Music Assignment Paper-Concert Report

Concert Report

1. Minimum 3 pages; maximum 5 pages. This is an extended essay, not a paper.
2. The essay MUST be typed; no exceptions.
3. Please use 12 point font, 1 inch margins, Times New Roman font setting, double spacing, number the pages, and provide a PDF of the concert program.
4. Follow a five-paragraph format (at the very least) where there is an introduction, three (or more, if needed) expository paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Here’s another helpful way of looking at the structure of the essay:
1. Introduction: Tell your audience what it is you are trying to accomplish by introducing the material (concert).
2. Exposition: Tell them what you need to say. This is usually descriptive.
3. Conclusion: Tell your audience what you told them. Recapitulate using another angle to encapsulate what you wanted to say in a crystallized way.
Your report is expected to answer the questions:
• What kind of a listener were you at the concert? Why?
• What pieces were performed?
• What was the style of the pieces performed?
• What was the make-up of the instrumental and or vocal forces?
• How were the forces arranged (musically/visually) for the presentation?
• What was the audience/ambience like?
• Did you enjoy the concert? Why or why not?

Be certain to discuss the following aspects in at least two of the pieces in the concert:

• Unity and variety: How did the pieces relate (or not) to one another?
• Structure of the music
• Purpose of the music
• Tempo
• Rhythm
• Melody
• Harmony
• Form
• Historical Period

Details for the Writing Approach —
• Be sure your writing remains clear and focused. Keep the discussion relative to the task at hand.
• Use the musical vocabulary we are learning in class; explain it so that anyone who reads the paper can understand what you desire to convey.
• Be descriptive and colorful. Tell a story in your writing. Write as if your audience has no idea about the concert you attended. Be that specific.
• Avoid tangents and be concise. Remember, 3-5 pages is not much space to accomplish your task. Tell me only what is important to you. These few pages are precious. Tighten your writing. Have the writing Tutor lab offer suggestions on your paper before submission.
• Write as if you are reviewing the performance. Critique constructively and avoid seeming negative, even if you did not enjoy the performance. Use words like “the performers did or could have” instead of “would or should have”.
• Think holistically about the performance, from the “outside-in”, and then go for detailed points, “inside-out”.
• This is not a history paper. Do not include a long history of the piece or pieces you are writing about.
• Simply giving a list of the pieces performed in the concert is not sufficient. Choose to cover all pieces to some degree or pick two pieces to compare and contrast.