MUS 140: Introduction to Music

Section 003
Fall 2015
Classes: MWF 9:05 9:55 a.m. in Frasier 90 (Studio B)
Instructor: Dr. Heeseung Lee
Office: 118 (near the Performing Arts Box Office)
Office Hours: MW 10:00 11:00 a.m. & TR 12:00 1:00 p.m., or by appointment
E-mail: heeseung.lee@unco.edu
GA: TBA attendance and documentation
Tutoring Service: Julliette Angoulvant (ango0471@bears.unco.edu)
Hours/Places: TBA
Required Text (available at UNC Book Store and Textbook Brokers):
Wallace, Robin. Take Note: An Introduction to Music through Active Listening. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2015. [You are NOT required to purchase access to the
Dashboard site for Take Note.]
Supplies to Be Needed for Class:
A notebook, a pencil, and an organizer/folder.
Electronic Devices Allowed to Be Used with Discretion:
A personal laptop computer or tablet.
*Non-class related use of a laptop or tablet device will result in dismissal from class, and when the problem
occurs more than once, you will be asked to withdraw from the course.
Electronic Devices NOT to Be Used for Any Reason (Please Silence Your Phone):
A cell phone and earphone.
Blackboard:
(1) All musical examples discussed in class will be uploaded on Blackboard (hereafter BB).
(2) All the chapter quizzes will be taken through BB.
(3) All test and paper guides, and extra audio/video examples discussed or assigned in class will be on BB.
(4) Your attendance and grades will be posted and updated regularly through My Grades.
(5) Any time that the instructor needs to communicate with you before and after class, announcements will be
posted on BB and, in urgent cases, will be e-mailed to you, as well.
*Please activate and verify your UNC e-mail account and check it frequently. If you have problem in accessing
BB, please contact the Help Desk at (970) 351-HELP.
Course Objectives:
Students will complete this course with an ability to approach and appreciate music by means of active
listening. Students will recognize key elements of music through classical repertories, associate them with the
representative stylistic and historical periods of Western art music, and apply these listening skills to many other
types of music to be experienced inside and outside classroom. The ultimate goal of this course is to provide a
springboard to life-long interest in music for serious-minded non-music majors.
Course Requirements:
Attendance (210 pts. out of 1000 pts.)

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Class attendance is mandatory (5 pts. per class after Day 1). Excused absences are as follows: serious illness
(written medical documentation must be provided), death in family (obituary and/or funeral service program
must be provided), and required UNC activity (note from the sponsoring faculty member must be provided).
Scheduling private professional engagements or family travel over class time should be avoided because it is
not the responsibility of the instructor to make special arrangements for students, including examinations. You
are responsible for what you have missed: obtain lecture notes from colleagues, get copies of handouts, and
above all communicate with the instructor as well as the GA in a timely manner.
Chapter Quizzes, Unit Tests, and Final Examination (590 pts. out of 1000 pts.):
9 Online Chapter Quizzes (10 pts. each) will be given on BB throughout the first half of the semester, according
to the Class Schedule provided. Each chapter quiz will be conducted only once within the time frame of 30
minutes, available during the designated weekend from the daybreak of Friday to the midnight of Sunday; on
Week 4, 7, and 8, two chapter quizzes are included together for 1-hour time limit. You are highly recommended
to take the quiz as soon as it becomes available in order to avoid missing it for any reason. Each quiz will
consist of 10 questions with multiple choices. Before you take the quiz, although it allows you to use your
textbook, class notes, and handouts, read each chapter and study thoroughly relating information. Before you
start to read each chapter, check first the Summary and Key Terms at the end of each chapter and then read the
entire chapter with an aid of your class notes and handouts, making sure to understand the content of the
Summary and the definitions of the Key Terms. When you finish taking the quiz, you MUST click Submit,
not Save, and then go immediately to My Grades to see your grade for the quiz appear.
3 Unit Tests (100, 125, and 150 pts., respectively) will be given in class, according to the Class Schedule
provided. Each unit test will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions on key elements of music, stylistic and
aesthetic characteristics, type of music, and composer/period of the 15 excerpts of music. 10 excerpts will be
selected from the musical examples already discussed in class. 5 excerpts will be taken from musical examples
never discussed in class yet closely related or relevant to the musical examples you have already studied in
class. A test guide with the list of musical examples will be provided approximately a week before each unit
test. Each test will be returned to you at the completion of class review of it in order for you to use it as a
source for the Final Exam!
Final Exam (125 pts.) will be given on 12/10 (Thursday), 10:45 a.m. 1:15 p.m. The exam will be
comprehensive and consist of 125 multiple-choice questions. All the questions will be taken from the previous
3 unit tests.
Writing Assignments (200 pts. out of 1000 pts.):
Paper 1 (100 pts.) Composers Life and Music (Due 11/06 (F) in class)
You are to choose and research on 1 classical composers life and music in close relation to 1 piece of music
you will choose and listen to from his/her oeuvre. Then you are to write a short essay on the relationship
between the composers life and music in the length of 2 full pages (w/ 12-point and single-spaced letters and 1inch margin all around the page). The first and best source for this project is Oxford Music Online Dictionaries
which you can access through BB. Please do not use other unauthorized random sources from the Internet
because you may stumble onto incorrect information. A paper guide including a list of classical composers and
grading criteria will be provided as the time approaches. If you would like to choose a composer either outside
the list or from other types of music, including yet not limited to film music, Broadway musical, American
popular music, jazz, and world music, please consult the instructor for the possibility of research and grading.
Paper 2 (100 pts.) Concert Report (Due 11/20 (F) in class)
You are to choose and go to 1 musical event offered by the UNC School of Music (http://arts.unco.edu/events/)
and then write a report on music, musician(s), performance venue, and audience in the length of 2 full pages (w/
12-point and single-spaced letters and 1-inch margin all around the page). Your report is to (1) demonstrate
your skills of active listening to music, using proper musical terms and descriptions, (2) include a discussion of

