This is a designated Communications-Intensive in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CI-H) course with 50% of the course’s credit coming from approximately 5000 words of written work. In-class activities will help prepare you to write successful, well-reasoned papers. Please note that all submitted work should be thoroughly proofread and of “final draft” quality. Papers are not research-based and must consist primarily of your own listening experience, ideas, analysis, and interpretation. However, any sources must be thoroughly and specifically cited. Plagiarism from any source (in print, online, or from peers) will lead to a failing grade and carries the risk of expulsion from the Institute.
There will be three types of written work for this class. Each is outlined below.
First Impressions Assignments
(approximately 100 words each)
When listening to any piece of music for the first time, individual impressions and reactions can range from the general to the specific. For this class, you will be asked to record your first impressions of the specific works or movements, following the chart below.
Take note of “where you are at” before you begin listening. This can include, but is not limited to, your physical surroundings (time, place, with others, alone); your mindset at the time (anticipating what you will hear, fulfilling the assignment, long day/tired, etc.); and/or your prior familiarity with the music.
In about 100 words, record your reactions to the works for each First Impressions assignment. More details are given on the page for each assignment.
Your recitation instructor may comment on your ideas; however, the grade for these weekly assignments will be recorded as “complete” or “incomplete.” Because you will be building on knowledge and will use these First Impressions as part of the paper for this class, extensions will not be given for these assignments.
Paper—First Version
(1500 words)
Using the title “Organizing Sound: A Listener’s Journey,” or a similar one, construct a 1500-word essay that explores your experience with the music being studied this semester. Using your ideas from your First Impressions for weeks 1 through 6, construct an essay that maps your experiences with this repertoire.
Begin by choosing 5–7 works or movements from your First Impressions 1–4. Be sure to include at least one work or movement from 4 of the 5 style periods (Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, 19th-century).
Listen again to the works or movements you have chosen, making note of this “later listening.” Be aware of your expectations as someone familiar with the work, and include specific places in each work that you would welcome hearing again, as well as any that are jarring surprises. Some other questions to consider: Are you hearing this piece differently? What factors have contributed to this change? If you are hearing this piece in the same way, how has this response been altered or deepened through growing familiarity?
Now, consider how your appreciation of or reaction to the works or movements you have chosen changed after gaining more experience with music of that era of other eras. Using your notes, think about similarities or differences in the examples you have chosen; this is a good place to include a discussion of the musical characteristics of each work or movement. These characteristics can then be used to consider your own personal preferences regarding the music you have chosen.
Another consideration is context. Did learning about the context of a work, either culturally or musically, affect your experience with it?
The opening paragraph should encapsulate your understanding of your chosen repertoire. It is easiest to write this paragraph last. The body of the essay, usually with about one paragraph for each work or movement discussed, will then elaborate on this idea, incorporating musical terminology to describe how your reactions to these pieces or movements were altered or reinforced through repeated listening. The closing paragraph should briefly summarize the material discussed and offer some ideas for future consideration.
Please note that while this is an opinion paper, you need to base your opinions on specific musical characteristics and cultural context.
A format guide for the paper: Format Guide (PDF) (DOCX)
A successful paper will use correct musical terminology, be organized effectively, and demonstrate competence with the fundamentals of writing (spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax).
Self Assessment
(200 words)
After letting your paper “sit” for several days, reread your paper and write an assessment of it, identifying places that you feel need to be shortened, expanded, or amended to convey your ideas more effectively. In other words, where would you edit for content, flow, and clarity? There will be time to work on this in class recitations.
Revision and Expansion of Your Paper
(300 additional words)
Expand your paper to include one or two more works or movements from the works listed in the Paper Revision and Expansion Repertoire . Because you will not have the same luxury of time, consider how your listening process may have changed from the beginning of the semester. As you did with the other works, include a discussion of the musical characteristics as well as how the context of the work, either culturally or musically, affects your experience with it.
Be sure to incorporate your instructor’s suggestions and your self-assessment ideas as part of your revision, and remember that adding new information may affect your opening and closing paragraphs.
And as always, a successful paper will use correct musical terminology, be organized effectively, and demonstrate competence with the fundamentals of writing (spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax).
