Music 255/455 - Guitar Ensemble
Jim Scully, Instructor

Jim Scully
Office: MUS 107
Phone: 654.2511
Cell: 330.9304
Email: jscully@csub.edu

Mandatory Performance Dates

Chamber Music Concert
Friday, March 5 – 8 PM
CSUB Guitar Ensemble Performance
Jim Scully, director
CSU Bakersfield Campus - Doré Theatre
$10 general/$6 students.

CSUB Guitar Recital
Tuesday, March 16 – 4 PM
Students of Jim Scully and Roger Allen Cope
Perform Solos, Duets, Trios &
Full Ensemble Performances
CSUB Music Building, room 127
Free Admission

CSU Employee Furloughs – Impact on Classes: This year across this campus and around the CSU system some class days will be cancelled because of furloughs. A furlough is mandatory un-paid time off; faculty and staff on each CSU campus are being “furloughed” two days per month. These cancelled class days are January 26 and January 28. It is important to recognize that these days off are not holidays. Instead, they are concrete examples of how massive state budget cuts have consequences for you as students and for me as a faculty member.

Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM. I am also available for appointments outside of these times if need be. Contact me by phone or email to request an appointment. 

Description:  Music 255/455 - Guitar Ensemble is intended for a wide audience, including music majors, music minors, all University students, faculty and staff and any community member that is interested in playing in a guitar ensemble.  Anyone can audition to participate in the guitar ensemble, but the instructor decides upon final admission to the group.

Course Objectives: Students will learn 1) musicianship, 2) proper guitar technique, 3) how to present expressive and historically accurate performances of guitar literature, and 4) the basic mechanisms of an ensemble and rehearsal techniques.

Materials:  Students are expected to bring their instrument, music and a pencil to each rehearsal.  Additionally, guitar students should have the following: footstool, concert attire (black slacks, black dress shirt, black socks and black shoes), metronome, music dictionary and other necessities.

Grading:  Every rehearsal and performance is graded.  Those grades are based on preparation, improvement (if any), attendance and overall ensemble success.  An "A" grade shows exceptional work and a "B" grade shows that progress was made.  A grade of "C" or lower shows below average work and progress. 

Students are expected to prepare and practice their ensemble parts. If I deem a student to be under-prepared I will ask that student to go to a practice room to get prepared. Ensemble rehearsals are intended to be times when the entire piece can be practiced, allowing for work on balance, shaping, expression and other ensemble specific issues.  Under-prepared students force the ensemble to wait on their progress - limiting greatly the ability of the ensemble to meet its goals. 

Attendance:  Any absence, either rehearsal or performance, must be 1) cleared with the instructor in advance, and 2) will only be excused for serious and/or compelling reasons. Only one excused rehearsal absence is permitted each quarter.  Under no circumstance is a performance absence acceptable.  If a student misses a scheduled performance, a grade of "F" will be issued for the quarter.

If an absence is unavoidable, the student MUST send an email to jscully@csub.edu prior to the scheduled rehearsal and place a phone call to the office of the instructor (654.2511) or to his cell phone (330.9304).