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MUSIC 101

Here are the assignments as they appear in the instructor's syllabus:

Papers

Students are required to write two papers for this class. Each paper should be double spaced and 12 font. It should have a clear thesis and closing statement and must contain a bibliography/works cited page in the proper format. Students are encouraged to use the NoodleBib 6 program in the Library in order to make sure their bibliography is in the proper format. You also must cite your sources within the body of the paper using MLA or APA format or footnotes/endnotes. Again, citations must be in proper format. Students are highly encouraged to have the Writing Center look over their papers.

For each paper, you will need at least three different sources for your information. All three sources cannot be internet sources. I am looking for variety in your bibliography – for example, books, encyclopedias, newspapers, journal articles, internet, etc.

For each paper, choose either option A or option B. Each student must do one of each – for example, if you choose option A for your first paper, you must choose option B for the second.

Option A: paper length: 3-5 pages. Choose a composition from either your CD set or from another recording; your choice must be either a “classical” or jazz selection (no pop, rock, rap, or country). Divide your paper into two sections:
 

Section I: Give some historical background on the composer and the composition. This section should contain things like:

  1. When was the composition written?
  2. Did the composer compose the piece for a specific event?
  3. Were there any interesting circumstances surrounding the composition of the piece?
  4. What was the public and/or critical reception of the piece? Did the composition receive good reviews and feedback from the public and the critics?

Section II: Your personal views on the composition

This section gives you the chance to talk about what makes the piece work or not work, in your opinion. What are some of the interesting things the composer does (dynamics, texture, form, melody, etc.)? Why, in your opinion, does the composition deserve to be recognized or not recognized as an important work?

Your paper should also include a bibliography. You may want to use NoodleBib to ensure your bibliography is written in the proper format.

Option B: paper length: 4-6 pages. Write a paper about a specific composer or performer. Your choice must be either a “classical” or jazz topic (no pop, rock, rap, or country). You may discuss your topic’s life, career, or a combination of both.

Library Resources

The music sources in the Library are books with M, MT, and ML call numbers. There are also several excellent dictionaries that will be helpful, including Baker’s Biographical Dictionary, and the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. If you need help finding materials, feel free to ask! There are also several recordings and DVDs available – you must ask for these at the circulation desk. (all are listed in the ChesCat online catalog).

What is Plagiarism?

PLAGIARISM IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE IN ANY FORM!!! Students are considered guilty of plagiarism if they engage in one or all of the following:

  1. A student copies an entire pre-existing document word for word, or nearly word for word.
  2. A student copies a sentence or paragraph from a pre-existing document without placing the passage in quotation marks. It is all right to occasionally use an author’s exact words, but only if you put them in quotation marks and then cite your source using MLA or APA format or footnotes/endnotes. The example below illustrates this practice:

    Example: The opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is considered by some scholars to represent “fate knocking at the door” (Ferris, 228).

  3. A student writes a paper without providing a complete bibliography of all sources used in his/her research.
  4. A student, despite the fact that he/she provides a bibliography, does not cite his/her sources within the body of the paper. Students should cite approximately every 4-5 sentences using MLA or APA format or footnotes/endnotes. Even if you are not quoting the author’s exact words, you must cite your sources every 4-5 sentences.

If any of the above information is unclear, please see the instructor immediately. If students engage in any of the above practices, they will receive an automatic zero and will be subject to further reprimand by the college.

HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS ASSIGNMENT:

First choose a topic or composition to research and collect possible sources.

LOCATING SOURCES

After selecting your option, A or B, you should use the following sources to begin your research on your specific composer, musician, or specific composition. For biographical information and broad essays on compositions you should consult :

Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians  REF 105B16 1958

Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians since 1990  REF 102 P66B35 2004

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz  REF ML 102 J3N48

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians  REF ML 100 N48   20 volumes

There are many other titles in the Reference area which may be useful based on historical time period or genre. These books must be used in the library but may be Xeroxed. Using the ChesCat online catalog found on the Library homepage can lead you to other books and videos on particular composers, musicians, or compositions. These materials circulate for two week periods.

Here is a TUTORIAL for using the ChesCat online catalog.

Online databases include Academic Search Premier, ProQuest, American National Biography, Biography Resource Center, Classical Music database.

To find other information in journal articles you can search the online databases accessed through our Library homepage. You will need passwords to access the databases remotely. Please call someone in the Library for this information 410-827-5860, or you can pick up a paper copy in the LRC. Don't forget that for historical information and critics' reviews, The New York Times newspaper is an excellent resource (available as an online database).

EVALUATION OF SOURCES

Searching on the internet requires that YOU evaluate the information for veracity. You should be able to find that the information was provided by experts in the field. Also, you should be able to corroborate the information by finding it on another credible site.

Remember when you use books and videos from the Library collection they have already been deemed credible sources by the librarians who purchase the materials. Similarly, the databases have editorial boards who check articles for accuracy and credibility. When you choose to use information out on the web you do so with you as the only evaluator. There are no publication standards for the internet as there are for books and journals.

Use the following criteria when evaluating sources for your research paper:

  1. Publisher / Producer: WHO is responsible for having created the information source? Is that individual, those individuals, or that organization WELL-RESPECTED, or at least academically REPUTABLE? Is there an "agenda" that renders a source less than objective?

  2. Level / Quality: Does the source present information clearly? Does it target a college-level audience? Is it "peer reviewed", indicating high academic quality?

    A "peer reviewed" article is one that has been carefully screened for accuracy, objectivity, scholarliness, etc., by subject experts and an editorial review board. Only after meeting high standards does a "peer reviewed" article get published in a scholarly journal. Therefore, any "peer reviewed" article you use in your paper will be of virtually unquestionable academic quality.

  3. Author: What are the author's credentials? Has she published previously on the topic? Are there other indicators that this author is a subject expert?

  4. Date of Publication: Are there indicators that the source contains current information? Or indicators that an older source has been updated.

  5. Source: Is the source unbiased, non-judgmental, objective? Does it reflect a political or commercial "agenda" that renders it biased? Is it devoid of opinion in favor of academically desirable fact?

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

After you have found your information for your research paper you must cite this information if you include or incorporate it in the body of your paper. If you use a direct quote from a source you should cite after the quotation marks

WORKS CITED PAGE

Why do we cite? A research project requires that you use information that you bring together from all sources. To avoid plagiarism which would be to use information that is taken from someone else without crediting that person, we use parenthetical citation within the paper. By citing the source in the paper and then again the Works Cited page you make certain that the reader of the paper can find that information readily is they chose to read the original source of the information. when in doubt always cite. To construct the Works Cited page in the MLA format we encourage students to use the online database NoodleBib. which will walk you through the process of composing the Works Cited page

NoodleBib TUTORIAL