General Information
Music Theory Fundamentals | MUSTH 101 (Section 3) | Fall 2022 | 3 Units
In-Person | Tuesdays and Fridays, 8:30-9:45 am | Hunter North Room 407
Mr. Stephen Gomez | sgomez@gradcenter.cuny.edu | Office Hour: Tuesdays 11:00 am-12:00 pm (HN403)
Course Description and Learning Objectives
This class is primarily skills-oriented; here are some of the things you will be able to do by the end of our time together:
- Read and write many aspects of Western classical music notation
- Analyze and describe music (both written and heard) using vocabulary and concepts of Western classical music theory
- Perform rhythms and melodies, both from call & response with a group leader and from reading notation
- Specific topics include: pitch, rhythm, meter, major and minor scales, keys and key signatures, intervals, and triads and seventh chords
In addition to the practical aspects of the course, we will also think critically about music by asking the following questions (and more!):
- What am I hearing?
- Who is playing this and in what context?
- How has my understanding of music been shaped by my personal life experiences and in what ways might that understanding differ from people of different times and spaces?
- What is music theory and how does it help me?
Materials
The only thing you are required to purchase for this class is a booklet of staff paper, available for $5 or less on Amazon or through the Hunter College Bookstore. Please bring the staff paper booklet and a pencil with an eraser to every class meeting.
We will source our readings from a number of free, online, open educational resources like Understanding Basic Music Theory and Sounds Reasoning. Links to these and additional readings can be found on the Readings page.
Numerous musical examples from a variety of styles like Classical music, jazz, rock, and more will guide us throughout the semester and tie down our theoretical principles to concrete musical works. Each of these examples can be heard at our course Spotify Playlist. You are not required to subscribe to Spotify Premium, but I encourage you to add this playlist to your favorites so you can listen along all semester.
The piano keyboard will become your best friend in this class! The Understanding Basic Music Theory textbook has a keyboard displayed in Chapter 2 (“Notation”), but you will probably find it more convenient to have a more easily accessible keyboard at your disposal. This could take the form of printing out an image of a blank keyboard like this:
Grading Breakdown
- Homework Assignments—40%
- Midterm—10%
- Final—10%
- Composition Project—20%
- Class Preparation and Participation—20%
Homework Assignments
Homework assignments are probably the single most important aspect of this course in terms of earning a good grade and content/skill acquisition. They will be regularly assigned (basically one assignment due per class meeting). Homework assignments are due by the beginning of each class period via hard copy hand. In order to earn credit for an assignment, you have to attend class for the period on which the assignment is due. Two (2) homework assignments—the two lowest grades—will be dropped from your course grade at the end of the semester. Homework assignments turned in after the start of the class period on which they are due will be docked seven percent (7%) per day (class day, not real day) that they are not turned in. After five (5) class days, the assignment will automatically receive a ‘0.’ Once graded and returned, you may resubmit any assignment that was initially turned in on time to correct your answers and receive a higher grade.
Midterm and Final
The midterm and final are the only two tests in this class. The midterm will be taken in class on Tuesday, 10/18 and covers all the lessons from the first half of the semester. The final will take place in person during finals week on Friday, 12/16 and is cumulative. Unlike homework assignments, the midterm and final will not be accepted late, and are not eligible to be resubmitted for an improved grade.
Composition Project
A capstone project with that combines the various skills and concepts we will learn over the course of the semester. Final composition due in class on either Tuesday, 12/6 or Friday, 12/9 depending on which day you sign up for. We will be joined by fellow CUNY musicians to perform your compositions in class. More details about this project will come after the midterm, but for now, you can look forward to this as a chance to get creative and apply the skills learned in this class into your own musical product!
Attendance and Classroom Policies
Attendance will be taken at the start of each class period via short “attendance ticket” exercises. You are allowed two (2) unexcused absences over the course of the semester; two no-shows totally free, no questions asked. Beyond that, I expect you to be at every class meeting. If you have miss class, please let me know as far in advance as possible. The key here is honest and timely communication; you are all adults and I know you have busy lives, but being professional in the way you handle your priorities means communicating, even if you have to miss a class period.
Please work with me and your classmates to create a classroom environment in which two aspects are of primary importance: 1) respect and 2) learning. I do not mandate that you put your phones away or turn them off, but it is your responsibility to be respectful with the use of phones and other electronics. As per Hunter College policy, masking is optional.
CUNY Statement on Academic Integrity/Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty is prohibited in the City University of New York. Penalties for dishonesty include academic sanctions, such as failing or otherwise reduced grades, and/or disciplinary sanctions, including suspension and/or expulsion.
Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on exams, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures.
Hunter College Counseling and Wellness Services
Website: https://hunter.cuny.edu/students/counseling-and-wellness-services/counseling-services/
Your personal health, which includes mental well-being, if of utmost importance. It is a far greater priority than any class could ever be. If you are feeling too overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, depressed, or just would like someone to talk to, the office of Counseling and Wellness can be of great support. Please reach out to me if you would like help getting in touch with the the Wellness center.
Services of the Counseling and Wellness Center include: “individual counseling, group counseling, crisis intervention, consultation, and referral to other services.” Counseling can help with: “adjustment to college, adjustment to a new environment, culture, or lifestyle, homesickness, conflict with others, grief and loss, difficulty in making and keeping friends, personal and/or family crises, emotional distress, feelings of inadequacy or loneliness, feeling depressed or anxious, sexual identity or orientation, and sexual harassment or assault.”
Americans with Disabilities Act Statement
Website: https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/access/services-programs/services
In compliance with the ADA and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational access and accommodations for all its registered students. Hunter College’s students with disabilities and medical conditions are encouraged to register with the Office of AccessABILITY for assistance and accommodation. For information and appointment contact the Office of AccessABILITY located in Room E1214 or call (212) 772-4857 and/or VRS (646) 755-3129.
Hunter College Policy on Sexual Misconduct
In compliance with the CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct, Hunter College reaffirms the prohibition of any sexual misconduct, which includes sexual violence, sexual harassment, and gender-based harassment retaliation against students, employees, or visitors, as well as certain intimate relationships. Students have have experiences any form of sexual violence on or off campus (including CUNY-sponsored trips and events) are entitled to the rights outlined in the Bill of Right for Hunter College.
a. Sexual Violence: Students are strongly encouraged to immediately report the incident by calling 911, contacting NYPD Special Victims Division Hotline (646-610-7272) or their local police precinct, or contacting the College’s Public Safety Office (212-772-4444).
b. All Other Forms of Sexual Misconduct: Students are also encouraged to contact the College’s Title IX Campus Coordinator, Dean John Rose (john.rose@hunter.cuny.edu or 212-650-3262) or Colleen Barry (colleen.barry@hunter.cuny.edu or 212-772-4534) and seek complimentary services through the Counseling and Wellness Services Office, Hunter East 1123.
