9-12 Grades Remember experiencing music can involve listening, responding, participating, and exploring. In this project, you'll employ techniques of listening and responding as you experience music that's new to you. For this music response, you'll take on the role of a music critic as you listen to the music. Objectives Use engaged listening techniques while listening to music. Record your responses to the music. Engaged Listening Listen to at least twenty minutes of classical music. Try to pick some pieces that are "outside your comfort zone" in other words, music you don't usually listen to in order to make yourself concentrate, evaluate, and grow musically. You may choose a style or group from the list below or find another option that's approved by your teacher. Orchestra any symphony orchestra Examples: London Philharmonic Orchestra New York Philharmonic Boston Pops Orchestra Vocal Group a small group or choir that performs classical music on a regular basis Examples: Celtic Woman Il Divo King Singers The Cambridge Singers
Harvard or Yale Glee Club Mormon Tabernacle Choir Soloist an opera or classical singer Examples: Kathleen Battle Rockwell Blake Andre Bocelli Placido Domingo Dmitri Hvorotstovsky Jessye Norman Luciano Pavarotti Samuel Ramey Instrumental a small group or soloist that performs classical music Examples: Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet Canadian Brass Dorian Wind Quintet Empire Brass James Galway Kenny G. Ruth Laredo Yo-Yo Ma Itzthak Perlman Orion String Quartet Arthur Rubinstein Takacs Quartet Attending a live concert in order to listen to the music would be ideal. However, you may not have access to a concert, so listening to a recording would be fine as well. Explain by writing a one page report why a person should listen to music outside his or her comfort zone.
Engaged Listening Title: Composer: Artist (if known): Musical Elements Rhythm & Tempo: Melody: Harmony & Texture Tonality: rhythm: even, uneven, long, short, rests, duple, triple, quadruple, pulsing, driving, repeated, syncopation tempo: slow, fast, frantic, peaceful, moderate, accel., a tempo, ritard pitch- treble, bass, high, low, middle, mixed range, ascending, descending, melody-conjunct, disjunct, steps & leaps, short or long phrases, arch, wave, vivid motif, theme harmony-melody, accompaniment, rich, sparse, monophonic, polyphonic, homophonic, consonance, dissonance, block chords, broken chords, resolution texture-dense, thin, thick, medium, heavy, light, sparse. few/many instruments tonality-major, minor, combo, changing, indistinct, bright, happy, dark, somber, other Dynamics & Articulation: dynamics-loud, soft, mezzo, crescendo, decrescendo articulation-staccato, clipped, legato, smooth
Timbre: large contrasts, little contrast bright, brilliant, clear, deep, heavy, warm, reedy, thin, breathy, piercing, harsh, mellow, dark, light, airy Form & Structure: theme, section, A, B, C..., phrase, verse, strophic, binary, ternary, antecedent, consequent, restatement, introduction, bridge Context: NA for this project place and time Personal Response Physical: How did the music affect my body? How would I characterize the sound of the music to my ears? Emotional: How did the music make me feel? What mood does the music create? What activity would this music
reinforce? Intellectual: What mental image did the music bring to mind? Is there a specific memory I associate with this music? What else did I think about as I concentrated on the music? Overall Perception Two-word Description: Rating: Describe the music using only two concise descriptive words. Rate the music, and give a reason for your rating. 5 - Greatly enjoyed 4 - Somewhat enjoyed 3 - Neither enjoyed nor disliked 2 - Somewhat disliked 1 - Greatly disliked
Music Response Rubric Excellent Good Fair Unacceptable Musical Elements (4-5 points) All three elements listed clearly: title, composer, and artist (3-4 points) Two elements listed: title, composer, artist (1-2 points) Only one of the elements listed: title, composer, artist (0 points) None of the elements were listed: title, composer, artist Physical Response Physical response listed and clearly explained Either physical response or explanation unclear Either physical response or explanation missing No response or explanation given Emotional Response Emotional response listed and clearly explained Either emotional response or explanation unclear Either emotional response or explanation missing No response or explanation given Intellectual Response Mental response listed and clearly explained Either mental response or explanation unclear Either mental response or explanation missing No response or explanation given Overall Perception Completion Concise, thoughtful description and clearly explained rating given Responses overall show evidence of extended time and effort. Description or rating and explanation inadequate or insufficient Responses overall show evidence of adequate time and effort. Either description or rating and explanation missing Responses overall show evidence of minimal time and effort. Neither description nor a rating and explanation given Responses inadequate for completion or grading.