Guiding Principles

Someone once called history an “old man’s” pursuit, and it makes sense that the longer we live, the more “history” we remember. But even at a young age, a sense of history emerges quite naturally. Sooner or later, we try to understand what life was like for our parents, aunts, uncles, or grandparents. That’s history! And we enter the realm of music history whenever we talk about the music we loved when we were young ... or paradoxically, the music we love right now.

History arises from a natural impulse to understand ourselves and our families, and that impulse can extend just as naturally to our community, our nation, our cultural heritage, our world ... and the human condition. This impulse is as old as humankind itself. Even a brief look at ancient cultures reveals the importance attached to the elders, shamans, or priests who served as keepers of a people’s history—often in the form of sacred stories and songs—a history that gave people a sense of identity, meaning, and strength.

In the U.S. today, those respected guardians of the old stories and songs have mostly traded their religious positions for educational ones, but they retain the same teaching function they served long ago, borne of a need to “pass the torch” to the next generation. So it is no surprise to find these “keepers of the flame” in academic institutions, from local elementary schools to the world of higher education. Many of you will serve such a role in the near future, and courses ask you to wrestle with an understanding of history are becoming ever more important in today’s world.

This wrestling is important. Your identity as a musician and student of music in the early twenty-first century has been shaped in powerful ways by music history. In that sense this course is a voyage of self-discovery. As a distinguished scholar and teacher put it, we are not studying the forgotten music of a vanished past. We are looking at music that is still alive and well, thank you, as our recordings and lively concert & recording traditions around the globe suggest. This music is capable of inspiring, moving, and entertaining contemporary audiences just as it did in centuries past. Music is, after all, the divine art, and musical expression is capable of cutting across nations, cultures, and time periods. Encounters with these vibrant traditions serve several important purposes, many of them taking us into the realm of historical analysis:

• They broaden our knowledge of music literature, introducing many unfamiliar and wonderful musics that we can enjoy and perform
• They challenge us to find new and broader understandings of the nature of music and culture
• They permit a glimpse of the processes that govern change in music and musical styles
• They encourage us to find our place in the web of historical relationships and interconnections
• They enrich and deepen our understanding of the music we know and love
• The provide new ideas that can inspire new compositions or change the way we perform music

In music history courses, the “old stories and songs” remain the basic object of study—the “primary source” material. These materials do not give up their secrets easily, however. (That is why you are here!) Together, we will wrestle to discover their meanings, a careful process of study and interpretation called “historical analysis,” or “making history.” Interpretation of primary sources is not merely a matter of opinion or speculation; it is important to “get it right.” The scholarly method used by musicologists today borrows aspects of the lawyer’s “rules of evidence” and of modern scientific method. We can take nothing for granted unless the eyewitnesses and other evidence are credible, and our ideas and interpretations (hypotheses) must be tested by the scholarly community.

In this course, our primary sources include all musical scores written and/or published in Western nations since 1750. They also include any historical documents (books, manuscripts, scrolls, letters, criticism, programs, advertisements, instruments, music dictionaries, works of art, buildings, etc.) that provide firsthand (eyewitness) information about the music and about composers, performers, instruments, performance venues, music education, music business, patrons, and any other aspect of music in society.

Course Goals

In this course, we will work to acquire the basic knowledge and tools needed for the scholarly study of music, as summarized in the course goals listed below.

1. to acquire basic research skills and information literacy as you gather, evaluate, and interpret primary and secondary sources
2. to communicate your research using varied styles (written and oral) and media appropriate to the purpose and the audience
3. to study major Western musical styles, composers, and works (1750 to the present) through readings, score study, and aural analysis
• to develop listening skills & critical descriptive prose necessary for stylistic analysis
4. to engage in various types of historical analysis appropriate for music research
5. to explore events and cultures that influenced musical styles and composers
• to discover how the past touches and influences the present

Materials you will need

Required Materials:

• J. Peter Burkholder, Donald J. Grout, & Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music, 10th edition. W.W. Norton, 2019.
• J. Peter Burkholder & Claude V. Palisca. Norton Anthology of Western Music, Volume 2: Classic to Romantic, 8th edition. W.W. Norton, 2019.
• J. Peter Burkholder & Claude V. Palisca. Norton Anthology of Western Music, Volume 3: Twentieth Century and After, 8th edition. W.W. Norton, 2019.

