MUS 185
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Your written assignments will consist of two brief papers (one due mid-semester, one at the end). These will document a non-western, traditional, or “folk” concert (bluegrass and blues are OK; jazz, country-western, classical, musical theatre, and pop are not) or the viewing of a video of the same. You will provide a brief summary of the events and a description of the music you heard.
You are not restricted to attending Miami sponsored events, though there should be several that will fulfill this requirement. Many events on the Regionals Artist Series will be applicable (but not necessarily all). If you are uncertain about the suitability of a particular performance for this assignment, don't hesitate to ask me in advance.
If you choose the video option, there are several on reserve at the Middletown campus library (there are additional copies of some of these available for checkout). These may be viewed in the library on a PC or in a DVD player, but may not be taken home.
AMERICAN ALOHA: HULA BEYOND HAWAI'I
BILL MONROE: FATHER OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC
CAN'T YOU HEAR THE WIND HOWL? (Robert Johnson bio)
HOT PEPPER (Clifton Chenier bio; VHS))
A VOICE FROM HEAVEN: NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN
You are not restricted to this list. Check with me if you have any doubt about a video’s acceptability. If the video is primarily a biographical documentary, summarize the content, and try to describe the subject’s musical style, with references to specific pieces if at all possible, even if you do not catch the title. If it is a performance then the following comments about attending a performance will apply to a large degree. You may make personal evaluations, but keep it as objective as possible.
I would suggest taking pen and paper to the concert, or have them with you as you watch, to jot down notes and impressions. Record the behaviors of both the performers and the audience members, notice the types of people in the audience, how they are dressed, etc. Is there a printed program (often there will not be for these types of performances)? Does it contain descriptions of the works to be performed? If so, take the time to read the notes. The bulk of the paper should focus on the music; try to describe it using terms and concepts learned in class. You should give a sense of the entire performance, but you should focus on two or three pieces for detailed discussion. Did you think this was a good performance—why or why not? You may also describe your own reactions to the music, but if you do, it should be something more substantial than "I liked it" or "I hated it"—tell me why.
In all cases, try to be specific. Name and describe specific pieces if at all possible (two or three should be sufficient per paper). Use a formal writing style.
Papers should be at least three and no more than five typed or word-processed pages in length, single sided, double-spaced, with one inch margins and a font size no larger than twelve points. Be sure to include your name, course number, and assignment number (#1 or #2) at the top of the first page. You must turn in a hard copy of the paper to receive credit.
MUS 185 WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT RESOURCES—SPRING 2018
Streaming Videos:
http://www.folkstreams.net/films.php?cat=8&sort=recent
*Please note that there are many, many videos at this site. I have linked you to search results based on the subject "music," and it defaults to sorting by "Most Recently Added," but not all of these will be appropriate. Adhere to the restrictions in the guidelines handout, and also plan on watching something of ~ 1/2 hour duration at a minimum (there are some that are much shorter). There are mutiple pages of listings, so don't get fixated by the first page only (please!). You can also resort in alphabetical or reverse-alphbetical order. I don't see anyway to list more titles on a single page, unfortunately.
[1] As mentioned in the Assignment Guidelines, if a student does not have any personal career experience to draw on, then they should interview someone who can provide them with the first-hand level of detail that is necessary.
[2] This content is separate from the max 1500 words to be used for the case study itself.
[3] This content is separate from the max 1500 words to be used for the case study itself.