Carolyn Wilson Digital Collections (Lipscomb Univ.)
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Notating Rhythms in Simple and Compound Meters
Get PDFThis nine-video series is designed to teach students the rules of rhythmic notation. Videos 1–4 cover the basic elements of rhythmic notation and the mechanics of simple, compound, and irregular meters. Videos 5–9 then show how to notate rhythms in simple and compound meters by explaining the correct use of beams, ties, rests, and other notational devices. Included with these videos is a set of six worksheets (plus answer keys) and a six-page handout that summarizes the rules covered in Videos 5–9. These materials are intended to be used as part of the fundamentals portion of a standard first-year theory curriculum, but they will also be of use to students in any course that emphasizes precise music notation (e.g., Orchestration)
Increasing Retention and Motivation: Making a Case for Conscious Long-Term Repetition and Leveraging Peer Learning
Get PDFIn this article we share two strategies to address issues of retention and motivation in an inter-university, co-taught Form and Analysis course: (1) a cyclic quizzing strategy that fosters long-term retention and gradual accumulation of skill in a manner similar to how musicians learn new repertoire, and (2) a final project that leverages peer learning to maintain student motivation and participation throughout the semester. For their final projects, students became teachers by creating a video analysis of a piece. These videos were evaluated by students from a different institution’s Form and Analysis course which was taught using materials co-designed by the instructors of both courses. This peer-evaluation model motivated the students to master course content so they could positively represent themselves and their institutions. Quizzes deployed through our Learning Management Systems helped students continually practice key concepts. These quizzes allowed us to scaffold and repeat content, both aural and written, without consuming precious class time
Schenkerian Analysis of Fugue: A Practical Demonstration
Get PDFSchenkerian pedagogy has received increased attention in recent years, with studies ranging from introductory level topics to those geared toward advanced graduate students. The fugal genre is noticeably absent from these studies, but I suggest that fugal analysis proves beneficial for both introductory and advanced courses in Schenkerian analysis. After introducing a step-by-step method for graphing fugues, I demonstrate the method through detailed discussions of J. S. Bach’s Fugues in D major and F major from the Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
Teaching With Chopsticks and a Rhythm Clock
Get PDFWhen teaching rhythm, it can be difficult to convey the concept that beats are not just attack points but have a full duration, which can be divided into many parts; it can also be difficult for students to understand how those divisions and subdivisions do or do not coincide. I have created a number of rhythm clocks (attached) that include color-coded Ta ka di mi syllables (red) and 1 ee and uh counting syllables (blue) to show the division and subdivision of the beat into 2, 3, 4, and 6 parts, and to show simple and compound divisions and subdivisions combined. I also utilize chopsticks to teach aurally one-beat rhythmic patterns; these are demonstrated in the “Rhythm Tapping Patterns” videos, and illustrated in the “Illustrated Tapping Patterns and Notation” handout, which includes both a protonotation for students who do not yet read music (or read it fluently), and actual notation, for students who do, and/or for instructors. This material has been designed primarily for beginning students, appropriate for high school AP students, non-music majors, music minors, or students taking remedial theory, but it is also appropriate for demonstrating more complex patterns for more advanced students
The Hidden Curriculum in the Music Theory Classroom
Get PDFConferences and journals within the field of music theory have shown a shift in the representation of popular music, non-Western repertory, and nontraditional analytical approaches within paper presentations, poster sessions, and articles. Despite an advancement beyond the traditional canon within the larger discipline, many music theory classrooms still reflect a Western Art Music-heavy canon and, inherently, a system of valuation that can marginalize students within an increasingly socially and culturally diverse university system. A survey-based study investigating the influence of this valuation system was run with the cooperation of twenty-one North American colleges and universities. Using both qualitative and quantitative questions, the research showed that many students find that the more “influential” composers within music theory significantly fall within the Western Art Music tradition. Despite student interest in diverse repertory and the efforts of faculty to include it, it appears that students continue to perceive that the W.A.M. canon is still the integral, defining genre for music theory as a field. This study reveals a “hidden curriculum,” or an implicitly taught concept or group of concepts that is conveyed indirectly through course material, examples, or pedagogical focus
The Mini-lesson: Active Learning and Engagement in the Undergraduate Classroom
Get PDFThis article presents the “mini-lesson,” an assignment in which undergraduate students teach classmates theoretical concepts in excerpts of their own choosing. By presenting and observing mini-lessons, students actively engage with course material, start to grasp the relevance of theory study, and encounter a diverse corpus of examples including some familiar music. In this article, I address the problems mini-lessons solve, describe procedures for implementing them, enumerate benefits, and finally consider potential pitfalls for instructors who choose to include them in their own classrooms