The Rhetoric of Music

Dawn M. Heavilin

Curriculum Unit

ENG 409.05

May 5, 2007

The Rhetoric of Music

Left to right: Franz Joseph Haydn, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Antonín Dvořák, Duke Ellington, James Brown, and Herbie Hancock

THEORETICAL OVERVIEW:

The sixth grade general music class is in the middle of a unit that is dealing with the history of selected pieces of music. I recently finished an English class in rhetoric and the teaching of writing. It is my purpose to include as much of what I have learned in this class along with my usual general music curriculum. This school district has also been pushing teachers of all disciplines to include as much writing as possible to improve writing scores on tests and also to improve critical thinking skills. My goal is not merely to have my students enjoy the music for the music’s sake but also to enjoy it for its historical value and effect on culture.

Don’t worry! I don’t expect you to know all of these composers! I have included a brief music history lesson of the six composers for you so that you will know what the students should be looking for when they research the composers.

When most people think of rhetoric, they think of Greek philosophers and orators such as Cicero and Aristotle. Cicero and Aristotle were concerned mainly with the rhetoric of public speaking rather than rhetoric of writing or the arts. Their goal was to persuade someone to believe in their cause. When they spoke, they kept in mind the subject, the occasion, the audience, and purpose. This unit is similar in that the composers of the music are trying to persuade their audience to believe in the message of the music along with its occasion and purpose.

As proposed by James Kinneavy in M.J. Killingsworth’s Appeals in Modern Rhetoric: an Ordinary-Language Approach (26), rhetoric involves the use of three main kinds of appeals to accomplish its purpose of telling a story, persuading, evoking emotion, and to entertain. Ethos focuses on the author, the attractiveness of the character, and the authority the author inspires. Pathos involves the audience, especially the emotions and reactions of the audience while logos involves the references to the world shared by the author and audience (Killingsworth, 26). It seems clear however, that rhetoric is not limited to reading, writing, and speaking, it also applies to music history and music appreciation. In this class instead of using rhetoric to discuss a piece of writing, you will be assisting the students in using rhetoric to analyze a piece of music. We will focus on the composer of the musical masterwork, the audience for which the musical piece was written, and the occasion for which it was written. Ethos is important, especially in this age, because a musician’s popularity is often determined by their appearance, with which they associate, and to which genre of music or record label they belong. Two examples of how ethos plays on a musician’s audience are Madonna and George Strait. We expect Madonna to change her image and music every three to five years while other musicians, such as country musician, George Strait, appeal to people because he has never made drastic changes to his image or his music. Madonna associates with the Hollywood scene while George Strait is a homebody who occasionally meets with other traditional country artists. Pathos will remain the same in this realm. Some musicians stay within a comfort zone while others deliberately set out to shock their audiences with their performance or image. Logos deals primarily with what was happening in the world at the time the composer was writing his work. Alan Jackson wrote Where We You When the World Stopped Turnin’ in response to what happened in America on September 11, 2001.

Music has both a rhetorical purpose and function in its scope. First music has an emotional connection to the audience. Second, music “invites insight into the nature of shared passions and values” (Palmer, 343). Third, “the idea that artists implicitly comment on a social issue though a non-discursive medium is made possible when they share background concerns about the issue with an audience” (Palmer, 343). Finally, music is an outreach of the performer’s own interpretation and background. “In extreme cases, such an art may have effected change in a political belief; more often, it has created an alteration in a personal view or conviction” (Rein, 72).

The accessibility of music, especially popular music, is growing by leaps and bounds with the advent of websites for downloading songs and also the low cost of compact discs and cable music television channels. The song’s lyrics are usually simple enough to understand and persuasive in meaning (Rein, 77). It often carries a strong message that most school-aged children can understand. The lyrics and the beat of the song gets stuck is one’s mind as the music is repeated over and over again.

Music is definitely a product of one’s culture and is considered to be the universal language. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is said to have told Franz Joseph Haydn not to go to England for a concert series in 1791 because he didn’t speak the language. Haydn replied, “the language I speak is understood the world over” (Karader’s Classic Music World website).

