MUS 701: Fall 2026 Syllabus
Cornell College
Instructor: Benjamin Laur, DMA (he/him)
Office: Armstrong 242
Email: blaur@cornellcollege.edu
Course Description
MUS 701 is the course shell used by the Music Program to track music event attendance, the
purpose of which is both to ensure a rich and vibrant musical experience for students and to
ensure a supportive audience for student performers. This course carries neither fee nor credit
and is graded as pass/fail for all students.
Number of Semesters Required Per Degree Path
Any student enrolled in applied study music lessons must be enrolled in MUS 701 in the same
semester, regardless of degree path.
The following degree plans have a set number of semester requirements for 701:
●
Bachelor of Music Performance (Major Completion Plan): 5 semesters, passing grade
●
Bachelor of Music Education (Major Completion Plan): 5 semesters, passing grade
●
Bachelor of Arts in Music (Major Completion Plan): 4 semesters, passing grade
●
Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Commercial Music: 4 semesters, passing grade
A student who is not a music major has no set number of semesters required, but must be in
701 concurrent to music lessons.
Number of Events Required Per Semester
Students in 701 are required to attend qualifying events, the amount thereof determined by their
degree plan and outlined as follows:
●
B.Mus & B.Mus.Ed (Completion Plan): 6 events per semester
●
BA Music (Completion Plan): 5 events per semester
●
BA CCM: 5 events per semester
●
Non-Majors: 4 events per semester
Qualifying Music Events
Qualifying events for 701 attendance include:
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OC Sessions (Music Student Showcases)--1st & 3rd Monday, Noon, Orange Carpet
●
Music Ensemble concerts (Choirs, Jazz Ensemble, the Pop/Contemporary Ensemble)
●
Curricular student recitals (solo recitals where the performer earns credit from Cornell)
●
Musicals produced by the Department of Performing Arts
●
Other Music Program events as announced (ex: CCM Showcase; Scenes)Attendance Tracking & Grading
Sign-in sheets will be made available at the above events in order to track attendance for 701.
Attendance records will be refreshed over each block break. Students who meet their required
attendance goal in the course of the semester will pass, and students who do not will fail,
regardless of whether or not they attended any events. Students should be responsible for
keeping track of their attendance and being sure to attend the required number of events, and
are encouraged to check with the instructor following block breaks as to their attendance record.
Non-Cornell Qualifying Event
Students may elect to count one musical event (a concert, recital, opera, musical, etc.) from
outside the Cornell community and attended during the semester in which it shall count toward
their attendance requirement, but this is not necessary in order to pass the course. Should a
student do this, they will need in lieu of a signup to provide some proof of attendance to the
instructor (a ticket stub, program, picture, etc.).
Thank you for participating in the Performing Arts at Cornell!
- Teacher: Benjamin Laur