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Course Syllabus

Course: MUSC 4350

Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
Department: Music
Title: Advanced Conducting

Semester Approved: Fall 2019
Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2025
End Semester: Summer 2025

Catalog Description: This course continues with concepts introduced in Beginning Conducting. Students will learn more about scores, including transposition of instruments, ranges and tonal colors of voices and instruments, and advanced baton and hand-conducting techniques. Assignments will include the conducting of Snow College ensembles. Students will learn to function as ensemble leaders and will also demonstrate and defend their musical decision-making, both individually and collaboration with other students. Students will have the opportunity to synthesize the theoretical, analytical, historical and cultural components of their coursework in the process of functioning as a leader in the music making process.

Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 2; Lecture: 2; Lab: 0

Prerequisites: MUSC 2350, MUSC 3540, MUSC 3640

Justification: Advanced preparation as a conductor is considered to be a fundamental pillar of musicianship for students in baccalaureate music programs. Courses of this type are taught at other 4-year schools in the USHE system.


Student Learning Outcomes:
Demonstrate the ability to read a score at the piano. This outcome will be assessed through student classroom participation and feedback, and the mid-term and final exams.

Demonstrate advanced baton and hand conducting techniques in both classroom and performance situations. This outcome will be assessed through student classroom participation and feedback, and the mid-term and final exams.

Demonstrate knowledge of advanced conducting vocabulary and playing/singing techniques. This outcome will be assessed through student classroom participation and feedback, and the mid-term and final exams.

Demonstrate knowledge of modern notation including 20th century and jazz styles. This outcome will be assessed through student classroom participation and feedback, and the mid-term and final exams.

Demonstrate a knowledge of instrument transpositions and clefs. This outcome will be assessed through student classroom participation and feedback, and the mid-term and final exams.


Content:
• Posture
• Gesture
• Score preparation
• Transpositions and score reading
• Advanced hand and baton techniques
• Rehearsal techniques
• Advanced vocabulary
• Modern notation

Key Performance Indicators:
Students will be assessed using the following methods:

Exams: Written midterm and final 20 to 30%

Exams: Listening midterm and final 20 to 30%

Conducting midterm and final 20 to 30%

Daily course participation and feedback 20 to 30%


Representative Text and/or Supplies:
The Art of Conducting, Current Ed., Hunsberger and Ernst


Pedagogy Statement:
This course will be delivered using direct instruction, demonstration and modeling, student performance and feedback.

Instructional Mediums:
Lecture

Maximum Class Size: 30
Optimum Class Size: 16