Music History

[sailracer90]

Hi, I am a music performance major at LSU. I am struggling in the Intro to Music class here, If any of you have taken it at LSU, what tips can you give me for doing better in the class? For those of you who didnt come here, what can i do to improve my grade in the music history portion of the class? Any tips?

Thanks

[scottw]

Hi, I am a music performance major at LSU. For those of you who didnt come here, what can i do to improve my grade in the music history portion of the class? Any tips?

Thanks

Not to be smart, but there is only one answer we can give you: study hard. There are no shortcuts to learning the subject. I would also heartily recommend actually listening to the music of the different periods, listening critically to the style, the nuances of the harmony, how the melody lines are handled, etc. That way, it is not an abstraction, but you have actually experienced your subject.
Make your own good luck!

[tubafatness]

Get a study group together. Seriously. Especially for the listening exam, (assuming there is a listening exam.)

Aaron

[Toobist]

Also, remind yourself how important an educated perspective can be to your PERFORMANCE. If I could turn back time and retake those first-year courses I would change the way I looked at the history overview course (among others). To understand even a little about the historical settings and ideas that have to do with pieces your are performing will help you PLAY BETTER. An experienced ear can hear the difference between a player who knows every note in an exerpt and a player who knows every note in the symphony as well as the mindset of the composer and artistic nuances the composer's style the setting would dictate. Oh, and most AUDITION panels consist of musicians whose ears are experienced.
Hint, hint.

[TUBAD83]

Also, remind yourself how important an educated perspective can be to your PERFORMANCE. If I could turn back time and retake those first-year courses I would change the way I looked at the history overview course (among others). To understand even a little about the historical settings and ideas that have to do with pieces your are performing will help you PLAY BETTER. An experienced ear can hear the difference between a player who knows every note in an exerpt and a player who knows every note in the symphony as well as the mindset of the composer and artistic nuances the composer's style the setting would dictate. Oh, and most AUDITION panels consist of musicians whose ears are experienced.
Hint, hint.

Sailracer
Toobist is right on the money. I know what you're going through (I tried to take music appreciation--a FAR easier course, but being a MUS TE major at the time, Music History was required, so NO ESCAPE). There is no short cut or easy way--just gotta dive into it dude. It will pay off over time--better appreciation and understanding of music which will, in turn, improve your performance. Today I tend to seek out and listen to the very music I studied (and HATED) in MUS HIS.

JJ

[djwesp]

Jacob,

E-mail Joe Skillen. Set up a time to meet with him (it should not be during your lesson time). Go to him and sit down with him, talk to him about your situation as a freshman.

Joe is a no nonsense guy. You may not like what he has to say about what is going on in your life, but his advice and the help he can provide for you would help you by leaps and bounds.

One of the important questions I'd ask Dr. Skillen is this, "I'd like an older mentor in the studio. I was hoping that you would know of someone in the studio that "does it right" and is devoted to their instrument and their studies."

After reading over your posts recently, I see an alarming trend. You are in a rut, mostly because of the people you surround yourself with, and the only way to get out of that is to find someone who is doing it right and follow by their examples and learn (even if a little) by their mistakes.

The LSU studio is full of great guys and a great teacher. Let Joe and an upperclassman steer you down the right path. Do not let this get worse than it already is. The best advisors for someone like yourself are people that are closer to the situation than we are, and that embody roles that you wish to assume yourself later in life. If I had done this earlier, I would have saved myself a lot of time.


Wes "thinking he should have taken the input of Andy Anders when he was a freshman with a lot more salt" Pendergrass

[tubashaman2]

.

[sailracer90]

I guess i do most of that right. I study it, do the readings, the only class ive missed in college is Math 1029, where ive only been 2 times, and i got an a on the exam and ive gotten 100s on all the quizzes and homework (its all online). The class is entirely music majors so yeah... Its just the history part that i have trouble with... i dont memorize all the stuff i need to know that well...

[tubashaman2]

.

[Toobist]

I DO NOT INTEND TO SOUND LIKE A KNOW IT ALL OR JERK HERE:

I am the Grad. Assistant for a similar class where I am at, and I work with the professor a lot, plus I have an interest in musicology (specifically, the role of the tuba and Russia....), and I have had some success with grades.

First of all: sit towards the front of the class, if it is a larger class. The music majors in this large intro class (mixed with majors and non-majors) who sit towards the front are the ones actively engaged, asked insightful questions, etc. The professor has a strict no facebook, etc. policy, so I am the monitor for that. To get back on topic, you won't be as distracted if you sit towards the front.

Second: do all the reading. In larger classes, you can get away with not doing reading and taking notes, because of the lack of quizzes and such. Do the reading BEFORE the lecture, and listen to the musical examples while reading critically. Also, listen to the musical examples on a daily basis, because you can't really cram listen. Take good notes on the reading, if there is anything you don't understand, try to understand in the lecture.

Third: make the class relevant. For you, the medieval/renaissance music might be a new realm of listening, and terms you do not understand. I have heard Dr. Joe takes in a couple freshman a year. I assume there might be another major or two taking a similar class....why not have weekly study sessions and discussions. Often, if you can discuss it and argue over a point, you will remember the material when it comes to test time.

Fourth: Show up to class, and be ready for each class (a reiteration of the second point): you can copy notes, etc. if you skip class, but you won't get the full understanding of the lecture.

If you are unsure or confused, meet with the professor or graduate assistant for clarification

Good luck, let me know if you need anything.

Great post James. Really good advice!

[MileMarkerZero]

Jake,

Try figuring out ways to present the information to yourself in a different way. If you are visually oriented, try making timelines with important dates on it. If you like you can order one here:

http://www.carissimi.com/

that is probably the most comprehensive one around.

You might also try arranging musical events on a timeline. For instance, in 1880, Tschaikovsky composed the 1812 Overture, Brahms composed both the Academic and Tragic Overtures.

It has always bothered me that most history instructors place too much emphasis on dates and minutae, instead of focussing on trends, cause-and-effect, influences, and chronology. If you have a ballpark idea of when something happened, it's a lot more important to know the causes of and ramifications of the event than it is to know the actual date. You can always look the exact date up on Wikipedia.

Oh, and...

To add to what James said: if you have a question, speak up! The only stupid question is the one that doesn't get asked. Don't worry that other people might get irritated for taking up time with questions. THEY aren't paying for your education. YOU ARE, so get the most out of it and screw them. Some others in the class might be wondering the same thing you're asking about. You are NOT the only one that has difficulty with a class.

[Thomas Maurice Booth]

In addition to things that have already been mentioned, make use of the professor's and/or TA's office hours. I know that when I had trouble or was confused with something the professor and/or TA would be more than happy to help me get a better grasp on things, and it helped show that I did actually care and wanted to do the best I could.

TMB