MUMH 3010: Twentieth-Century Music(Non-Music Majors)
Summer 20145W2Term,MTWR 2-3:50, General Academic Building 104
University of North Texas, College of Music
Instructor:J. Cole RitchieOffice: Bain Hall 310
Email: ffice Hours: By Appointment Only
Course Website
This course will rely on Blackboard Learn for the communication of announcements, assignments, submissions, grades, etc. You can access the course website by logging in to
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course. Prior musical knowledge is not required.
Course Description and Materials
This course is designed to provide a guided exploration into Western art music from the 20th century as well as a detailed, but by no means exhaustive, study of the composers, philosophies, and traditions that influenced the creation of this music.
Objectives
- Gain familiarity with representative works of the 20-century’s dominant genres and styles as well as the political, aesthetic, and musico-traditional contexts for these works.
- Learn how to actively listento Western art music from this time period.
- Encounter and respond to important texts from Western art music history.
Reading
Ross, Alex. The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
Individual reading assignments from other texts will be given throughout the course. These readings will either be posted on Blackboard Learn, distributed in class, or be made available on the 4th floor of the Willis library.
Powerpoints
You will have access to the powerpoints from each day’s lecture on Blackboard Learn after class. The powerpoints are designed to support the lecture and help prompt studying, not as a substitute for a textbook. Studying for exams with only the powerpoint will not provide you with enough information to succeed in the class.
Recordings
Recordings for each lecture will be available online through a link to YouTube. Each powerpoint will include a link to the website so that we are all working from the same recording.There may also be recordings available through the online course reserves. You can access these recordings through the library website. I will provide a link for you if you need to access this site. The library website also allows access to Opera in Video [ You can locate video recordings for several of the operas that we will study in class on this site.
Format and Types of Assessment and Evaluation
Graded Assignments PointsTotal ScoreGrade
Daily Quizzes (8 points each)120360-400A
Midterm Exam 80320-359B
Final Exam80280-319C
Reading Response #140240-279D
Reading Response #240000-239F
Participation40
Total400
Daily Quizzes
Each day’s lecture will begin with a short, four-question quiz. The material for the quiz will be taken from key concepts and listening from the previous day’s lecture and from the reading assigned for that day. There will be a total of 17 quizzes over the semester, each worth 8 points apiece. This gives you the opportunity to earn 136 points for these assignments. The extra quizzes give you the opportunity to raise your total quiz grade and potentially earn bonus points toward your semester total.
Reading Assignments
Throughout the course, you will be given reading assignments derived from the Ross’s The Rest is Noise, contemporaneous writings from the 20th century, and more recent academic discussions of this music. It is necessary that you read all of these assignments as they will provide material for the day’s lecture as well as for questions on your quizzes and exams.On occasion, the readings will feature sections on music theory. As this is a class for non-music majors, you may skim these sections at your own discretion. You will not be tested over this type of content unless it is specifically reinforced in lecture.
Reading Response Essays
Two of these reading assignments will require a short (300-400 words) written response on Blackboard Learn. You will be given the prompt at the same time that you are given the assignment so that you may formulate your answer during your reading. These questions will allow for flexibility in your answers; you will be graded according to the quality of your answer more than its ‘correctness’ in these instances. You will have one week to respond following the distribution of the assignment.
Exams
Exams for this course will be comprised of several types of assessments. They include:
- The identification and recall of important details from the compositions discussed in class based on listening to the music (multiple choice)
- Questions related to the people, terms, and concepts presented in class (multiple choice)
- Fill-in-the-blank questions taken from a word bank designed to match composers and their works to the appropriate social and musical movements
- Short answer (5-7 sentence) questions designed to relate multiple works to a larger concept or to the unit’s reading assignments
Participation
This grade is determined by your participation in class discussions and your attendance in this course. You begin the semester with 40 total points. I also reserve the right to deduct points for classroom behavior.
Late Assignments
Due to the nature of these assignments, you cannot make up the daily quizzes or the reading response essays. If the midterm is missed for an excused absence, you maymake it up within one week of the exam date. Unless there is an emergency, you must inform the instructor one week prior to the exam in order to have the opportunity to make up a missed exam.
Attendance Policy
Absences Totals
You are permitted to have 4 unexcused absences in this course. These absences are available in case of short-term illness, unavoidable obligations, or any other absence that would not be excused under University Attendance Policy ( Excused absences under this policy include University-sponsored events, religious observances, or serious emergencies. You have one week to give me proper documentation in order to have the excused absence expunged from your record. Your participation grade is tied directly to your absence total so be sure to read the section of the syllabus pertaining to the participation grade to see how attendance will affect your grade.
You will receive a warning after you acquire your third absence. This will not necessarily come immediately after this absence as attendance is only updated online once a week. Therefore, it is your responsibility to know your absence total. You can track your absences on your grade sheet on Blackboard Learn. If you have a question about absence total, please speak with immediately as will be handling attendance for this course.
If you accumulate a5thabsence, you have 48 hours to contact me directly with a legitimate reason and documentation for this absence. If I do not hear from you in 48 hours, you will be dropped from the class with a WF.
