Music – The Concert Experience

Music – The Concert Experience
(Paper 4)

750 -1200 words excluding Cover Sheet – worth 150points (15% of your final course grade)


BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE: READ this entire assignment from start to finish with a highlighter to mark anything critical you may need to remember.
Do not be put off by the length of the assignment instructions. Paper 4 itself is not more complicated than other assignments, but the INSTRUCTIONS have to be longer because it involves going to a concert and corroborating attendance. Concerts vary a lot and therefore we have explain what to do in different circumstances. This is a process-oriented assignment, so we spell out the whole process. Many students in their feedback comments have mentioned that once they actually READ and USED the instructions as intended, they found the step-by-step formatvery helpful and easy.
These Instructions have four parts – here is a hyperlinked outline
Part A.Assignment Description / Requirements
A.1 Introduction
Core assignment requirements
A.2 Overview
A.3 Format and File Requirements
A.4 Corroboration of Attendance / Printed Program Requirements
Part B. Detailed Assignment Instructions — laid out as an easy, step-by-step process.
B.1 Choosing your concert, acquiring tickets, getting to the concert
Special cases, special permissions
B.2 Preparing for the concert
B.3 At the concert
Taking notes
Identifying pieces to write on – definition of “movement”
B.4 As soon as you get home
B.5 Draft your paper into the Template, section-by-section
B.6 Edit your draft
B.7 Copy permissions correspondence with Instructor into paper[For Distance Learners, special accommodations only]
B.8 Insert corroboration documents
Examples of valid and invalid corroboration

Part C.Submission Checklist— also step-by-step
C.1 Verify data / check key problem areas
C.2 Check file size, fix if necessary
C.3 Back up file
C.4 Send file to yourself as an attachment
C.5 Submit paper, verify submission
C.6 What to do in case of TROUBLE
Part D. Grading Rubric— what the Preceptors and Instructors use to grade your paper
Frequently Asked Questions— Look here first if you have questions

Use Parts A and D, the Assignment Description / Requirements and Grading Rubric sections, to get an overview of what is expected and how you will be graded. They include “absolute” policy, formatting and submission requirements.

Use Part B, thestep-by-stepDetailed Assignment Instructions, as your guide through the whole process of preparing for the concert, collecting the right information during the concert, and developing your paper. The check-list formatensures that nothing is forgotten and that you end up with all the information you need to do a good job.

Use Part C, the Submission Checklist, to make sure your paper has all the parts it needs and goes through the submission and verification process without any problems.

Part A: ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION/ REQUIREMENTS
A.1 Introduction
For this paper, you will report on your final “field trip” for this class, a classical music concert. You will have the opportunity to listen to music and describe it objectivelyin a concert environment that you experience in real time, in a live performance, the way it was originally intended to be heard.
For many of you, this will be the first time you have attended a classical concert. For others, you may have attended many concerts without having reflected on the experience in quite this way.It is challenging to listen actively enough to capture the information as it flows past. By preparing in advance, before you get to the concert, you will make the best use of your time. These Instructionsare designed to help you get the most out of the concert and the best possible grade on the paper.
A.2 Overview: what to cover in your paper:
Your paper, as organized by the Template, must consist of the following parts, in this order, using these headings:
1) Cover sheet – provide factual information about the concert and the pieces you are writing on (use the printed concert program for this information).
2) Introduction – Describe objectivelythe concert experience in general – what performers and instruments were involved, what the venue and audience was like, and how the concert was organized and carried out.
3) Objective Description of Musical Works – you will describe the music of THREE of the works or movements performed in the concert, as follows:
a. Thefirst work or movement in the concert
b. Thelast work or movement in the concert (excluding any encores).
c. One additional work or movement (your choice).
See the Detailed Assignment Instructionsfor how to select,identify and describe these works or movements.

4) Conclusion – Retrospective reflection / personal responseto the music and to the concert experience as a whole.
5) Images of corroboration documents&printed program pages showing list of works performed.
6) [For Distance Learners and those who received special approvalfor a concert not on the list:] Email correspondence showing you sought and obtained approval from the Instructor for a concert not on the Approved List.
If you do not include the correspondence, your preceptor will not know that you got an exemption and will give you an automatic 0.

A.3 Format and file requirements
 Template.As for other papers, a Template(a separate Word document, in the folder with these instructions)has been supplied to help you organize your paper. Use of the Template(including the template SECTION HEADINGS) isREQUIRED. Download the template and write your paper into it, saving it with your own filename according the Instructions.
 File Format.Papers submitted must use Microsoft Word ONLY. (NO Google Docs, Pages or other word processing software). Follow the complete instructions in the Detailed Assignment Instructions.
Only Microsoft Word is fully compatible with the learning management software we use. Public computers on campus have Word, so you can save your paper and submit from those. ENROLLED STUDENTS can buy the whole Microsoft Office suite in the campus bookstore for less than $10 — do it while enrolled, and save hundreds of $$$.
 File size for papers must be UNDER 1 megabyte. If your file size is larger, it may not display in the grading utility. See the Submission Checklist for detailed instructions.

 Papers must betyped, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides, using a “standard” 12-point text font such as Times New Roman.
 Required Filename Format.Save your paper file with your personal distinctivefilename as explained inthe Detailed Assignment Instructions (Smith_Thomas_HumPaper4.docx). That will help you avoid submitting the wrong file by mistake.
Blank templates, the Instructions, someone else’s paper 4, papers written for other classesand blank Word documents have all been accidentally submitted by careless students who did not take the elementary precaution of using a distinctive filename for their papers. Those submissionsare not valid and the Preceptor will assign a 0.
 Drop Box: The Drop Box link (“Submit”) can be found in the upper right-hand of the Paper Assignment4 page (under Modules >Paper 4) which is the same page where you found the link to download these instructions.
A.4 Corroboration of attendance /printed program requirements
For ALL concerts, you will need to supply scans or photographs of your CORROBORATION DOCUMENTATION and the WORKS LIST in the PRINTED PROGRAMphotographed or scanned together with your STUDENT ID, as explained in the SUBMISSION CHECKLIST section of these Instructions. Paper documents must be scanned or photographed together with your student ID.

