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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I
graduated from the Institute (1972, 1973) and was placed in sophomore theory
when I arrived, because:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I
was lucky enough to have an Oberlin grad for a choir director at Lakewood High
School who taught a year of music theory. I twisted her arm into letting me
continue my senior year into chromatic harmony and form, and advanced era-training.
So when I entered the Institute they placed me in sophomore theory, which was
so slowly paced that I continually asked my teachers for additional work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I
also PICKED MUSIC OUT AT THE PIANO when I was young (age 3 and beyond, I’m
told.) Just one-finger, one-note melodies. So when I hear music I see a
keyboard. As much as we would love it otherwise, music is as visual as it is
aural, and aural memory requires attaching a visual “tag” to a
sound. Alvaretta West (bless her heart) required piano-to-piano dictation in her
classes, which gives you that visual image. High/low errors get corrected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>It was not until my doctoral degree at
Eastman that I finally received serious, advanced theory training.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>So my suggestion is to get students into a
keyboard lab ASAP repeating simple melodies, scales, chords, intervals, and go
from there. Hunt and peck IS the way I learned ear-training.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Regarding the bookwork, that’s all it
is. My experience at the institute was that applied teachers didn’t care
at all if their students learned theory – they were preparing them for a
world of orchestral and operatic performance, and actually complained to the
theory faculty when homework took a precious hour away from practice time. My
hope is that this attitude is a distant memory.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>But this may be the reason Tim has had
little impact with his pedagogy. Do you have student login records for the
teacher, showing the work done and scores earned? Do you pair up students with
high and low skills in keyboard classes? Do you have the support of the applied
faculty? They should be pouncing on students with low theory scores. I hope
that is now the case.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Larry Barnes, professor of music<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Transylvania University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.larrybarnesmusic.com">www.larrybarnesmusic.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
smt-talk-bounces@lists.societymusictheory.org
[mailto:smt-talk-bounces@lists.societymusictheory.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Timothy
Cutler<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, October 10, 2010 2:23 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Smt-talk@societymusictheory.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Smt-talk] remedial theory question<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>As the years go by, here at the Cleveland Institute of Music
we find ourselves placing more and more incoming freshman into remedial theory
classes. Our expectations for Theory 101 are not outrageous—a decent
knowledge of major and minor scales, key signatures, intervals, and minimal
(and I stress <i>minimal</i>) aural and keyboard skills are all we expect. Yet,
a growing number of freshmen enter their first year with no clue of these basic
concepts and skills. Is this a growing trend nationally? Are other schools
experiencing the same issues? We are seeking suggestions for ways to help more
freshmen place into Theory 101 rather than remedial courses. We have made a
pedagogical video accessible to all incoming freshmen as soon as they are
accepted at CIM, but so far it has had little impact. We are also considering
online tutorials, theory workshops during orientation week, and attaching
scholarship bonuses/penalties to theory placement. What other ideas should we
consider? Thanks very much!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Dr. Tim Cutler<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Professor of Music Theory<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Cleveland Institute of Music<o:p></o:p></p>
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