a essay about music

MU 110 – Prof. Bregegere Final Concert Report

***QCC supports an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. If in doubt as to what constitutes plagiarism, please talk to me or refer to the Student Guide. All violations will be reported and result in a failing grade***

Concert Report

DUE DATE: Draft due on Week 13 – Final Version due at final exam (Week 15)

For this final concert report (15% of your final grade, see syllabus), you should plan to attend, and review in your report, one live classical-music event. I will supply a list of venues on Blackboard, but you will need to find the concert you want to attend yourself. If you are not sure if a particular concert fulfills the requirement, contact me beforehand. When going to the concert, remember to:

1. SAVE THE PROGRAM. Printed program must be attached to your paper! (papers without a program will NOT be accepted). Plan to arrive early to make sure you get one, and have time to read the information before the concert begins.

2. Take notes during the concert (you can write on the program). If you don’t do this immediately, it will be hard to remember the details later.

3. Be very quiet during the entire length of the concert (no chatting, using phone, or eating please!) Your paper should be:

• 3/5-page long. Shorter/longer papers will not be accepted. • Typed using Times or Times New Roman 12 pitch font and double-spaced with 1-inch margins. • Spell-checked and with the pages stapled. Make sure your name is at the top!

Suggested Outline:

1. INTRODUCTION: Introduce the event: Who played? What was played? When and Where did the concert take place? Add any detail you think is relevant to your overall experience.

2. BODY: Write a description of all the pieces/movements performed at the concert. You need to describe all the music performed, but you can choose to focus in more detail on the pieces that interested you most, always supporting your argument with specific examples. You may also include particular images or feelings the music conveyed, and explain how the composer achieved such effect.

3. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, address the impact the concert had on you (overall experience, favorite pieces/movement). Again, be as specific as you can, avoiding vague statements not supported with an example from the concert.

Additional Notes:

• Always be specific in your descriptions: “there were a lot of different sounds” is not an acceptable description! • Use terminology correctly (ex. Tempo is fast/slow, not high/low), and only when you truly understand it. If in

doubt about the meaning of a musical term, use your own words instead. • This is not a research paper. Include facts regarding historical background of pieces or composers ONLY if

they directly relate to your personal experience of the music. Do not use program notes as a substitute for your own thinking and reactions.

GRADING:

1. Content/Substance (50%): An “A” paper gives a complete and thoughtful description of the event and of the music performed during the concert, supported by specific examples.

2. Terminology (20%): An “A” paper uses musical terminology correctly. 3. Organization (15%): An “A” paper has an introduction, main body and a conclusion. It groups related ideas

into paragraphs. Each paragraph contains at least three sentences. 4. Clarity of language (15%): In an ”A” paper, words are spelled correctly and capitalized where necessary; each

sentence has a subject and a verb that agree with one another; there are no run-on sentences; and necessary punctuation marks are in the right places.