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Course Syllabus

MUSC 1490 Brass Instrument Study and Pedagogy II

  • Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
  • Department: Music
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 1; Lecture: 2; Lab: 0
  • Semesters Offered: Spring
  • Semester Approved: Fall 2019
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2025
  • End Semester: Summer 2025
  • Optimum Class Size: 15
  • Maximum Class Size: 20

Course Description

This course is the second semester of a two course sequence that teaches music education majors the fundamentals of playing and teaching brass instruments. This course is required for instrumental music education majors. All four-year instrumental music education programs require a full-year of this course or its equivalent. Similar courses are taught at other Utah colleges that offer degrees in music education.

Justification

The objective of this class is to provide students with a hands-on experience with each of the brass instruments. Students will learn to produce a characteristic sound on each instrument and be fluent with the peculiar pedagogical aspects of each brass instrument to include fingerings, transpositions, maintenance, and student suitability. All four-year instrumental music education programs require a full-year of this course or its equivalent. Similar courses are taught at other Utah colleges that offer degrees in music education.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will be able to produce a characteristic sound on each brass instrument.
  2. Students will be fluent with the peculiar pedagogical aspects of each brass instrument.
  3. Students will understand the fingering systems for each brass instrument and be able to write and describe fingerings from sight from score notation.
  4. Students will understand the mechanics of transposition for each brass instrument.
  5. Students will be able to name and describe pitch tendencies for problematic notes on each brass instrument.
  6. Students will understand the effect of temperature on pitch for brass instruments.

Course Content

Students will participate in the class as if they were beginning band students. They will master grade 2 level on one instrument during the first semester (MUSC 1480) and become familiar with the remaining instruments during the second semester (MUSC 1490). Students will participate in a practicum experience in the local public schools at least once per semester where they will receive input from the public school teacher. Students will build a resource binder containing information on the use, care, and maintenance of brass instruments and appropriate band literature.