Overview
MUSI 267 is an introductory course in music appreciation for nonmusicians. It has two broad objectives: to enhance the student’s aesthetic perception of music, and to teach the “tension and repose” method of listening to and understanding music. MUSI 267 examines music of all types in order to identify and explain universal features such as the organization of rhythm and pitch. Specifically, it will help students begin an exploration of music across cultures and historical periods, become aware of the common features of all music, acquire a basic music vocabulary, identify a number of pieces aurally—that is, by listening—and write critically, reflectively, and comparatively about music.
As its title implies, this course emphasizes listening. The work for each unit includes extended periods of listening to recordings as well as reading. Although any prior knowledge of music will be useful, this course is structured so that a student without a previous musical background can be successful in it. For example, although musical notation is explained, it is used only as a graphical aid to listening, and you do not need to be able to read music in order to complete the course.
Learning outcomes
In this course, students will
- sample and explore music representative of many cultures and periods;
- learn a working critical vocabulary for appreciating and interpreting music;
- identify and understand the common features of all music;
- identify a large number of musical works aurally;
- identify—aurally—the different types of voice, and identify—visually and aurally—the most common instruments; and
- become proficient in writing critically and reflectively about music.
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction to “Perceptive Listening”
Unit 2: The Instruments
Unit 3: The Human Voice
Unit 4: Rhythm
Unit 5: Pitch
Unit 6: Foreground and Background
Unit 7: Growth and Structure
Unit 8: Tension and Repose
Evaluation
To receive credit for MUSI 267, you must complete and submit all the assignments, and you must achieve an overall grade of at least D (50 percent) for the course. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Meeting with Course Tutor | 20% |
| Essay on Assigned Listening | 30% |
| Proposal for Final Essay | 10% |
| Final Essay on Nonassigned Listening | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
Other materials
All course materials can be found online.