1. Making the Connection: Real-World Musicianship in a Required Freshman Course
Brad Osborn and Christopher Gage
School of Music
Background
Now in their third year of transformation, the freshman music theory courses (MTHC 105 and 115), required of all music majors, have become more focused on active learning, which adopts a student-centered approach. Students in these programs enter a number of fields, such as performance, education, and therapy. In previous years, music theory has concentrated on the canon of classical music (c ), but students, in their careers, will interact with this tradition to varying degrees, some not at all; in fact, many will deal more with popular music, jazz, and other styles.
The Four Projects
Arrange a popular song for classical ensemble
Write a popular song using one of several given “standard pop progressions”
Compose music to accompany a film, dance, play, or other work
Write a multi-layered popular song, with free choice of harmony, melody, rhythm, and lyrics
Timeline and Assessment
Each project took place over the course of a dedicated week, culminating in performances.
Monday: Every group member was asked to bring something, such as original lyrics, to the group.
Tuesday-Thursday: Working in practice rooms, the groups composed, arranged, notated, and rehearsed their projects.
Friday: The class reconvened, and the groups performed for each other and for the instructor.
Students were required to use the COLLABORATE tool on Blackboard, which allowed for advanced video-conferencing with their instructor.
Snapshots of the Process
A small group of students works out their composition in a classroom
New Projects for
This year’s transformation addressed the following question:
How can we broaden the horizons of music theory classes to include more recent genres, such as popular music?
For the academic year, students were given four new composition projects, all of which asked students to use what they learned in class to accomplish diverse tasks that they might encounter in their lives.
These projects—two per semester—were added to the already existing structure of assignments, quizzes, and exams. Students worked together on week-long collaborations and performed their pieces at the end of the week.
Sample Rubric
Each week had its own
grading criteria; here is the first project’s rubric:
Via COLLABORATE, Osborn weighs in on a question regarding “following the rules” in popular music
Students perform for Osborn and their classmates on the last day of the week
Impact on Student Learning
These projects help the students understand that the “theory” they learn in class can be applied to popular music they know and love.
One student wrote, “I especially liked the popular music and projects that he integrated into the class. It really helped me see my theory skills at use.”