MUSIC CONCERT

Assignment Overview:

The purpose of this assignment is to encourage you to apply the musical paradigms we have explored in class to the “real” world. You are to attend a live music concert featuring live instruments and write a review about the concert and your experience. Please review the rubric below to understand how you will be graded on this assignment. 

Reminder about late assignments (From course syllabus): 

• All assignments are due by beginning of class (12:00pm) on the designated due date.
• Assignments submitted after the start of the class automatically lose twenty percentage points and twenty additional points for every subsequent class meeting for which the assignment is not turned in.

*If your concert does not have a program or ticket, you need to create some kind of indisputable photographic evidence that you attended this performance*

Some Words of Wisdom:

• Big picture
  • Go to an event that you think you will enjoy! If you enjoy the process of listening to this music, you will probably have an easier and more enjoyable time writing about it.
  • Tell the truth. If it’s not true you can’t say it.
    • You will have an easier time writing and create a more interesting review if you tell the truth.
  • Combine your opinion with facts to create maximum impact. Writing that only has opinion is unfounded and writing that only has facts is boring and irrelevant. Use your brain to bring opinion and fact together!
  • Detail is your friend!
    • Instead of “The rhythm was bad” describe—Who? What? When? Why? Where? How?
    • You don’t get out of providing detail just by being negative. “The repertoire choice was poor” Why was it poor? What made it poor?
• Mechanics
  • Formatting
    • Check that your header follows MLA formatting
      • https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/24/
    • Check that your song/work titles following MLA guidelines:
      • https://www.potsdam.edu/academics/Crane/MusicTheory/Musical-Titles
  • Verbs
    • Make sure that you are consistent in your tenses, keeping your review in the present or past tense
  • Vocabulary
    • Use the term “songs” for pieces with lyrics. Otherwise use piece, composition, or work for instrumental compositions. 
    • Avoid using terms like “emotional” and “skilled” as critiques in and of themselves (e.g. The performance was emotional. The violinist was skilled.). What type of emotion was the playing filled with? What specifically were the performers skilled at?