Last update: Thursday December 11, 2010
Seminar 1 – The Arts in New York –
Macaulay Honors College, Queens College, CUNY
Fall 2010
Prof. Edward Smaldone
Edward.smaldone@qc.cuny.edu
718-997-3800/ cell phone: 516-850-9536
Office hours: by appointment or just drop by room 203
Seminar 1 explores the diverse arts in New York City. During the semester, students attend performances and exhibits of the current cultural season. In addition to the four genres (opera, dance, theater, and the visual arts) covered in all sections of the Seminar, faculty choose from a variety of textual, photographic, musical, and performance genres. Students tackle such questions as: What does each genre offer? How does each speak to us? How does art create, serve, and represent the people of the city and its diverse communities? Aesthetic appreciation is supported by social and historical investigations so that students are provided with opportunities for different kinds of engagement with art forms, including interpretation, analysis, and creative endeavors. The culminating event of the Seminar, Snapshot NYC, is an ongoing accumulation of photographs of student views of New York City.
These are the dates for the “Common Events” for all MHC students:
August 25
6-10 pm
Theater Day
Barefoot Theater Company performs three plays by Israel Horowitz
Hunter College Theater
*October 11
Snapshot NYC 2010: Photo Day
Every Seminar 1 student takes a photo
at any time on this day
New York City, various locations
Various Dates
Meet the Artists
Macaulay Honors College
35 West 67 Street (between Columbus and Central Pk. West)
September 14
6:30-8:30 pm
Meet the Artists #1:
Howard Greenburg
Macaulay Honors College, Lecture Hall
September 30
6-8 pm
Meet the Artists #2:
The Langston Hughes Show with Dave M
Macaulay Honors College Cabaret
Meet the Artists #3:
TBD
Macaulay Honors College, Lecture Hall
*October 18
6-8 pm
Meet the Artists #4:
The Langston Hughes Show with Dave M
Macaulay Honors College Cabaret
Meet the Artists #5:
TBD
Macaulay Honors College, Lecture Hall
November 11
6-8 pm
Meet the Artists #6:
Poetry: Writers Reading
Macaulay Honors College Cabaret
December 12
Snapshot NYC 2010
All October 11 photos are presented in a multi-media, student-curated exhibition
Macaulay Honors College
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Class Schedule: Some of this will change. If there is an asterisk next to a date, it is already confirmed.
*August 25 – Plays in NYC
Aug. 26 – no class
Aug 30 – Discussion of plays.
Sept. 2 – Discussion of blog posts. Cultural identity. Assignment: read about Matisse. Visit Big Bambu.
Sept. 6 – no class – Labor Day
Sept. 9 – no class Rosh Hashana
Sept. 13 – Discussion of the class schedule.
*Sept. 16 – Michael Gordon’s Music
6:30 – Master Class in LeFrak Hall
7:30 pm: Mantra Percussion Ensemble, with guest Composer, Michael Gordon. Lefrak Concert Hall.
*Sept. 19 – Parson’s Dance Project at Bryant Park Show at 3:30. We will meet at Southwest corner of the park at 3:15. click here for program info.
Click here for some background on the Parson’s Dance Project.
Sept. 20 – Bright Sheng, class visit./ Fall for Dance prep.
Here is the link for Fall for Dance:
Sept. 23 – Jewish holiday NO CLASS MEETING.
*Sept. 27 – NO regular class meeting at the college.
WE WILL ALL ATTEND: Evan Ziporyn/ Todd Reynolds – Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleeker Street – 6:30 Pm http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/1500″>here is info on the concert.
FINAL INSTRUCTIONS: WE WILL ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF LE POISSON ROUGE, 158 BLEEKER STREET, NYC AT 5 PM ON MONDAY. PLEASE TRY NOT TO BE LATE. WE WILL SEE THE SOUND-CHECK AT 5:15, THEN THE DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 FOR THE SHOW. TODD REYNOLDS (VIOLINIST) WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SOME QUESTIONS AFTER THE SOUND CHECK. (YOU MIGHT HAVE TIME TO RUN OUT FOR A QUICK SLICE OF PIZZA, BUT THE SHOW BEGINS AT 7:30 AND IF YOU DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY, YOU MIGHT NOT GET A SEAT. THE VENUE SERVES FOOD, BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR OWN AND IT IS NOT CHEAP BUT NOT OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE EITHER. YOU CAN LOOK AT THE MENU ON THE WEB SITE.) I will be driving and have room for 3 more passengers. I’ll be leaving from the Music Building at 3:30. Please email me if you’d like a ride. I can make a drop at the campus on the return trip for the same or different passengers.
*September 29, 12:15 pm: Queens College Orchestra, Maurice Peress, Conductor. Lefrak Concert Hall. this concert will feature a guest performance by pipa virtuoso Wu Man click here to hear her play Here is her web site.
Chinese Rock and Roll? compare with Billy Gibbons, Muddy Waters or Eric Clapton…click here
Sept. 30 – Jewish Holiday – NO CLASS MEETING
*Oct. 4 – NO CLASS MEETING – we will meet at MOMA at 4 PM and conduct our own tour of the museum, focusing on the Matisse exhibition and stopping to see a few other choice pieces.
READING – read this article from the NY times: click here
*Oct. 5 – Year of China: Cultural Identity in the Global Village, visit Bright Sheng’s web site
There are several events this day, including a morning concert, afternoon lectures and the evening concert. The evening concert is required, you are invited to attend any and all of the other events as your schedule will allow.
REQUIRED – 7:30 PM year of China Concert, LeFrak Hall – bring a friend, extra credit
Here is a link to the web page with the full day’s schedule: click here and scroll down to Oct. 5 events.
