Music Assignment

The Assignment: Your task is to attend and observe a music event, and analyze it as part of a music-culture; then to share your experience in a short talk, as well as create a brief ethnography (written documentation) of the musical expression.

Objective:To better understand how musical expressions occur in a given time and place; and to have an experience of conducting et hnographic fieldwork, a four-fold process that includes preparation, participant-observation in a community setting, analysis of data collected, and dissemination of findings.

Requirements:

1. Select a performance of live music this semester, at either an event sponsored by the university or off-campus. We will discuss your topic in class at some point. You may attend any type of event in which music is performed, including but not limited to: religious services on or off campus, cultural shows, sporting events, dances, weddings, karaoke, performances by the Music Department's ensembles, street music, musicals, etc.

2. Decide soon what performance you will attend, including: the date and location, genre of music, names of performers (if known).

3. In addition, think of and write out (at least) five preliminary questions - pertaining to the performance, the music, and/or the community/culture - for which you hope to find answers in the course of attending the performance. You must include these questions into your paper, by working it into a paragraph of text. Also write about how you were able to find answers, or not.

4. Attend this performance of music. Be sure to arrive early and stay until the end of the performance. NOTE: You must attend a live show after reading this assignment (that is, you cannot watch a video, and you cannot write about something you've already seen).

5. Observe various aspects of the performance, try to answer your Preliminary Questions, and include summaries of both of the following areas in your report:

Genre, Musicians, Music, Ensemble

• What is the genre of music?
• What are the names of the composers of the music? When did they live?
• Who are the musicians, and what is their group's name?
• What instruments are being played? In what textures?
• Are there solos? Solos with ensembles? Only ensemble playing?
• How long are the pieces of music? How many pieces?
• Is there much repetition?
• Do the musicians improvise or play composed music, or both?
• What rhythms can you count? What are the tempos? Is there variety?

Context, Audience, Interaction, Behavior

• What is the physical space where the music happens? Describe it.

• What is the setting and context of the performance?

• Is there anything unusual about the performance?

• How does the audience behave? Are they all doing similar things?

• Describe the behavior of musicians and audience - imagine your reader has never been to any concerts and has no way of knowing how people act.

• What do some of the musicians and/or audience members and/or event staff have to say to you? Interview them if possible.

• How do musicians and audience interact?

• What is the purpose and meaning of the performance?

• Is a community formed because of the show? Is it re-affirmed by the show?

6. Report: Type a 2 to 3 page Report on the event, attempting to answer some the above questions as well as your own.

Describe the concert for someone who has never heard this type of music; that is, assume that your reader has no knowledge of the performance genre or community.

Important note on sources: You must use correct citations for quoted materials, interviews, recordings, books, articles, websites, and all sources consulted. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense.

Notes on writing style and format: * It should be about 2-3 pages in length. * Use 1 1/2 or double line spacing (do not use single line spacing). * Use a standard 10-12 point plain font such as Verdana, Arial, or Times New Roman. * Use standard margins. * Proofread your work, and use a spell checker. * In your document, be sure to include your name, the date, the course and section numbers, and the name of this assignment. To submit your work: Submit your written Report on Blackboard;

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