Assignments (Online Course)

Weekly Reading  

You will read several pages in our Canvas Modules each week that introduce the musical traditions we will explore; think of each module as a chapter in book. This reading can also be done offline from our Course Companion, which you may download to your computer for convenience.

Slideshow Viewing 

At the beginning of each Canvas Module, there is a narrated slideshow with detailed information on the musical traditions being introduced. Each of these slideshows is equivalent to an in-person lecture and provides important context. You are also encouraged to view the PDF versions of these slideshows in order to capture important notes, which are contained in our Class Notes page.

Weekly Listening & Journal Reflection

Each week you will engage in deep listening for approximately one hour of music per week for at least 10 hours total for the semester. You can do this assignment using our Playlists page as well as the Spotify playlists within Canvas. You may also watch videos on our YouTube Channel and write about them. You will keep a written journal of your listening experiences and submit a weekly journal entry in Canvas, writing a paragraph or two each week describing: musical characteristics, instrumentation, any observations and feelings about the music. You do not turn in these weekly journals. Please keep track of your listening hours each week by logging the time you spent, or by listing the length of each song/video you heard/watched.  You will use this information to create your two (2) Journal Summaries.

Journal Summaries 

You will turn in two (2) summaries of your listening reflections, sharing highlights of the songs or videos you heard/watched: one summary at mid-term (3/16/25) and one summary at the end of the course (5/11/25). Each summary must include examples of songs from each Module we covered (Summary 1 = Modules 1-5; Summary 2 = Modules 6-11). Here is an excellent example of a Journal Summary.  

Discussions 

At the end of each Canvas Module, you will participate in a Discussion with your classmates and respond to a prompt from me regarding a particular style or genre of music. This assignment is also the equivalent of your in-class participation. Your first post is due by midnight each Wednesday, and your second post—a reply to a fellow classmate—is due by midnight each Sunday.  You must respond to both posts in order to complete the Discussion.

Listening Quizzes

There will be two (2) listening quizzes (in Canvas) containing examples of the music from most of the Modules we will study: Quiz #1 (at Mid-Term) on 3/16/25, and Quiz #2 (Final) on 5/11/25. Each quiz contains eight (8) songs that you will be asked to identify and describe, listing the musical style, country of origin, instrumentation, and musical characteristics. You may also list the song title and artist if known. You will have three opportunities to take each quiz; your highest score will be recorded. To prepare for the quizzes, spend time listening to the collection of songs on the Music 25 Sampler page.