Spring 2008 Course Syllabus
Applied Cello

MUP 112-612 (2-3 credit hours)

INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Mary Beadell-DiBartolo
Studio: 188
(928)523-3646
mary.beadell-dibartolo@nau.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS:

By appointment

PREREQUISITES:

Enrollment in Private Cello is allowed only by audition or prior arrangement with Dr. Beadell-DiBartolo.

DESCRIPTION

An intense technical and musical study incorporating standard technical methods and repertoire for the cello. 

Student Learning Expectations/Outcomes for this Course
Outcome is to help students reach their technical and musical potential for a successful performing/teaching career in music.

STRUCTURE

1. Lessons
   Each enrolling student will be given a weekly lesson time of one-half hour or one-hour, for a total of twelve and one-half (12.5) for the semester. The half-lesson may occur at the first week of each semester and will be used, largely, to design the repertoire plan for the semester.  The remaining twelve lessons will be taught according to Dr. Beadell-DiBartolo’s schedule, as several weeks in her semester are devoted to Professional Development.  Lessons will include the study of scales, etudes and solo repertoire appropriate to the level of each individual student. Cello students are expected to come prepared for their lessons. At the end of the semester, the student will participate in a jury, which will serve as a final exam.

   Cello Lesson Rules

   1. Be tuned and warmed up
   2. Leave your case in the hallway outside my studio
   3. Sign in
   4. Please have the following ready for each lesson:
   • Scales – 5-10 minutes
   • Etudes – 15-20 minutes
   • Repertoire – 25-30 minutes
   5. Summarization and next lesson’s assignment – 5 minutes
   6. Sign out
   7. We won’t have time to hear and properly work on all of your repertoire at every lesson.  You are expected to keep up on daily or standard repertoire such as scales, etudes, daily warm-up routines, etc.
   8. Although your lessons are one-on-one they are still a class; therefore, aside from pleasantries please keep lesson conversation limited to matters of the cello.  Questions are always welcome and encouraged!!
   9. No food, drink or gum is allowed; plain coffee and tea, and bottled water are ok
   10. No bare feet; no hats; no cell phones
   11. All lessons may be video taped and/or audio taped by Dr. Beadell-DiBartolo
   12. Lesson times are permanent and you will not be allowed to change or switch lessons times during the week or during the semester.  However, when occasions arise where one of us must reschedule, it will be at a mutually agreeable time.  If you have been given permission to reschedule your lesson it is up to you to sign up on my schedule and then double check the time with me via e-mail.
   13. Please don’t interrupt other students’ lessons
   14. Help is always available.  If you need help with your cello assignments in between lessons, please e-mail me with a brief description of the problem and copy your e-mail to Jackie Schwandt, String Coordinator.  We will set up a meeting time mutually agreeable to us both.  The same “Cello Lesson Rules” apply.
   15. I don’t know the schedules or policies of any of your other classes including orchestra, music history, music theory, sight-singing, etc., nor do I know the schedules of any of your other professors

2. Masterclass (MC)
   Masterclass meets every Tuesday from 11.15 AM – 12.15 PM in Room 144.  Masterclass provides an opportunity for cellists to play for one another in an informal setting and to provide constructive criticism for each other.  Masterclass is also used as a techniques, orchestral repertoire, and cello ensemble class, and will also serve as a forum for pedagogical discussions.  Masterclass is required for majors and highly suggested for minors and elective students.
   • Masterclass is the “lab” portion of MUP 112-612
   • Please be on time - attendance will be taken
   • No talking is allowed unless it is part of class discussion
   • No food, drink or gum; plain coffee and tea, and bottled water are ok
   • No bare feet, no hats, no cell phones
   • Bring your instrument, a stand, a pencil, your orchestra music, any assigned MC music and your MC notebook to each class
   • If you are performing in MC, you must bring a copy of the repertoire being performed to distribute to the other students, or, notify the studio in advance so they may bring their own copy; if you are listening to a performance, take notes on the performance and class discussion and file it with your MC notebook
   • All classes may be video and/or audio taped by Dr. Beadell-DiBartolo
   • If you are the featured performer for MC, please have one technique, musical idea, or “helpful hint” you learned while preparing your rep for that day and, teach/present it to the class
   • Scales and scale studies are a regular part of MC and may be required at any time
   • Questions and topics for discussion are welcome and encouraged!!!!!!

