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Course Syllabus

Course: MUSC 2856

Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
Department: Music
Title: Private Jazz II

Semester Approved: Spring 2024
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2028
End Semester: Fall 2029

Catalog Description: This course provides individual musical instruction in jazz at the beginning to intermediate level. This course augments but does not replace private study on the major instrument and cannot be taken in the place of private lessons. All students taking this course are also required to participate in regular master classes, recitals and juries which fulfill the lab portion of the course. The course is also available to non-music majors who wish to develop their musicianship and performance skills. An additional fee is required. This course is repeatable for credit.

Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 1; Lecture: .5; Lab: 1
Repeatable: Yes.


Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor

Justification: As an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), Snow College is required to provide competent private instruction for music majors in all vocal and instrumental specialties. Private instruction is required of music majors in four-year music degree programs and must appear on student transcripts. This course offers an excellent opportunity for all Snow College students to develop musicianship and performance skills. Courses of this type are taught at all NASM accredited institutions in Utah.


Student Learning Outcomes:
Continue to develop good practice habits, and keep track of practice hours using a practice journal or log sheet
 Student will turn in practice journal or log sheet to the instructor. Practice is the primary means of participation assessment. Instructor will give advice on how to schedule better practice hours.

Learn repertoire appropriate to a beginning to intermediate grade level
 In jazz, repertoire learning also requires transcription and arranging. These processes challenge aural skills and generate written work for the instructor to assess. Student will perform repertoire in the lesson for the Instructor.

Learn intermediate and advanced technique skills necessary to perform
more challenging repertoire Student will demonstrate knowledge of skills in performance for Instructor.

Memorize music for performance (where appropriate) Student will demonstrate in performance.

Perform in master classes, recitals and other public events Student will demonstrate in performance.

Perform an end-of-semester jury Student will demonstrate in performance.

Continue to demonstrate proper artistic style and technical facility. Student will demonstrate progress in these areas in each lesson, progressively playing more skillfully, artistically, and with more facility, in comparison to classic and modern recordings and stylistic examples, from which exercises of these skills are derived. Stylistic development in jazz relies on the improvement of aural skills, which will be assessed in lessons by the instructor.


Content:
This Course will include some combination of the pursuits listed below:Study of major and minor scales, modes and other scales as assigned, their corresponding arpeggios, and similar essential musical structures.Development of technical skill through study of exercises and etudes appropriate to student playing level.Study of solo repertoire and standard jazz repertoire appropriate for second-year college students and/or the individual level of the student.Development of increased skill in improvisation through the mastery of harmonic materials, and exploration of melodic devices.Development of aural skills through regular in-depth study of recordings, including the transcription of performances by master artists.Greater focus on instruction in performance practice in a variety of styles and historic periods, and examining the playing style of a variety of master artists.Continuing development of tone strength and quality within all ranges of the instrument.Development of performance technique, including memorization techniques, stage deportment and anxiety management.Study and practice will be assessed through instructor feedback and public performance.Jazz is one of the greatest cross-cultural artistic developments of recent history, and its study will help students of all backgrounds to develop a concrete understanding of how diverse perpectives and voices in conversation with one another yield creative innovation.

Key Performance Indicators:
Each student will be evaluated in the following areas, by the instructor, in each lesson: Performance (Recital, Jury, and weekly lesson assessment), Participation (Attendance), Written Assignments (Composition and Arrangement Assignments), and Aural Skills.

Performance 30 to 40%

Participation 25 to 35%

Written 20 to 25%

Aural Skills 15 to 20%


Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Jazzology, by Robert Rawlins and Nor Eddine Bahha.
Current Edition. (Optional)

Comprehensive Technique for Jazz Musicians, by Bert Ligon, Hal Leonard, 1999. (Optional)


Pedagogy Statement:
Each student's ability and level of experience will vary. This course is designed such that it can be tailored specifically to a given student's needs and goals. Specific repertoire, transcription assignments, method books, technique exercises, listening assignments, and scales/scale degree patterns will vary from student to student, depending on specific needs. This course cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution, and thus, the instructor must take into account the individual needs of the individual student.

Instructional Mediums:
Lecture/Lab

Maximum Class Size: 1
Optimum Class Size: 1