Beginner's Guide to the Visual and Performing Arts of Western Civ. Pt. 1 (of 3)

This class is Part 1 of a 3-class semester course in the Humanities (arts and literature). These classes (Pts. 1, 2, and 3) are about the great visual, performing, and literary arts of Western Civilization. They are ABOUT the arts, not about MAKING art.

Western Civilization refers primarily to the continental European countries, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. Although my education did include courses about the arts in other cultures, Western Civilization was my emphasis because of my university department, my European and American travels, and my proficiency in German. Because of my my love of the past, most of my examples come from centuries before ours. As a general rule, my classes do not include arts from pop culture.

Although I love the past, this course is not about the arts in historical context (except for architecture, which lends itself to a historical discussion). I plan to have two other courses that will address the history of the arts in Western Civilization. This course is conceptual in nature; that is, it deals with the basic elements and technical aspects of the arts. When discussing music, we will talk about harmony. When discussing painting or printmaking, we will deal with shading. When addressing filmmaking, we will explain tracking. Occasionally, history comes into play. It is hard not to talk about the basic values and ideas of the 18th century when learning about the Classical symphony, for example. 

The semester may seem very traditional in the sense that it's heavily weighted toward art created by white men. This is because these men had access to arts institutions, whereas women and people of other cultures did not always. The men were also more important as innovators and influencers, again because they often had more opportunities. I realize this course may not seem inclusive to some, but I have deliberately chosen some examples from women and people of color to try to rectify this problem. I must, however, pay attention to many of these men who were influential, famous, and fine artists. 

Some may ask why we, in the Humanities, strive to discuss various art forms together instead of just focusing on one. There are a myriad of answers, but the main ones for me are that there is much influence from one art form to another, and we learn things about one art form from studying another. These are just two of the benefits of this interdisciplinary subject area.

The reason I have divided the semester into three different classes is because a class must be paid for upfront. I feel that families might benefit financially if they could pay for the semester in three installments instead of only one. It is also beneficial for a learner to be able to quit the full semester after parts 1 or 2 if the class(es) is not a good fit. Hopefully this will not be the case.

I will NOT attempt to cover all of the elements of each art form, especially if we have games or other activities I feel might engage the learners more. Much depends on the class and the capabilities and preferences of the learners. Topics and activities will be chosen at the teacher's discretion, but sometimes they might be chosen by the learners. There will be lecture (always with slides to keep things interactive), discussion, art slides, videos, musical examples, activities of various types, games, and some homework assignments. The students will be required to read the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand (Class 3), view the film Citizen Kane (check your local library for a DVD) (Class 3), go to cultural events of the learner's choosing, and complete a project (these last two will be required in all 3 classes). Part 1--this class--requires a project, attendance at a musical event (filling out a guide sheet), and viewing a film on YouTube and writing briefly about it.

I am a challenging and structured teacher, but I am also sensitive and flexible. I try to accommodate different personalities and learning styles, and I appreciate a sense of humor. I expect learners to be attentive and engaged. Any conversations or comments that are disruptive or uncomfortable for the other learners will result in my muting the learner(s) or putting them back in the waiting room.

Basic Curriculum 

Weeks 1-2; Unit 1 (M Sept 4, W Sept. 6, M Sept. 11)
M Sept. 4: Labor Day in USA; no class
W Sept. 6: Introduction. Purposes of art. Creative Process. 
M Sept. 11: Review Creative Process. Aesthetic Experience and Judgment. Homework assignment: Watch "Why Man Creates" on YouTube and write two paragraphs--1) a summary of the creative process outlined in the film and 2) a personal response to the film. (This film is dated--technology, clothing styles, using "man" instead of "humans," etc.--but it is still a useful film). 

Weeks 2-3; Unit 2 (W Sept. 13-W Sept. 20)
W Sept. 13: Music. Musical instruments and instrument families. Orchestra. Chamber groupings. View Ravel's Bolero. Begin musical elements: timbre. rhythm, and melody. 
M Sept. 18: Musical elements (cont.): tonality, harmony, texture, tempo, and dynamics. Game, if time.
W Sept. 20: Musical form, for example, suite, sonata family, sonata-allegro form, oratorio, smaller forms (e.g., nocturne, prelude, art song). 

Week 4; Unit 3 (M Sept. 25-W Sept. 27) 
M Sept. 25: Opera: voice types, elements (e.g., libretto, aria, recitative, chorus, overture), and opera types. Begin Musical Theater.
W Sept. 27: Musical Theater (cont.). Origins, requirements, and basic types. Great names and productions.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 2 (Class 2)

Unit 1
M Oct. 2: Visual Arts--Definitions and Style
W Oct. 4: Visual Arts--2D Art Mediums
M Oct. 9 Visual Arts--Elements
W Oct. 11 Visual Arts--Sources for Subject
M Oct. 16 Visual Arts--Sculpture

Unit 2
W Oct. 18 Architecture--Classical
M Oct. 23 Architecture--Medieval
W Oct. 25 Architecture--Renaissance to 19th Century
M Oct. 30 Architecture--Modern


Part 3 (Class 3)

W Nov. 1 Poetry
M Nov. 6 Fiction
W Nov. 8 Drama: Origins, Nature, and Elements 
M Nov. 13 Drama: Great Artists and Great Works
W Nov. 15 Drama: (cont.) Discussion of Cyrano de Bergerac
M Nov. 20 Fall Break; no class
W Nov. 22 Fall Break; no class
M Nov. 27 Film: Elements
W Nov. 29 Film: Elements (cont.)
M Dec. 4 Film: Discussion of Citizen Kane
W Dec. 6 Film and Wrap-Up: The Red Balloon and game