Legibly, in ink, write your signature on the following:
• Works list page of program—not cover (cover-only image will lose points)
• Exit ticket (or ticket/receipt in a non-Bower concert)
Since venues and situations vary widely, we ask for multiple documents – you will supply whatever that applies to your situation. We will evaluate the totality of the corroboration you provide.
SAVE all physical and electronic corroboration documents until you have received your final course grade. If we have questions or are confused about your corroboration, we may require you to produce the paper documents. Not being able to produce the paper or original electronic versions of your documents on request could result in receiving a 0 for the paper.
All corroboration documents including names and numbers must be fully legible. Verify that you have not accidentally cut off part of the documents in your photo, and that the picture is sharp, not blurry.
Documentation required for off-campus concerts:
(a) The WORKS LIST pages from the printed concert program handed out at the concert.
These pages will supply the names of the composers and their works, and tell you (and us) who was performing, how many movements the works had, if any, and what these were called. If there is no printed program, follow instructions for this situation, as explained above under “off-campus concerts.”
In the rare cases where there is no printed program, you will have to be proactive about getting the information another way, either at the concert or afterwards. Since there will always be other students attending the concert you attended, we know which concerts had no programs and will sometimes be able to help you get the information.
(b) Your ticket stubORpurchase receiptORpurchase confirmation(paper or electronic).
If you have NONE of the above, acredit card statement showing the purchase can also be used IF it is in your name. Be sure to black out your card number.
(c) Your student IDIf you are not a full-time FGCU student you may substitute another official photo ID
(d)Write your signature,legibly and in ink, on the following:
• Works list page of program—not cover (cover-only image will lose points)
• Ticket/receipt

Documentation required for Bower School-Sponsored Concerts:

(a) The WORKS LIST pages from the printed concert program handed out at the concert.
These pages will supply the names of the composers and their works, and tell you (and us) who was performing, how many movements the works had, if any, and what these were called. If there is no printed program, follow instructions for this situation, as explained above under “off-campus concerts.”
(b)Your name onCheck-in List.You do not need to provide this; the Bower School does it for you.
Bower School-sponsored concerts (on or off-campus) have no paper ticket or stub; you buy tickets online and are checked in at the door when you arrive against the list. The HUM 2510 staff uses these lists as corroboration documentation for your concert attendance. Bring a copy of your email confirmation to the concert in case there is a problem at the door.
What if someone else buys your ticket? If your name is NOT on the check-in list, tell the person checking you in at the door what name the ticket is under. Submit a copy of the purchase confirmation or receipt as part of your corroboration, with an explanation, so we can confirm your attendance.
(c)Exit Ticket(if one is distributed)
At Bower School-sponsored concerts, you may be told to pick up an Exit Ticket as you leave. If there are Exit Tickets, an announcement will be made reminding you to pick one up. Exit tickets are ONLY given out at the end of the concert to those who were there for the entire concert. If you leave before the end or forget to pick up a ticket, you will not be able to get one later.
If there is an Exit Ticket, you must include it in the photograph of the program and your ID as described above. Each exit ticket has a unique number so that we can be sure each ticket is submitted only once as corroboration. We match student names from the check-in lists to the exit tickets, so we know for sure who was there (or not there) for the concert. If you do not have an exit ticket and your name is not on the check-in list, the paper will receive a 0 in Event Attendance.
(c) Your student IDIf you are not a full-time FGCU student you may substitute another official photo ID.
(d)Write your signature,legibly and in ink, on the following:
• Works list page of program—not cover (cover-only image will lose points)
• Exit ticket
Q: Why do we have to provide corroboration of attendance?
A: False claims and academic integrity issues arising from the Paper 4, though a small percentage of all papers, cause a disproportionate amount of work and trouble, not just for HUM 2510 but for the Bower School staff and the Office of Student Conduct. Corroboration protects the integrity of the assignment, enables us to distinguish false from true claims and reduces the burden of pursuing cases with the Student Conduct office.

Part B: DETAILED ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

B.1 Choosing your concert, acquiring tickets, getting to the concert

 Select your concert from the Approved Concert List.TheApproved Concert Listwill be posted on Canvasunder >Modules >Paper 4 three or four weeks into the semester, as soon as schedule dates are finalized.All things being equal, prefer concerts that are earlier in date, so that if you have a problem with your first concert, you will have the possibility of a later one as a backup
 Purchase your ticket as soon as the Approved List is up and ticket sales open, directly from the venue or organization putting on the concert. Web links are provided in the Approved List.Contact the venue for information as to when tickets will go on sale.
On-campus concerts have very limited seating. U Tobe recital hall only holds around 200 people; we have some 1700 students in the course every semester. There will be literally hundreds of other students trying to get those few seats at the same time. Not getting into a sold-out concert, or not having the money to buy the few (expensive) tickets that remain at the end of the semester is not an acceptable excuse for not turning in a paper on time; GET TICKETS EARLY.
The more limited your time, transportation and finances are, the more important it is to plan ahead. The least expensive, most convenient concerts sell out first, especially those scheduled closest to due date.
 Before paying for any ticket, VERIFY that the specific concert and date you have chosen appears on the Approved List. Often a venue will offer be multiple concerts of the same program on different dates, only one of which is on the Approved List for HUM 2510 students.
FGCU and HUM 2510 cannot be responsible for concert cancellations / schedule changes orpayment issues that may arise with concert venues. Refunds and ticket changes follow the policies and procedures of the venues.
We make every effort to list accurate information on the Approved List — HOWEVER concerts are subject to change without notice, and it is the student’s responsibility to verify date, time and location.
SPECIAL CASES, SPECIAL PERMISSIONS
 QUALIFIED DISTANCE LEARNERS(those who live more than an hour away from all the concerts listed on the “Approved” list): Use the alternativeInstructions for Distance Learners(link on course home page.) Qualified Distance Learners are those who self-identified at beginning of the semester.
 BOWER SCHOOL STUDENTS / MUSIC STUDENTS ONLY — If, as an enrolled music student, you have received a free ticket to a concert that is the SAME concert (the identical program) as one that is Approved for HUM 2510, but on a different (non-Approved) date, you may ask your Instructor for special permission to use substitute that concert for the Approved Concert.
Such permission must be requested AT LEAST 1 WEEK IN ADVANCE. No substitutions will be granted after the fact for concerts that have happened already. When you submit your paper, be sure to copy the email correspondence with your professor at the end, following the same instructions as those for Distance Learners, so that your Preceptor will know the concert was approved and will not give the paper a 0.
B.2Prepare for the concert
 Download, print and READtheseInstructions and the Template. Take these with you to the concert. Be sure you know IN ADVANCE what information you need to look and listen for in the concert.
 If you purchased your ticket online, bring with you your ticket purchase receipt or confirmation. At OFF CAMPUS venues, you may be required to show the credit card you used to purchase the tickets.(Contact the off-campus venue to verify ticket pick-up instructions; venues vary greatly in what they require).
 Read the separate instructions on “How to Attend a Concert” in Canvas under>Modules>Paper 4.Review the sections on Concerts and Exhibitions in the Course Policies (link on the Syllabus page).

