Notes from Monday, Jan 7 class session:

I. The undergraduate core Music History sequence at WMU has changed:

- Music 1700 is now the "Intro to Musical Styles and Structures"
Overview of how the musical elements are used in a wide variety of historical, world music, and modern popular approaches. Introduction to musical terms, genres, selected literature and composers.

- Music 2700 is now Music History I (Ancient Music through the Baroque)

- Music 2710 is now Music History II (Classic through the present)

Starting in Fall 2008, the "History of Western Music" textbook/anthology/CD series (WW Norton) will no longer be used at Western, so please do not buy used copies of those materials. A new textbook from a different publisher will be adopted for MUS2700/2710.

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II. Be sure to read carefully the following on the Music 1700 homepage:

http://www.wmich.edu/mus-gened/mus170/mus170.html

- "General Information" link (syllabus)

- "Course Schedule" link

- Review the "Musical Elements" Powerpoint presentation, and be sure to have a working knowledge of the elements of Rhythm, Dynamics, Melody, Harmony, Tone Color (Timbre), Texture, Form (also consider the text in vocal music).

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III. Music has many, many aspects and sub-disciplines (some of them are listed below for your consideration):
- Music performance (singing, playing, conducting--in any of a variety of styles)

- Music composition

- Music fundamentals (grammar, general skills)

- Music theory (actually "theorizing" about how music works, how it is perceived, how it affects the mind and body, etc.; new methods of analysis, etc.)

- Music analysis (forms, harmonic analysis, counterpoint, Schenkerian "layer" analysis, set-theory, etc., multimedia analysis)

- Music technology

- Music teaching (elementary, secondary, college, professional--can involve any aspect of music)

- Music therapy (medical applications of music--WMU has a well-established therapy program, professional clinic, and is home of one of the leading journals in the field)

- Musicology (the discipline of applying the scientific method to the study of any aspect of music)

- Music history (primarily focuses on the development of music styles and traditions, but also on "reception theory"--how music was perceived in the time it was written as seen through historical documents; archival studies, etc.)

- Performance practice (study of how music was originally performed on the instruments available at that time, and how various styles/eras/instrumental and vocal traditions used specific ornamentation, notational systems, and improvisatory techniques)

- Music aesthetics

- Gender Studies

- World music ("ethnomusicology", anthropology, sociology, etc.)

- Psychology of Music

- Acoustics (science of musical sounds)

- Musical criticism and media

- Music production and recording

- Instrument building, tuning, repair, and design

- Music listening (don't forget how valuable and knowledgeable your audience can be)

If we as musicians do not know/understand/value the entirety of our discipline, how can we expect non-musicians to care about it?

IV. Some more food for thought... (Time = Life)

--It is often said that the way to see what is truly important in your life is to look at what you actually spend the majority of your TIME doing. A much more powerful way to think about this is your "TIME" spent is actually your "LIFE" spent. A true musician MUST express themselves through music, has a hunger to understand as much of it as they can, then puts their LIFE on the line, and then uses their talents and energy to share it with others.

Athletics and music are quite similar:

- A player is not necessarily an "athlete," just as a singer/instrumentalist is not necessarily a "musician." (For that matter, a carpenter is not necessarily a craftsman)

- Both music and athletics are commonly misconstrued as being forms of "entertainment"--Both are seen as "fun" things to do by people who have never had to dedicate themselves to either endeavor. The fun starts after the hard work is done.

- Greatness in both music and athletics happens when maturity is reached beyond technical mastery and self-expression (this is a lifetime pursuit).

- Musicians usually have significantly longer careers than athletes, so a musician must keep growing--This is where having multiple avenues of exploration and experience over one's lifetime will pay big dividends.