Capstone Project

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Students will create an original project of sufficient scope. Each student’s project will be driven by their individual background, interest, creative/musical aims, and career goals.
• Students will perform or produce popular music at a professional level.
• Students will create original musical work through composition, improvisation, and arrangement.
• Students will apply music technology expertise in live performance, composition, arranging, and production applications.
• Students will demonstrate depth and breadth of knowledge in popular music forms, processes, and structures.
• Students will demonstrate understanding of popular music and technology in culture.
• Students will synthesize the main foci of studies—popular music performance and technology—through proposing, planning, and executing the Capstone experience.
• Students will design and execute their own projects with faculty mentorship.
• Students will meet as a group once per week for faculty and peer feedback.
• Students will propose a project, such as a recording with release concert, internship, team project with other graduating students, community project, lecture-demonstration, or another approved endeavor.
• After the project is discussed and approved, students will craft a contract outlining the goals and procedures that will result in a successful outcome.
• Students will learn how to plan and organize a major musical event or project.
• Students will address expectations for work to be done, students’ work in progress, the Reflection, and public dissemination of work.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Capstone Proposal	10%
Capstone Project	60%
Reflection	20%
Attendance	10%

The grading scale listed in the syllabus is: A = Outstanding work, 90–100; B = Excellent achievement, 90–89; C = Acceptable accomplishment, 70–79; D = minimally acceptable work, 60–69; F = unacceptable capstone project. Attendance affects the final grade directly because Attendance is 10% of the final grade, and weekly meetings are required. Required concert attendance is also factored into the lesson grade as outlined in the syllabus.

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance in weekly meetings is required. Students who are sick should notify the instructor and try to attend remotely if able. Make-up lessons are given at the discretion of the instructor. Required concert attendance is factored into the lesson grade as outlined in the syllabus.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.