 Review the Music Modules, especially the sections on musical instruments and types of works. Be sure you have listened to Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra to familiarize yourself with the different categories and sounds of musical instruments.

 Shortly before you go, confirm that the concert is still happening as scheduled on the concert or institution website (links are on the Approved List). Concerts are subject to being cancelled or rescheduled for illness or other reasons. If in doubt, call the venue.

 Before you leave for the concert, carefully check the location of the concert venue on the concert website and on an accurate map. Figure out how to get there, and how to find the parking and the main entrance. Use Google Street View to make sure you know what it looks like even in the dark. Sometimes concert venues and addresses can be hard to find and students have missed concerts as a result. Once you are on the road it is usually too late to get better information.
B.3At the concert
q Arrive early. If you are driving to an off-campus venue, plan on arriving at least 45 minutes before the concert starts, to allow for finding parking and standing in line to go in.
The bigger the venue or audience, the further the distance you have to go, the longer lead time you will need. Plan on being in your seat about 15 minutes before the curtain time, so that you will be able to examine your program and decide which works to focus on.
q Make yourself comfortable BEFORE entering the auditorium or performance space.
Get a drink of water, eat, visit the restroomand do whatever else you need to do so that you will be able to sit quietly without leaving your seat until intermission. You should leave the hall during the performance only if the disturbance you cause by staying (like a sudden illness or coughing fit) is worse than the disturbance you cause by leaving. If you do have to leave, you will not be able to return to your seat until there is an intermission or long break between pieces.
q Pick up your paper program as you enter the hall, find your seat, and storeanyticket stubs/ receipts in a safe place. You will need these for corroborating your attendance.
 Turn off and put away all electronic devices for the duration of the concert.
The noise and even the light of the screen is disturbing to audiences and performers.If the conductor notices you have an electronic device, he or she will very likely stop the music in the middle and call you out for disrupting the performance — it happens not infrequently, at FGCU campus concerts and in major venues like the New York Philharmonic.
 Never try to record or photograph in a live concert.
Classical performers and performance venues are legally obligated to be very protective of the laws that regulate fair use, piracy and copyright. Recording a live performance without permission is illegal and you will certainly be called out if you try to record or photograph; your device may be confiscated.
 Find the list of works in your printed program. Observe whether the first and last works on the program have multiple parts (movements) or not. Be prepared so you know what you will be describing.
For your paper, you will need to describe the first work or movement, the last work or movement, and one other work or movement of your choice. But if you haven’t figured out what those are, it will be hard to concentrate on them when the time comes, so use the program before the music starts to identify the pieces you want to focus on.

Q. What is a “movement?” How will I recognize one?
A “movement” is one section of a long, multi-part piece. For example, a string quartet or a symphony might consist of four parts or movements, each lasting 10 or more minutes. In a song cycle, each separate song is considered a movement. In musical works like operas and oratorios, that are composed of a sequence of separate pieces (solo arias, ensembles of two, three or more soloists, choruses) each separate piece is considered a movement.
Your printed program will usually indicate whether a piece has more than one section or movement; see the Sample Program below for an example. In the program, movements will normally be numbered or will have either a name or a designation indicating how fast the movement is (often in Italian.)
Each movement will have a distinctive sound and shape, different from the others. For example, the first movement may be moderate in tempo and volume, the second one may be very slow and soft, and the third one might be very fast and loud. A few moments of silence will usually separate movements, but a sophisticated audience will not clap between movements, so as not to disrupt the unity of the piece. Sometimes, one movement will elide into the next, without a moment of silence; but in that case the character of the piece will still change markedly, and the transition will be very obvious.
Q. What if an encore is performed after the last piece in the printed program?
You do not have to write about the encore; thelast piece listed in the printed program is the last piece for the purposes of this paper.
 Taking notes: Use your printed copy of the Template with its headings and Cover Sheet as a guide for collecting all the information you will need about your concert while you are on the spot – you can take notes right on the Template, under the appropriate headings. Read the section below on “drafting your paper” for details on what to listen for and what notes to take.
Don’t forget that you need to describe the MUSIC of the three pieces – be sure you focus on that while those pieces are playing. Don’t be distracted by other aspects and forget to observe the strictly musical aspects of what is going on!

 Behave politely and responsibly at the concert. Look at how experienced concert-goers react, and adjust your own actions accordingly.
Do not try to bring food and drink into the hall, or use electronic devices. Do not park your feet on the stage or the seats in front of you, fidget, make rude comments, move around during the performance or make noise. Take notes discreetly, so as not to disturb other listeners or the performers.
It is to EVERYONE’S advantage if FGCU students make the best possible impression in the community – you never know who may be sitting in that audience, thinking about establishing a scholarship or hiring an FGCU graduate. The people who attend classical concerts for pleasure, overwhelmingly, are people with good educations and broad interests, who support education and will be thrilled to see young people in the audience.
Equally, we depend on you to be courteous at the on-campus concerts, so that the Bower School will continue to offer low cost, convenient concerts on campus for future HUM 2510 students.
B.4 As soon as you get home

 Review your notes against the concert program, and add to them before you forget everything.
 Put your Corroboration Documentsin a safe place where you can find them again. Don’t leave these essential documents crumpled in a pocket or on the floor of your car – if WE can’t corroborate your attendance and YOU can’t corroborate your attendance, your paper could get a 0.

