APPLIED SAXOPHONE LESSONS - GRADING POLICY & PROCEDURES

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Eric Lau
Center for the Arts, Room 2126
Office: 277-2815
elau@unm.edu

CONTENTS:

• Objectives
• Course Expectations
• Materials
• Lessons
• Make-up lessons
• Studio Class
• Scale Juries
• Juries
• Performances and Recitals
• Practice Time
• Grades
  

Objectives

The focus of private instruction is to help students learn how to ask the correct questions and to discover the answers to these questions for themselves.  The initial goal for students is to learn how to practice in a beneficial and productive manner.  Students who are equipped with good practice techniques and habits are capable of learning to play anything.  Once students have  grasped the essentials of proper practice, the process shifts to developing into discerning listeners.  This means learning what to listen for in music and why.  In order to achieve maximal musical growth, students need to be armed with good practice habits and well-developed ears.  If students do not learn how to analyze problems and find solutions for themselves, they will be incapable of functioning effectively without their teacher to serve as a guide.  After four years of study, well-trained students will not be dependent on a teacher; they will be able to recognize correct performance for themselves.

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Course Expectations

1. Come to lessons prepared.  In each lesson I will listen to finger exercises, technical exercises, scales, etudes, and repertoire in that order.  I will not listen to the next component until the previous is successfully performed.  Failure to complete a lesson component will lower your grade for that lesson.
2. Attend all required concerts/ event for the semester.   Missing a concert/ event will result  in your grade being lowered one grade.
3. Make progress toward graduation.  Failing classes and not making good progress toward your degree is unacceptable and may result in suspension from the studio or retention at the same lesson level.
4. Be involved in and make positive contribution to UNM ensembles.  Each of you should take advantage of every playing opportunity that UNM offers.  You are trying to become a professional musicians and the more you play the better prepared you will be for your career.
5. Attend weekly studio class.  This is required and non-negotiable.

Materials

A three ring binder
Other methods and solo repertoire to be determined in lessons 
Vandoren Classic Reeds (Strength 3-3 1/2)
A tuner that sounds pitches or The Tuning CD
A metronome that subdivides

Lessons

Each lesson is graded on the basis of preparation and evidence of one week's growth in the practice room and will be given a grade from A-F.  Lesson materials, which will include scales, exercises, etudes, and repertoire, will be chosen to suit each student's needs and respective level.  Lesson attendance is required.  A missed lesson will be recorded as a failing grade.  If you forget your materials or assignments you will receive a failing grade for that lesson.  Each lesson should be viewed as a performance.  Be warmed up and on time.  Please turn off cell phones and pagers during lessons.

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Make-up Lessons

If you must miss a lesson, please notify me by email at least 24 hours ahead of time.  I will make up a lesson that is missed for a legitimate reason; otherwise it will be lost.  Unexcused absences will be assigned a failing grade.   I will not make up lessons that fall on University holidays.  If I must cancel a lesson I will make it up to you and will give you advance notice of the cancellation.  If you need to make up a lesson, see me promptly.  Keep track of your lessons in a calendar.  This will serve as a  record that we can compare to ensure that you receive the proper number of lessons.  Missed make-up lessons will receive a failing grade.  No second chances.

Studio Class

This class is a forum for performance and discussion of saxophone-related topics.  Its primary purpose is to give students the opportunity to perform for each other and receive feedback from fellow students and myself.  I may use the class to present lectures and topics such as skills, group teaching issues, new music, recordings, career management, read saxophone choir music, etc.  Each student is required to perform at least twice each semester, for which a schedule will be provided.  One of the two required performances must be accompanied.  This will be a great opportunity for those preparing for juries and recitals to gain performance experience.  Requests to play more than the required two times will be honored if time permits.  Missing a scheduled studio performance will result in two added failing lesson grades.  Attendance is mandatory.  Unexcused absences will result in an extra failing lesson grade.  Bring paper, pencil, notebooks, and your calendar.  If I must cancel class for any reason, we will reshuffle agendas to accommodate performers or topics.  The time, however, will not be made-up.

Scale Juries

Two scale juries will be given over the semester, one at midterm one at the end of the semester.  Students will be required to perform their scales with articulations and with a metronome.  The instructor will assign each student a tempo marking.

Juries

Saxophonists are required to perform a ten minute jury every semester unless they have performed a degree recital.  Juries are the final exam for studio lessons and will include all of the material covered during the course of the semester, including scales, etudes and repertoire.  Juries will be graded by the woodwind faculty and will count as 25% of the final grade. Failure to perform a jury will result in a failing semester grade.  The student is required to perform at least one piece (or portion of a piece) with accompaniment.  In addition the student must be prepared to play the necessary extended range scales.   Students must pass this scale jury to advance to the next level of lessons.  Music majors at the 100 level must play major scales, 200 level harmonic minor scales, and 300 melodic minor scales.  All graduate students must pass a scale jury that includes all major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales before they can proceed to their graduate preview and recital.

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Performances and Recitals

All students must perform in the Saxophone Fiesta performance series.  Also, every student is highly encouraged to perform in Thursday afternoon concert music and Woodwind night.  This is valuable performance experience.  All students who have degree required recitals must pass a preview in front of a majority of the woodwind faculty at least two weeks prior to the recital.  If the preview is failed the recital must be canceled and another preview must be scheduled before the recital can be rescheduled.

Practice Time

You should practice at least the 1 hour per day for every credit hour you are signed up for and the structure of that practice should be very specific. Your practice time must be divided into three equal parts: scales/ exercises, etudes, and repertoire.   By dividing your practice time you will be able to adequately master the difficulties the saxophone presents, freeing you to play with ease and control.

Grades

25% Jury performance*
25% Scale Juries
50% Lesson performance (number of passing lessons/ number of total lessons in semester)**

*   failure to perform a jury will result in a failing semester lesson grade
** an extra failing lesson grade will be averaged in for every missed studio class and a missed studio performance will count as two failing lesson grades.

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