Course Syllabus
Course: MUSC 1406
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New MediaDepartment: Music
Title: Jazz Chamber Music I
Semester Approved: Summer 2020
Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2025
End Semester: Spring 2026
Catalog Description: Chamber ensemble groups for jazz musicians. This ensemble will provide students with an opportunity to develop technical skill, sight-reading ability, and knowledge of the repertory related to the ensemble. It further allows students to synthesize musical, historical and cultural knowledge into meaningful artistic expression. Registration by permission of instructor. Audition required. May be repeated for credit.
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 1; Lecture: 0; Lab: 2
Repeatable: Yes.
Prerequisites: Audition required.
Corequisites: N/A
Justification: This course prepares students to perform in a prevalent style of jazz performance: the small combo. Similar courses are available in both classical and jazz music at other four year institutions in Utah.
General Education Outcomes:
1: A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Each student will be required to read the jazz textbook and assimilate the theoretical material when practicing and performing. Tests and performance evaluations will be given to test this knowledge and furthermore ensure that the concepts and material can be used in "real time" during a performance.
2: A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Through the historical research process, students will be evaluated on their ability to successfully write a research document that accurately reflects the history and impact of historical jazz musicians.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Accurately perform the rhythms, melodies and harmonies of the music selected by the director. This will be assessed through live performance, concerts, and in class by comparing recordings and sheet music to what the students are playing.
Perform essential music skills as part of a section, including, proper intonation blend and balance. Through live performance and rehearsals, the mastery of these skills, or lack thereof, will be made apparent.
Show improvement in both speed and accuracy of literature learning as measured by small group assessment. Through the semester, the students will improve in these areas from week to week, and at the final concert these areas will be assessed.
Understand the music in its historical setting as well as the stylistic, expressive, and formal qualities associated with the particular era of music history. Students are required to do research on each piece, composer and arranger, and understand the context with which this information fits in with historical figures and eras of music. It will be assessed through conversation with the professor and through performance.
Communicate the understanding which they have gained to their audiences. This will be assessed through live performance at the end of each semester.
Content:
Members of the ensemble will learn and perform appropriate literature as selected by the instructor. Content includes study of:
• Intonation
• Balance
• Blend
• Articulation
• Historical Context
• Performance Practice
Key Performance Indicators:
Students in instrumental music performance courses are assessed in the following ways:
Participation Rates - Attendance at class sessions 30 to 35%
Presentation/Performance – sectional rehearsal participation and performance 25 to 30%
Presentation/Performance - Concert participation and performance 30 to 35%
Group Project - Participation in concert recording review and critique 10 to 15%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Literature is taken from the Snow College score library.
Pedagogy Statement:
This course involves mostly rehearsal of music from a given era, style, composer, artist, etc. Each group will focus on music from one of the aforementioned items, as assigned by the instructor. Students are encouraged, but not required, to create arrangements of the repertoire we work on. Students are required to memorize the music for concerts, and are required to practice and rehearse as a group outside of the scheduled rehearsal time. Group rehearsal time outside of class is expected to be at least one 50 minute rehearsal. Personal practice will vary from student to student. The final "exam" for this course is the final concert at the end of the semester.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
Maximum Class Size: 20
Optimum Class Size: 12