Strongly Recommended Materials:

• Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music, Volume 2: Classic to Romantic, 8th edition. W.W. Norton, 2019.
• Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music, Volume 3: Twentieth Century and After, 8th edition. W.W. Norton, 2019.

Course Requirements

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Class Participation

Attendance and participation are important. To participate fully in this online course, you will need a computer (or possibly a tablet or smartphone) with a camera and a microphone. It is appropriate to mute your microphones when you are not speaking, but you are always expected to participate with video.

Under normal circumstances, tell me ahead of time if you must miss class. In emergencies, present a note from your doctor, the college Wellness Center, or the Dean when you return. You can be absent or late up to three times without penalty; further lateness or absences will count against your final grade.

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Encounters with Music History

1. Activities geared towards preparation of your final paper;
2. Five group presentations on works from the Norton Anthology of Western Music, Vols. 2 & 3;
3. One group presentation on a film score.

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Quizzes

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Unit Exams and Final Exam

Three exams ask you to trace broad outlines and vital developments in an important era in music history. Exams include a major essay and a score excerpts/listening section that focuses on important genres and stylistic analysis. No make-up exams will be given in cases of unexcused absence or lateness.

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Paper

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Extra Credit

Suggestions for extra credit are provided at the end of many Encounters, BUT ... there is absolutely no reason to do extra credit if you are not up to date on your encounters. Turning in late encounters or even missing parts of encounters will get you hard points. Extra credit does NOT earn points towards your grade—it helps only when your grade is on a borderline. If you ARE in a situation where extra credit would help, do extra listening and write listening reports on it. This can include audio or video recordings or any live-streamed concerts of Western classical music composed after 1750. Identify these reports as extra credit and indicate the total duration of the music you listened to at the top of the first page. Click here for a sample listening report. If it is a live-streamed concert, submit a screen-shot or include the URL. Consistent attendance and participation will also help a borderline grade.
 

Elmhurst University Integrated Curriculum Historical Analysis Area of Knowledge Requirement (HA AoK)

Successful completion of this course satisfies the HA AoK in the university’s Integrated Curriculum (Gen Ed) program. As the course goals above suggest, historical analysis is and has always been an essential part of this course. Just as in the History Department, it is crucial in the study of music history to find what you need, assess its significance and credibility, link it to other important findings, create a historical narrative that makes sense of your findings, and present your conclusons using formats accepted by music scholars.

Following college guidelines for the HA AoK, your coursework is designed so that by the end of the semester you will be able to:

• Acquire a broad knowledge of the past, extending over a substantial period of time, and understood on its own terms
• Use such knowledge to understand the past and its relevance to the present
• Exercise appropriate interdisciplinary methods and tools for the interpretation of appropriate sources
• Assess primary sources by means of critical analysis, and place them in historical context

Your six Encounters with their group presentations, paper preparation activities, and other exercises will give you many opportunities to engage in historical analysis as you acquire the skills needed to satisfy this graduation requirement. The final paper brings together all of the goals for HA AoK, and your instructor will use this paper as a final assessment of your success in achieving the goals for the HA AoK.

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Elmhurst University Integrated Curriculum Information Literacy Requirement (IL “Tag”)

Successful completion of this course satisfies the Information Literacy “Tag” in the university’s Integrated Curriculum (Gen Ed) program. Back in the day, information literacy was called “research skills.” In the study of music history it has always been crucial to find what you need, assess its significance and credibility, and present it using formats accepted by music scholars. An especially nice feature of the university’s skills tags is that they are discipline-specific; you “learn it where you use it.” For the IL tag, you get to learn about research in your own major department—and you have practicing music scholars showing you how professionals in your field do it.

Following college guidelines for the IL tag, your coursework is designed so that by the end of the semester you will be able to:

Your 6 Encounters with their group presentations, paper preparation activities, and other exercises will give you opportunities to explore various souces important for music research.and acquire the skills needed to satisfy this graduation requirement. The final paper brings together all of the goals for this tag, and your instructor will use this paper as a final assessment of your success in achieving the five goals for the IL tag.

