Students will attend two (2) live concerts consisting of Western art music or jazz, and
write a concert response, consisting of at least three (3) full pages of 12-point doublespaced type. The response will be in essay form. Performances need to be by
professional or college level ensembles. One of the concerts must be of Western art
music (classical). You will turn it in through the course's Canvas website as either
a .docx, an .odt, or a .pdf file. No hardcopies and no other formats will be accepted.
The concert report must include a program or ticket. The program or ticket can either
be turned into my mailbox, in the music building office. If turned into my mailbox it
must be accompanied with identifying information – your name, my name, class,
date, etc. Tickets or programs without identifying information will not be accepted.
You may also scan or take a picture of the ticket or program and submit it as a jpeg or
pdf with your response.
Concert Response Format
The Basics: The date and time of the concert, the name and description of the
performer(s) you saw and heard.
Describe the venue, the performers, the instrumentation, the audience, and the
content of the program, and the circumstances of the performance. If it is a large
ensemble, please do not list all of the performers. This information is usually
contained in the program, so there is no need for you to reiterate it. At most you can
list the director/conductor, concert master, and section leaders. For smaller ensemble
(2-8 memners) it is okay to name them all. If you draw out a seating arrangement for
the instruments, which I encourage you to do, be aware that it does not contribute to
the length of your paper. You still need to write 3 full pages and please don't use any
of those grade school tricks to make your paper seem longer (large margins, strange
spacing, large fonts, etc., etc., etc.)
Choose one or two pieces that interested you the most, and discuss at more length the
pieces that interested you most on the program, considering your reaction to them in
the light of the historical material and information of this class. The object is not to
consider the pieces either “good” or “bad,” but to thoughtfully describe and consider
your reaction to them as a work in light of historical and technical knowledge. Use
concepts covered in the course, such as unity and variety, structure, purpose, tempo,
volume, rhythm, melody, harmony, form, historical period and context, etc.
Choose one piece and write a one-paragraph biography of the composer of the piece
that you have chosen. Properly cite the reference material you use as footnotes using
the Chicago Style of citation. If the information is not provided in a program, ask one
of the performers. If the work is anonymous, write a one-paragraph description of the
work’s genre (e.g. symphony, jazz standard, sonata, traditional folk song, verismo
opera, etc.)
Describe the performance of this work, and the audience’s (and your) reactions to it.
Was the concert well received? Did you enjoy the concert? Why or why not?
Consider the performance of the concert as a whole and your experience of it with
your broader thinking about music and musicking.
You all have personalities and opinions, use them. Your papers will be much better if
you do.
The first concert response is due Oct 22; the second is due on Nov. 26. No late concert
responses will be accepted.
Here are a list of websites that detail upcoming concerts in the Bay Area. This list is
by no means exhaustive. There are numerous colleges, theaters, concert halls, clubs,
and other venues in the area that host music performances. You have many, many
options. If you are unsure whether or not a concert you are interested in is acceptable
for a response, please send me an email.
Events in the School of Music and Dance at SJSU:
http://events.ha.sjsu.edu/musicanddance/ (show up at the door for tickets)
SFJazz: https://www.sfjazz.org/events-calendar
San Jose Chamber Orchestra: www.sjchambermusic.org
San Jose Jazz: https://sanjosejazz.org/events/
Symph
Purchase answer to see full
attachment