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performance itself, performance venue, and audience, etc., and (3) evaluate the performance from your own
perspective as a serious-minded amateur music lover. A paper guide will be provided as the time approaches.
Bonus Credit for Participation (100 pts.):
Listening/Reading Log
You are to arrive on time, engage yourself actively with the class, and stay until the instructor dismisses the
class. At the beginning or toward the end of each class, except for the days scheduled for unit review and test, a
short listening or reading excerpt will be provided. You are to listen or read the excerpt within a short period of
time (5 10 minutes) and answer the questions to be provided on a worksheet. A brief discussion about the
excerpt will follow immediately after the attempt. You are to collect and save each and every worksheet in an
organizer and turn it in at the end of the semester (due Fri. 12/04). Your work will be evaluated by the level of
completion, consistency, improvement, and accuracy. The purpose of listening/reading log is to help you
develop a good habit of active listening and reading about music, give you a chance to expose yourself to
musical examples that might appear as the outside examples on the unit tests, help your final grade, and earn
you a souvenir at your completion of this course.
Grading System:
Unit Test 1
100 pts.
Unit Test 2
125 pts.
Unit Test 3
150 pts.
Paper 1 & 2
200 pts. (= 100 pts. x 2)
Chapter Quiz 1 9
90 pts.
Final Exam
125 pts.
Attendance
210 pts. (= 5 pts. x 42 days)
____________________________________________________________
Total
1000 pts.
Bonus Credit

100 pts.

*Note: the instructor reserves the right to change the percentages and grading principles throughout the
semester. Final grade is based on the following grade scale:
A
93 100 and above
A90 92
B+
87 89
B
83 86
B80 82
C+
77 79
C
73 76
C70 72
D+
67 69
D
63 66
D60 62
F
59 and below
Class Policy:
(1) E-mail correspondence only through the UNC Bear E-Mail System.
(2) Discussion of grades only through the contact with the instructor in person.
(3) No late assignments or make-up exams unless it is related to one of the excused absences.
(4) Class disruptions (talking, texting, web surfing, and doing other classes homework), excessive lateness,
sleeping during class, and leaving class early without advanced notice will lower your final grade. In
serious cases, the instructor will ask you to leave the class and/or withdraw from the course.

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Honor Code:
All members of the University of Northern Colorado community are entrusted with the
responsibility to uphold and promote five fundamental values: Honesty, Trust, Respect,
Fairness, and Responsibility. These core elements foster an atmosphere, inside and
outside of the classroom, which serves as a foundation and guides the UNC communitys
academic, professional, and personal growth. Endorsement of these core elements by
students, faculty, staff, administration, and trustees strengthens the integrity and value
of our academic climate.
Academic Conduct Policy:
Academic dishonesty primarily includes cheating and plagiarism. The term cheating includes, but is not
limited to, (1) the use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or exams; (2) the dependence upon
the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving
problems, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other
academic material belonging to a faculty member or staff of the University. The term plagiarism includes, but
is not limited to, the case, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another
person without full and clear acknowledgement. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared
by another person or agency engaged in selling of term papers or other academic materials, as well as cutting
and pasting internet material into the students own assignment. If you engage in academic dishonesty related
to this course, you will receive a failing grade on the test or assignment in question and a failing grade in the
course. In addition, the case will be referred to the Dean of Students, as well as to the Director of the School of
Music, for appropriate disciplinary action.
Student with Disabilities:
Any student requiring disability accommodation for class exam/note-taking/flexibility for attendance and
assignment deadlines must inform the instructor giving appropriate and advanced notices. Students whose
intake of a certain type of medication would affect negatively their class attendance and performance are also
encouraged to contact Disability Support Services at (970) 351 2289 or www.unco.edu/dss/ to certify
documentation of disability and to ensure appropriate accommodations to be implemented in a timely manner.