MUSC-1321-01 - Songwriting I
Lamar State College - Port Arthur
House Bill 2504
Fall 2017 Course Syllabus
Faculty Information | |||||||||||||
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Semester | Fall 2017 | ||||||||||||
Instructor | Richardson, Carl Christian | ||||||||||||
Phone | (409) 984-6353 | ||||||||||||
richardsoncc@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||||||
Department |
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Office |
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MyLamarPA | Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLamarPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you’ve logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the “My Courses” tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLamarPA. | ||||||||||||
Course Information | |||||||||||||
Course Number | 90417 | ||||||||||||
Course Description | Introduction to the techniques of writing marketable songs including the writing of lyrics and melodies, setting lyrics to music, developing lyrical and musical hooks, analyzing the marketplace, and developing a production plan for a song demo. | ||||||||||||
Course Prerequisites | Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MUSC 1213 and 1211. | ||||||||||||
Required Textbooks |
1. The Art of Writing Great Lyrics, Pamela Phillips Oland, Allworth Press 2. Webster's Thesaurus for Students, Merriam-Webster 3. Merriam-Webster's Rhyming Dictionary, Merriam-Webster |
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Attendance Policy |
Research has shown a cause and effect relationship between attendance and college success. Policies for this course are described below: You get one 1 free absence before your lates/absences start to count against your grade in the attendance category. After that, each absence deducts 5% of your attendance grade. Three lates = one absence. |
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Course Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||||||
Determination of Final Grade |
Attendance 20% Homework/Quizzes 20% Original Song 1 10% Original Song 2 10% Original Song 3 20% Final Project 10% Final Exam 10% |
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Final Exam Date | December 13, 2017 - 12:00 PM Through December 13, 2017 - 2:00 PM | ||||||||||||
Major Assignments |
Original Song Projects: - Students will submit 3 original songs throughout the semester. For each song, other specific materials will be required as explained below. - The third song will be a collaboration between students. - You may perform your own song using a chord instrument (guitar or piano) while singing or arrange to have someone else perform your song or accompany you. - You may also provide a recording of all or part of these songs. If you produce music via technology, feel free to record the full song or use recordings to accompany yourself and/or other performers. This applies to songs presented in class and on the recording project. Instructor may also help out as a performer. Song 1 - Lyric Sheet, Traditional Chord Chart, Melody - DUE Wed Oct 11 Song 2 - Lyric Sheet, Nashville Number Chart, Melody - DUE Wed Nov 8 Song 3 - Lyric Sheet, Traditional Chord Chart, Nashville Number Chart, Lead Sheet (Collaboration, students will split duties up) - DUE Wed Dec 6 Final Project: - DUE Wed Dec 13 (Last Class Day) - Students will record a pre-production demo of one of their 3 song projects. At the least, this pre-production demo will have a vocal melody and one chord instrument. - Instrumentation may range from chord instrument and voice to as much as a full band with ensemble instrumentation. Full band instrumentation, depending on quality, will be considered for extra credit. - Any additional pre-production demo and/or full production recordings of songs or jingles written in this class will count toward extra credit. - You may engineer and produce this recording yourself with your own gear or school facilities if you are a sound engineering major. If you are not a sound engineering major and are not able to produce and engineer this project yourself, please set up time with one of the engineering students to help with your project. You may also call on the instructor to help with this. ** Keep in mind - you must procure performers for your project within a reasonable time frame leading up to the due date. -------------------------------------------------------- All classes are cancelled on the following holiday dates: Thankgiving - Thursday/Friday, November 23rd & 24th Week 1: Syllabus & Introduction to Songwriting, Discussion Week 2: Song Forms, Traditional and Number Style Chord Charts Week 3: Lyric Writing & Rhyme Schemes, Melody Study Week 4: Melody Study cont., Chord Structure and Harmony Week 5: 1st Complete Song DUE Wed Oct 11 Week 6: Chord Structure cont., 'Nashville Number System' Charts (NNS) Week 7: NNS Charts cont., Styles Study Week 8: Lyric Study, work toward 2nd Song Week 9: Intro to Jingles, 2nd Complete Song DUE Wed Nov 8 Week 10: Jingles cont., The Art of Collaboration (Groups) Week 11: Jingles cont., Lead Sheet Production Week 12: Reharmonization, Group Work Week 13: Group Work, 3rd Complete Song (Collaboration) DUE Wed Dec 6 Week 14: Final Exam Review, Final Project DUE Wed Dec 13 (Last Class Day) * Study focus dates by week may be adjusted based on class needs and rate of progression. Project due dates may be pushed to a later date, but never earlier. |
