LJ Idol Season 8, week 33, ensemble

[imafarmgirl]

As part of my degree I needed three credits in some kind of art; literature, music, theater, it didn’t matter exactly which I chose. I decided on introduction to music. It looked like it was laid out to be a music appreciation class. The benefits were that it was online in the summer, making it easy to squeeze in around work hours. Also, I had

Comments

[faerie_spark]

With regards to the freedom your professor is giving you with what resources to use, I'm wondering if that's not actually more a function of this professor or how he's choosing to run this class (which is an elective for non-music majors as well as for music majors) than a reflection of the academic studies of music students at all levels in all universities. I'm suspecting that many music professors are pretty academically fastidious.

[imafarmgirl]

I have no idea. I've never come across any professor that would allow the use of wikipedia. Lucky for me, there was a huge extensive wiki article on Beethoven, the subject of my term paper.

[kathrynrose]

I was thinking the same thing. A 100 level course that is being taught online. I bet this professor has had a wide variety of students, and many are from backgrounds that are not as rigorous.

[imafarmgirl]

Perhaps, but it seems like all majors will require some sort of strength at some point. The intro psych course I took, which was for psych majors and also an option to fill the school wide self and society course requirement was a real ass kicker. Same level of course as well. I don't know, maybe its just this particular professor. I'd be curious to hear from music majors what their requirements were.

[imafarmgirl]

I'm glad to hear that. I know he is more concerned with what we think than what our books say, but it's still really out there. The psych department doesn't allow that. They are really hard ass. He also doesn't care what format the paper is written in MLA, APA, or whatever as long as there are footnotes? APA doesn't use footnotes so I have no clue what he's talking about. I'm not familliar with siting web sites and wiki links. lol. Also to use youtube links where I listened to the music. I'm lost.

[kathrynrose]

I recently helped a friend with her master's paper. I felt old when I realized there were formats for citing websites.

Here's a link for MLA: http://lib.westfield.ma.edu/webmla.htm

Here's a link for APA:
http://lib.westfield.ma.edu/webapa.htm

[imafarmgirl]

Thanks. That helps. I used web sites in my masters paper but that was in 2003 so I don't remember and things could have changed.

I decided to write in APA style since it's what I know. To heck with footnotes.

[myrna_bird]

Nice choice for the topic. I kind of agree with faerie_ spark's assessment in that this was an elective-Intro class for you. Your term paper can demonstrate your appreciation for music focusing on Beethoven ( one of my favorites too) and citing internet sources should be valid. I am curious how you can take a final exam without turning in the term paper first.

[imafarmgirl]

The course is online. The final exam needed to be taken between Wednesday and Sunday of this week online. Since it is timed I take mine via e-mail since I get extra time on tests. The term paper and the concert review are due by tomorrow, Monday, the last day of class. That is how the final exam is taken before the term paper is handed in.

It was an interesting course experience. Since he said wikipedia was a valid source for the paper I did use it. It has a very extensive page on beethoven. I also used books. Of course I used youtube to access his music that I didn't have. School has changed a lot since I was in it the first time with the web being so popular now, and it just starting its popularlarity when I was in high school and undergrad the first time.

[myrna_bird]

Yes, my courses were some in the 80's and mainly in the 90's but I am pretty sure that internet citing is more acceptable now just because "everything' is on there. I hope you get the A!!!

[imafarmgirl]

I hope so too. Everything is turned in now. So it's just a matter of waiting to see.

[whipchick]

Sounds like he's trying to be a nice professor and help non-majors get through an elective, or develop music appreciation rather than an academic sense of musical research :)

[imafarmgirl]

You know, I bet you're right. He's a really nice guy. That makes more sense than what others have said I think.

[pixiebelle]

That was awesome that he took you along! Like you, socially awkward so the idea would terrify me. Making conversation with complete strangers like that is one of my worst nightmares.

But what a nice guy!