B.5Drafting your paper, section-by-section— as soon as possible after the concert.

 Download the Paper 4 Template (in the Paper 4 folder). Save it to your hard drive using MICROSOFT WORD ONLY. Use the following file-naming convention: Smith_Thomas_HumPaper4.docx
If you cannot see a file extension and verify the file type you will need to set your computer to display these; the Helpdesk can explain how to do this. Alternatively, you can open your file on one of the campus PC machines and save it as a Word document. GOOGLE DOCS and other brands of software (PAGES, WORDPERFECT) will not produce a file that can be read in our grading utility. Those documents will be graded as a 0.
 Do not put your name anywhere in the body or heading of the paper. Put it ONLY in the file name, as explained above, and in the TITLE area of the Turnitin submission screen.
 Under each heading of the template, draft a section according to specific directions below.
EVERY item marked with a star () MUST be included in your paper, under the appropriate template heading.

(1) COVER SHEET

Fill in the cover sheet in the Template according to directions (replace grayed out sections with your own information).
 We cannot grade papers that do not identify which pieces (or movements) you are writing on. Be sure to fill in that information using the concert program.
Sometimes work titles include additional identifying numbers (BVW 16, K 229). These refer to the item’s number in the standard catalog of works for that composer. If the concert program gives this information, you should include it after the work title.

(2)INTRODUCTION / DESCRIPTION OF CONCERT EXPERIENCE

Describe the concert event as a whole. Record your FIRST observations and reactions to the event experience– what it was like attending a classical music concert. Here are some questions you might like to consider (not all will apply to every concert):

• How did it differ from other concerts you may have attended? What did you notice about the process of getting tickets and arranging to go? Did you find the atmosphere to be welcoming?
• What did you observe about the way people entered and found their seats? Who else was there? Did you go alone or by yourself? How did the audience act during the concert? Did the staff have to deal with any issues such as audience members trying to bring in food or leaving electronic devices on? Were the audience members and staff courteous to each other?
• How was the stage or performance platform set up? Where did the performers stand or sit, and what logic governed the arrangement?
• How did the performers behave during the concert? Did they interact with the audience, with a conductor, with each other? Did the conductor or venue do anything to help the audience understand the music?
• What happened between works or movements?
• Did you observe any behaviors on the part of the musicians or audience that seemed to be rituals or traditions?
• What did the venue offer you in the way of help or hints as to what to expect?
(3)OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION OF THREE MOVEMENTS/ PIECES
Describe the music of ALL of the following in the concert (that’s THREE different pieces)
1) The first piece (or first movement,if the first piece has more than one movement)
2) The last piece (or last movement,if the last piece has more than one movement)
3) One other piece or movement, your choice.
This third item can be from a different work, or from the same work(s) as the first or last movements.

(For help in identifying what to write on, see above, Section B.3 in these Instructions.)
In this section, write down everythingfactualthat you can observe about the pieces and the performances from listening to them. Do this in your own words. You do not need to use technical musical terms unless you already know them. However, as for any paper you should use appropriately formal language. Most of the following categories of information can be observed by anyone who has done Paper 3 already and has read the first music modules.
• How many instruments or performers were performing the piece? What kinds of instruments or voices were they? If you aren’t sure about the names of the instruments, can you identify the category (woodwinds, percussion, brass, strings…)? What kind of sounds did each instrument or category of instruments make? A quick sketch of an instrument you don’t recognize can be used after the fact to identify it.
• Was the texture of the piece thick, thin or did it vary? That is, were there a lot of musical lines playing at once, or just one or two at a time?
• Was the piece fast or slow? Loud or soft? Did this change over the course of the piece?
• Did you hear anything that suggested structure or shape, for example, a section that was repeated, or a theme or melody or combination of instruments that kept re-appearing in a pattern?
• Were all of the instruments playing (or all the singers singing) in the movement? Did this vary as the piece progressed?
• Did the piece stay the same throughout, or did aspects of it change? In other words, did the piece speed up or slow down, or change in density/number of lines / performers, or in volume?
• How did the performers keep together and communicate with each other? Was there someone leading the performance, such as a conductor or one of the musicians? What aspects of the performance did the leader seem to control? What kind of signals were used? How did the musicians and conductor communicate with each other so they would know when to start and stop, what the tempo or volume should be?
• Was the music emotionally expressive? If so, how did the performers emphasize or communicate that emotion?

The more concrete factual detail you put into the Objective Description, the better.
(4) CONCLUSION — RETROSPECTIVE REFLECTION

Now that you have gone to your concert and thought about some of the pieces in more detail, what are your feelings about the experience looking back? How did hearing the concert in person, where you can see the performers, differ from your experience of listening to a recorded excerpt for your first music paper?

Were you surprised by anything you saw or experienced? Did you have any thoughts about it later, or any urge to listen to any of the pieces again?

What difficulties did you encounter trying to listen actively? Did you end up moved or repelled by the music itself?