TEXTBOOKS

Textbooks (music, recordings, etc.) will be assigned on an individual basis.
(See Required Materials)

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Cellists must own or have available an acceptable quality cello and bow. The instrument must be well maintained, without major damage, open seams, etc. Strings must be less than six months old and not frayed or false. Bows should be rehaired at least every six months, or at the first signs of excessive wear. Cellists must own rosin, a rosin cloth, endpin rest, a metronome and a tuner (or tuning fork), and a copy of the CD Cello Drones.  It is a good idea to have at least one extra set of strings and a spare endpin rest.  Cellists are responsible for immediately ordering any assigned music, recordings or supplies.  Cellists have two weeks to acquire music, recordings and supplies once they have been assigned.  Xeroxes and (library) copies of sheet music and recordings are unacceptable; use of them after a significant period of time or for any official performance or exam will result in an ‘Incomplete’ or a lowering of the grade.  I will no longer lend my personal music or recordings, and NAU will no longer provide Xeroxed copies of any printed materials.  Listed below are several sources for materials:

There are many wonderful websites for cellists, sheet music, CDs, films and more.  Even YouTube has some rare and amazing cello performances.  Search ‘cello’ or anything related and you’ll find what you need.

PRACTICE

Performance majors receiving an hour lesson (3 or 4 credits) should aim for a minimum of three hours a day; non-majors and education majors (2 credits), two hours.  Students receiving a weekly thirty-minute lesson (1 credit) are expected to practice a minimum of one-hour daily.  Schedule your practice time like a class: only regular and consistent practice leads to progress.

COURSE OUTLINE

At the beginning of each semester, each cello student and Dr. Beadell-DiBartolo will consult to design a repertoire plan for the semester.  This list of repertoire may be changed or supplemented throughout the semester as determined by Dr. Beadell-DiBartolo.

Assessment/Timeline of Student Learning Outcomes

Majors:                                                                                    Minors and Elective Students:
35%        Weekly Lessons                                                       60%        Weekly Lessons      
20%        Weekly Masterclass                                                 15%        Repertoire Jury (Final)
15%        Repertoire Jury (Final)                                            15%        Studio Recital
15%        Studio recital                                                            10%        Technique Jury (Midterm)
10%        Technique Jury (Midterm)                                       5%          Recital Attendance
5%          Recital attendance

Grading System

A = Outstanding
B = Very Good
C = Average
D = Below Average
F = Failing

COURSE POLICY

All Cello Students:

1. All cello students will be graded on the basis of effort and progress, since the course number already reflects the student’s level.  Some indicators of effort are practicing and advancement through assigned material, consistent practicing and improvement, not needing to be told the same thing repeatedly, listening to and comparing recordings outside of the lesson, watching videos and DVDs of cellists and masterclasses, comparing editions, etc.  Non-preparation of a lesson is cause for cancellation of the lesson or a “supervised practice session.”  This may be considered an unexcused lesson.
2. All cello students are expected to maintain a repertoire plan established at the beginning of each semester.
3. All cello students are required to perform on the Cello and Bass Studio Recital held at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters (date/venue TBA).  Failure to prepare and perform on the Studio Recital is an automatic “F” for that portion of the grade.
4. The Jury and Studio Recital Performance are considered your Final Exam and the Technique Jury is considered your Midterm, along with “indicators of effort” from 1) above.  Dr. Beadell-DiBartolo and the cello student will decide together which repertoire/technique selections best represent the student’s work for the semester, and the cello student will then perform these selections for the Jury/Studio Recital.  Failure to prepare and play a Jury is an automatic “F” for that portion of the grade.

