[Smt-talk] Core music theory courses for undergraduates

[Stephen Jablonsky]

I am wondering how much class time is devoted to the study and performance of rhythm. We do a great deal with sight singing and keyboard, but I have always felt we too often bypass the most fundamental of musical parameters. When I was an undergrad there was only the Robert Starer rhythm book and it really never did the trick. Since then there have been a few good books published, including my All-Star Rhythm & Pitch Book, that address this critical area of student development. I know from 50 years of teaching that students need this kind of work and find it terribly rewarding. I am always amazed at how much the students who use my book learn in one semester. They seem to move much faster into complicated rhythms than we did back in the Jurassic Period.


Dr. Stephen Jablonsky, Ph.D.
Music Department Chair
The City College of New York
Shepard Hall Room 72
New York NY 10031
(212) 650-7663
music at ccny.cuny.edu

America's Greatest Chair 
in the low-priced field







On May 21, 2014, at 6:55 PM, Zachary Cairns <cairnsz at umsl.edu> wrote:

> Anna,
> 
> Thanks for asking this question -- I've been very interested to read everyone's replies so far!
> 
> At University of Missouri - St. Louis, our undergraduate core is a four-semester sequence.  The written and aural components are taught in separate classes, by separate professors. But their curricula are linked, on a weekly basis, as much as is possible.  As such, students cannot progress in the course sequence until they have earned a C or better in both areas (a student may not be enrolled in Theory III and Aural Training I simultaneously).  Keyboard skills are taught in a separate class, and are unfortunately isolated.
> 
> Written theory -- meets 2 days a week, for 75 minutes per day, and the students earn three credits for this class each semester.  
> Aural theory -- meets 2 days a week, for 50 minutes per day, and the students are shortchanged by only earning one credit for this class (a common criticism on course evaluations...)
> Keyboard skills -- meets 2 days a week, for 50 minutes per day, one credit here, as well.
> 
> I should mention that our four-semester sequence is exclusively devoted to tonal theory.  We have a separate class for post-tonal theory (2 days a week, 50 minutes per day, two credits), but it is (unfortunately) not required of all students.
> 
> Hope this information is helpful.  Best of luck with your curricular changes!
> Zac
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, May 21, 2014 at 11:00 AM, David Feurzeig <mozojo at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Are theory and aural skills integrated or taught in separate classes? Are keyboard skills included or taught separately?
> 
> There is an excellent overview of pedagogical pros and cons in Michael R. Rogers' "Teaching Approaches in Music Theory".
> 
> Having gone through three revisions at three very different institutions, I believe these perennial questions are always important to ponder, but have no right answers.
> 
> While the background of the typical student may have changed in the last few decades, which might affect the choices a particular department makes, the issues Rogers considers are much the same now as ever.
> 
> David Feurzeig
> The University of Vermont
> _______________________________________________
> Smt-talk mailing list
> Smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org
> http://lists.societymusictheory.org/listinfo.cgi/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> ______________________________
> Zachary Cairns
> Assistant Professor of Music Theory
> University of Missouri - St. Louis
> office: 310 Music Building
> office phone: (314) 516-5999
> cairnsz at umsl.edu
> _______________________________________________
> Smt-talk mailing list
> Smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org
> http://lists.societymusictheory.org/listinfo.cgi/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.societymusictheory.org/pipermail/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org/attachments/20140522/bf6265eb/attachment-0001.htm>