*Oct. 6 – Fall for Dance – City Center, W. 55 St. between 5th and 6th Ave.
I WILL DISTRIBUTE TICKETS FOR THIS CONCERT. CITY CENTER IS ON WEST 55 ST. BETWEEN 6TH AND 7TH AVE. THE PROGRAM STARTS AT 8 PM. VIEW THE WEB SITE BELOW TO SEE THE PROGRAM, AND REVIEW THE DANCE COMPANY WEB SITES TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH EACH COMPANY.
Click here for the program page
Oct. 7 – Regular class meeting: Discussion of the Dance
*Oct. 11 – no class Snapshot NY
Oct. 14 – Discussion of Abstract Expressionist Show/MOMA
*Oct. 18 – 6 – 8 PM at MHC, W. 67 St. – Langston Hughes Show at Macaulay Honors College. Meet at MHC. No Class at QC.
Oct. 21 – Read the plot summary for Brigadoon: here
*Oct. 24 – 3 PM. LeFrak Hall, Music building QC. Brigadoon.
Oct. 25 – no class – (good opportunity for a small group trip.)
Oct. 28 – class discussion of recent trips, and preparation for “Brain and Music.” read “Cognition and Emotion.” Cognition and Emotion, Opening Scene of Cosi fan Tutte, here
Oct. 31 – Optional concert: NY Classical Players, 3 PM, LeFrak Hall, Queens College.
Nov. 1 – Discussion of Brain and Music
*Nov. 3 – 92nd St. Y 8 PM – Music and Brain – Daniel J. Levitin with Victor Wooten
click here
Nov. 4 – Cosi fan tutte
Nov. 8 – Cosi fan Tutte
Nov. 11 – Gilbert and Sullivan
Nov. 15 – Gilbert and Sullivan/ The Assad Brothers
*Nov. 18 – 92nd St. Y – 8 PM Sergio and Odair Assad, guitars
click here
here is a video
*Nov. 21 – Gilbert and Sullivan’s production of Iolanthe, produced by the Village Light Opera Group. The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University located at 3 Spruce Street, New York, NY 10038. 2 PM
plot summary here and here
Nov. 22 – Cosi fan tutte discussion read the synopsis: here
Nov. 29 -Cosi fan tutte discussion
*Dec. 2 – Cosi fan tutte, Metropolitan Opera
Click here for the Met link.
Meet at the Met lobby for talk with Danielle De Niese and backstage tour.
Dec. 6 – Paul Muldoon readings assignment . read poems from Muldoon web site: here
*Dec 7 – 5 – 6:30 PM, Rosenthal Library – Paul Muldoon – click here
Dec. 9 – no class
Dec. 13 – In-class final exam
Blog Assignment: All students are required to read the NYTimes, New Yorker Magazine and/or Village Voice (among other publications) and pay special notice to cultural events, reviews and reporting. Write a short blog post on an interesting article, include a video link, picture, and/or link to the original article in the blog post. You should also read all blog posts and comments, adding your own comments when you have something of substance to say. (“Great post!” will not count for any credit.) Your total grade for your blog contributions (30% of your grade) will be determined by the number and quality of your posts and comments. One or two posts per week is sufficient. I will also look to see if there is a regular contribution. 30 posts in the last week of class will not receive the same level of credit as regular thoughtful posts that engage the entire blog as a unified discussion of Culture and the Arts.
Name Dropping: I will add names to this list throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to keep track of who these people are and their area of contribution to the Arts and to our discussion. The final exam will require you to recall a thumbnail description of each. (Note: this has been absorbed into the final exam essays. A complete recall of every name is NOT required.)
Word Hoard: I will add to this list as terms arise in class discussion. This will also be part of the final exam.
Unscheduled Outing Assignment/One-page Group Reports: see the details on the page marked “One-Page Groups Reports.”
Blog Posting: All students will contribute to a class blog. Students are expected to read the NY Times, Village Voice, New Yorker Magazine, and other paper and online sources and find interesting articles that concern the subject matter of the class. This includes articles directly on the arts, as well as articles on topics that have cultural relevance. Post a summary/commentary on the article to the blog and include a link to the article, or a related video, or picture. You are also expected to read posts from your colleagues and the comments that I will leave for each post. You should also leave comments on the blog posts of other class members. There should be evidence on the blog that you are spending at least 3 – 4 hours per week reading and writing. The blog participation will be 30% of your final grade. Grammar and spelling counts! The writing for the blog should be formal and your ability to write well, compellingly and clearly will be a substantial factor in your final grade.
End of Semester Report: You will write an end of semester report (3 – 5 pages) on the activities of the semester, answering specific questions which will be determined by the course of discussion up to that point. The specifics of the assignment will be issued about 2 weeks before the end of the semester, and the paper will be due at the final exam. Late papers will not be accepted. the written report must be submitted as a word document and should include links to appropriate pictures, videos and links supporting and illustrating your discussion. NOTE: I have absorbed this requirement into the essay and the blog posts.
Video Assignment: As an alternative, the end of the semester report and/or the One Page Small Group Reports can be submitted as a video report, posted to YouTube, with a link on the blog.
Grading: Grades in this class normally range from B+ to A+ among students who complete ALL assignments. This is not an automatic A for showing up.
Blog – 30 %
Unscheduled Outings/One-page reports – 15%
Attendance at scheduled outings – 10%
End of Semester report or video (3 – 5 pages) – 20% – redistributed
Final Exam based on word hoard and name dropping – 15% – (applied to the final exam essays.
Class participation – 10%
