--- In vocalist-temporary@egroups.com, "DIANE M. CLARK (MUSIC
DEPARTMENT)" <DCLARK@r...> wrote:
DEPARTMENT)" <DCLARK@r...> wrote:
> Jeff wrote:
>
> >Every semester as we get near the end, I tell our students, "If you
> haven't been practicing, now would be a good time to start." It
> always gets a laugh, but some of it is the nervous laughter of the
> students who know I'm talking about them!
>
> Why are the students allowed to get to the end of the term without
having
> practiced? My students get a grade at each lesson, and the lack of
practice
> shows up early on! We address that as needed and get things back
on track.
> If anyone has slacked the entire term, there's no amount of
practicing that
> can save the day, because all the grades are averaged together in
the final
> grade.
Unfortunately, the offending students are usually studying with our
graduate assistants who have little "clout" when it comes to making
students work. The reason I know there are students who don't
practice is that their teachers tell me. It is very frustrating with
a program like ours that we are burdened with students who simply
won't do the work. What is even more frustrating is that they are
often the more talented students.
I find that trying to force students to practice is like legislating
morality. I have put very strong wording in our "master syllabus"
about practicing and how students who don't will not be successful in
our program.
Sadly, also, jury grades still tend to be based more on talent than
on preparation. At UNT the jury grde is 75 % of the semester grade.
Again, I can't legislate that the faculty give better grades to
students who are well-prepared, but less talented and vice-versa.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
-JS
>
> |\ Dr. Diane M. Clark, Assoc. Prof./Chair of Music Dept., Rhodes
College
> | 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, 901-843-3782, dclark@r...
> () http://gray.music.rhodes.edu/musichtmls/faculty/dclark.html
|
|  |
