Spring 2008 Course Syllabus
Applied Violin

MUP 228-628 (2-3 credit hours)

INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Louise Scott
Room 192
Louise.Scott@nau.edu
523-3879
                                               
Office Hours: By appointment            

PREREQUISITES
Enrollment in applied violin is allowed only by audition or prior arrangement with Dr. Scott.

DESCRIPTION
Technical and musical study incorporating standard technical methods and repertoire. 

GOALS
The goal of private study is to help students reach their technical and musical potential for a successful performing/teaching career in music.

COURSE OUTLINE
At the beginning of each semester a list of repertoire and technique material will be discussed to design a repertoire plan for the semester.  This list of repertoire may be changed or supplemented throughout the semester

STRUCTURE

1. Lessons
   Each student will be given hour lessons weekly for 12 weeks.  Lessons will include the study of scales, etudes and solo repertoire appropriate to the level of each individual student. Students are expected to be prepared for their lessons. At the end of the semester, the student will participate in a jury, which will serve as a final exam.
   I will be teaching the weeks of:  1/21 and 1/28 (one lesson spread over two weeks), 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/3, 3/10, 3/24, 3/31, 4/7, 4/21, 4/28
   I am gone: April 14 – 18,  Spring Break is March 15 -23

2. Masterclass
   Masterclass meets every Tuesday from 11:15 AM until 12:15 PM in Room 147. Masterclass provides an opportunity for students to play for one another in an informal setting and to provide constructive performance feedback.  Masterclass affords students the opportunity to perform recital repertoire.  Attendance will be taken and will count toward the final grade.

REQUIRED MATERIALS
Students must own or have available an acceptable quality violin and bow. The instrument must be well maintained. Strings must be less than six months old and not frayed or false. Bows should be re-haired at least every six months, or at the first signs of excessive wear. Students must own rosin, a rosin cloth, a metronome and a tuner or tuning fork.  It is a good idea to have at least one extra set of strings.  Students are responsible for immediately ordering any assigned music, recordings or supplies.  Students have two weeks to acquire music and recordings once they have been assigned.  Copies and library copies are acceptable for the period of time necessary for purchasing music.  Listed below are several sources for materials:

PRACTICE
Performance majors receiving an hour lesson (3 or 4 credits) should practice for an average of three hours a day; 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.

GRADING
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

• Methods of Assessment – Weekly lessons; masterclass or other solo performances if applicable
• Timeline for Assessment – weekly; scale and technique jury around mid-term, end of semester jury and studio recital

Grading System
Your final grade will be an A, B, C, D or F.                 

COURSE GRADING POLICIES

1. Lessons will be graded on the basis of effort and progress. 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 violinists and masterclasses, comparing editions, etc.


2. Masterclass All students are expected to attend masterclass each week. One unexcused absence is allowed.  Unexcused absences will lower your grade.
   
Education majors are expected to perform in masterclass a minimum of two times - Performance majors at least three times.

3. Recitals All students are expected to attend required performances which will include all upper string junior, senior, graduate recitals and recitals given by the string faculty including the Faculty Chamber Music Series and all FSO guest masterclasses. Attendance will be taken.


4. All violin students are expected to maintain a repertoire plan established at the beginning of each semester.


5. All violin students are required to perform a jury and play on the end of semester studio recital unless they have performed a solo recital during the semester. The end jury will be a maximum of 10 minutes in front of the string faculty. The student and teacher will decide the jury repertoire.  Failure to play a jury is an automatic failure for the semester. The string faculty will have input into the final grade.