Cello Majors:

1. Cello performance majors are expected to perform in masterclass three times per semester; education majors at least twice per semester.  Expect to play more often if you have a recital or upper division jury coming up
2. Cello majors are encouraged to enter the NAU Annual Concerto Competition.  Accompanists must be secured by the deadline set forth by Rita Borden.  Scheduling of rehearsals with your accompanist and coachings with Dr. Beadell-DiBartolo is your responsibility.
3. Cello majors are required to attend all lower-string junior, senior, and graduate recitals, string faculty solo and chamber recitals (Faculty Chamber Music Series), all guest string solo and chamber recitals and masterclasses, all FSO guest string solo concerts and masterclasses, and the NAU Student Chamber Music Recitals held in the Fall and Spring semesters (you must stay for the entire recital).  Minors and Elective Students will be notified which recitals are required for a particular semester.  Listening to guest artists, professors, and colleagues helps you to hear new repertoire, develop critical listening and thinking, and become an appreciative audience member.
4. Cello majors are required to perform an exit Mock Orchestral audition prior to graduation.  Information regarding this jury may be found in the Cello Syllabus
5. Postponement or cancellation of an Upper Division jury could result in the lowering of the grade by at least one letter.
6. Non-preparation for a lesson is cause for cancellation of the lesson or a “supervised practice session.”  This may be considered an unexcused lesson

ATTENDANCE

Unexcused absences are an “F” for that lesson and will not be rescheduled. Only official University Institutionals, illness or emergencies are excused.  Please let me know as soon as you know you will be missing a lesson.  Please let me know via voice mail, followed up by e-mail.  Please do not attend a lesson if you are in the initial contagious stages of getting sick! 

Also,

• If you are well enough to attend your other classes, you are well enough to attend your lesson (your lesson is a class, too).  Therefore, if you cancel your lesson because you’re sick, and then I see you during the day, or find out you’ve been to your other classes (including orchestra), the lesson you cancelled will be considered “Unexcused.”  (If you are in the contagious stages, don’t attend ANY classes!)

• Except for emergencies, scheduling an instrument repair, or being without your instrument because your cello was in the shop is not an excuse to cancel or reschedule your lesson.  If you need to schedule a routine repair for your instrument or bow, please make arrangements to borrow or use a school instrument and/or bow.  If your instrument has been damaged or has a crack, do not continue to play on it.  Take it to Jeff Robinson immediately.

On a rare occasion you may need to postpone your lesson or switch with another student.  The procedure for this is as follows:

• Email or call me asking permission to postpone or switch your lesson including your reason for the request
• After you have received permission to postpone or switch your lesson, find a time on my schedule (posted on my board) to reschedule
• Email me the proposed make-up time and copy the email
• After I have confirmed the make-up lesson time, please make the change on my schedule that is posted on the bulletin outside my studio.  It is up to you to reschedule a missed lesson or it will be considered unexcused! 
• I also have the option to reschedule.  I will inform you of the need to reschedule via e-mail and will ask you to find a mutually agreeable time for a make-up.  After this initial e-mail it is up to you to reschedule or you will forfeit the lesson.
• The NAU Cello Studio successfully keeps a flexible, mutually respectful scheduling policy.  Non-abuse by any party will keep this intact.

UPPER DIVISION JURIES

(under revision…to be updated)
Upper division juries will be scheduled at the end of the fourth semester. All students who have completed four semesters of lower division applied lessons play an upper division jury. You may have a second chance to pass an upper division in the following semester.

Education majors must perform:

1. A movement of unaccompanied Bach not memorized.
2. An outer movement of a concerto, memorized.
3. A concert piece, or a movement of a sonata with keyboard, not memorized.
4. Three octave major and melodic minor scales and arpeggios @ quarter note=60 (multiple notes per pulse).
5. Bowing skills: détaché, sautillé, spiccato, legato, and staccato with scales and arpeggios.

Performance majors must perform:

1. One movement of unaccompanied Bach, memorized.
2. An outer movement of a concerto, memorized.
3. A concert piece or an outer movement of a sonata (non Baroque), not memorized.
4. Three octave major and melodic minor scales and entire arpeggio sequence [varied bowing patterns] @ quarter note=60 (multiple notes per pulse).
5. Bowing skills: détaché, sautillé, spiccato, legato, and staccato with scales and arpeggios.