For best results and the highest grades:

 Your only real opportunity to take good, detailed notes about the musicis while you are at the concertlistening. Make the most of your time there; be sure to write things down, because you will quickly forget what you heard otherwise.
 Focus on solid, detailed informationabout the music(what you could hear). The description of the music is the most important part of the paper, and weighs the most in the grade.
 Do not make simplistic value judgments about the quality(good or bad) of the music, the performance or the performers(“this is a terrible piece;” “the music was ugly”). This is not the point of this paper. We are not here as critics but as listeners.
 Instead, use your “gut reactions” to focus on the “whys” — what in the music affects you with positive or negative feelings? Focus on specific descriptive observations (“this piece was very abrupt and harsh-sounding,with many sudden, surprising changes of loudness or instrumentation. I found it disturbing rather than peaceful.”) If the piece strikes you as harsh or difficult to enjoy, then say so, but be sure to explain exactly what made it so.
 This paper is about yourobservations and experience at the concert; it is not a research paper. Do not include extraneous information about the biography of the artists or the history of the works from the program notes, Wikipedia, or any other source in your paper. The only information you should take out of the program is the basic identifying information about the concert and the works as required by the Cover Sheet.
 For dramatic works like operas or song cycles, do not get distracted by the “stories” and forget to describe the MUSIC. We know the stories already, we want to know what you heard in the music.
 Do not use technical musical terms unless you are sure you know what they mean and how to use them appropriately. Your own words are better than misused technical terms.
 Prefer concrete descriptive terms to vague ones. Don’t say the piece was “loud” if you can explain what made it loud; instead of vaguely saying “a lot of instruments” try to tell the reader which ones, or approximately how many.

B.6Edit your draftfor content, structure and writing mechanics.
 Make sure that your material goes under the right sections in the templates; e.g. in the “Objective Description of Three Works or Movements” section, you should be only describing the music itself, not the concert experience in general.
 Do not use words unless you are sure what they mean and how they are used. Do not gush about how “amazing” the concert was; tell us what you observed about the music itself. You don’t get extra credit for fancy technical terms or gush; you get credit for observing closely, describing objectively what you heard, and giving us your authentic and thoughtful conclusions about the experience.
 Check to be sure you have eliminated all sentence fragments, punctuation malfunctions, misused apostrophes, missing commas, and typos / misspellings.
 Use the Writing Center. Students who start their drafts early and use the Writing Center to help them with the editing improve their grades significantly. The more time and care you put into drafting and editing, the better the paper and the higher the grade.
 When you are done with the editing, fill in your total word count on the Cover Sheet (excluding the cover sheet itself). In Microsoft Word, just highlight the text and look at the bottom left of the frame for the word count.
TOO LONG? TOO SHORT? The word count limits are guidelines, not absolute rules. You will not be penalized going MODERATELY over the MAXIMUM word count, as long as the “extra” words are meaty content, not “guff.” HOWEVER if your paper is close to or below theminimum word count, you are definitely not including enough detailed, thoughtful information and analysis, and your grade will suffer accordingly. If you take good, detailed notes at the concert you will have plenty to put into your paper.
You do not need to put in word counts for individual sections.
B.7 Copypermissions correspondence (if you received special alternative concert arrangements as a Certified Distance Learner or Music Student).
Copy your email with the request and your Instructor’s answer giving permission for your alternative selection into the paper under the appropriate heading, using the Instructions for Distance Learners, linked from course Home Page.
B.8Insert corroboration documentsunder the heading in the Template.
For all students:
(a)A scan or photograph of the page(s) in the concert programcontaining thelist of works performedTOGETHER WITHyourstudent ID. (You don’t need to include other pages of booklet).
Plus ONE of the following:
(b) For Bower School Concerts: A scan or photograph of the Exit Ticket, if an Exit Ticket was distributed,TOGETHER WITHyour student ID.
OR
(c)For off-campus concerts and concerts without Exit Tickets, a scan or photograph of your paper ticket stubORproof of ticket purchase(confirmation, receipt, credit card statementwith account numbers and addresses blacked out to protect your personal information); paper documents that do not have your name on them already should be photographed TOGETHER WITH your student ID.

• Use JPEGs ONLY for inserted photographs — Other types of image file (PDF, tif, gif, etc.) can prevent your file from displaying, and what we cannot see, we cannot grade.
• All required information in the documents must be fully visible, legible and sharp. If you can fit all the documents into one image, that is fine – just be sure not to cut off important parts of the documents.
• If you supply more than one image, be sure your student ID is included in eachimagewhere required.
• If you are not a full-time FGCU student and do not have an official student id, you may use a driver’s license, official State photo ID or other official photo ID instead.
Examples of VALID corroboration:

Examples of VALID corroboration continued:
Examples of INVALID corroboration
Part C.SUBMISSION CHECKLIST
Start the submission process early(preferably before the last day) so that any problems can be resolved before the deadline.

C.1 Verify / double check key problem areas

 Did you use theTemplate and organize your paper under its headings?
 Did you save your file using MICROSOFT WORD? Remember, Google Docsand other types / brands of word processing software are INCOMPATIBLE with Turnitin/Canvas.
 Did you rename your file using the required file-naming convention: Smith_Thomas_HumPaper4.docx?
 Did you fully identify the concert andall the pieces you wrote about? Did you supply all required information in the cover sheet?
C.2 Check your File Size(do this AFTER your images are inserted.)
It should be no more than about 800 Kilobytes (KB). You can see the file size by checking your paper’s properties(In Microsoft Word: >File >Info >Properties >Size.)
If the file is too big, Canvas will accept it but Turnitinmay not be able to process it, and we cannot see or grade it in the grading utility.
NOTE to NOVICES: don’t confuse Kilobytes (KB) and Megabytes (MB)! Megabytes are bigger; 1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte.
IF YOUR FILE IS TOO BIG it means your photographs were too “heavy” (too many kilobytes). To make the picture size smaller, you can use image editing software like Paint or Adobe Photoshop to resize them (they should be no more than 800 pixels on the long side.)
OR use this easy work-around:
(1) Put your corroboration jpegs pictures into your paper or a blank Word document.
(2) Drag the corners of the images and position your paper on your computer screen, in such a way that each picture is fully visible and legible on your screen. If possible, get all your pictures into one screen view.
(3) Hit “PrntScr” or whatever the equivalent is on your keyboard, to take a screen shot.
(4) “Paste” the screenshot into your paper and crop by clicking on it and using the Crop tool in the Picture menu in Word (click on the image to see the Picture menu in the ribbon at the top). Then, verify that your documents are legible and delete the original photos from the paper.
NOTE: clicking a corner to make your file LOOK smaller on the pageor resizing it using the Picture menu in Word does not actually reduce file size (kilobytes).
C.3 Back up your file in a safe place,where you will always be able to find it.
Do not leave it where anyone else accidentally see it or copy it. Letting anyone else see your work, accidentally or on purpose, is a violation of Academic Integrity.
If you are careless about protecting it and someone steals and uses your work, even without your knowledge, you will both be held equally accountable for plagiarism.