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Calendar of Lecture Topics and Major Assignment Due Dates |
Original Song Projects: - Students will submit 3 original songs throughout the semester. For each song, other specific materials will be required as explained below. - The third song will be a collaboration between students. - You may perform your own song using a chord instrument (guitar or piano) while singing or arrange to have someone else perform your song or accompany you. - You may also provide a recording of all or part of these songs. If you produce music via technology, feel free to record the full song or use recordings to accompany yourself and/or other performers. This applies to songs presented in class and on the recording project. Instructor may also help out as a performer. Song 1 - Lyric Sheet, Traditional Chord Chart, Melody - DUE Wed Oct 11 Song 2 - Lyric Sheet, Nashville Number Chart, Melody - DUE Wed Nov 8 Song 3 - Lyric Sheet, Traditional Chord Chart, Nashville Number Chart, Lead Sheet (Collaboration, students will split duties up) - DUE Wed Dec 6 Final Project: - DUE Wed Dec 13 (Last Class Day) - Students will record a pre-production demo of one of their 3 song projects. At the least, this pre-production demo will have a vocal melody and one chord instrument. - Instrumentation may range from chord instrument and voice to as much as a full band with ensemble instrumentation. Full band instrumentation, depending on quality, will be considered for extra credit. - Any additional pre-production demo and/or full production recordings of songs or jingles written in this class will count toward extra credit. - You may engineer and produce this recording yourself with your own gear or school facilities if you are a sound engineering major. If you are not a sound engineering major and are not able to produce and engineer this project yourself, please set up time with one of the engineering students to help with your project. You may also call on the instructor to help with this. ** Keep in mind - you must procure performers for your project within a reasonable time frame leading up to the due date. -------------------------------------------------------- All classes are cancelled on the following holiday dates: Thankgiving - Thursday/Friday, November 23rd & 24th Week 1: Syllabus & Introduction to Songwriting, Discussion Week 2: Song Forms, Traditional and Number Style Chord Charts Week 3: Lyric Writing & Rhyme Schemes, Melody Study Week 4: Melody Study cont., Chord Structure and Harmony Week 5: 1st Complete Song DUE Wed Oct 11 Week 6: Chord Structure cont., 'Nashville Number System' Charts (NNS) Week 7: NNS Charts cont., Styles Study Week 8: Lyric Study, work toward 2nd Song Week 9: Intro to Jingles, 2nd Complete Song DUE Wed Nov 8 Week 10: Jingles cont., The Art of Collaboration (Groups) Week 11: Jingles cont., Lead Sheet Production Week 12: Reharmonization, Group Work Week 13: Group Work, 3rd Complete Song (Collaboration) DUE Wed Dec 6 Week 14: Final Exam Review, Final Project DUE Wed Dec 13 (Last Class Day) * Study focus dates by week may be adjusted based on class needs and rate of progression. Project due dates may be pushed to a later date, but never earlier. |
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General Education/Core Curriculum Student Learning Outcomes |
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Program Student Learning Outcomes |
PERFORMANCE 1. Applies commercial music performance techniques to professional practice. 2. Applies commercial music sound engineering technology to support performance practices. 3. Applies basic music industry principles to professional practice. 4. Demonstrates professional behavior as characterized by a commitment to the profession. SOUND ENGINEER 1. Applies commercial music sound technology to professional practice. 2. Applies commercial music performance skill to support sound engineering practice. 3. Applies basic music industry principles to professional practice. 4. Demonstrates professional behavior as characterized by a commitment to the profession. PSLO Alpha: Demonstrates comprehension of content-area reading material. |
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Course Student Learning Outcomes |
Develop skills to compose marketable melodies with commercial music, form, and harmony; (PSLO 1, 3) Write lyrics and set to song; (PSLO 1, 3) Create lyrical, melodic, and harmonic hooks; (PSLO 1, 3) Develop a production plan for a song demo; (PSLO 1, 3) Demonstrates comprehension of content-area reading material; (PSLO Alpha) |
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Academic Honesty | Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty. | ||||||||||||
Facility Policies |
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Additional Information | |||||||||||||
Important Information | |||||||||||||
ADA Considerations | The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241. | ||||||||||||
Copyright Violations |
Some material in this course may be copyrighted. They may be used only for instructional purposes this semester,
by students enrolled in this course. These materials are being used fairly and legally.
