MUSC 017 Syllabus / Fisher / Fall 2003

Voice Class: MUSC 017

California State University at Sacramento

Department of Music

Fall 2003

If music be the food of love, sing on!

Shakespeare

Dr. Robin Fisher, Asst. Professor of VoiceStudio Phone: 278-7990

CPS 449

Class Time: MW 12:00-12:50 in CPS 319

Office Hours: By appointment

Course Materials:

  • Text from the bookstore: (or on reserve = MT 825.C53 1981)

Foundations in Singing by Van Christy and John Glenn Paton (seventh edition)

  • 3 Audiocassettes required to record individual lessons (1 video cassette optional)
  • Music as assigned
  • Your Voice Journal (a notebook of your own design)
  • Music Service Fee Card (get blue form in CPS 135, pay $40 in Lassen Hall)

Welcome to Class Voice at CSUS! You will find that your course of study with me this term will be very exciting because you will be empowered to sing with confidence by yourself and with others.

I am excited about the potential in every one of you! You will experience growth and change, and I am consistently amazed at the level of achievement in each student every year. Embrace the opportunity to reach beyond your former abilities to open new worlds in music and singing for yourself.

Course Goals

  • To establish a vocabulary for discussing aesthetics in singing
  • To enhance your musicianship skills and build confidence in performance
  • To nurture your artistic environment through reading and listening to music
  • To document your progress and enable you to understand the progress of your colleagues

Course Objectives

Our class sessions are essential to your progress. We will do the following throughout the semester:

  • Discuss how the voice works and how to use the body best when singing
  • Sing together and alone to learn through demonstration and to have fun!
  • Discuss assigned readings
  • Listen to/watch recordings of professional singers and each other
  • Discover strategies for learning a song and performing it effectively

Outside of class you will be expected to complete the following:

  • Reading /listening assignments and questions handed out in class
  • Prepare and practice assigned music, learning notes and text alone
  • A Voice Journal
Voice Journal

Throughout the semester, I trust that you will find exciting and inspirational thoughts about your voice study to be written into a notebook or binder. Such thoughts or results of work should include – but not be limited to (!) – the following:

  • List of vocal and physical exercises assigned
  • Notes from class discussion
  • Notes from readings
  • Comments on practice sessions

Bring your journal to class each week and hand it in for grading on the last class day. The best part of the Voice Journal is that it becomes your documentation of this great journey called Singing: you will have it forever to remind you of this exciting time!

As you invest your time and energy in doing your assignments and practicing each week, you will find your skills advancing in all areas!

Course Grades

50%Class Participation*

How much you take part in discussion, sing in groups and alone, how much you contribute to our work together

25%Class Assignments:

I will grade your homework, your Voice Journal and how well you have learned assigned music in a reasonable amount of time.

Midterm (week of Oct. 13)

One piece of music will be memorized and performed either in class or with me alone. We will assess your progress and confidence at this time.

25%Final (Dec. 19, 10:15-12:15)

One other piece of music will be memorized and performed either in class or with me alone. The weight of this grade is on progress and effort.

*Attendance is essential to achievement in this course. You are allowed one unexcused absence. For every subsequent absence without a doctor’s excuse, your semester grade will be lowered by one half of a grade. If you are ill, you are expected to leave a message by email or phone and procure a doctor’s excuse for that class day.

Professionalism

Our department encourages professionalism in thought, word and deed. We can all be an example to others by thinking the best of all colleagues at all times, saying positive things about everyone’s performance and being on time. Dress professionally for your voice study: leave the flip-flops, extremely short shorts, bare midriffs, old T-shirts, baseball caps or torn jeans at home on our class days. When performing alone, dress your best to sing your best!

I congratulate you for setting your sights on excellence in singing! I am honored to accompany you on this exciting journey.

1