Dan Mitchell: Dan Mitchell - De Anza College

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, December 13, 2004

Take a music class!

I originally posted this for my Music 1 class, but it seems like it might be useful to other students as well. Every quarter I find that a number of Music 1 students are interested in learning more about music, learning to sing or play an instrument, or getting into a performing group. This is great, partly because musical activity can be rewarding in so many ways and partly because college is a great time for you to enjoy a few "extra" experiences like this.

Here is a quick list of some Music Department courses that might interest you. Check the class schedule for details of time and place - but call, email, or talk to me if you have questions or need help deciding what to take.

Beginning classes - open to all students. Day and evening sections available.

Music Fundamentals: Music 10A - A basic music theory type course for beginners. Learn about music notation, scales, key sigatures, music reading and writing, etc.
Class Piano: Music 12A,B - Learn keyboard skills.
Beginning Singing: Music 13A,B - Learn how to sing, staring with the basics.
Beginning Classical Guitar: Music 14A,B,C - Learn how to play guitar. (Advanced and intermediate sections also available.)
Beginning Winds and Percussion: Music 46 - Learn to play brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.
Jazz Improvisation: Music 48 - Learn skills for performing jazz and other musical styles.
Introduction to Electronic Music: Music 51 - Learn to use synthesizers, drum machines, music software. (Intermediate Electronic Music: Music 8 is available for students with prior experience.
Jazz Solo Voice: Music 52 - Learn to perform jazz and popular vocal styles.

Performing groups - open to all students. Some may involve an audition but some don't, and you don't have to be a virtuoso to join.

De Anza Chorale: Music 20 - Choir open to all students. Evening class.
Vintage Singers: Music 21 - Open to all students by audition.
De Anza Women's Chorus: Music 24 - Women's chorus open to all. Evening class.
De Anza Jazz Singers: Music 27 - Intro through Advanced sections. Performance of vocal jazz ensemble music.
Vocal Flight: Music 29 - De Anza's premiere vocal jazz ensemble.
Chamber Orchestra: Music 31A,B and Symphony Orchestra: Music 32 - Strings (and brass woodwinds) performance ensemble. Open to all. Evening class.
Symphonic Wind Ensemble: Music 42 - Perform concert band music on brass, woodwind, percussion instruments. Open to all.

More advanced classes - instruments and voice.

Performance Workshop: Music 25 - Sections focus on brass, guitar, piano, woodwinds, voice, percussion.

GE/Transfer courses - in that they meet GE transfer requirements and are designed for non-music majors.

Introduction to Music: Music 1 - General survey of music.
Introduction to Jazz Styles: Music 7A - A survey of jazz history and styles.
Introduction to World Music in America: Music 7B - A survey of many important musical cultures that have shaped the American musical experience.

Music major courses - but also open to those who want to pursue music more seriously:

Comprehensive Musicianship (Music 3abc followed by Music 4abc) is the core lower-division music major course that music majors (and minors) take. This is the class to take if you are thinking of transferring into a music program - or if you just want to engage in a serious study of basic music knowledge and skills.

(Posted 12/13/04; 9:20:10 PM #)

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.

December 2004

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Temporary Fall 2009 Summary list

Fall 2009