Music 121 Spring 2011:
HISTORY OF WESTERN MUSIC II
Paper and Class Presentation Guidelines
Rationale
Writing about music within a historical context presents unique challenges involving synthesis of the abstract and the concrete. Writing about music is difficult, as music exists largely in the abstract. What mood is suggested by a piece of music? What spirit does it evoke? Yet we use a battery of very specific terms to describe the concrete features of a piece of music, involving dynamics, pitch, and tempo, for example.
In the case of abstract musical qualities, we are given some freedom to use whatever evocative language we may arrive at to characterize a piece. In the case of concrete musical elements, we need to choose our words carefully, as we are handling terms with precise meanings, and the danger of mishandling them and misleading our reader is ever present.
And then, there is the historical element, which involves features both the concrete, such as historical facts, and the abstract, such as the attitudes characteristic of a time, a place, and a people. Bringing these elements to bear upon our understanding of a piece of music, represented by marks on a page, but really existing only in our imaginations, and conveying this understanding through the written word, can present a challenge of virtuosic proportions.
The Papers and Presentations
This semester, you will be required to complete two papers, each an examination in some depth of a topic encountered in the study of Western cultivated music from the Classic period through the present. In consultation with me, you will select as a springboard for each discourse one or more pieces of music, which will provide illustrations of the conclusions you wish to draw. Analyses of music should reflect the following considerations:
form, as expressed in harmonic and thematic relationships
style, as compared to other works by the composer, and/or works by other composers of the same historical period
relationship of music to text (if a vocal work)
relationship of music to subject (if a piece of programmatic music)
historical significance
After each paper has been submitted, you will be required to offer a brief presentation to the class on your findings.
Concerning each Paper
Requirements
Each paper must each be approximately eight pages in length.
Each paper must be typed, with the pages numbered, and each should have a title page.
Each paper must conform to the guidelines (specific to the arts) found in the Chicago Manual of Style.
The bibliography of each paper must include at least three sources which feature something about the piece or pieces of music under consideration or, at least, about other similar works by their composer or composers.
Procedure
A complete first draft of each paper must be submitted by the date given in the syllabus. A score or scores of the piece or pieces under consideration must be turned in with the paper. The first draft will be returned with a grade and written comments within one week.
A revised draft of each paper must be submitted by the date given in the syllabus. A score or scores of the piece or pieces under consideration must be turned in with the paper. The revised draft will be returned with a grade within one week.
If you desire, you may rewrite either of your papers, for personal benefit and/or in order to receive a better grade. A score or scores of the piece or pieces under consideration must be turned in with the paper. The third draft of the paper may be submitted at any time, up to the last day of class.
Each draft submitted must be accompanied with verification that you have discussed it with a Westmont Writers’ Corner tutor.
Recommendations
Your paper is not a piece of music criticism, but rather of historical and musical analysis.
Make your own analyses; you may cite others' viewpoints, but be sure to indicate whether you agree with them.
Diagrams may be useful in some cases, but the bulk of each paper should be a prose description.
Be sure you know what you want to say. Make your points economically and clearly. Avoid redundancy. Do not use a long word when a shorter one will do. Avoid overuse of adjectives; in particular, avoid those like “incredible” and “awesome.”
Be sure each paragraph has a purpose. Be sure the paper unfolds in a coherent manner.
Concerning each Presentation
Requirements
The class presentation should reflect the highlight of each paper.
Recorded musical examples (one or two), accompanied by photocopied score examples for distribution to the class (at least one for every two listeners), are encouraged.
Each presentation should be not more than five minutes in length.
Recommendations
Plan to communicate to the class what you found particularly significant in the music you studied.
Time recorded examples carefully.
Recorded examples should be long enough to provide an adequate context and to get your point across.
Practice of the presentation beforehand is highly recommended.
Procedure
A schedule for the class presentations will be determined as the semester progresses.
The presentation must be made on the date assigned.
Music 121 Spring 2011:
HISTORY OF WESTERN MUSIC II
Plagiarism
(From the Westmont College Academic Policies Webpage)
To plagiarize is to present someone else's work—his or her words, line of thought, or organizational structure—as your own. This occurs when sources are not cited properly, or when permission is not obtained from the original author to use his or her work. Another person's "work" can take many forms: printed or electronic copies of computer programs, musical compositions, drawings, paintings, oral presentations, papers, essays, articles or chapters, statistical data, tables or figures, etc. In short, if any information that can be considered the intellectual property of another is used without acknowledging the original source properly, this is plagiarism.
Please familiarize yourself with the entire Westmont College Plagiarism Policy. This document defines different levels of plagiarism and the penalties for each. It also contains very helpful information on strategies for avoiding plagiarism. It cannot be overemphasized that plagiarism is an insidious and disruptive form of academic dishonesty. It violates relationships with known classmates and professors, and it violates the legal rights of people you may never meet.