Extra Credit Blog Posts (Due Tuesday, February 9th at 8am )

There are 2 more events on the weekend of February 4th that I would like to announce as potential extra credit blog posts. I will accept a maximum of 2 of the following extra credit blog post opportunities:

Extra Credit Blog Post 1: Chinese Cultural Exchange
Attend the IN-CLASS discussion with the UIBE (University of International Business and Economy) Students Art Troupe from China on Thursday, February 4th (location TBA) and create a blog post which comments on this discussion. Avoid mere summaries and attempt to engage possible readers in a larger discussion of Chinese music and culture.

Extra Credit Blog Post 2: Chamber Orchestra Kremlin Open Rehearsal
Attend the open rehearsal for the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin concert on Friday, February 5th at 5pm in the Conference Center and take notes regarding the rehearsal process. Performance Theorist, Richard Schechner, defines rehearsal as "the phase of a rehearsal process where the specific details of a performance are [discarded,] shaped, repeated, and made ready for public showing." Create a blog post which comments on the performance process from this perspective. What is discarded, shaped, repeated, and/or made ready for the concert?

Extra Credit Blog Post 3: Chamber Orchestra Kremlin Concert
Attend the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin concert on Friday, February 5th at 8pm in the Conference Center and observe the elements of music performance (music, performers, audience, time and space). Attend the post-concert reception in Hoblitzelle Hall, right next to Conference Center, as well (required for this extra credit). Create a blog post which comments on the music-culture brought together by this concert and reception. Focus your attention on the audience members who stayed versus those who left. Avoid stereotypes with ethnocentric assumptions (i.e. The college students left because they had something better to do.).

Extra Credit Blog Post 4: Chinese New Year Celebration
Attend the Chinese New Year concert on Saturday, February 6th and focus your attention on the aspects of music performance (Music, Performers, Audience, Time/Space). Create a blog post which comments on this music performance. As in the post above, avoid mere summaries and attempt to engage possible readers in a larger discussion of Chinese music and culture.

Chinese Cultural Exchange Event in February (update

The student troupe from China will be able to visit during our class on Thursday, February 4th. I will still count the blog post as extra credit. Please see the updated syllabus under "Important Class Links" to the right.

Exam 1 Review

We will discuss this exam review in class, but here is the review in PDF format. Be sure to click on the links for the Listening Identification. You may need Windows Media Player to access one sound clip (Monophony). If all else fails, bring earphones to the computer labs on campus.

For this exam only...
Lecture notes are now available for Chapter 1, Chapters 2/3, and Chapters 4/5. If you do not have the username and password, please email me asap.

Extra Credit Blog Posts (Due Tuesday, February 9th at 8am )

The following blog posts can replace a required blog post or add additional points to your blog grade in this class:

Extra Credit Blog Post 1:
Attend the out-of-class discussion with the UIBE (University of International Business and Economy) Students Art Troupe from China on Thursday, February 4th (Time TBA) and create a blog post which comments on this discussion. Avoid mere summaries and attempt to engage possible readers in a larger discussion of Chinese music and culture.

Extra Credit Blog Post 2:
Attend the Chinese New Year concert on Saturday, February 6th and focus your attention on the aspects of music performance (Music, Performers, Audience, Time/Space). Create a blog post which comments on this music performance. As in the post above, avoid mere summaries and attempt to engage possible readers in a larger discussion of Chinese music and culture.

Post 3 – February 2, 2010 at 8am

Attend the Music Faculty Concert (40th Anniversary) on Friday, January 29th at 8pm in Conference Center (or an approved alternative event) and take notes regarding the Elements of Music Performance (Music, Performers, Audience, Time/Space). In your blog entry, describe one song from this event using the four elements above. Try not to exceed the 300-word limit. WARNING: Avoid the tendency to evaluate the performance as you would a concert review. Focus on objective description.

Post 2 – January 28, 2010 at 8am

Propose one Dallas music-culture as a subject for your music ethnography. Provide basic information about this music-culture and emphasize its local culture as separate from any larger association (i.e. Dallas Hindustani Classical Music scene as separate from Hindustani Classical Music elsewhere, especially within India). Be sure to provide hyperlinks to relevant websites and feel free to include pictures, videos, etc. as long as credit is given.

Turnitin.com Announcement

To ensure everyone focuses on the blog creation, first post, and the music ethnography guidelines, I will not count off on your first blog post if you do not submit to Turnitin.com. I would still prefer to see everyone create Turnitin.com account and register for the class (email if you missed this information on the first day), but I will not require submission to both locations until Blog Post 2.

