Music 190 Course format

Remember sitting in class?

If what the teacher said was too simple,
you lost interest.

If it was too hard,
you lost interest.

And oh how tiny that window was.

From Nicholas Negroponte's foreword to
The connected family: bridging the digital generation gap
by Seymour Papert (1996), WIU Library QA 76.9.C659 P35.996, p. ix

This is an experimental course. I want to give you more control over the way you learn about music, more control over the window of your attention. It will be more work for all of us compared to the standard lecture course. Based on the first offering of this new format in fall 1997, I'm confident that it will be worth the trouble.

After meeting together during the first two weeks, the class will be divided into thirds. Each third of the class will meet with me once each week from 11:00-11:50 in Browne 130 for listening and discussion-- not lecture. You are responsible for learning the material between class meetings, using the web pages I have created along with the texts and CDs. We'll meet as a whole class during week 8 to review for the midterm, and again during all of weeks 14 and 15; and we will attend concerts together as announced.

This is also a writing-intensive course, which means that at least half the graded work is writing. Part of learning to appreciate music is learning to talk and write in an informed and specific way about it. We'll work on both the musical content and the mechanics of writing.

This means that a high degree of self-motivation will be required of you. I am offering freedom from the lecture format, a high degree of control over how you learn, and lots of help outside of class. I ask of you in return that you keep a regular study schedule for this class, keep up with the calendar and all tests and assignments, attend class according to the schedule, and give the music we're studying the best of your sustained attention.