BA students must perform: This is called an Exit Jury

1. A movement of unaccompanied Bach, not memorized.
2. A concert piece or outer movement of a concerto or sonata, not memorized.
3. Three octave major and melodic minor scales and arpeggios @ quarter note=40 (multiple notes per pulse).
4. Bowing skills: détaché, sautillé, spiccato, legato, and staccato with scales and arpeggios.

Orchestral Excerpt Exit Audition

• The Orchestral Excerpt Exit Audition is taken after the Junior and/or Senior Recital and before graduation.
• Repertoire consists of the first movement of a standard concerto and five standard orchestral excerpts of varying styles and periods.
• A double jury time-slot is required for the Exit Audition.
• A listening assignment accompanies the Exit Audition:  listen to three recordings of each excerpt and on Xeroxed copies of each excerpt list the orchestra, conductor, and date for each recording.  Mark throughout the music comments on tempo, style, articulation, rubati, phrasing, and any other musical or technical features that make that particular rendition unique.

To prepare for this exam:

1). Buy real orchestra parts (most are available from Luck’s Music); buy orchestral excerpt books (such as Leonard Rose) for fingering and bowing suggestions; look in music catalogues for other excerpt books

2). Listen to several recordings of the excerpts

3). Pay attention to all markings

4). Use a metronome!

5). Audio and videotape yourself

6). Have a musician other than your applied professor listen to you in the mid-stage of preparation for an objective assessment

7). Play a mock audition for non-musicians

8). Play a mock audition for musicians, providing them with copies of the excerpts so they can make notes for you

Finally, create an audition excerpt list for a hypothetical Jr. High Orchestra and Sr. High Orchestra audition.  Choose a solo piece and three to five (3-5) excerpts.  Explain why you chose these examples. Good luck!

RECITALS

1. Secure a date for the recital:  check possible dates with me, your accompanist (see Accompanists) and your parents or other family first.  Check the auditoria website:  nau.edu/reservations.  Then call Kathy Battali or Brett at 523.4120 with several possible dates.  Schedule your dress rehearsal when you are scheduling the recital.  Complete an auditoria tech form during the scheduling process.

2. Schedule your Pre-Recital Hearing a minimum of two weeks before your recital.  You are responsible for making all arrangements for this hearing:

• YOU must ask the faculty to be on your hearing committee (applied professor, another string faculty, another music faculty).
• YOU must secure the date of the Pre-Recital Hearing and inform the committee members
• YOU must reserve a room – schedule through Alison.Ragan@nau.edu

3. Posters and recital program must be approved at the Pre-Recital Hearing.  If you want the School of Music to print your program you must e-mail it to Janet Kingsley@nau.edu.  All degree recitals are to be held on campus! 

4. Ashurst will automatically record your recital.  You can receive a copy of the recital by bringing a disc to the School of Music office.  The student workers will make a copy for you.  Please do this about one week after your recital and check the copy immediately.

5. Trial-run.  It is good to play your recital through for an appreciative and forgiving audience!  Try The Peaks Senior Living Center (you must call and arrange your performance through the activities director), your church or one of the high schools or middle schools, public or private.  If you choose to play at a church or school, make sure a piano is available! 

7.  Family and friends at the recital.  Everyone wants their friends and family to attend their recital, as they should.  However!  Make sure it is understood that this is a performance like any other and proper concert etiquette must be observed.  Ask your friends and family to exit and enter only during appropriate pauses, keep small children quiet (or they should be taken out) – actually, the quiet rule goes for adults too!  Please ask your family and friends not to prepare the reception or reception food in the hall during your recital and not to begin the reception until after the recital is over.  No pictures during the recital, especially flash!!

Your recital recording may be a one-time performance, and once-in-a-lifetime event.  Try to prevent any thing that will take away from the quality of the performance.  The recording you get from this recital may be your entrance into a job, graduate school, festival, etc.  Your recital recording is most important to your future!

