SYLLABUS: Performance Studies in Violoncello
Professor:  Judith Glyde

 

1. GENERAL INFORMATION:

      Communication:

 

      Scheduling and Preparation for Lessons:

  1. Lessons are scheduled on a semester basis.  A sign-up sheet is posted prior to the beginning of each semester.
  2. Advising is completely open.  I have an open-door policy and/or you can easily make an appointment at your convenience.
  3. Students who study with me full time are required to have 14 lessons every semester.  Students who have another teacher (shared students) are required to have 7 lessons every semester.
  4. Allow at least 30 minutes before lessons to warm up.  This helps avoid injury and helps you play your best.
  5. Always prepare with memorization as one of your goals.  This kind of preparation makes your practice infinitely more productive.  Exceptions to this are sonatas with piano and other chamber music.
  6. Recording your lesson with CD or DVD is always possible.  Please bring the necessary discs to your lesson.
  7. Accompanists for the semester will be determined with the cooperation of the Collaborative Piano Area.  It is your responsibility to arrange that your pianist is free at your lesson time and for performances at the studio and performance classes.  If your pianist is not available at your lesson time, feel free to trade lesson time with another student.  You are responsible for rehearsing in depth with your pianist and giving him/her ample time to learn the part.
  8. Be sure to spend time studying your music away from your instrument.  Take your score to the top of a mountain, in silence, for both harmonic and formal analysis and for imaginative freedom!  Also, listening to different interpretations of your piece can be very helpful, as well as other works by the same composer written around the same time as your piece, to get a sense of the composer’s ‘language’.

      Practice:
Students who are in the BM, MM or DMA programs should practice at least 3-4 hours a day.  BA and BME students should practice a minimum of 2 hours a day.  Inadequate practice is obvious in lessons and will reduce your progress and your grade.

      Studio Class:
Attendance is required for Studio Class, Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m.  Everyone will perform in Studio Class periodically.  It is a supportive environment and performance opportunity in which students give constructive comments after each other’s performances.

      Performance Requirements:
These will vary from student to student.  Full recitals are required for performance major seniors and graduate students, half recitals for performance major juniors.  If you are planning a degree recital, sign up early in the scheduling office for a date, checking the date with me, your pianist, and your committee (check on this requirement with recital notice on the string board).

      Physical Contact:
There may be certain times when limited and neutral physical contact between the teacher and student are necessary, when dealing with such subjects as posture, use of hands/arms on the cello and the bow, tension, overall performance style, etc.  It is the responsibility of the student who is, in any way and at any time, uncomfortable with this contact to immediately inform the teacher of that discomfort.

      Chamber Music:
It is my hope that all of you will play chamber music in some form in as many semesters as possible.  The experience of chamber music will challenge your imagination, your teaching skills, your creativity, your diplomacy and your musicianship.  It can also create an irreplaceable spirit of fellowship that you will find nowhere else.

      Juries:
Juries take place at the end of each semester.  This is a performance, so please prepare and dress accordingly.  See below for specific requirements for each degree program.

      Attendance and Make-Up Lessons:
All students are required to attend lessons, studio class, performance class, every studio member’s recital, and every string faculty recital.  Unexcused absences will affect your grade.  Excused absences include illness, conflicts with other required UCB activities or your own concerts.  In all cases, I need to be informed in advance by email and/or by phone.   If you are ill on a lesson day, notify me in advance of your lesson by phone and by email.  If you cancel a lesson, a make-up lesson will be scheduled.  If you simply do not show up for a scheduled lesson, the lesson will not be made up and your grade will be affected.

      Grades:
Grades will be determined by the preparation and quality of lessons, performance in studio classes, jury performance, amount of practice time, attendance, etc.
The grade will break down in the following manner (mid-semester, I will give you your grade up to that point so that you can make adjustments accordingly):

60-75%  preparation and performance in lessons
15%  performance in studio and performance classes
10%  attendance for lessons, studio class, performance class, and recitals as noted above.
15%  jury performance or recital

      Repertoire:
Repertoire projects and goals will be discussed at the beginning of the year/semester. Your repertoire should represent a variety of styles and periods and should include many works from the standard repertoire.  Monitor your progress, survey your repertoire periodically and focus on the biggest and most difficult tasks first.  Your lesson will, in general, focus on what you worked on most.

