# MUS 777 - 1001: Percussion Journalism UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS School of Music / Percussion Area **Fall 2026** | | | | ------------------- | --------------------------------- | | **Time** | TBD | | **Class Location** | HFA 235 | | **Office Location** | HFA 208 | | **Office Hours** | by appointment | | **Phone** | n/a | | **WebCampus** | https://www.it.unlv.edu/webcampus | | **Email** | [email protected] | **_Note:_** The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus as it relates to how the course is administered. ## Course Description This course is an independent study in **percussion journalism**: the practice of writing pedagogical articles on percussion and drumming at a standard suitable for publication in a music periodical. Working one-on-one with the lead instructor, the candidate proposes scholarly topics, conducts research, and produces a sequence of article-length papers, refining each through successive rounds of drafting and editorial review until it reaches a publishable standard. ## Course Prerequisite(s) Admission to and standing in the DMA (Percussion Performance); consecutive registration in MUS 777 as outlined under [[#Course Sequence & Credit Distribution]]. ## Course Rationale MUS 777 exists to build the scholarly writing proficiency that the DMA percussion candidate must possess by the time they reach the culminating Doctoral Document. Writing at a publishable level is not a single skill acquired at once; it is developed incrementally through repeated cycles of proposing, drafting, reviewing, and revising real work for a real audience. The course is therefore structured as a **multi-semester progression of increasing demand**. Candidates begin with a single paper per semester and grow toward producing three papers in a single term. This deliberate ramp ensures that by the dissertation semester, the candidate has already practiced—at scale—the research, organization, citation, and revision habits the dissertation requires. Each paper is also held to a **publication standard** rather than a coursework standard: candidates write to break new ground, to advance an existing topic, or to synthesize a large body of information concisely, which trains them to make a genuine scholarly contribution rather than to merely complete an assignment. ## [[4.1.0 What are "Program Competencies"|Program Competencies]] Students graduating from the UNLV School of Music with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree will: - Demonstrate a knowledge of general bibliographical resources in music and research skills appropriate to the area of specialization, and the ability to present and defend the results of scholarly research. - Show sufficient writing and speaking skills to give oral and written presentations of works for their medium which synthesize performance, historical, stylistic, analytical, and technological information. - Employ advanced writing and speaking skills to communicate clearly and effectively to members of the scholarly and the wider communities. - Demonstrate the ability to select appropriate literature for teaching and to articulate appropriate teaching strategies. _Drawn from the [[4.1.3 DMA Competencies#Learning Outcomes|DMA Learning Outcomes]]._ ## Course Competencies Within each registered semester, the candidate will demonstrate the ability to: - **Identify and justify a viable scholarly topic** that fulfills at least one of the three recognized contribution criteria (see Learning Outcomes/Course Objectives). - **Conduct scholarly research and document it correctly**, supporting claims with citations and a required bibliography. - **Construct a publication-ready article**, presenting a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion with topic points articulated clearly to the reader. - **Apply Turabian / Chicago documentation style accurately**, conforming to Kate L. Turabian's _A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations_ (10th Edition). - **Revise to a professional standard**, incorporating editorial feedback across successive drafts until the paper is approved as publishable. ## Learning Outcomes/Course Objectives The overarching objective of this course is to **compose one (1) pedagogical paper per registered credit** in an article style suitable for publication in a music periodical with an emphasis on percussion or drumming. Upon completion of a registered semester, the candidate will be able to: 1. **Produce a publication-ready pedagogical article** on a percussion or drumming topic, structured with a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion. 2. **Develop and justify a scholarly topic** that breaks new ground, presents new information on an existing topic, or synthesizes a large body of information concisely. 3. **Conduct and document research to professional standard**, applying Turabian / Chicago citation and supporting the work with a complete bibliography. 4. **Revise written work across editorial cycles** to a publishable standard, incorporating instructor feedback methodically. ## Required Materials **Required Materials:** - Access to a reliable computer and Microsoft Word. Apple Pages is sufficient, but all work must be exported to .docx before submission. Google Docs and OpenOffice (or any other word processor) is not recommended. **Required text:** - _Turabian: The Easy Way!_ (Most-Recent Edition) This edition includes detailed guidelines for citing sources from digital environments. The book is divided into five parts: part one covers the mechanics of Turabian-style writing; part two emphasizes planning, drafting, and revising a research document; part three describes punctuation and writing style; part four explains source citations; and part five provides a sample paper. **Recommended text:** - Kate L. Turabian's _A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Chicago Style for Students and Researchers_ (Most-Recent Edition). The latest edition recognizes that most students will be doing their work largely or entirely online, and includes updated advice on finding, evaluating, and citing a wide range of digital sources, as well as the evolving use of software for citation management, graphics, and paper format and submission. - D. Kern Holoman's *Writing about Music: A Style Sheet* (Most-Recent Edition) Holoman's text is an excellent source for precise formatting of things like musical terms, opus numbers and collections syntax, and other useful reference norms involving music-related terminology and topics. ## Evaluation Methods ### Basis for a Grade A paper **must be considered publishable to be eligible for a grade**. Papers are graded on: - Their relevancy to the approved topic area and specific topic. - Writing style and ability to articulate expertise on the specific topic. - Sentence structure, spelling, grammar, and correct use of terminology and citations. - Attention to detail when making editorial revisions and corrections, and adherence to timelines. Papers must be submitted for review **within the timelines and deadlines below** to qualify for full credit, unless a medical exception is approved ahead of time by the instructor. ### Paper Requirements & Specifications Each paper must satisfy the following to be eligible for review and credit: - **Topic proposal and approval.