COURSE DESCRIPTION
The “Music Appreciation” course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of music from various historical periods, cultural contexts, and contemporary practices.
The course explores the evolution of music, the development of different genres, and the influence of technology on music production and distribution. Through the study of significant composers, styles, and innovations, students will gain an appreciation for the diversity and richness of musical expression across the globe.
Key Points
- The Evolution of Music Across Historical Periods: The course covers the development of music from the Classical and Romantic periods to contemporary genres, highlighting the changes in style, form, and cultural significance.
- Understanding Music Theory and Notation: Students learn the basics of music theory, including scales, chords, and key signatures, and how to read musical notation, providing a foundation for analyzing and composing music.
- The Impact of Cultural and Social Contexts: The course examines how different cultural and social contexts influence the creation and reception of music, exploring genres like jazz, rock and roll, hip-hop, and global music traditions.
- Technological Innovations in Music Production: Students explore the role of technology in shaping music production, from early recording techniques to modern digital tools like DAWs, virtual instruments, and AI-generated music.
- The Role of Music in Media and Entertainment: The course looks at the use of music in film, television, advertising, and video games, discussing the techniques and functions that enhance storytelling and emotional engagement.
- Emerging Trends and the Future of Music: The course concludes with a discussion of current trends and innovations in the music industry, including new genres, digital distribution, and the impact of globalization on musical expression.
Core Learning Outcomes
- Analyze the Evolution of Music: Understand and describe the development of music from various historical periods and how these changes reflect cultural shifts.
- Apply Music Theory and Notation Skills: Gain proficiency in reading musical notation and understanding the basic principles of music theory to analyze and appreciate musical compositions.
- Evaluate the Influence of Cultural Contexts: Recognize and analyze how different cultural and social factors shape musical genres and the listening experience.
- Understand Technological Impact on Music: Explore the effects of technological advancements on music production and distribution, including the impact of digital tools and platforms.
- Assess the Role of Music in Media: Evaluate the function of music in media and entertainment, understanding how it enhances storytelling and emotional depth in various formats.
- Anticipate Future Trends in Music: Identify emerging trends in music and discuss their potential impact on the industry and cultural landscape.
REFERENCE MATERIALS
for
Full-CLC Students
“A CLC award signifies that the student has attained the knowledge, (through either prior education or experience), equal to or greater than the student would have learned in a traditional college course.”
“Based upon your CLC award, physical classroom attendance is not required; however, you will be required to successfully pass a final exam for each course.”
Based upon your HESEAP Application, you have received full-CLC for this course; therefore, this is a test-out course which does not include traditional education on the subject.
USILACS wants to help you succeed. If you feel you need a little knowledge refresher or want to expand your knowledge on this subject, we recommend that you consider reviewing some of the vast online education resources and search topics below.
Thousands of FREE Online College Courses:
Search Topics: Publications/Videos/Papers
(The majority of the exam questions for this course are based upon information contained in the below search topics)
- (2016) Western Music History: WIKIBOOKS, Open books for an open world. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Western_Music_History
- (2014) Music Appreciation: Gordon Lamp, Catherine Schmidt-Jones. (Google search)
- How Music Works – Melody https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLRc3z9dWOU
- How Music Works - Harmony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paQEoChuDYA
- How Music Works – Rhythm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZJPnAer7EM
- Instrument Families of the Orchestra. University Portal. Liz Diamond-Manlusoc & Ryan Bechtel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDRiRzip9ks&list=RDDDRiRzip9ks&t=186
- How Playing Music Benefits Your Brain. Anita Collins. https://www.ted.com/talks/anita_collins_how_playing_an_instrument_benefits_your_brain
Please note: USILACS is not the source of these links. Therefore we do not have control over the accessibility of the links. You may find that some links are no longer active. We therefore encourage you to copy and paste the title into Google or YouTube to find an alternative source. You are also welcome to email our academic team at academics@usilacs.org for assistance or to inform them of an inactive link so we can replace it with a new one.
Sometimes the links may invite you to download reference material into a PDF. Although we have been diligent in finding safe sources of information, we encourage you to be diligent in ensuring a download is safe on your device.
Although we are providing comprehensive study material, if you feel you require more, please copy and paste the topics and titles into Google and YouTube.
Tips for success
Remember, these exams are all open textbook. Meaning, you can keep your reference material open in other tabs to refer back to during your exam.
Some of the reference materials are large, extensive books with hundreds of pages. If you have a question on your exam that you want to find the answer to within the book, here’s a quick way of doing so:
Choose a keyword or phrase from the exam question. Go to the reference material. Press ‘Ctrl’ + ‘F’ on your keyboard. This will bring up a search bar. Type your keyword or phrase into the search bar and click search. This will show you all the locations that they appear in the reference material.