Online Courses
All online Summer MECA
courses begin on June 8 and
conclude on July 31, 2020.
Registration for all
online courses closes at
12:00 noon CST on
May 29, 2020.
Early bird special! Register
for any online course by
April 17 and save $50!
Discount applies to 3-credit courses
only. Tuition must be paid in full at
the time of registration for the
discount to apply.
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On-Campus Courses
Dates for on-campus courses
vary; please check each
course page for specific dates.
Registration for all
on-campus courses closes
two weeks prior to the
course start date.
Early bird special! Register for
any on-campus course by
April 17 and save $100!
Discount applies to 3-credit
courses only. Tuition must be paid
in full at the time of registration
for the discount to apply.
Orff Schulwerk Teacher Education
levels and Band Instrument Repair
are not eligible for the discount.
General hours for all
on-campus courses
Monday–Thursday: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
unless otherwise indicated or established
by the course instructor.
PLEASE NOTE: All on-campus courses will have a required online component. Each course will require students to engage in one pre-course discussion, at least one post-course discussion, and a capstone project due two weeks after the course. Online credentials will be available three weeks prior to the start of each course.
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Questions?
Visit our MECA FAQs page.
Drop, withdraw or change using
the Add/Drop Form.
For other MECA-related questions,
contact us at meca@vandercook.edu
or 312.788.1139.
Beginning Jazz Improvisation
ONLINE
June 8–July 31, 2020
This course is designed for music performers and educators who want to learn how to improvise. Through carefully selected jazz repertoire, participants will learn the basic mechanics of improvisation and the essential music theory elements needed to improvise, including modal improvisation, the blues, ii-V-I progressions, and simplifying chord progressions. Participants will practice and perform jazz improvisation concepts on the instrument of their choice. No previous experience with improvisation is required.
Students will be expected to complete 2-4 graded activities each week. These graded activities will include discussions (1-2 paragraph typed responses to a prompt), workshops (guided hands-on activities with technology software), and assignments (lesson plans or more open-ended hands-on activities with technology software). Students should allot approximately 2-3 hours weekly to read/view the course content and 2-3 hours weekly to complete graded activities.
Instructor: Michael Fein
Michael Fein earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in jazz saxophone performance from Rowan University. He released his debut jazz album, Four Flights Up, in April 2005 (available on iTunes). Fein has presented numerous sessions at music and technology conferences including the 2005 National Education Computing Conference and the 2009 and 2010 TI:ME National Conferences. He was awarded the TI:ME Teacher of the Year in 2007. In 2010, Fein co-authored Making Music with GarageBand and Mixcraft, a music production curriculum text, and recently authored Teaching Music Improvisation with Technology, published in February 2017. Fein currently teaches graduate music technology courses at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and music technology electives and jazz ensemble at Haverford High School in Haverford Township, PA.
Course Details
Beginning
Jazz Improvisation
Course Code 7850
Instructor
Michael Fein
3 Graduate Credits
Tuition
$1,050, due in full with registration
Early bird special: Register by
April 17 and save $50!
Tuition must be paid in full at the time of registration for the discount to apply.
Chat Sessions
TBD
Prerequisites
None
Required Text(s)
None
Software/Hardware Requirements
Access to a Mac, PC or Chromebook with Internet access and the latest version of Google Chrome or Firefox.
MECA Online Course Details
VanderCook Online is powered by Schoology (www.schoology.com). Through this learning management system, you'll be able to interact directly with your instructor, students in your classes, and members of the greater VanderCook Online community.
Summer 2020 MECA courses officially begin on Monday, June 8. Soon after you register, you'll be added as a new Schoology user. Be on the lookout for an email from Schoology with log-in instructions. Once you are given credentials, visit
www.online.vandercook.edu to login. On the morning of June 8, you'll have access to your classroom and course material.
Some courses have specific online chat meeting times while others have a flexible meeting schedule; please check individual course descriptions and details. You can expect all courses to meet together in a live online chat. If you are unable to attend the scheduled live meeting time, please consult your instructor to make alternative arrangements.
You'll have the opportunity to work at your own pace each week while completing assignments and posting responses to discussion questions. You'll constantly be interacting with your instructor and classmates online, and working through new material each week. We know how crazy school schedules can get, so our instructors try to make everything as flexible as possible!
Transcript requests can be made online using the Transcript Request Form. Any inquiries regarding transcripts should be directed to the Registrar’s Office at 312.788.1151. If you are in need a quick turn around time for your transcript please submit the request to the registrar prior to the end of your course(s).