Goal

The goal for this unit is to promote musical fluency in the area of rhythm. This unit will focus on performance, in order to internalize rhythmic “vocabulary” (specific patterns), which will aid your ability to perform music including these patterns (with practice and from sight), and to recognize them by ear.

Video portfolio

Essential to developing fluency in rhythm is training oneself to perform complicated rhythmic passages with minimal or no mistakes. This process leads to a development of good practice habits, as well as an internalization of complex rhythmic figures that will assist in musical tasks like sight-reading, aural recognition, and performance of musical literature that include those rhythmic figures.

To that end, each student will assemble a portfolio for Unit I including video performances of seven double-rhythm passages (download here). We strongly prefer you to perform with a partner, as it will afford you more opportunities to find and correct errors in your performance and develop good performance strategies. Each performer should sing a different pitch. (Use a harmonious interval, please.) If you cannot find a partner, you may perform both lines yourself (sing the top line, tap the bottom line).

In your video performances, strive for perfection. You can use as many takes as you like to get the rhythmic passages as close to flawless as possible, with a steady pace, at the tempo indicated.

You are highly encouraged to begin making your videos immediately. Do not underestimate how much time it will take to make a good video. The work you put into making these videos throughout the unit will also greatly increase the quality of your performance on in-class activities, and your ability to sight-read on the Unit I sight-singing exam. Some videos will be assigned as homework, and class activities will be based around your performance in those videos. Be encouraged, however, to work ahead with your partner if you are able.

When you make your videos, please encode them in a Quicktime-friendly format (.mov, .m4v, etc.) and share them with your instructor on Google Drive. If you have any questions about the technology, ask on Piazza. One of your classmates or your instructor will be glad to help. Also, know that CU officially supports Google Apps for Education. The student help desk should be able to assist with any Google Drive issues.

Be sure to reference your performance in these videos in your self-evaluations. Your end-of-unit self-evaluation should include working links to all seven.

Sight-singing exam

The unit will end with a short sight-singing exam. On that exam, you will be given single rhythmic lines to perform after a brief opportunity to look them over. Though this is a high-stakes performance exam, these will be much easier passages than those in your videos.

Assessment

Unit I will address the following concepts and skills provided on the syllabus: standard rhythms, irregular division of the beat, performance, and professionalism (all of which will continue on through the rest of the semester).

Students will be assessed individually, according to each student’s self-evaluation. In that self-evaluation, you should make the case, citing evidence from class activity, your video portfolio, and your sight-singing exam, that you have mastered the material for each concept/skill or are on the way to doing so by the deadline. Be sure to keep records of anything not automatically recorded (in other words, things done on paper or in-person, rather than on Piazza, Learning Catalytics, or Google Drive). If you have any questions about this process, please consult me early.

Keep in mind that though mastery of the musical material covered in Unit I will be essential to progressing through the remainder of the semester, very little of the final grade will be determined at the end of Unit I. Though there is very little wiggle room musically, there will be plenty of wiggle room in terms of final grades after the first unit is over.

Schedule (subject to change)

Meeting 1 (Aug. 26/27):
Introductory matters; review of Kazez, Chapters 7–8.
Assignment: Record video of portfolio exercises 1 & 2 with a partner and submit to instructor via Google Drive by 8am the day after Meeting 1. Shaffer students also record 1–2 minute video introducing yourself, your goals in life, and your goals for this course and share with instructor via Google Drive.

Meeting 2 (Aug. 28/29):
Performance practice based on video submissions; introduction to metrical borrowing (duplets and triplets).
Assignment: Record video of portfolio exercises 3–5 with a partner and submit to instructor via Google Drive by 8am the day before Meeting 3.

Meeting 2a (Sept. 3):
At the prerogative of the instructor. (This is an extra meeting, as MW sections do not meet on Labor Day.)

Meeting 3 (Sept. 4/5):
Performance practice based on video submissions; introduction to irregular divisions of the beat.
Assignment: Record video of portfolio exercises 6–7 with a partner and submit to instructor via Google Drive by 8am the day after Meeting 3.

Meeting 4 (Sept. 9/10):
Performance practice based on video submissions; review in advance of sight-singing exam.
Assignment: Redo any videos necessary with your partner and submit a complete, excellent portfolio via Google Drive by Meeting 5. Be sure to link to all seven revised videos in your self-evaluation.

Meeting 5 (Sept. 11/12):
Rhythm sight-singing exam during class time and office hours (if necessary). Video portfolios due.