Instructor Insights
Teresa Neff, Lecturer in Music and Theater Arts.
In the following pages, Teresa Neff describes various aspects of how she taught 21M.299 The Beatles.
- Why The Beatles?
- Emulating The Beatles: Learning From Each Other
- Using Assignment Guidelines to Make Expectations Explicit
- Critiquing Others’ Work to Improve Your Own
"I had a blast leading this class. The students were amazing. They were invested and brought so much to the class. I enjoyed every minute of it."
Curriculum Information
Prerequisites
21M.030 Introduction to World Music or permission of the instructor
Requirements Satisfied
- GIR
- HASS
Offered
Every fall and spring semester; topics vary
Assessment
Grade Breakdown
The students’ grades were based on the following activities:
- 70% Weekly analysis (10 projects, 7% each)
- 13% Final project (essay and discussion)
- 10% Reflection on weekly analysis (2 papers, 5% each)
- 7% Participation
Rubrics
Read Teresa Neff’s insights on Using Assignment Guidelines to Make Expectations Explicit.
Student Information
Enrollment
23 students
Breakdown by Year
Mostly juniors and seniors
Breakdown by Major
Variety of majors
Typical Student Background
Many students had taken a course on harmony and counterpoint, and as a result, were comfortable with the language of musical analysis. A few students had no musical background, but quickly came to understand the musical patterns we discussed during the class.
How Student Time Was Spent
During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:
In Class
- Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hours per session; 28 sessions total. Mandatory attendance.
- About half the class sessions involved student presentations of their musical analyses.
Out of Class
- Outside of class, students completed weekly analyses for selected songs, wrote reflections on others’ analyses, and prepared final essays.
