Spring 2021 Course Syllabus Course: MUSI-1310- Section: 71 American Music

Instructor Information
Instructor	Richard Vandewalker
E-mail	vandewalkerre@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6520
Office	Location: Sam and Linda Monroe Performing Arts Center - Room: 126 Hours: As Posted weekly
COVID 19 Information	The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been exposed to COVID 19 or diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition on the COVID 19 Notification Form (available via a link on the Student Code of Conduct COVID19 webpage). This information will be provided to the Dean of Student Services. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Course Information
Description	General survey of various styles of music in America. Topics may include jazz, ragtime, folk, rock, and contemporary art music which promotes the appreciation of cultural expressions.
Prerequisites	General survey of various styles of music of the Americas, including but not limited to jazz, folk, rock, and contemporary art music.
Learning Outcomes	1.    Identify the elements, styles, and musicians representative of music within the chosen style(s). 2.    Analyze the elements and structures of music using appropriate terminology. 3.    Critically evaluate the influence of social, political, technological, and/or cultural ideas on the chosen musical style(s). 4.    Articulate an informed personal reflection of the chosen musical style(s).
Core Objectives	* Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication. * Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. * Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view. * Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Textbooks	Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. American Popular Music, 5th edition, Oxford University Press, 2018
Lecture Topics Outline	1. Themes and Streams of American Popular Music 2. "After the Ball": Popular Music of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries 3. "Catching as the Small-Pox": Social Dance and Jazz, 1917-1935 4. "I got Rhythm": The Golden Age of Tin Pan Alley Song, 1920s and 1930s 5. "St. Louis Blues": Race Records and Hillbilly Music, 1920s and 1930s 6. "In the Mood": The Swing Era, 1935-1945 7. "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie": The Postwar Era, 1946-1954 8. "Rock Around the Clock": Rock 'N' Roll, 1954-1959 9. "Good Vibrations": American Pop and the British Invasion, 1960s 10. "Blowin' in the Wind": Country, Soul, Urban Folk, and the Rise of Rock, 1960s 11. The 1970s: Rock Music, Disco, and the Popular Mainstream 12. Outsiders' Music: Progressive Country, Reggae, Salsa, Punk, Funk, and Rap, 1970s 13. The 1980s: Digital Technology, MTV, and the Popular Mainstream 14. "Smells Like Teen Spirit": Hip-Hop, Alternative Music, and the Entertainment Business 15. The Internet Age, 2000 -
Major Assignments Schedule	Week 1-15: Read the Chapter, define the Key Terms, answer the Review Questions, listen to the Listening examples, Office Activity Weeks 5, 10 and 14: Contribute to the discussion room about the Listening examples. Week 15: Small group project/Part of Final paper Week 16: Final Paper
Final Exam Date	May 6, 2021 - 9:00 AM   Through  May 10, 2021 - 9:00 PM
Grading Scale	90%-100% = A 80%-89% = B 70%-79% = C 60% - 69% = D Below 59% = F
Determination of Final Grade	Review Questions/Key Terms - 40% Discussions - 20% Final Paper - 40%
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	1. Work will only be accepted by the posted due date. If you have circumstances that are completely out of your control, please speak with me if you cannot make a due date for an assignment. 2. Emails will be answered within 48 hours after they have been received. 3. Phone messages will be returned within 48 hours after they have been received. 4. Access to the internet is required. 5. Students must have the textbook listed on the syllabus.
Attendance Policy	1. Work is due each week and will not be accepted late.
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	No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
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 the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
MyLSCPA	Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA 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 MyLSCPA.
Other	TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN THIS COURSE •    Utilize the instructor’s office hours. Each instructor conducts office hours each week so that they are available to assist students. Research has shown that students who habitual meet with their instructors for assistance do significantly better in class because the instructor is able to cater to their needs as a learner. •    Give yourself permission to learn. Education is all about learning. It is not designed to get it right the first time. If you already know everything, why are you here? Give yourself the space to try, to fail, to engage, to unlearn and to learn. The process is the product. Be patience with yourself and give yourself grace. •    Manage your time wisely. Please do not wait until the last minute to complete and submit your work •    Ask questions. Asking questions helps everyone. Learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it is a social activity that requires communication with multiple people. Questions are indicative of the presence and/or developing of the thinking skills that are critical to the success in this course. The more you ask questions, the more feedback I can give you because, I will have a better sense of where you are and where you are speaking from. •    Group work. Group work is important to this class as well as to real life. Group work is designed to build interpersonal communication skills that enhance our ability to create, empathize and produce results. It also presents us an exercise in integrity, not only for ourselves but other people. Students are strongly encourage to establish open lines of communication with their group members and to everyone, including themselves, to a high standard and be accountable for both the success and/or failure of the group. Group problems and challenges needs to be dealt with immediately and directly and in accordance to policy. •    Focus on the big picture, your grades don’t tell the whole story. I understand that grades are important to students but my goal is to ensure that you learn. Learning does not always result in a good grade. No one wants to make a low grade but my hope is that everyone is here to acquire new knowledge and skills. So, as your grades populate the grade book during the course of the semester, please remember that that is not the big picture. Many students drop classes before even 50% of their grade has been posted. Remember that the final grade is based on percentages. If you are not doing well mid semester, there is a great possibility you can pull your grade up considerably at the end of the semester if you apply yourself. Your grades are not an extension of who you are. Use your grades to indicator. Use them to tell you to get help when you need it, not to quit. Don’t give up on you.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Department	Commercial Music, Visual and Performing Arts Chair: Richard Vandewalker E-mail: vandewalkerre@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6520 If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.