Attendance Procedure
Attendance is required for this course. In order to receive credit for attendance, you must complete the daily quiz. If you leave class early without permission, you will be counted absent regardless of whether you have taken the quiz or not. You will also receive a zero for that quiz. If you leave class early without a valid University-approved reason, you will be counted absent for that day and your quiz grade will be reduced to a zero.
Late Attendance
Class begins when I administer the quiz. This may not always be right at 2:00, but it will never be before. If you arrive after the quiz concludes, you may sign in at the front of the class. Signing in will allow you to receive a half credit for the day’s attendance.
Classroom Etiquette
Participation
This class is designed as a lecture butI encourage you to ask questions. If you need further clarification on a term or a concept, do not hesitate to ask.
You are not expected to enjoy all of the music presented in this course or agree with the opinions of the composers. You are, however, expected to be respectful to the instructor and your classmates in answering questions and expressing your opinions.
You should also be respectful of other students’ attention. Please do not hold private conversations during the lecture or when other students are speaking as this can be distracting. If I determine that you are disrupting class, I will ask you to stop. If I have to ask you a second time, you will receive an absence for the day and you will lose a point on your participation grade.
Electronic Devices
According to department policy, all electronic devices (cell phone, laptop, iPad, etc.) are not allowed in the class room and should not be visible.IfI see an electronic device, I will ask you to put it away. IfI have to ask you a second time, you will receive an absence for the day. Classes may be recorded only with prior permission from the instructor and only with a valid reason.
University Policies
Academic Integrity
Essentially, you should not cheat or plagiarize others work or ideas. All exams and written assignments must be the product of individual work, unless otherwise indicated. Academic Integrity is defined in the UNT Policy on Student Standards for Academic Integrity. Any suspected case of Academic Dishonesty will be handled in accordance with the University Policy and procedures. Possible academic penalties range from a verbal or written admonition to a grade of “F” in the course. Further sanctions may apply to incidents involving major violations. You can find the policy and procedures at:
Student Behavior in the Classroom
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students’ opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student’s conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university’s expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at:
Office of Disability Accommodation
The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to the instructor to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
A student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue to receive financial aid. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in addition to successfully completing a required number of credit hours based on total registered hours per term. Students cannot exceed attempted credit hours above 150% of their required degree plan. If a student does not maintain the required standards, the student may lose their financial aid eligibility. If at any point you consider dropping this or any other course, please be advised that the decision to do so may have the potential to affect your current and future financial aid eligibility. Please visit for more information about financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress. It may be wise for you to schedule a meeting with an academic advisor in your college or visit the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships office to discuss dropping a course before doing so.
Important Dates for Spring 2014
Jul. 7–Jul. 10Student may drop without instructor approval
Jul. 11–Jul. 17Instructor approval required to drop, student will receive an automatic W
Jul. 17–Jul. 30Instructor approval required to drop, instructor may assign either a W or a WF
Jul. 18–Jul. 30Instructor may drop students with WF for nonattendance
Grade of “I” (Incomplete)
An incomplete Grade (“I”) is a non-punitive grade given only during the last one-fourth of a term/semester and only if a student (1) is passing the course and (2) has a justifiable and documented reason, beyond the control of the student (such as serious illness or military service), for not completing the work on schedule. The student must arrange with the instructor to finish the course at a later date by completing specific requirements.
Course Schedule
I reserve the right to change the topics listed on the syllabus, but you will notified prior to the lecture in order to allow you to prepare for the daily quiz. Readings for the day should be prepared before class so that we can discuss them during the lecture. The exam dates and the due dates for the Reading Responses will not change. Plan your schedule accordingly.
Tentative Weekly Schedule
Week 1
July 7Introduction, Syllabus, Listening to the 20th-Century
July 8Following Wagner’s Lead
Strauss and Mahler at the Turn of the Twentieth-Century
July 9Fin-de-Siècle Vienna
Modernism, Expressionism, and the Second Viennese School
July 10ArsGallica
The French Rebellion Against the German Tradition
Week 2
July 14The Ballet Russes
Artistic Synthesis on the Parisian Stage
July 15American Composers Make a Mark
Ives, Ultra-Modernism, and Copland’s Early Works
July 16America’s Popular Voice
Jazz and its Interaction with Western Art Music
July 17Connecting the Common Folk
Rural Folk and Urban Technology
Reading Response Essay #1 Due at 2:00 PM
Week 3
July 21Between the Wars
Neo Classicism and the New Objectivity
July 22EntarteteMusik/Review
Music and the Nazis
July 23MIDTERM
July 24Socialist Realism
Music in U.S.S.R.
Week 4
July 28“What Harbor Shelters Peace?”
Music for Social Change in the Mid-20th-Century
July 29The Freedom that Comes From Control
The 12-Tone and Serial Methods of Composition
July 30Alternative Methods of Compositional Inspiration
Experimental Music and Graphic Notation
July 31The Sounds of Progress
Electro-Acoustic Music
Reading Response Essay #2 Due at 2:00 PM
Week 5
Aug. 4Nationalistic Excursions
Western Art Music in Mexico and South America
Aug. 5Postmodernism
Reexamining the Musical Tradition
Aug. 6Keep It Simple
The Development of Minimalism
Aug. 7Post-Minimalism/Review
Renewing Accessibility to the Tradition
Aug. 8FINAL EXAM2:00-3:50
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