You will be required to view two live music events – preferably of different musical genres – and then write a critical review and comparison.
– The performances MUST have occurred during the term;
– You cannot describe live performances/concerts that you previously experienced;
– They cannot be videos of live concerts, as found on YouTube or any other streaming service.
– The performances DO NOT need to be ones for which you have to pay; they can be free performances. Be creative in your selection of events! Buskers on the street; singers in a coffee house; a cover band in a bar; a church choir…
The review should be:
– 5 pages in length,
– double-spaced,
– 12 or 14 point font size, include background information on the composers and works performed and a critique of the performance.
– Background information may consist of where, by whom and for what reason the music was written as well as anything of historical importance associated with the works.
The critique portion of the reviews should be your own carefully thought-out reaction to the performances. Translate what your ears have heard into words, using terminology learned in this course.
(((For example, using words like Synthesizers, Recording Technology, The Digital Audio Workstation, Aerophone (wind) , Chordophone (string) Instruments , Idiophone (vibrating body) Instrument, Membranophone (skin) Instrument, Piano, Electric Guitar, Auto Tune, Timbre
Melody(notes, leaps and steps), Harmony (consonance, dissonance, I vi IV Y chordal progression), Rhythm (tempo, beat, allegro*), Form (verse, chorus, bridge and outro), and Texture (homophony, accompaniment, kinds of instruments))))
However, do not run through a checklist of musical descriiptions (i.e. classifying melodies as having many steps and leaps); explain what is unique about a certain piece of music. Texture, for example, is good to mention if it is significant; simply saying that the singer and guitar had a homophonic texture is obvious. How was the texture varied?
Compare the two events, including the music performed, the performers, the audience, and the venue. I am interested in your understanding of the social context of these musical events. For example, what is the significance of the age range of the audience? How may they have experienced the music previously? How did this influence how the performers interacted with the audience?
Lastly, please note that these do not need to be formal concerts – they are opportunities to experience and discover new live music is its many different forms.
Also, I have some examples for you; you can take a look.