** Present each topic to the instructor **in writing (email) for approval, prior to writing**, including a justification for the proposed topic area. - **Qualifying topic area.** Each topic must fulfill **at least one** of the following: (a) breaks new ground (the topic has never been written about or published); (b) presents new information on an existing topic; or (c) presents a large body of information in a concise article. - **Article structure.** Each paper must include an **introduction, main body, and conclusion**, presenting a clear outline to the reader with topic points articulated clearly. - **Bibliography.** A bibliography is **required**. #### Formatting - **Length:** Papers must be **4 to 6 pages—excluding bibliography. - **Attachments:** (illustrations, music examples, figures, etc.) follow the bibliography as Appendices and **do not count** toward the 4-to-6 written pages. - **Format:**" 1" page margins, 1.5 line spacing, in "Times" 12-point font. No cover page. - **Citations and other formatting:** Citations must conform to Turabian's _A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations_ (9th Edition, 2018). - **Prepended identification before title:** (left-aligned, 1.5 line spacing, do not change) - Student's Full Name - MUS 777 Paper \#X - Semester YYYY - DD Month YYYY #### Submission - **File format:** all work must be submitted to the instructor **via email in .docx format.** - **Sequencing:** Each paper must be completed before submitting the next for review. Topics may be proposed in any combination throughout the semester. - **Publishable standard.** A paper is **not considered publishable** until all edits and revisions have been completed and approved by the instructor. ### Deadlines and Timelines Paper deadlines **will not be extended** except for medical or bereavement reasons approved by the instructor or at their discretion. **If a paper is not submitted by any one of the due-date deadlines below, the paper will receive a Failure (F) grade.** If the final paper does not meet the due-date deadline, it will earn a Failure (F) grade **and** the course grade will be a Failure (F). Incomplete grades (I) will not be given except for medical reasons. The timeline and due-date deadlines for each paper (Fall semester model) are as follows: #### 1 credit / one paper - Paper 1 due by the end of **week #8 - Review drafts via email weeks #1–7 - Review penultimate draft week #8. #### 2 credits / two papers - Paper 1 due by the end of **week #6** - Review drafts via email weeks #1–5 - Review penultimate draft week #6 - Paper 2 due by the end of **week #12** - Review drafts via email weeks #7–11 - Review penultimate draft week #12. #### 3 credits / three papers - Paper 1 due by the end of **week #5** - Review drafts via email weeks #1–4 - Review penultimate draft week #5. - Paper 2 due by the end of **week #10** - Review drafts via email weeks #6–9 - Review penultimate draft week #10 - Paper 3 due by the end of **week #15** - Review drafts via email weeks #11–14 - Review penultimate draft week #15 **Final grades** will be submitted to myUNLV **December 14**. Any approved medical extension becomes an Incomplete (I) grade. #### Incomplete (I) and Failure (F) Policies Semesters extended by an Incomplete (I) grade for approved reasons qualify for a **lowered maximum grade** as follows (summer terms 1, 2 & 3 combined count as one semester): - 1st semester extension = **"A-" maximum** grade - 2nd semester extension = **"B+" maximum** grade - 3rd semester extension = **"B" maximum** grade Students who take an Incomplete (I) grade for approved medical reasons must **register for one (1) MUS 777 credit per incomplete paper each successive semester**, and must continue to do so until the Incomplete is removed. For DMA candidates, UNLV limits make-up work for Incomplete grades to **3 semesters** (inclusive of summer as one semester), after which the Incomplete is automatically recorded as a Failure (F). Make-up of a Failure (F) course grade requires the **complete three (3) credit MUS 777 course (and three papers) be repeated**. ### Writing Support The UNLV Writing Center provides free consultation online, in person, and via Zoom/Webex (http://writingcenter.unlv.edu/). The Writing Center will work with a student on up to five pages of material (up to 1,250 words) to improve grammar, organization, and general writing skills; they will **not** proofread or make corrections. Their services are **highly recommended** to students in their first semester of MUS 777. The instructor **may require** a student to take the 45-minute Online Writing Lab (OWL) consultation at any time during a semester (http://writingcenter.unlv.edu/owl/). ## Attendance Policy Attendance is defined as **adherence to the scheduled draft-review and consultation cadence** with the lead instructor (weekly email draft exchange and penultimate-draft review per the timelines in [[#Evaluation Methods]]). Failure to maintain the review cadence jeopardizes meeting the deadlines on which the grade depends. ## Grading Policy | Grade | Threshold | |---|---| | A | 93+ | | A- | 90+ | | B+ | 87+ | | B | 84+ | | B- | 81+ | | F | < 80 | ## Course Sequence & Credit Distribution Across the DMA program, percussion candidates will complete **9 credits of MUS 777** by registering for consecutive semesters of the course at 1 to 3 credits each semester. The intended distribution—and the intended _growth_—of credits is designed to support development in writing proficiency toward the culminating Doctoral Document (dissertation): **Year 1** - Semester 1 (fall) — 1 credit (one paper) - Semester 2 (spring) — 1 credit (one paper) **Year 2** - Semester 3 (fall) — 2 credits (two papers) - Semester 4 (spring) — 2 credits (two papers) **Year 3** - Semester 5 (fall) — 3 credits (three papers) - Semester 6 (spring) — Dissertation **Make-up / Alternate Semester Option** - Summer Term(s) — 1 to 2 credits (one to two papers) Taken together, the nine topics should be **diverse in scope**, with most representing scholarly research with citations. Upon completion of the full sequence, the candidate will have produced a diverse body of nine publishable papers demonstrating readiness to undertake the dissertation. ## Course Agenda/Schedule | **Module/Week #** | **Activity** | **Due/Benchmark Dates** | | ----------------- | ------------ | ----------------------- | | — | — | — | ## [[6.6 University Policies|University Policies]]