Music

Global Citizens Writing Assignment Jazz Music is an original American art form that incorporates music from many different cultures. It has become an international music, that can be heard in most countries around the world, performed by musicians from those countries as well as American musicians. This assignment is a research and writing assignment that asks you to write about a contemporary International Jazz musician/group (a musician or group that comes from a country other than the USA) OR an International jazz “scene”, such as a famous International jazz festival like the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, or the jazz scene in Paris, London, Cape Town or Tokyo – writing about the history of Jazz in those places – important venues: jazz clubs, concert houses, jazz societies, and important musicians from the “scene”. There are many interesting topics that fall under this umbrella.You can explore an area of the world you have connections to, or want to know more about, or take the opportunity to learn more about an international artist you already know. There are many international jazz “scenes” to research, and important international jazz musicians can be found in almost every country or region. Many international jazz musicians combine music from their own country or region with existing jazz musical ideas to create a new jazz sound. Other international jazz musicians are dedicated to playing very traditional styles of jazz. Many came to the US to study jazz music and apprentice with American jazz masters. Some will have established residencies in the US and others will have established their careers outside the US, often in their home countries or regions. It is important that the topic you choose has enough information about the international aspects of the musician/group or jazz scene to support a research paper. The assignment is about a “contemporary” artist or scene – meaning that the artists or scene is currently active, with the paper including recent activity – recordings, concerts, etc.. Historical background is important, but the focus of the paper is about an artist/jazz scene going on right now. For instance, if you write about the jazz scene in Paris, you need to mention the history of Jazz in Paris (this is very important to this topic) and then write about the scene today, where the musicians are playing Jazz in Paris, who they are and how Jazz is integrated into modern Parisian society. (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) Requirements: Write a 1000-1500 word paper (this is the body of the paper, not including the discography and references, etc..) Research your topic well. It is important that you find lots of good information to base your paper on. Find and listen to musical examples of the artist(s)/group(s) you are writing about. If you are writing about a jazz “scene”, find and listen to some of the important artists from that scene. Find reviews of their music, and include your own description of what you hear in the music. If you are writing about an artist/group, Include a general description of the artist/group, what they are known for and other relevant projects/recordings they have produced. Include a selected discography as part of your reference citations. A discography is a list of important recordings by the artist or group. (You can find examples of discographies online.) You need to include the artist/group name, title of the recording, record label (company), year it was released, and important personnel on the recording. Include information about the recordings you write about: Date released Record label Musicians on the recording How readers can find this music (purchase, listen, etc) You will be graded on: The inclusion of all of the issues listed above in your paper. Evidence of research into the artist/group or jazz scene and the music associated with your topic. References to your other research should be included. How well written and readable the paper is. This is an IMPORTANT part of the Draft-Final paper process, to create a Final Paper that is well written and interesting to the reader. Basic format: Opening Paragraph (Thesis) – describes the content of the paper and the points to be made. Inside Paragraphs – discuss each topic presented in the Opening Paragraph (Thesis) Conclusion Discography – a selective listing of the Artist/Group’s important recordings that relate to the paper. Look up “discography” so you know what it is! Research References – citations need to be in MLA or APA format

Dynamics Dynamics in music refers to varying levels of softness and loudness of sound.  In some musical styles the dynamic level can remain quite constant.  For instance, a blues or rock band might play at a uniformly loud dynamic.  However, other types of music may contain highly contrasting dynamics, ranging from very soft to very loud.  Give a definition of dynamics, as it applies to music, using your own words.  Compare the following examples, Stravinsky’s Firebird and Duke Ellington’s C Jam Blues. Which example has the most dynamic contrast?

For your final assignment, you will write a 4-6 page paper on the song of your choosing describing the importance of this song as it pertains to the history of Rock and Roll. You may use the same song as your song form analysis project, but you are not required to use the same song. Papers should contain 4-6 pages of typed manuscript, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins all around, size 12 point font in one of the standard fonts such as Times New Roman. Any quotes or citations you make should follow the Turabian style guide. You should also have a title page with your name and the name of your paper. The final page should be a bibliography naming all of your sources following the Turabian style guide as well. The bibliography and title pages do not count towards your 4-6 page paper requirement.