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Elmhurst University Integrated Curriculum Writing 300/400 Requirement (W “Tag”)

Successful completion of this course satisfies the Writing “Tag” in the university’s Integrated Curriculum (Gen Ed) program. MUS 343, the previous course in the history sequence, provided an introduction to research skills using a creative assignment as a final project. Building on this introduction, MUS 344 takes it to the next level, using various writing assignments as preparation for a formal final paper modeled after those published by musicologists in professional journals and periodicals.

An especially nice feature of the university’s skills tags is that they are discipline-specific: you “learn it where you use it.” You get to learn the methods and techniques musicians use in doing various kinds of professional research and writing—and you have a practicing music scholar showing you how professionals in your field do it.

Following college guidelines for the W tag, your coursework is designed so that by the end of the semester you will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of writing as a process involving critical thinking by submitting evidence of prewriting, interim drafts, and final writing with obvious revisions;
• Produce multiple writing assignments and a range of types of writing for appropriate purposes and audiences such as short, informal, ungraded works and longer, more formal documents;
• Utilize academic and disciplinary conventions correctly, including appropriate language, audience accommodations, formatting, citations, and so forth.

Your six Encounters contain group presentations, paper preparation activities, and other exercises. These will give you opportunities to explore various writing styles used by music scholars as they address different audiences, thus helping you acquire the skills needed to satisfy this graduation requirement. The final paper brings together all of the goals for this tag, and your instructor will use this paper as a final assessment of your success in achieving the three goals for the W tag.

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Course & University Policies

Course Delivery Mode

Course Credit

Mask Policy

Electronic Devices

Academic Integrity

Learning Center: Academic Support

Because of social distancing measures related to COVID-19, only staff and peer tutors will be physically in the Learning Center during Spring Term. All tutoring will be online. To sign up for peer tutoring and workshops, go to My Tutoring, located on the portal. Students coming to meet with Learning Center staff are required to make an appointment in advance via email. For more information, contact Emmi McAdams, Tutoring Coordinator, at emmim@elmhurst.edu, or Susan Roach, Learning Center Director, at susan.roach@elmhurst.edu.

Access and Disability Services

Office of Student Affairs Statement on Support Resources and Supporting Fellow Students in Distress

As members of the Elmhurst University community, we each have a responsibility to express care and concern for one another. If you come across a classmate whose behavior concerns you, whether in regards to their well-being or your own, we encourage you to refer this behavior to the Director of Student Support Services and Intervention in the Office of Student Affairs through the Care Referral form on the University website. Based upon your report, staff in the Office of Student Affairs reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe.

Additionally, we want to support you in your overall wellness. We know that students sometimes face challenges that can impact academic performance (examples include mental health concerns, food insecurity, homelessness, personal emergencies). Should you find that you are managing such a challenge and that it is interfering with your coursework, you are encouraged to contact the Director of Student Support Services and Intervention through studentaffairs@elmhurst.edu for support and referrals to campus and/or community resources. For any emergencies, call Public Safety at (630) 617-3000 or call 911.

Other University Resources

• Further information about the Academic Integrity Policy, the Statement on Community Standards, the Code of Conduct, and other university policies and procedures can be found in the Elmhurst University Student Handbook
• Elmhurst University Non-Discrimination/Non-Harassment Policy

Netiquette Statement

• Be respectful—You are communicating with real people. The perceived anonymity of the online environment makes it easy to forget this. Be sensitive to the fact that others will have different cultural backgrounds, linguistic traditions and different political and religious beliefs.
• Use correct spelling and grammar—This is an academic course, so proper composition, punctuation and grammar are expected. Avoid texting shortcuts, acronyms and informal slang.
• Use appropriate language, style and tone—Maintain a fair and objective tone and avoid making disagreements personal. Don’t use all capital letters as this may be regarded as shouting, impolite or aggressive. Swearing and profanity should be avoided. Don’t say anything you might regret later.
• Be credible—Evaluate your sources for accuracy and credibility. Always cite your sources where appropriate.
• Proofread before you send—Electronic communications may outlive the duration of the course. Proofread and review your writing before you post or send.
• Be forgiving—In face-to-face conversation you can read a person’s body language and figure out if they’re being straightforward, facetious, or playful. Without these nonverbal cues, misunderstandings are more likely. Be sure to communicate and work through any concerns before things boil over.

Important URLs

Library Resources Page for History & Literature II

Mark Harbold’s Web Page

Music Department Web Page
 

How to Find Me