and are shaped by artistic and cultural forces; (3) the
ability to hear, identify and work conceptually with the elements of music
(melody, harmony, rhythm, form, texture, and timbre); (4) fluency in analytical
techniques; (5) the ability to communicate musical ideas, concepts, and
requirements related to compositional practice (such communication may involve
musical, oral, written, or visual media); (6) an acquaintance with a variety of
classical styles and cultural sources and the ability to place these styles
within the appropriate context; (7) knowledge of the nature of composition at
the professional level.
Required Course Materials: there are no required textbooks for this course. Students are responsible for printing, copy,
and postage costs.
Computer
Requirements and Responsibilities:
Each CSU student is required to have ready access throughout the semester to a
notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software
requirements for the student's academic program. For further information on the official
notebook computer policy of CSU, please go to http://itpchoice.clayton.edu/policy.htm. Also, each student is responsible for
monitoring the
Computer Use: All final versions of scores and parts must be
engraved with pre-approved professional music engraving software such as Finale
or Sibelius. In addition, computers will
be required to access course materials and communicate with your instructor.
Attendance: Departmental
policy states faculty are not required to make-up applied lessons missed by
students. I will allow you to reschedule
a lesson if any one of the following apply: 1) a
verified emergency; 2) a documented medical condition; 3) an official
university or professional music event that I approve in advance. You will receive an unexcused absence if you
are more than 10 minutes late. You are
entitled to fourteen lessons over the course of the semester, and I expect you
to attend all of these prepared and on time.
Weekly evaluation grades for missed lessons are zeros. 60% of your grade is determined by the
average of your 10 highest Weekly Evaluations (see evaluation form, below).
Portfolio Quota: 20% of your final grade is determined by the amount of music you
compose in the given semester, as follows:
Total Grade Points
9 or more minutes A 20
pts
6-8 minutes B 16 pts
3-5 minutes C 11 pts
1-2 minutes D 5 pts
0-59 seconds F 0 pts
CSU Composers’ Forum: 10% of your final grade is determined by your
participation in the CSU Composers’ Forum, which will meet Thursdays from 5-6
on the following dates: 8/30, 9/20, 10/4, 10/18, 11/1, and 11/29. There is also the possibility of two
additional dates involving guest speakers. I will discuss these dates
with student composers in advance, and will do my best to find times convenient
for everyone. Missing two or more forums
will result in a zero for your Forum Grade.
Composition Portfolio: 5% of your final grade is determined by your
Composition Portfolio. All
sketch-work, revisions, final scores, composition logs, and copies of
submission materials for call-for-scores must be neatly kept in a three-ring
binder that you will leave with me after your composition jury (I will return
the folder to you in the following semester).
Include a table of contents and use dividers to clearly partition sections
of the portfolio.
Call-for-Scores: 5% of your final grade is determined by your submissions to at least
two calls-for-scores. You are required
to show me your submissions materials before you mail them.
End of Semester Jury or Senior Recital: A
failure grade for your composition jury and/or senior recital will reduce your
final grade by one letter.
Works for Guest New Music Performers: Students registered for the fall semester are required
to write a work for woodwind quintet that will be coached by guest ensemble the
Imani Winds and guest composer Alvin Singleton in the
spring semester. Failing to complete
this piece (including engraved score and parts) by the end of the fall semester
will reduce your final grade by one letter.
Final Grade Calculation
Average of 10 Highest Weekly Evaluations (see below) 60 pts
Portfolio Quota 20
pts
Composers’ Forum 10
pts
Composition
Portfolio 5
pts
Call-for-scores (2 at 2.5 points each) 5
pts
100-90=A, 89.999–80=B,
79.999–70=C, 69.999-60.000=D, 59.999-0=F
Midterm Grade Progress Report: The midterm grade in this course reflects
approximately 50% of the entire course grade.
Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from the course and
receive a grade of “W.” Students
pursuing this option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available in
the Office of the Registrar, by mid-term, which occurs on October 12, 2007.
Academic Dishonesty Policy: Any type of activity that is considered dishonest by
reasonable standards may constitute academic misconduct. The most common forms of academic misconduct
are cheating and plagiarism. Instances
of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the work involved,
and may be reported to the Office of Student Life/Judicial Affairs. Judicial Procedures are described at http://adminservices.clayton.edu/judicial/
.
Conduct Expectations: Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State
University Student Handbook, at http://adminservices.clayton.edu/studentaffairs/StudentHandbook/foreword.htm
[and Music Department Handbook].
Basic Undergraduate Student
Responsibilities: Students should
understand these located at: http://a-s.clayton.edu/BasicUndergraduateStudentResponsibilities.htm
Resources
Office
Hours (see website)
On-campus “Classical Music Library” available through CSU
Library web-site
Library
Materials
Alfred
Blatter, Instrumentation and Orchestration
Howard
Hanson, The Composer and His Orchestra
Anthony
Hopkins, Sounds of the Orchestra
Read
Kent
Kennan, Technique of Orchestration
Andrew
Stiller, Handbook of Instrumentation
Norton
Anthology of Western Music (scores and recordings)
On
the web
COMPOSITION LOG (Print for your records)
|
|
M |
T |
W |
R |
F |
S |
U |
|
Times |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WEEKLY EVALUATION FORM
Name:
Evaluation Number: Date:
1) Composition log /40pts
8 hours or more 40 (100%)
6
hours 48 minutes to 7 hours 59 minutes 34 (85%)
5 hours 36 minutes to 6 hours 47 minutes 28 (70%)
4 hours 0 minutes to 5 hours 35 minutes 20 (50%)
3 hours 59 minutes or less 0 (0%)
2) Revisions from previous
lesson (including form chart, if applicable)/20pts
Excellent 20 (100%)
Good 17 (85%)
Fair 14 (70%)
Poor 10 (50%)
Unacceptable 0 (0%
3) Goals for current lesson
Excellent 20 (100%)
Good 17 (85%)
Fair 14 (70%)
Poor 10 (50%)
Unacceptable 0 (0%)
4) Dynamics, Articulations,
Slurs, Tempo Markings/20pts
Excellent 20 (100%)
Good 17 (85%)
Fair
14 (70%)
Poor 10 (50%)
No dynamics nor articulations 0 (0%)