Alternative Events to Required Event on Friday, January 29th

As noted in the syllabus, event attendance is required to the Music Faculty Concert on Friday, January 29th at 8pm in the Conference Center. This is a required event for all music courses and will be the subject of Blog Post 3. Since this announcement comes less than one month from the event, I will allow two alternative events: THIS Sunday's Japan-America Society Mochitsuki Festival ($8 admission fee but includes mochi and drinks) or the N'Awlins Gumbo Kings on Friday, January 22nd.

For those attending the festival this Sunday afternoon, please take notes during the festival regarding all aspects of music-culture discussed in class today:

1.Ideas About Music (Belief System, Aesthetics, Contexts, History)
2.Activities Involving Music
3.Repertoires of Music (Style, Genre, Text, Composition, Transmission, Movement)
4.Material Culture of Music

If you cannot attend any of these events, please email me ASAP.

Post 1 – January 19, 2010 at 8am

Choose one music-culture which has influenced you. After our discussion of music-cultures on Thursday, January 14th, describe the music-culture and explain how it has shaped who you are today. Be sure to provide hyperlinks to relevant websites and feel free to include pictures, videos, etc. as long as credit is given. (For example, include a hyperlink if content was taken from another website or provide bibliographic information if taken from another source.)

REMINDER: Check the Assignment Guidelines (to the left) for general post requirements.

Introduction to MUSI 1306 Blogs

This is not a lecture-based course. Although the course has a freshman course number and meets at 8:30am, I do not expect to see bobbing/sleepy heads and blank expressions. The purpose of this course is to BETTER understand music … of any culture. To achieve this, we will learn basic music and anthropology concepts applicable to most, if not all, cultures and then dive into music cultures throughout the world which allow us to practice these methods and gain better insight. Although this might sound a bit dry, the methods for understanding music will range from student blogs which explore subcultures of your interest from general content covered in class to in-class workshops which might require that you get out of your seats. Yes, there are some lectures, but I hope this online environment will open doors to in-person discussions as well.

In the meantime, here are a few steps to get you started on your class blogs.

1. Create a blog through http://www.blogspot.com for the purposes of completing assignments for this course but feel free to expand your blog into other discussions about music.


2. Once the blog address is established, email the blog address to me (see email on course syllabus) with your full name and MUSI 1306 in the subject line.


3. Familiarize yourself with blogspot and begin working on Post 1 (due January 19th at 8am).


4. By Thursday, January 14th, you should see your blog listed under “Student Blogs” to the right. If your blog address does not appear, please resend the address and recheck the email address on your syllabus.

Posts will be made to this blog regularly for assignment guidelines, announcements, and other helpful information.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Although assignments will be posted to your blogs this semester, you will NOT receive a grade for your assignments unless you post BOTH to your blog AND Turnitin.com. Please familiarize yourself with both early in the semester and visit office hours/schedule an appointment if help is needed.

Enjoy your world music blogs this semester!

Introduction to MUSI 1306 Blogs

This is not a lecture-based course. Although the course has a freshman course number and meets at 8:30am, I do not expect to see bobbing/sleepy heads and blank expressions. The purpose of this course is to BETTER understand music … of any culture. To achieve this, we will learn basic music and anthropology concepts applicable to most, if not all, cultures and then dive into music cultures throughout the world which allow us to practice these methods and gain better insight. Although this might sound a bit dry, the methods for understanding music will range from student blogs which explore subcultures of your interest from general content covered in class to in-class workshops which might require that you get out of your seats. Yes, there are some lectures, but I hope this online environment will open doors to in-person discussions as well.

In the meantime, here are a few steps to get you started on your class blogs.

1. Create a blog through http://www.blogspot.com for the purposes of completing assignments for this course but feel free to expand your blog into other discussions about music.
2. Once the blog address is established, email the blog address to me (see email on course syllabus) with your full name and MUSI 1306 in the subject line.
3. Familiarize yourself with blogspot and begin working on Post 1 (due January 19th at 8am).
4. By Thursday, January 14th, you should see your blog listed under “Student Blogs” to the right. If your blog address does not appear, please resend the address and recheck the email address on your syllabus.

Posts will be made to this blog regularly for assignment guidelines, announcements, and other helpful information.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Although assignments will be posted to your blogs this semester, you will NOT receive a grade for your assignments unless you post BOTH to your blog AND Turnitin.com. Please familiarize yourself with both early in the semester and visit office hours/schedule an appointment if help is needed.

Enjoy your world music blogs this semester!