Dan Mitchell: Music Department

I teach Electronic Music and Introduction to Music classes at De Anza College. More information about the classes is available at the Electronic Music and Intro to Music class web sites. Contact me (mitchelldan@deanza.edu) with questions about my classes. Visit the De Anza College web site for general college information including registration and admissions.

Monday, October 13, 2003

My first music teacher Gilda Mazzanti is featured in a Mercury-News article (Strings of history: Gilda Mazzanti has played violin in San Jose orchestras for the past half-century) celebrating her 50th year as a member of the San Jose Symphony (now morphed into the Symphony Silicon Valley).

She is a piece of history, a strand of connective tissue that stretches through musical decades: from the old San Jose Symphony's days as a community orchestra, which Mazzanti joined at age 20 in 1953, while majoring in music at San Jose State College; through its 20-year ``golden era'' under conductor George Cleve; its 2002 bankruptcy filing; and the birth last year of the new orchestra with many of the same musicians but a far shorter schedule and a fancier name.

I took trombone lessons when I attended the Schallenberg Elementary School in the San Jose Unified School District (a long time ago) and "Miss Mazzanti" was our music teacher. Our "orchestra" met in the school cafeteria each week, in an era when each school had a music program and many students took instruments or voice lessons at school.

Mazzanti is a character - but in the best sense of the word. She could be a tough teacher - she once told me that if I wouldn't be quiet that she would "make a bow-tie out of my trombone" - but I have nothing but good memories of my early experience in music under her guidance.

Thank you "Miss Mazzanti!"

Several students loaned me CDs of their music or music they like during the past few weeks. Thanks! I'm currently listening to a Yellow Magic Orchestra recording that Chris Chong loaned me. (To my son Brandon at UCLA: The "happy song" by YMO that you played for me is on this recording: "Behind the Mask")

Completely unrelated

Vogelsang Peak View: View to the east from Vogelsang Peak. October 11, 2003.

View of the Sierra Nevada crest from the summit of Vogelsang Peak. October 11, 2003.

(If you are interested, read more here.)

Fall 2009 Term
Fall 2009 classes begin in September, and registration has already begun. Visit the De Anza College web site to find out more about admissions and registration. My schedule includes:

Music 1A: Introduction to Music

MTWTh at 9:30-10:20 in A11
MTWTh at 10:30-11:20 in A11

Music 51: Introduction to Electronic Music

MW at 12:30-2:10 in A91
Friday-only at 10:30-1:50 in A91

Music 8: Intermediate Electronic Music

TTh at 12:30-2:10 in A91

For more information about courses I teach, visit the web sites for my Intro to Music and Electronic Music classes. Also, be aware that the state budget crisis may force changes in this schedule. Send me email if you have questions - see the Contact Info section lower in the sidebar.

I posted an extremely important note about enrollment during a budget crisis last year - it still applies for the upcoming term. Please read it!

Recent Posts From My Other Sites

Music 1

	Week 9 Topic Posted (11/19). I have posted the next online discussion topic assignment: Week 9 Topic - Fall 2009. As always, it is due before the start of your class next Monday.

	Quiz Information Update. As announced in class, this week's quiz will be today. As a result next week's quiz will be on Tuesday rather than on Monday. I hope to have us back on the quiz-on-Monday schedule by the last week of classes, but stay tuned...

	Extra Credit List Updated. I added a couple more events to the Extra Credit concert list late yesterday - there are now a half dozen qualifying events on the list. Some important notes: Be sure to carefully read the Extra Credit page to understand the (rather simple) requirements for the extra credit assignment. Note that the written part of this work is very simple - and it is NOT a concert report or a concert review. Because this is extra credit I will not accept any work that is not submitted on time - all extra credit work must be submitted at the start of the very next class meeting after the concert. No extensions will be given for any reason. You may email the written part of the extra credit work rather than giving me a printed copy. You must still give me ticket/concert program by the "next class" deadline. As mentioned in class and on the Concert List and Extra Credit pages, two De Anza College events this weekend may be used for EITHER the concert report assignment OR for extra credit. You may not use any individual event for both. The only events that qualify for extra credit are those listed on my Extra Credit page. No there events are eligible for extra credit. (Additional events may be added to the list during the upcoming days/weeks.


Source: Music 1; Updated: 11/19/2009.

Electronic Music

	Fall 2009 Intermediate Electronic Music Presentation Schedule. Temporary Fall 2009 Summary list Fall 2009 Equipment available in the classroom for use by all presenters. Mac computer running MS: office inc. Powerpoint Keyboard and audio; USB/MIDI to Mac Logic, Reason, Protools LE, Garage Band, Sibelius DVD, VHS playback Computer playback of .mp3, .aiff, .mov, .qt files. Projector for above. Laptops can connect if you have adapter. Audio can connect if you can accept a 1/4� or 1/8� stereo plug. Tuesday, Nov. 24 (proposals submitted after deadline) Jardin - EM in live performances Wesley - hardware v. software Mohammad-Agha - Music Therapy Pineda - (Topic approval pending) Tuesday, Dec. 1 Jasso: Recording Engineer George Massenburg Peck: MIDI control surfaces Avila: Chiptures, LSDj Gameboy music sequencer Murcia: DJ Premiere (need more info) Fernandez: Topic needs revision or explanation Thursday, Dec. 3 Rojas: Careers in music for video games Beggs: Comparing Logic and Protools for beat matching a loop Soriano: Autotune Lin: Music and film (need to narrow scope and clarify) Dollahon: Industrial Music - Aggrotech

	Quiz FOUR assigned for Friday-only Intro class. As we discussed in today's (Friday) class, there are only two remaining Friday class meetings after today as result of having two November Friday holidays. Yes, only TWO meetings! As part of our acceleration of the Friday class (along with today's quiz/test combo) the next quiz is due at our next class meeting on Friday, November 20 - at the start of the period or shortly after. We going to take the two remaining quizzes out of order so the quiz that is due on this date is QUIZ 4. See the link on the quizzes page.

	Need Extra Lab Time?. As we pass the midpoint of the term, you may be surprised at how quickly final exams and final projects approach - and how much you wish you had more lab time than what is available during class! You can always drop in to use the lab during my other classes. See the Open Labs link in the sidebar at the upper left for more information. (Students in those classes always have priority for their computers, but you may use any vacant workstation.) There is also an open lab on TTh at 11:30-12:20. In addition, there is a very good chance that you will find the lab open at the same time on MW. The tight schedule is especially an issue for the Friday class since there are two Friday holidays during the final five weeks of the term. Friday class students should make it a priority to come to the lab during open times. But even students in the MW and TTh classes will find that there is barely enough time to finish projects - and little at all to make them really great - if you limit yourself to class time only


Source: Electronic Music; Updated: 11/17/2009.

Quotes

	Bertrand Russell "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." - G Dan Mitchell (gdanmitchell@gmail.com)

	H. H. Williams "Furious activity is no substitute for understanding." - G Dan Mitchell (gdanmitchell@gmail.com)

	George Orwell "Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it." - G Dan Mitchell (gdanmitchell@gmail.com)


Source: The Quote File; Updated: 9/24/2009.

October 2003

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

Sep Nov

Temporary Fall 2009 Summary list

Fall 2009