6. Two listening assignments as discussed in masterclass.  Due: 2/19 and April 22


1. Write a one page summary of your listening experience.  List the piece, record label, recording artist(s).  What was your impression of the composition and the performance? If you liked it – why?  If not – why not?  You can find the following recordings at http://www6.nau.edu/library/info/resources.cfm?subject=Music&restype=mediasite.
   Click on NAXOS library and type in the piece.(a new service from Cline Library).
   • 2/19 - Sibelius Violin concerto: Listen to the whole piece of VXP-7904 (Aaron Rosand) and then compare the 1st movement to another recording of your choice.
   • Faure Violin and Piano Sonata – any recording
   • 4/22 – Barber Violin Concerto – Listen to the whole piece – your choice of performers and then compare the 1st movement to another recording of your choice.
   • Franck Violin and Piano Sonata – any recording of your choice.
   
   
2. Attend at least one half hour of two other student’s lesson.  Sign-in on a sheet on the piano. PLEASE DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE SEMESTER TO DO THIS!

ATTENDANCE
Unexcused absences are an “F” for that lesson and will not be rescheduled. Only official University institutional, illness or emergencies are excused.  Please let me know as soon as you know you will be missing a lesson.  Voice mail AND e-mail is best.  Please do not attend a lesson if you are in the initial contagious stages of getting sick!  Lessons missed by the instructor will be rescheduled.

You may occasionally reschedule your lesson during the week to another time or switch with another student.  Please make the change on my schedule that is posted on the bulletin outside my studio.

UPPER DIVISION JURIES
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 or two movements of a Telemann Fantasy, 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 @ 40 per pulse, 2 - 8 to a bow
5. Bowing skills: detache, sautille, spiccato, legato, and staccato with scales and arpeggios.

Performance majors must perform:

1. One movement of unaccompanied Bach or an entire Telemann Fantasy, 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 Flesch arpeggio sequence @ 40 per pulse, 2 - 8 to a bow
5. Bowing skills: detache, sautille, spiccato, legato, and staccato with scales and arpeggios.

B. A. students must perform an Exit Jury

1. A movement of unaccompanied Bach or two contrasting movements of a Telemann Fantasy, 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 @ 40 per pulse 2- 8 to a bow
4. Bowing skills: detache, sautille, spiccato, legato, and staccato with scales and arpeggios.

RECITALS

All degree recitals are to be held on campus!

1.   Check possible dates with you teacher, your pianist, your parents or other family first and then secure a date. Call  523.4120 with several possible dates.  Schedule your dress rehearsal when you are scheduling the recital. COMPLETE AN ASHURST TECH FORM DURING THE SCHEDULING PROCESS.

Pre-Recital Hearing

2.         A minimum of two weeks before your recital a PRE-RECTIAL HEARING must be scheduled.
YOU are responsible for making all arrangements for this hearing.

• YOU MUST ASK two other faculty to be on your committee for the hearing. The Committee will be composed of your applied teacher, another member of the string faculty, and another member of the faculty or string faculty.
• YOU must secure the date of the Pre-recital hearing, the committee members
• YOU must reserve a room.   The room can be scheduled through Janet.Kingsley@nau.edu.
•  

3.         The poster and recital program must be approved at the Pre-Recital Hearing.  The School of Music Office will print your programs if you give them enough time – one week minimum. Your program must be approved by me before printing

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. 

6.         Family and friends at the recital.  Everyone wants their friends and family to attend their recital, as they should.  However, make sure that your friends and family understand 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). If children are attending, please ask that they not sit in the front row. Pleaseask your family and friends not to prepare the reception in the hall during your recital and to serve the food at the end and not during the intermission.  No pictures during the recital – especially flash. 

Your recital tape 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, a festival, etc.  Your recording is most important to your future!

 

PIANISTS
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 week of classes.  You will have to pay for an accompanist. If you do not pay in advance, you will not be assigned a pianist.   Ms. Borden has an information sheet that tells you about the requirements.  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 beforeyou 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 two months before your recital and preferably as soon as you can play the repertoire at a reasonable tempo. At this point, your music should be solidly learned, and you should be familiar and comfortable with the accompaniment.  (See Scholarship Accompanist Information on Ms Rita Borden’s door.)