Fundamentals of Music is a class designed not only for non-music majors and music majors, but also for the community at large. For those who would like to learn to read music and learn the basic musical language, this is the class to meet those needs.

Some students have spent their life playing by ear, but feel that something is inherently missing, and that is the ability to have all music at their fingertips. This class will help fill those musical gaps.

Many music business and music technology majors are attracted to those fields of study without any prior music knowledge. Fundamentals of Music will help prepare these prospective majors prior to their first year of Basic Theory. For them, Fundamentals of Music is a necessity.

This course cannot be used for any credit since it is a developmental level course. Credits are not transferable.

Course Materials

OnMusic Fundamentals Access Card

Getting Started

Registering your Access Code

Once you have purchased your 14-digit Access Code, go to the Registration Page:

1. Select your School first, followed by the Instructor, Semester, and Course. The fields below will auto-populate with the available selections. Please double your selections to ensure you are registered for the correct course.
2. Enter the Access Code you purchased in the ‘Access Code’ field.
3. Select a Login Name and Password for your account. NOTE: Login names and passwords are case sensitive.
4. Enter your First Name, Last Name, Email Address, and Phone Number in the respective fields.
5. Once you have read the Terms & Conditions of the Registration, check the box to agree to the terms.
6. Click the ‘Submit Registration’ button to complete your registration. A confirmation email will be sent to you to confirm your registration.

Accessing Your Course

Once you have successfully registered you Access Code on the Student Registration page, you can immediately proceed to the Connect For Education course site to begin your course work. You will log into the Connect For Education Course site using the Login Name and Password created during the Registration process.

NOTE: If you are unsure of your password, simply click the ‘Forgot Login and Password?’ link. An email will be sent to the email associated with your account allowing you to reset your password.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Q: Can MUS 08-35 Fundamentals of Music apply to my degree?
  A: The answer to this question is both yes and no. If you are a potential music major and have no prior music theory knowledge, this course would be useful to you. Many potential music majors in Music Business or Technology have no prior musical training and find themselves unable to handle the normal first semester course of Basic Theory I. When that happens, a Fundamentals of Music course is required. If that course has not been taken, generally the first year of Music Theory is lost and has to be postponed to the sophomore year.
  If you want to count this course as a humanities credit for a general degree, the credits would not be transferable.
• Q: Would this course be useful if I just want to learn how to read music?
  A: Absolutely! There are some students who have played by ear all their life, yet have taken this course in order to finally be able to read and understand the basic fundamentals.
• Q: Why take these courses at New River?
  A: New River Community College has been a leader in online learning courses. This particular online course is supported by an instructor who is passionate and knowledgeable about music and wants to instill that same passion and knowledge to her students through the interactive forum of online education.
• Q: Who is this class designed for?
  A: This class is designed for the student who feels comfortable working online and who needs the convenience of taking a course outside of the normal lecture time due to work related, family or physical restraints.
• Q: When is this course offered?
  A: This course is offered during the Summer Session.
• Q: What course materials do I need?
  A: The student needs to acquire the CD-ROM packet OnMusic Fundamentals of McGraw-Hill from the Bookstore.
• Q: Does this class use Canvas?
  A: No. The entire course is online using the OnMusic Fundamentals CD-ROM Packet.
• Q: Do I need to come on campus for any part of the course?
  A: Not at all. Once the course materials have been picked up the rest is done online.
• Q: How is this course graded?
  A: This class is graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory scale. A grade of Satisfactory constitutes a 70% or higher. This class can be retaken until one achieves the Satisfactory level.
• Q: How do I pronounce the instructor's name “Billaud”?
  A: Very easy! Say the letter “B” and then “yo”. Put them together and now you are speaking French!