MEET THE COMPOSERS:

The first selection is the “Surprise Symphony” (Symphony No. 94 in G Major) written in 1791 by Franz Joseph Haydn who performed in the wealthy houses of European nobility. Haydn, who was tired of his audience falling asleep during performances of his music, added a very loud chord in the middle of his otherwise tranquil and andante tempo of his second movement. His intention was to “surprise” his audience into waking up and listening to his musical masterpiece. He knew of the general purpose of his music:

“My Prince [Esterházy of Austria] was always satisfied with my works. I not

only had the encouragement of constant approval but as conductor of the

orchestra. I could make experiments, observe what produced an effect and

what weakened it, and …improve, alter, make additions, or omissions, and

be as bold as I pleased.” (Essentials of Music-Composers website)

The second selection is Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture (Opus 49), which was written in 1880 to celebrate the Russian victory over Napoleon during the Napoleonic War many years earlier. He was commissioned to write this piece for the opening of Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the King’s Jubilee, and the Moscow Exhibition. He added the French anthem Le Marseilles and the Russian God Save the Tsar to his music along with the cannons of battle.

The third selection is Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, Opus 95, “From the New World”. Dvořák wrote the piece in 1893 after spending three years in America as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York. During this time he also traveled the United States and spent the summer of 1893 in Iowa with Czech immigrants. He said that his inspiration was the melting pot of America. His compositions included themes from Negro spirituals and Native American ceremony music he had heard during his travels. Most people are familiar with the second movement of this piece called “Goin’ Home.” The symphony’s premiere was in December 1893 at the home of the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall. An arrangement of “Goin’ Home” was used at former President Gerald Ford’s internment ceremony in January 2007.

The fourth selection, Duke Ellington’s It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), was recorded in 1932 toward the end of the Harlem Renaissance. Although Ellington and his band were African-Americans, they had an exclusive white audience both at the Cotton Club and in many European venues at the time the song was recorded. His intended audience was for both African-American and white audiences, something that most African-American swing bands had never achieved. It was written and performed to show how beautiful the African American culture was in Harlem in New York City. He was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1966 and also the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969. He died from lung cancer and pneumonia on May 24, 1974.

The fifth selection is I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown which was released in 1965. James Brown called himself “The Godfather of Soul” and “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business.” He was a soul and funk singer who was in the same league as Ray Charles and Little Richard. His music reflected the culture of the times during the Civil Rights movement. Some of his hits include Please, Please Me, Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, Get Up Offa That Thing, and Give It Up or Turnit A Loose. He performed in Zaire and toured Africa with George Foreman and Muhammed Ali in 1974. His main audience was other African-Americans and his subject was the unending plight of the down-trodden African American. He also appeared in The Blues Brothers film and also in an episode of Miami Vice. He died in December 2006.

The sixth selection is Rockit by Herbie Hancock. Herbie Hancock is a Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and jazz combo leader from Chicago, Illinois. He was one of the first jazz performers to use an electric synthesizer in his songs in the 1970s. He composed the late 1960s theme song for Bill Cosby’s Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. He also composed the soundtrack to the Charles Bronson movie Death Wish: Part I in 1974. In 1983, Rockit was featured on MTV’s first season and won a MTV Video of the Year for its breakdancing robot. Currently, Herbie has been featured on songs with Christina Aguilera, Sting, Josh Groban, and John Mayer.

ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS

FINE ARTS-MUSIC:

25.B.3: Compare and contrast the elements and the principles in two or more art works that share similar themes.

26.A.3c: Describe the processes involved in composing, conducting, and performing.

27.A.3b: Compare and contrast how the arts function in ceremony, technology, politics, communication, and entertainment.

27.B.3: Know and describe how artists and their works shape culture and increase understanding of societies, past, and present.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS:

3.A.3: Write compositions that contain complete sentences and effective paragraphs using English conventions.

3.B.3a: Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence.

3.C.3a: Compose narrative, informative, and persuasive writings (e.g. in addition to previous writings, literature reviews, instructions, news articles, and correspondence) for a specified audience.

3.C.3b: Using available technology, produce compositions and multimedia works for specified audiences.

4.B.3a: Deliver planned oral presentations, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the purpose, message, and audience; provide details and supporting information that clarify main ideas; and use visual aids and contemporary technology as support.

4.B.3b: Design and produce reports and multi-media compositions that represent group projects.

SOCIAL SCIENCES:

14.C.3: Compare historical issues involving rights, roles and status of individuals in relation to municipalities, states and the nation.

14.D.3: Describe the roles and influences of individuals, groups and media in shaping current Illinois and United States public policy (e.g., general public opinion, special interest groups, formal parties, media).

16.A.3b: Make inferences about historical events and eras using historical maps and other historical sources.

18.A.3: Explain how language, literature, the arts, architecture and traditions contribute to the development and transmission of culture.

18.C.3b: Explain how diverse groups have contributed to U.S. social systems over time.

MATERIALS:

CD players or cassette player at each station to play your music examples

Internet access and media center access

Paper, posterboard, markers, colored pencils, etc.

