Jay C. Batzner is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida where he teaches theory, composition, and technology courses as well as coordinates the composition program. He holds degrees in composition and/or theory from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kansas.
Jay's music is primarily focused around instrumental chamber works as well as electroacoustic composition. His music has been recorded on the Capstone, Vox Novus, and Beauport Classical labels and is published by Unsafe Bull Music.
Jay is a sci-fi geek, an amateur banjoist, a home brewer, and juggler.
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8/21/2007
Composition Pre-test
Okay, it wasn't a pre-test. It was more of a survey. I wanted to know where my students' heads are/were in my Composition I class. The highlight (to me) was the "Is this music?" section. I played five 1 minute excerpts and asked the students to rate them on a 5 point scale. I wasn't asking the students if they LIKED the excerpts but if they thought the excerpt could be considered music. A 5 meant that "yes, definitely, this is music." A 3 meant "not sure," and a 1 meant "No, absolutely not." If they scored something less than a 2, they were explain why.
Here are the excerpts in one easy to digest mp3.
Much to my surprise, the only perfect 5 was the Beethoven. Cake scored an average of 4.9 (one person gave it a 4). Elliott Carter got a much-surprised and highly-respectable 4.6. Adrian Moore's Study in Ink got just above a 3 and F'loom's Postman-Hill Victory Correspondence came in last with 2.45.
I got some really interesting data on other stuff, too. It gives me a thumbnail sketch of how they are thinking. And thinking is good.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
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