C.4Send the file to yourself as an email attachment. Do this twice, as soon as you have a complete draft, and again right before you submit the paper.
If you do not have a complete, legible paper in the dropbox that can be graded in the grading utility by the due date, your email, dated in the system, with the attached draft or finished paper, can be used to prove your file was complete by the deadline.
Having a backup on your computer will not help you if your hard drive dies or you accidentally overwrite your file. However having a copy of your paper in email will protect you, even if the worst happens.
NOrequests to accept papers late due to “accidents,” “lost” papers, file format issues, mishaps during submission and the like will be entertainedwithoutreliably dated proof of when you paper was completed.

C.5Submit your paper
 Open the Dropbox in the Paper 4 folder by clicking on the SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT link at the topright of the Paper 4 page.
 Follow submission instructions. Use the BROWSE button to find your saved file on your computer (make sure it is the right file, saved with the right name!) and then check the box to signify understanding of the Academic Integrity policy.
 SUBMIT, then look for the submission confirmation notice in the upper right corner (the title of your paper will be below “Download”). You can go back to the assignment at any time to see your paper and (after grades are posted) your preceptor’s comments.
Last few important steps
Take a screen shot of the confirmation notice.
Save it to your hard drive pasted into a Word document or as a .jpeg, as proof of submission (look for PrintScr button on your keyboard, or ask the HelpDesk for help with this, or use a search engine to find instructions for taking screen shots on your computer).If you don’t keep this evidence, you will not be able to claim later that your paper was submitted on time but not recorded due to a “technical malfunction.”
 Download your submitted paper again andlook at it.
Did you turn in the right file, with acorrectly-formattedfile name? Are corroboration pictures visible?
Are you SURE that what you submitted wasn’t an incomplete draft, a blank template, ablank Word documentor thePaper 4 Instructions?
It is fatally easy to upload the wrong file by mistake. Dozens of students do it every year, and lose some or all points as a result, if it isn’t fixed in time.

 If you don’t see a confirmation notice, or made a mistake in the submission, no worries! Just follow the instructions again to resubmit.
CANVAS ALLOWS YOU TO SUBMIT PAPERS MORE THAN ONCE. If you made a mistake, and it is still before the deadline, just fix the paper and resubmit. But remember:
The LAST file you submit is the definitive file for the purpose of grading.Be sure that your last submission is what you intend as your complete, correct file. ONLY the last submission will be graded by your preceptor.
• If you submit a corrected paper AFTERthe deadline, it will be considered a late paper.
• If your last submission is only a fragment or a draft, then that is what will be graded.
• If your last submission is someone else’s HUM 2510 Paper 4, that you “just happened” to have on your desktop, submitting that paper couldbe considered a violation of academic integrity. You should not have anyone else’s paper, and nobody else should have your paper. Anything else is a violation of Academic Integrity guidelines.

IMPORTANT:Keep an especially close eye on your email for the two weeks following submission.
If we see a problem with your paper we will email you immediately. But there is a STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS: If you do not see the email and don’t respond promptly, the window of opportunity for fixing errors closes.

Do not destroy your original file or write over it. Keep it in a safe place where you can find it again.
If your file is illegible and you have to resave and submit a new version, you will need to give us the ORIGINAL file as well for verification of the date.
If you must RESAVE your file in a different format, do so with a slightly different name so you don’t mess up the DATE STAMP.
C.6 WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF TROUBLE:
If you cannot get your file to submit after several tries,CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY. ATTACH your finished paper file, along with a screen shot of any error messages,with a copy to Ms. Courcier and your preceptor. You may still be asked to go through the submission process, but the date-stamped email will demonstrate that the paper was completed before the deadline, and you won’t lose points for late submission.
Note: Dropbox closes at the final “late papers” deadline. No late papers will be accepted after that date.
That’s it! You’re done!
Scroll down for the Rubricand Frequently-Asked Questions

Part D:GRADING RUBRIC andFAQ

D.1 Grading Rubric
NOTE: Under the following special circumstances Preceptors are instructed not to grade a paperaccording to the Rubric, but instead are told to give it a grade of 0 with a comment indicating that the paper has been referred to the Instructor for further action:

(1) The paper egregiously fails to follow instructions.
(2) The concert attended was not on the Approved List AND proper procedures for a Distance
Learning alternative were not followed.
(3) There is evidence suggesting that the paper was not written from first-hand, in-person attendance at a live concert.Papers not written from in-person concert attendance constitute academic fraud and may be subject to prosecution under Academic Integrity guidelines.
(4) The paper is not readable in Canvas grading utility due to non-compatible file type or format.
(5) The paper is the subject of an academic dishonesty investigation or process. If the investigation determines that no academic dishonesty occurred, the paper will be graded normally; otherwise a penalty will be imposed and a report will be made to the Office of Student Conduct.