DAILY LESSON PLANS, 40 minute class periods:

Day 1:

Listen to music of different genres.

Split the class into six groups and choose a reliable group leader who will delegate future tasks.
Have each group go to stations 1-6 and listen to the music selection. Students need only listen to the second movement of Haydn’s Surprise Symphony and the second movement Dvorak’s New World Symphony. The students should find the main theme in 1812 Overture where they hear the cannons and the national anthems. (I’ll tell you what track and where it is on the track.) The other songs should be listened to from beginning to end.
Students should narrow down their favorites to two and write them down in their music journals.

Day 2:

Listen and choose a piece to write about.

After choosing the two music selections yesterday, students need to listen to the music again to narrow their selection to one.

This time they will write down their thoughts as to what the subject of the music is, who was the intended audience, why was it written (occasion and purpose), and any other images this music evokes on their Music History and Mood Chart (at the end of the unit).
Any portion of the chart that is left blank will be completed tomorrow in the computer lab and media center.

Days 3 and 4:

It’s a fact-finding mission!

Students will research the music selection and the composer online or in the media center.
The group leader will delegate students in their group to research various parts of the chart that was not completed.
All parts of the chart must be checked online to make sure the information is correct.
The group leader has the final say whether or not the chart needs more information.

Day 5:

Groups will meet again and share results from their fact-finding mission.

Incorrect facts and assumptions will be thrown out.
The groups may need to return to media center/computer lab to find more information.
Make sure that the groups have at least three visual aids to go along with their presentation.

Day 6 and Day 7:

The six groups will have the option of how they want to present their findings to their audience.

They may make a posterboard or a PowerPoint presentation of their information.
They may role play or act out their music selection and information about the composer.
They must make a plan of how they will be presenting it and what information they will present.
Turn in plan at the end of day 7 to the teacher. This does not have to be typed.

Day 8, 9, 10:

Teacher (if possible) returns comments to the groups.

Groups make corrections suggested by the teacher.
Groups should practice their presentation or work on PowerPoint.
Present to another group so that the group may critique the presentation/PowerPoint. The critique group must give both positive comments and suggest items to work on in writing.

Days 11 and 12:

All six groups will present information through role-play, power point, or posterboard paying special attention to subject, occasion, audience, and purpose.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Burns, Ken and Geoffrey C. Ward. Jazz: A History of American Music. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.

Killingsworth, M J. Appeals in Modern Rhetoric: an Ordinary-Language Approach. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 2005. 1-165.

Palmer, David L. “Virtuosity as Rhetoric: Agency and Transformation on a Paganini’s Mastery of the Violin.” Quarterly Journal of Speech. 84 (1998): 341-357.

Rein, Irving J. “The Rhetoric of Popular Arts.” Ruby’s Red Wagon: Communication Strategies in Contemporary Society. New York: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1972. 72-79.

Popular Music and Rhetoric by Brian K. Pagels

Chapter 30: Aural Media: Music and Rhetoric

CanTeach Fine Arts Music Lesson: The Story Behind the Music

AUDIO RECORDINGS:

Brown, James. I Got You (I Feel Good). From 20 All Time Greatest Hits, copyright Polydor Records, 1991. Originally recorded in 1965.

Dvořák, Antonín. Symphony No. 9, From the New World, Second Movement. Written in 1893.

Haydn, Franz Joseph. Symphony No. 94 in G major, Second Movement “The Surprise Symphony”. Written in 1791.

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich. Festival Overture “The Year 1812” in E flat major, Opus 49. Written in 1880.

All musicians’ images copied from Google Image Search .

Music History and Mood Chart

Everyone in the group should fill out this

sheet for the music selection.

Name of music selection: ______

Composer/performer: ______

What are some images that pop into your head as you listen to this music selection? How does this make you feel?

What is the subject of the music?

Who is the composer/performer’s intended audience?

Why did the composer write this piece of music? What is his purpose? To entertain? To tell a story? To bring forth emotion?

List any other historical significance of this piece.

When was it written? What was the composer’s nationality? etc.

If you have left any of these blank, get online and try to find the answers!

RUBRIC FOR THE RHETORIC OF MUSIC PROJECT

PART I:

Did you include background information about the composer? ______/30 points

When/where the composer was born?
What kind of family was he born into?
How was his childhood?
How did he become involved in music? Any benefactors?

PART II:

Who was the composer’s intended audience? ______/30 points

How did the audience (his listeners) react to his music?
What emotions did you feel when you heard his music the first time?
What did you think he meant to do with his music? To entertain? To tell a story? To bring forth emotion?

PART III: