[Smt-talk] Open Access

Fri Apr 27 14:04:11 PDT 2012

Jennifer, many thanks for reminding the SMT List of the website that JMTP
has been developing over the past year (I’ve pasted below the announcement
that I sent to the list in the fall).  The building of the site by the firm
i-SolutionServices has taken longer than anticipated, but I can now say that
we are within two weeks of launching what will be a multi-faceted and
interactive repository of all manner of teaching materials, from
bibliographies and assignments to syllabi and video teaching demonstrations.
And, there are multiple extensions of the vision to disseminate best
practices, including our innovative tutoring program; Prof. Iverson provided
the link to the announcement in her post.

For this enterprise to succeed,  we must all take part in sharing and
evaluating materials from a thoughtful and knowledgeable vantage point.  The
JMTP site is not meant to replace textbooks, which have their place in the
marketplace of materials and ideas, but to provide new formats that take
advantage of the latest technologies.   These new materials gain their
meaning and context by building on the collective work of many authors --
from the writings of Viktor Zuckerkandl, D.F. Tovey, Oswald Jonas, Edward T.
Cone, and Wallace Berry, to Joseph Straus, Timothy Johnson, Richard Cohn,
Steven Rings, and Dmitri Tymoczko.  Indeed, there is already a vast array of
talent and innovation.  The JMTP site is meant to advance this work by
multi-means, but, we can accomplish this only by a community effort.

Steve Laitz
Editor, the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy
Eastman School of Music
University of Rochester

Colleagues,

The open-access and web-based ideas being discussed on this thread are
exciting, indeed. As I understood it, this was part of the function of the
new theory pedagogy website being created under the auspices of the Gail
Boyd DeStwolinski Center and the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy; Press
release: http://www.choralnet.org/view/297880 Any updates on that project?

__________________________
Jennifer Iverson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Music Theory
University of Iowa School of Music
2775 UCC
(319) 384 3365
jennifer-iverson at uiowa.edu <x-msg://108/jennifer-iverson@uiowa.edu>
Dear Colleagues,

I write to announce that the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, under the
auspices of the Gail Boyd de Stwolinski Center for Music Theory Pedagogy at
the University of Oklahoma, is currently building a new and vital website
that will serve as a repository for all things relating to music theory
pedagogy. The site will benefit instructors of all stripes, including those
teaching theory at the high school level (e.g., AP, IB.), those working in
the trenches of a school’s undergraduate core, and instructors who focus on
graduate-level instruction ranging from matriculating (and quite possibly,
remediating) MM and MA students, to advanced students in their final
semesters of DMA and Ph.D. programs.  The site’s goals are to:
1.  Create an attitude shift that would replace the typical undergraduate’s
notion that theory is an odious enterprise with the reality that it is an
activity that relies on critical thinking, invoking instincts and informed
choices, and is a practice dependent upon the ability to differentiate
between the commonplace norms of a given style and deviations that imbue a
work with genius. To be sure, the site’s contents will allow us to reveal to
students (and our applied faculty colleagues) how theory―and especially
analysis―can:
       a.  increase one’s all-around musicianship,
       b.  inform performance, especially interpretation (through
corroborating instincts, generating multiple interpretations, and clarifying
anomalous events). 

2.  Improve teaching to ensure that both the specialist and non-specialist
(e.g., performers who might not have taken theory classes since their
undergraduate years--yet are often entrusted with teaching theory courses
ranging from fundamentals to first and second year written and aural classes
and even upper-level courses in form and counterpoint--are equipped with
clear and up-to-date musical models, in a word, best practices.

The robust site is scheduled to go live December 31, 2011, in tandem with
the publication of Volume 25 of the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy (thus
marking a quarter century of contributions to the pedagogy of music theory).
The JMTP Website will house a vast array of information and amenities, the
most important of which will include:

*Supplements to the Journal, such as:
* e-versions of the current issue of the Journal and access to all back
issues and individual articles
* access to scores and links to recordings of works discussed in articles
* video demonstrations of particular concepts, pedagogical approaches, etc

*Pedagogical resources (lovingly referred to as “In the Trenches”). These
will include:
* E-articles. These short, peer-reviewed articles may be presented in any
number of formats (print, video, etc.). Topics may be wide ranging,
including technology (CAI, web-based instruction, Blackboard, SmartBoard,
Angel, etc.), analysis and performance, model composition, aural skills,
etc. 

* Sample analyses of the canon, lesson plans, assignments, etc.

* Institutional materials (syllabi, structure and philosophy of specific
undergraduate core curricula, placement requirements, etc.) from a wide
variety of school types (university, conservatory, community college, high
school, etc.) 

* Video teaching demonstrations. Topics range from introductory and
well-circumscribed (e.g., how to introduce part writing, how to harmonize a
chorale melody or a folk tune) to more-creative activities (e.g., teaching
dictation from the repertoire, incorporating a keyboard component in the
theory class), as well advanced topics (e.g., introduction to Schenkerian
analysis, analysis and performance demonstrations, etc.). We encourage
leading pedagogues in the field, emerging faculty, and students to submit
their work. 

* Open forum. This moderated topic-oriented forum will encourage free and
ongoing discussions including the role of AP exams, NASM guidelines,
curricular development, classroom management, as well as specific areas of
curriculum design (fundamentals, tonal harmony, jazz and popular music
theory, post-tonal aural skills, etc.).

* Textbook authors’ helpdesk. Textbook authors will provide pedagogical
information and answer members’ questions.

*Inter-institutional initiatives (peer tutoring programs, etc.). Music
theory students will have the opportunity to work together on two separate
projects:
・      Peer Tutoring.  Both undergraduate- and graduate-student tutors from
various universities have agreed to make themselves available to any and all
students via Skype two hours per week. Access to these tutors is free of
charge.

・      Collaborative Analysis.  Students from a pairing of universities will
work together on analysis projects using resources such as Google docs and
Skype.  The goal is to follow best practices in terms of collaborative
learning so that students may develop multiple interpretations of a piece.

*Upcoming events and opportunities (job opportunities, calls for papers,
institutes, etc.)

The Website Editorial Board is comprised of energetic faculty members from
diverse institutions and areas of specialty. They are:
David Castro (St. Olaf College)
Frank Doyle (Northport High School, Long Island)
Melissa Hoag (Oakland University)
Steve Laitz (Eastman School of Music)
Jena Root (Co-Chair, Youngstown State University)
Jennifer Snodgrass (Co-Chair, Appalachian State University)

It is crucial that there be a force in the field that allows easy access to
cutting-edge and best-practice models of music theory pedagogy. This is
perhaps especially so for the non-specialist who is teaching either college
level theory or pre-college theory. Therefore we seek your generous
assistance in providing materials for this site. Ownership of copyrighted
material will be retained by the author. Contributors are encouraged to
consider, but are by no means limited to, the following topics:
●      College-level Fundamentals and Music Theory classes for non-majors
●      Theory and Aural Skills Core
●      Commercial Music Theory (Jazz, Pop, Musical Theatre, etc.)
●      High School Music Theory (Fundamentals/Pre-AP, AP Music Theory, IB
Music)

Below are the calls for materials for four major areas of the site. Please
send submissions to ysumusictheory <mailto:ysumusictheory at gmail.com> @
<mailto:ysumusictheory at gmail.com> gmail <mailto:ysumusictheory at gmail.com> .
<mailto:ysumusictheory at gmail.com> com <mailto:ysumusictheory at gmail.com>
(Dr. Jena Root, Dana School of Music, Youngstown State University). The
author’s name and institutional affiliation should be included in the e-mail
message, but should not appear anywhere in the submitted files.

CFP:  E-Articles
We welcome contributions for e-articles that demonstrate best-practice
models for teaching any aspect of music theory, ranging from the high school
to the university classroom. Special consideration will be given to articles
that address teaching "in the trenches"--that is, core music theory and
aural skills classes often taught by junior faculty, non-theory-specialists
(e.g. performer/teachers), and graduate assistants.  Due to the nature of
e-articles, submissions that include audio, video, or other multimedia are
of considerable interest.
Articles should be submitted as a zip file containing the following:
1. Body of the article, including links to media content in rich text or
html format.
2. Linked media files within the same folder.

CFP:  Teaching Videos
We welcome contributions for teaching videos that demonstrate best-practice
models for teaching any aspect of music theory, ranging from the high school
to the university classroom.

Contributors are encouraged to submit teaching demonstrations on subjects
that range from introductory and well-circumscribed topics (e.g., how to
introduce part writing, how to harmonize a chorale melody or a folk tune) to
more creative activities (e.g., teaching dictation from the repertoire,
incorporating a keyboard component in the theory class), to more advanced
topics (e.g., post-tonal topics).

There will be two types of demonstrations: those that are solicited from
leading figures in the field and those that are freely submitted. All will
be peer reviewed. Submitted teaching demonstrations should ideally be 12-15
minutes in length, but no longer than 20 minutes. The demonstration should
be accompanied by a 200-word abstract that includes the following
information:
1. The topic being taught
2. Brief description of methodology used
3. Pertinent background information on student population for which the
teaching demonstration is intended (college-age music majors--if so, what
year? high-school students? musical theater students?)
4. Related scores, graphics, assignments and assessment materials

Submissions should be in a Quicktime-compatible format.

CFP:  Course Design Materials
We welcome contributions for course syllabi, assignments, and exams that
demonstrate exemplary and potentially novel approaches to course design for
any aspect of music theory, ranging from the high school to the university
classroom. Contributed syllabi can be for a single class or for a sequence
of classes. Special consideration will be given to submissions that address
the design and teaching of core music theory and aural skills classes, which
are often taught by junior faculty, non-theory-specialists (i.e.,
performer/teachers), and graduate assistants.

Submissions should be in PDF format and accompanied by a 200-word abstract
that includes any pertinent background information on the student population
for whom the materials have been designed (e.g., high school AP, liberal
arts college non-music-majors, conservatory seniors, etc.). Because these
materials will appear on the JMTP website you may include links to
supplementary information or materials that are integral to your course(s)
or are helpful in understanding novel approaches. Please include all linked
files with your submission.

CFP:  Sample Analyses
We welcome contributions of innovative analyses for use as teaching
supplements in the high school and university settings. Relevant analyses
will focus on core music theory topics ranging from fundamentals through
advanced concepts and are encouraged to embrace not only Western music, but
also popular, jazz and world music, which would enrich the students’
classroom experience as well as provide a wealth of analytical materials for
the instructor.

Special consideration will be given to analyses that are “classroom-ready”
and include student handouts, outside assignments, and assessment materials.
We encourage submission of works that incorporate the use of various
multimedia and interactive formats such as color graphics, sound files (real
or MIDI), or video/animation, which will enhance the presentation of an
otherwise traditional article.

Contributions should be relatively brief, roughly 2-3K words. The author is
responsible for obtaining permissions, and, if required, paying fees
incurred for copyrighted material.

Articles should be submitted as a zip file containing the following:
1. Body of the article, including links to media content in rich text or
html format.

2. Linked media files within the same folder.

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