NOTE TO PRECEPTORS: It does not matter if students do not LIKE the experience or the concert or any particular piece of music. They are being graded on how well and insightfully they engage with and describe the concert experience, the music and their own reactions.
GRADE PERCENTAGE CLEARLY EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
100% GENERALLY MEETS EXPECTATIONS
80% DEVELOPING / NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
60% NEGLIGIBLE / NOT PRESENT 0%

FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS
15%
– Paper is formatted correctly using the Template; includes all required parts
– Content of sections follows guidelines in instructions

– Student generally followed assignment directions and formatting instructions with some lapses
– Most of the event information is present and accurate; all parts required by the Template are included; omissions and errors are minor Major problems with following assignment directions.
-Important information is left out of the event information
-Some (not all) parts required by the Template are omitted, or guidelines are not followed. No submission
OR
Little or no evidence of an attempt to understand or follow instructions

EVENT ATTENDANCE, EVENT INFORMATION
10% Event information complete and accurate.
– Attendance is corroborated by the following: a card swipe or exit ticket (for on-campus events) PLUS the student’s ID and an image in the paper showing the page(s) of the concert program with the list of works PLUS a ticket or receipt (for off-campus venues). Note that corroboration is not necessarily absolute proof of attendance; it is one piece of evidence among several that will be taken into account. – Event information is mostly complete, with minor vagueness, errors or omissions.
– Attendance is corroborated by the following: a card swipe or exit ticket(for on-campus events) PLUS the student’s ID and an image in the paper showing the page(s) of the concert program with the list of works PLUS a ticket or receipt (for off-campus venues). – Event information very incomplete or erroneous
– No corroboration or incomplete corroboration is supplied, but there is sufficient internal evidence to indicate the student did attend the concert. No submission, OR
Paper does not meet basic requirements to receive credit, OR
Event information not included, OR
Required corroborative evidence not included and there is no internal evidence in the paper to make a clear case for attendance, OR Student does not have an exit ticket for a Bower School concert and is not on the check-in list.
GRADE PERCENTAGE CLEARLY EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
100% GENERALLY MEETS EXPECTATIONS
80% DEVELOPING / NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
60% NEGLIGIBLE / NOT PRESENT 0%

DESCRIPTION OF CONCERT EXPERIENCE IN GENERAL
10% – Paper shows strong evidence of originality and a direct effort to engage with the assignment requirements independently.
– Student observes closely the ritual of the concert and describes the venue, set up, participants and procedures followed.
– Descriptions are vivid and detailed.
– Student describes the structure and flow of the concert as it unfolds in time.
– Student describes the behavior and interaction of the major players (performers, conductor, audience, ancillary personnel).
– Descriptions of affective response are clearly authentic and introspective.
– Observations show a degree of engagement, curiosity and an evident desire to be thorough and objective.
– Information provided is manifestly based on first-person observation of the concert in question. – Student describes the concert experience adequately but without the thoroughness or degree of careful observation of detail that would merit an “exceeds expectations.”
– Description may focus on only a few categories of possible observations – for example, it may focus on the setting but not describe the performers or instruments, or it might describe these but not the way the concert unfolds over time.
– Response to experience dominates over description of experience.
Response appears formulaic, more based on what the student thinks the instructor wants than on close observation of own feelings. Response to / description of concert experience is rudimentary.
– Lacks evidence of thoughtful, independent critical engagement or the ability to address directly the questions posed by the assignment. The paper sounds like a paraphrase of other papers, showing a significant lack of original thought or process; response to concert experience seems very mechanical and formulaic.
– Description of concert experience isundeveloped and superficial.
– Without assuming fraud, the paper does not give the kind of concrete and circumstantial detail that manifestly had to have been the result of first-person observation.
– Paper reveals a significant lack of engagement with the assignment.
– Paper confuses personal feelings and value judgments with objective observation and description. No submission or: this section is too weak to be given credit.

DESCRIPTION OF PIECES
40%
– All three required pieces are described and student records responses for each piece.
– Descriptions of pieces / movements are concrete and detailed.
– Student discusses multiple aspects of the three works / movements – e.g. tempo, instrumentation, dynamics, texture… (own words are OK-students don’t have a full technical vocabulary yet)
– Student clearly differentiates between a subjective or affective response to a work and an objective description.
– All three required pieces are described.
– Descriptions of works may be thin, giving only a partial, vague impression of the work.
– Only one or two aspects are discussed for each work.
– Student has trouble clearly differentiating between the three pieces in recording response.
– Student may not clearly differentiate between a subjective or affective response and an objective description of a work Paper is weak in multiple areas; some or all of the following are present:
-Student was apparently aware of instructions but does not follow them completely; e.g., describes fewer than three or the wrong three pieces
-Descriptions are very sketchy, with little concrete information.
– Description focuses only on one or two aspects and covers them very briefly.
Student describes music to a degree but fails to clearly differentiate between the three different pieces. No submission OR this section of the paper is too deficient to earn credit.

– Student entirely fails to follow directions, e.g. does not describe music in any concrete way.
GRADE PERCENTAGE CLEARLY EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
100% GENERALLY MEETS EXPECTATIONS
80% DEVELOPING / NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
60% NEGLIGIBLE / NOT PRESENT 0%

CONCLUSION / RESPONSE TO CONCERT EXPERIENCE
10%

– Conclusion shows strong ability to integrate information and observations from the rest of the paper and to formulate new ideas based on them.
– Response to the experience is nuanced, insightful and is closely and explicitly connected to concrete aspects of the experience as a whole and of the music as described.
– Student’s response goes beyond simplistic hate/like value judgments and explains the “why” of the response.
– The way the student describes his or her response shows that they were actively listening to the music. However they felt about being at the concert, they were able to put those feelings to one side and objectively describe the event and the music.
Student manifestly engaged with the intellectual task at hand, and was not simply checking off boxes. – Conclusion shows some ability to integrate information and observations from the rest of the paper and formulate new ideas based on them.
– Description of response to the concert is adequate but not exhaustive, may lack connection to concrete aspects of the music.
– Student’s response is not wholly confined to simplistic value judgments; some attempt is made to connect the response to specific features of the concert and the music.
– Student demonstrates evident willingness to execute the assignment conscientiously, without necessarily a high degree of intellectual curiosity or deeper exploration.. – Conclusion does not integrate information and observations from the rest of the paper.
– Response to music and concert experience is simplistic and rudimentary.
– Observations are vague, general and lack reference to concrete observation.
– Student does not move beyond a “snap” value judgment to a more introspective and nuanced self-awareness.
– Student does not connect affective responses to concrete aspects of the works. No submission
OR
the response sections of the paper are too deficient to earn credit.
WRITING STYLE AND MECHANICS
15% -Writing is fluid and vivid; specialized terminology if present is used well.
–Spelling, mechanics, and proofreading good to excellent. – Writing is reasonably fluent, with adequate vocabulary; some flaws in syntax and word usage, spelling or editing. Serious deficiencies in spelling, mechanics, and/or proofreading. No submission OR paper does not meet basic requirements to receive credit.

