University of Virginia Library

Courses for First Year Students.

Material and Sight Singing—1A.—The satisfactory completion of
this course requires (1) the ability to read at sight with Italian syllables,
and with musical expression, the music taught in the first
four years of the public schools, and (2) a knowledge of the material
for these grades.

Study of Tone and Rhythm—1B.—The activities prescribed in this
course embody the careful development and mastery of all tonal,
metric and rhythmic problems of the first four years of the public
schools, through the medium of musical dictation. This work is
based on the aurul recognition of the scale and scale successions
up and down in varying order, followed by the written expression
of the same. Ear training and eye training are then combined so
that power may be gained to think tones and to sense meter and
rhythms and at the same time acquire a practical knowledge of
scale relations and the application of the Italian syllabus used in
sight reading.

Methods and Rote Songs—1C.—This course is devoted to the discussion
and presentation of correct teaching principles of music for
the first four years in public schools. The methods employed are
those used in the school room. Students are required to formulate
detailed outlines embodying the preparation and presentation of lessons
for the classroom. Rote singing is the foundation upon which
there must be laid the whole structure of school music. In this
course, emphasis is placed on the importance of selecting material
specially adapted for rote singing, upon the method of presentation,
and upon the artistic interpretation of the thought and spirit of the
song.

Rudiments of Music and Melody Writing—1D.—The work in Rudiments
of Music includes the study of the constructive elements of
music with individual oral and written tests on the same. This includes
(1) the notation and terminology of pitch, duration and volume;
(2) pitch names; (3) the structure of the major scale; application
to all keys; (4) key signature; (5) elementary melody.

Music History and Current Musical Events—1E.—Students taking
the course will be required to pass an examination covering the
most important facts relating to the great classical and romantic
composers and their music; also a working knowledge of current
musical events together with the names of the most eminent living
composers, their works, and the names of the principal music performers
of the day, instrumentalists as well as vocalists.