Unique final

Concert Review

Each student will be required to attend at least one concert during the semester and write a review. The concert should be a minimum of 40 minutes long and can be of any style of music. It can be an online concert/link but you must watch one I provide or ask about one you want to observe. The review should answer and address the following questions:

1. Who is the group, ensemble, or person giving the concert? If the concert is a recital, what school or group is hosting the recital?

2. What was the date and time of the concert?

3. Why did you choose to attend this particular concert?

4. What type of venue was the concert given in?

5. In terms of what you heard, what was your favorite part of the concert?

6. In terms of what you heard, what was your least favorite part of the concert?

7. Pick out three songs or moments and share what you believe the composer and performer were trying to express. What gave you these impressions? Use the terminology used in class, focusing on the music, not the lyrics.

8. What feelings or message do you feel the music was trying to evoke?

9. What style of music was performed and is there a composer that we have studied that you can compare the music to?

In your review, use the appropriate “MR HIGS” criteria (melody, rhythm, harmony, instruments, growth, and style) to answer questions 7, 8, and 9.

MELODY

Does the music feature singing melodies? Are those melodies conjunct or disjunct? Are the phrases balanced or assymetrical?

HARMONY

Are the harmonies in the major/minor tonality? Modal? Twelve-tone?

RHYTHM/METER

Are there regular meters and rhythms? Do those meters shift? Syncopate? Are there evenly balanced phrases, or uneven ones?

FORM

What form is the music in? Binary? Ternary? Verses and Chorus? How is the sound organized?

TEXTURE

What sounds are you hearing? Are a lot of instruments playing together, or just a few? What would you tell someone to listen for?

PERFORMING FORCES

Who are the players? What instruments are you hearing/seeing?

EXPRESSION

What feelings do you have when you listen to this music?

Submit your ticket stub and/or program with your review. Remember: your concert review is 10% of your final grade. You are welcome to submit a rough draft of your paper prior to the due date for review and comments. Your final concert review is due by the date specified in your syllabus.