D.2 Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When will my paper grade be posted?
A. Grades are normally posted about 2 ½ weeks after the due date. All grades for all sections are usually posted at the same time. That time span is necessary to give the preceptors time to grade the 1700+ papers generated by this class for each assignment. Post dates are listed in the Course Calendar. Grades and feedback can be accessed through the Grades tab.
Q. How can I see my Preceptor’s comments on my paper? What if I have questions about my paper?
A. AFTER GRADES ARE POSTED you can see detailed comments by accessing the assignment and viewing the Submission Details in the “Submission – Turned In!” box (look in the “Comments” field”).
You can also access your paper score, your preceptor’s comments, and your rubric evaluation by clicking on the Paper 1 link in your gradebook.
• Then, compare what you did to the RUBRIC and the INSTRUCTIONS.
• If you still have questions, ASK YOUR PRECEPTOR. Your Preceptor’s name appears as the author of the Comments in the Submission Details screen.
• Still not certain? ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR.
If you would like to improve your grade, here is a suggestion: after you have a first draft for your next paper, take the draft and the instructions to the WRITING CENTER and ask them to help you understand how to improve the draft. Sometimes face-to-face is very helpful. Not all instructors are on campus, and the Writing Center staff are experts when it comes to HUM 2510 papers.

Q. Why are the instructions so elaborate and so picky? Why are there so many documents and parts?
A. In such a large online class, where we can’t explain things in person, we have to do it in writing. We also want all students to have the best chance at success and to learn the most from the experience. And without clear instructions, there is no other way to ensure that the 1700+ papers turned in for each HUM 2510 assignment are graded fairly and according to objective criteria across all sections.
• The detailed Instructions, broken down into steps, make your writing stronger and the submission process much less error-prone.
• The Rubric standardizes grading criteria, making grading equally transparent to students and to everyone on the Instructional Team.
• The Template, keyed to the rubric, helps you structure your paper so that preceptors can find what they need quickly and compare apples to apples easily. That way, they will not be hindered by missing information and can use their time to focus on your ideas and writing.
• The Cover Sheet ensures that all necessary information is transmitted to the Preceptor and Instructor along with your paper.

Q. I got a lower grade than I wanted, even though I put a lot of work into this paper, and thought it was really good. Why am I not getting credit for this effort?
A. In college, as in life, the success of the work you do is judged on outcomes, not effort. Your preceptor and instructor are not in a position to appreciate your effort — all we have to go on is the paper itself. The paper itself is a good indicator, not of the quantity of effort you spent, but of the quality of the effort.
The Rubric evaluates a range of different factors, weighted according to importance. We handle a very large number of papers each semester and are very familiar with what an “average” paper looks like and an “excellent” paper. Your grade will take all the factors into account.
If students were the best judges of the quality of their own work, we would not need schools or teachers. It takes time and practice to be able to be objective about the quality of one’s own work. Grading standards inevitably change when we move into the more competitive environment of a university. As time goes on, most students learn how to accept grading constructively and to see each grade and each assignment not as a judgment of their value as a human being, but as a signpost of where they are in the incremental steps of a developmental process. Grading and comments, both positive and negative, are a necessary part of learning.
Q. I got a ZERO on my paper, even though Iturned one in. How is that possible?
A. A zero IS an extreme grade, but every semester some students do unfortunately earn 0’s by egregiously failing to follow instructions and policies. The specific reason will be in the Comments (see “where can I see comments?” above). Any paper given a grade of 0 is referred to the Instructor for evaluation.
Typical reasons for getting a grade of 0 on a HUM 2510 paper are:
(1) The paper was written on a work that was not assigned; OR (for special cases) the topic was not approved IN ADVANCE following the Distance Learning / Special Permissions instructions.
(2) The paper was manifestly not written from in-person observation of the work of art.
(3) The paper globally failed to follow assignment instructions with regard to process, structure or content.
(4) The paper was so deficient (confused, minimalist, poorly-written) that the preceptor could not judge your observations and ideas well enough to grade it. We do not give points for raw “effort”if that effort is misdirected and does not follow instructions; we give points for the quality of the process that went into the paper – and that includes following the instructions and asking for help if needed.
(5) The paper is the subject of an Academic Integrity investigation or process. If the investigation subsequently determines that you are not responsible for an Academic Integrity violation, the paper will be graded normally; otherwise a penalty will be imposed and a report will be made to the Office of Student Conduct.
(6) The paper was not submitted by the deadline, or was unreadable – we can only grade legible papers submitted before the last “late papers” cut-off date. If you submitted on time but we cannot see your paper in Canvas because you submitted a non-compatible file type, we cannot grade it.
NOTE: This last error is only “fatal” if you did not follow instructions for emailing the paper to yourself. If you did follow those instructions, and therefore you can produce evidence showing that the paper was complete by the due date, in the form of a dated email sent to yourself with the original paper file, we will normally allow you to resubmit a correctly-formatted file.

Q. What if I believe there is an actual error in my grade?
A.Simple inputting errors are an inevitable feature of human-technology interactions. And occasionally you may feel that the grading is too “hard.” Keep in mind that many students cannot realistically estimate how good their work is, especially if they have been used to getting A’s in high school and are not familiar with college-level standards. They naturally don’t have as comprehensive a picture of how they rate compared to their peers, as a preceptor does who grades hundreds of papers a semester. But if, having evaluated your paper carefully and objectively against the Rubric, you still don’t understand why you got the grade you got, or thing there may be an actual error in the grade, there is a process to follow:
First ask your preceptor to look at it, and then if that doesn’t solve the issue, ask your Instructor and/or Ms. Courcier, the Course Manager, to look at the problem. They will verify that the preceptor did not make any data entry errors and did apply the rubric correctly and consistently. We will make every effort to fix any errors expeditiously. Sometimes it takes multiple tries to fix errors but we will work with you to make it happen.