ACCOMPANISTS

*Rita Borden is in charge of assigning accompanists who are students at NAU.  Ms. Borden’s studio is Room 168, 523.2289, rita.borden@nau.edu. Requests for accompanists are normally due in the first or second week of classes.  You will have to pay for an accompanist.  Please pay promptly and be considerate.  Ms. Borden will e-mail you information about the accompanying policies.  To save time and money – know the piano part before you rehearse.  This includes owning and listening to several recordings, and having a copy of the piano part (make a Xerox of it before you give it to your pianist).  Too many hours are wasted because the instrumentalist did not bother to learn the rests and the tutti parts.  Don’t waste your money and the pianist’s time with your ignorance of the piano score.  You should begin rehearsing with your pianist no less than one month before your recital.  At this point, your music should be solidly learned, and you should be familiar and comfortable with the accompaniment.  Failure to schedule, rehearse or coach adequately with your accompanist will affect your grade proportionately.  (See Scholarship Accompanist Information)

*See Rita Borden’s board:  Room 168
Rita Borden has strict and particular policies regarding the NAU Accompanying Program.  Therefore, except for recommendations about accompanists, please don’t ask me or any other applied faculty about the policies so we don’t give you incorrect information.

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY POLICY STATEMENTS

Safe Environment Policy:

NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the university.  The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university.

You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean’s office.  If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair, dean’s office, the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), the academic ombudsperson (928-523-9368), or NAU’s Office of Affirmative Action (928-523-3312).

Students with Disabilities:

If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting the office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at 928-523-8773 (voice), 928-523-6906 (TTY). In order for your individual needs to be met, you are required to provide DSS with disability related documentation and are encouraged to provide it at least eight weeks prior to the time you wish to receive accommodations. You must register with DSS each semester you are enrolled at NAU and wish to use accommodations.

Faculty are not authorized to provide a student with disability related accommodations without prior approval from DSS. Students who have registered with DSS are encouraged to notify their instructors a minimum of two weeks in advance to ensure accommodations. Otherwise, the provision of accommodations may be delayed.

Concerns or questions regarding disability related accommodations can be brought to the attention of DSS or the Affirmative Action Office.

Classroom Management Statement:

(from the NAU Student Handbook)
Membership in the academic community places a special obligation on all members to preserve an atmosphere conducive to a safe and positive learning environment.  Part of that obligation implies the responsibility of each member of the NAU community to maintain an environment in which the behavior of any individual is not disruptive.
It is the responsibility of each student to behave in a manner which does not interrupt or disrupt the delivery of education by faculty members or receipt of education by students, within or outside the classroom.  The determination of whether such interruption or disruption has occurred has to be made by the faculty member at the time the behavior occurs.  It becomes the responsibility of the individual faculty member to maintain and enforce the standards of behavior acceptable to preserving an atmosphere for teaching and learning in accordance with University regulations and the course syllabus.
At a minimum, students will be warned if their behavior is evaluated by the faculty member as disruptive.  Serious disruptions, as determined by the faculty member, may result in immediate removal of the student from the instructional environment.  Significant and/or continued violations may result in an administrative withdrawal from the class.  Additional responses by the faculty member to disruptive behavior may include a range of actions from discussing the disruptive behavior with the student to referral to the appropriate academic unit and/or the Office of Student Life for administrative review, with a view to implement corrective action up to and including suspension or expulsion.
Institutional Review Board

Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU—including a course project, report, or research paper—must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in research and research-related activities.
The IRB meets once each month.  Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly meeting.  You should consult with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information or appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review.  Your instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval by the IRB.  The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project:  exempt from further review, expedited review, or full board review.  If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.

A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department’s administrative office and each college dean’s office.  If you have questions, contact Carey Conover, Office of Grant and Contract Services, at 928-523-4889.

Academic Integrity:

The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity.  As members of the academic community, NAU’s administration, faculty, staff and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic integrity essential to the education process.  Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes learning.  Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner.

Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty.  Faculty members then recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation.  The complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix F of NAU’s Student Handbook.

Academic Contact Hour Policy

The Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-206, Academic Credit) states:  “an hour of work is the equivalent of 50 minutes of class time…at least 15 contact hours of recitation, lecture, discussion, testing or evaluation, seminar, or colloquium as well as a minimum of 30 hours of student homework is required for each unit of credit.”

The reasonable interpretation of this policy is that for every credit hour, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of two additional hours of work per week; e.g., preparation, homework, studying.