  1. Scales and arpeggios:  All members of my studio are expected to know all three octave scales and arpeggios (Flesch, or in some cases, other methods are acceptable), including all major and minor keys.  While your scale routine may or may not be a part of each lesson, you are responsible for your scales and for the creative evolution of your scale progress.  Rich, natural sound production, good intonation, efficiency of muscle usage/economy of motion should be of foremost important.
  2. Memorization:  You should always prepare with memorization as one of your goals.  This includes all concertos, ‘show pieces,’ etudes, and all unaccompanied Bach and other unaccompanied works.  Exceptions to this are atonal or other extremely complex contemporary music, sonatas with piano, and other chamber music.
  3. All freshmen and sophomore majors are required to have an additional lesson (30 minutes) with the studio Graduate Assistant, for the primary goal of additional work on scales, arpeggios and etudes.  Other students are most welcome to take advantage of this additional opportunity, at the discretion of the GA.
  4. Self-prepared projects of smaller or larger scope are encouraged within the studios, and may be presented as part of the jury at the discretion of the major professor.  Students are encouraged to explore and present contemporary repertoire as part of the junior and/or senior recitals.

 

2. JURY INFORMATION:

BA in Cello Performance:

•Freshman Jury:  Two contrasting pieces, major and minor scales and arpeggios (Minimum 3 octaves, tempo: 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54)  – according to the instructor syllabus. (At end of the spring semester - 15 minutes)
•Sophomore Jury (if not final):  Two contrasting pieces, one etude, major and minor scales and arpeggios (Minimum 3 octaves, tempo: 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54) – according to the instructor syllabus.* (At end of the spring semester -  20 minutes)
•Sophomore or Final Jury: Solo suite/sonata movement, two additional contrasting pieces, one etude, all major and minor scales and arpeggios (Minimum 3 octaves, tempo: 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54) - according to the instructor syllabus.* (At end of the spring semester - 20 minutes)

 

BME in Cello Performance:

•Freshman Jury: Solo suite/sonata movement, an additional contrasting piece, major and minor scales and arpeggios (Minimum 3 octaves, tempo: 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54).*  (At end of the spring semester - 15 minutes)
•Sophomore Jury: Solo suite/sonata movement, two additional contrasting pieces, one etude, all major and minor scales and arpeggios (Minimum 3 octaves, tempo: 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54).*  (At end of the spring semester - 20 minutes)
•Junior year: A half-hour recital, graded by the major professor**
•Senior year: no exam.
  Minimum: 3 octaves, tempo – 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54

 

BMUS in Cello Performance:

•Freshman Jury:  Solo suite/sonata movement, two additional contrasting pieces, etude - major and minor scales and arpeggios (Minimum 3 octaves, tempo: 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54).* A repertoire list of at least 45 minutes of music should be submitted at the time of the jury, including works studied during the previous two semesters and not limited to those presented at the jury.  (At end of the spring semester - 20 minutes)
•Sophomore Jury: Contrasting movements of a solo suite/sonata, two additional contrasting pieces, two contrasting etudes – major and minor scales and arpeggios (Minimum 3 octaves, tempo: 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54).*  A repertoire list of at least 45 minutes of music should be submitted at the time of the jury, including works studied during the previous two semesters and not limited to those presented at the jury. The list should include important works representing at least three style periods. In addition, major and minor scales and arpeggios.  Double-stops according to instructor syllabus.  (At end of the spring semester  - 30 minutes)

All BM string students will also be required to prepare an ensemble work, approved by the faculty and coached by a faculty member, to be presented in a graded jury. This may be presented as part of the requirements of Chamber Music.  This requirement should normally be fulfilled at some time before the presentation of the junior recital.

•Junior year: A half-hour recital, graded by the major professor.
•Senior year: A one-hour recital in Grusin Music Hall or accepted venue, with Preview; graded by a committee of at least 2 string faculty members.

 

MM in Cello Performance and Performance & Pedagogy:

Graduate students: Juries only for grad students at the end of their 1st semester.  If receiving a fail grade, another chance will be given at the end of the spring semester.

•Graduate Jury: A repertoire list with a minimum of 30 minutes of music with important works representing at least three style periods should be prepared; all major and minor scales and arpeggios (Minimum 3 octaves, tempo: 6-8 notes per bow, m. 54).  Double-stops according to instructor syllabus.  (At end of first semester – 30 minutes)

 

3. UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER GUIDELINES AND POLICIES:

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to
me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may
be addressed.  Disability Services determines accommodations based on
documented disabilities.  Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and
 http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every
effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of
religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or
required attendance.  In this class, please notify me of the exact conflict days during the first week of each semester.
See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate
learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may
be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially
important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of
race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance,
and nationalities.  Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the
student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an
alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in
the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records.  See polices
at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html   and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code

The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment,
the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of
Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and
faculty.  Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the
subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national
origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status
should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at
303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.  Information
about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available
to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at
http://www.colorado.edu/odh

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for
knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution.
Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic
dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior.  All
incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council
(honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation
of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions
from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited
to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the
Honor Code can be found at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html  and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/