Examine the lyrics of Charlie Patton’s “Tom Rushen Blues” and craft your own response song using the AAB lyrical structure typical of the twelve-bar blues. You could choose to retell the story from the perspective of one of the other characters or objects referred to in the “Tom Rushen Blues.” You could write a “sequel” to the story, or you could engage the subject matter in another creative way. In your lyrics, use at least one “coded reference” that would be understood by members of your learning community but not necessarily by the general public. You may choose to make reference to a particular event of importance to you, a place that’s important to you, use a person’s nickname, or employ some other technique. Remember, a coded reference is one that is referred to, and only those “in the know” would know what you’re talking about. Avoid giving away your “secret reference” by explicitly stating it. Consider the following hypothetical lyric: “No clue what time it is, but it feels like 4:20.” This would be meaningless to straight-laced older people. But those familiar with smoking pot would immediately recognize its meaning — THAT is a coded reference.

12times roman font, single spaced, paragraph form 500 word count minimum  Please view the two following you tube performance of La Boheme and write a concert critique on what you hear and see from the singer(s). The opera is performed in Italian,  press the CC button in the video player window for english subtitles. Do not copy and paste any information from wiki or the internet or it will be a 0 for the report. The entirety of the critique must be in your own words. I do read them and check for copying and pasting.  It is Advised that you read the plot synopsis online before viewing the opera. ( you can find this by googling Plot synopsis La Boheme)   Musical Terms to be include during your critique:  Tempo, Tone Color, Tenor, Soprano, Baritone, Bass, Dynamics, Harmony, Major, Minor,  Rhythm, Articulation, Phrasing, Cadence, Act 1, ActII, Act III, Orchestra, Forte, Piano, Legato. To receive credit for this report the student must use the terms listed in their proper context to describe the music of the opera.  La Boheme Video Link : 

Please read the following from Audio Culture: Russolo, “The Art of Noises” pp 11-16 Varese, “The Liberation of Sound” pp 17-21 Cage “The Future of Music” pp 27-30 as well the introduction to this section of the book (pp 5-6). Then listen to the following pieces of electronic music: Hugh Le Caine: Dripsody Edgar Varese: Poeme Electronique  Daria Semegen: Spectra  How do you think the authors of the articles we read would feel about the pieces of music we listened to?  Use specific examples from the articles to discuss each one of the compositions.  Make sure to draw upon all three articles.  This assignment is more open ended than thee previous five, but should demonstrate a deep engagement with all of these materials.  Your response should be 2-3 pages.

1. Listen to Vera Hall’s performance of “Trouble So Hard” take some notes on your listening experience. Pay attention to your emotional reactions, the quality of the sound, the details of Hall’s vocal performance. Next, listen to Moby’s “Natural Blues” and go through the same process. Compare your listening experiences. You may find Oliveros’ descriptions of sounds and listening to be a helpful model.   2. Summarize Shank’s argument. What is he saying about Moby, Vera Hall and the song “Natural Blues”? What is he claiming in general about the music industry, race relations in the United States and issues of appropriation? Work to capture the nuance of this chapter, as an overly-simplified summary will fail to accurately convey what Shank is trying to say.   3. What roll does technology play in this story? Consider both the possibilities and the limitations of audio recording.   4. In thinking about your final paper for this class: How does Shank’s intense focus on a single song allow him to address a hugely complex issue effectively? Is there a similar approach that you could take for some or all of your project.

Write a short review on the musical Les Misérables and discuss the performance and musical style.

Wall-E opening (three videos): WALL·E – Put On Your Sunday Clothes (Links to an external site.)   WALL·E – 2805 A.D (Links to an external site.)   WALL-E – Home (Links to an external site.)   How is music helping to tell the story throughout these three clips, in the absence of almost all spoken words? Include discussion of: How visuals and music either sync or “run counter; The ironic use of music and what it communicates to the viewer; Music’s role in defining space within the film (consider the perceived source of the music, if there is one), enhancing mood, commenting on the visuals or action; Anything else about the use of music significant to the storytelling.

Your task is to describe your musical experience, based on your observations of a recorded performance of a contemporary rock concert on YouTube. Please write a 2- to 3-page essay (double-spaced with 1” margins, in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font