No one may distribute or share these copyrighted materials in any medium or format with anyone outside this class,
including publishing essays with copyrighted material, uploading copyrighted material to Facebook or YouTube, or
painting or performing copyrighted material for public display.
Copyright violation is not the same thing as plagiarism. Plagiarism is intellectual dishonesty. Offenses of plagiarism result in lower grades or failing scores, and professors and the college strictly enforce plagiarism rules. There is never any acceptable use of plagiarism. Copyright violation is a legal offense, punishable by large fines and penalties. Copyrighted material can be used if permission from the material’s creator is obtained, or if its use meets the standards of fair use in an educational setting. For example, a student can quote a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet in a report without violating copyright but still be guilty of plagiarism if the quotation is not properly documented. If you are in doubt about what material can be freely used, ask your professor or contact the Dean of Library Services, at (409) 984-6216. |
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Assessment Statement |
Assessment is a process by which LSCPA can help you learn better and gauge the level of progress you have made to
attain knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values. It also helps your professors understand how to improve teaching
and testing methods in your classes, and it helps each department understand and improve degree and certificate
programs.
Periodically LSC-PA will collect assessment data for research and reporting purposes, including statistical data and sometimes copies of your work. Be assured that all material the college uses for assessment purposes will be kept confidential. To ensure anonymity, your name will be removed from any material we use for assessment purposes, including video-recorded performances, speeches, and projects. If you object to allowing LSC-PA to use your material for assessment purposes, submit a letter stating so to your professor by the 12th class day. You will still be required to participate in whatever assessments are being done; we just won’t use your data. What’s the difference between assessment and grades? The grades you get on papers, projects, speeches, and assignments are specific types of focused assessment. LSC-PA’s assessment efforts include class grades, surveys, standardized tests, and other tools. |
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Privacy Notice |
Federal privacy laws apply to college students. This means that college employees, including instructors, cannot
divulge information to third parties, including parents and legal guardians of students. Even if the students are
minors, information about their college work cannot be shared with anyone except in very limited circumstances.
Anyone requesting information about a student should be referred to the Registrar. Instructors will be notified in writing by that Office about what information may be released and to whom. Please remember that releasing private information about a student, however innocuous it may seem, can be a violation of federal law, with very serious consequences. Circumstances under which information may be released:
An adult student may submit, to the Registrar, a handwritten, signed note granting permission for release of
information. The note must specify what information may be divulged, and it must specify the name of the person
to whom the information may be given.
The Registrar’s office is located in the Student Center room 303B, and can be reached at (409) 984-6165. |
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College-Level Perspectives |
This course helps add to the students’ overall collegiate experience in the following ways:
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Degree Plan Evaluation |
A Degree Plan Evaluation will help you determine which classes you need to complete your program.
All of the classes that you have taken that apply to your declared major will be listed on the right. If you have a class that still needs to be completed, a “NO” will be listed on the right next to the required class. |
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HB 2504 | This syllabus is part of LSC-PA’s efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504. | ||||||||||||
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