Category: Music

Composer Paper Guidelines
Assignment: Write a paper about the life and music of a major composer from Western Culture.
Paper Due: 6/30
Length: Minimum of 5 full pages, plus 1 title page and 1 works cited page.
Please put the following on your title page:
“[Paper Title]”
Name of Composer
MUS.131
Your Name
Composer: Please choose a composer mentioned in our textbook, or a comparable composer from within the “classical” realm of music.
Sources: Please use a minimum of 5 sources (You may use your textbook as a source, but it doesn’t count toward the 5 sources.).
***Include a works cited page at the end of your paper.***
Biography: Please discuss the following topics:
1) Your composer’s life and career. Please include major events that affected their music.
2) The styles and genres of music they wrote, including some of their most important compositions and why they were important.
3) Which other composers had an important influence on them? And what sort of influence did their music have on future composers?
Please be sure to proofread for spelling, grammar, and formatting.

After watching the video “What is Music To You”, write a refection essay answering the question: What Is Music To Me? The essay must follow the expectations for writing an essay or paper found in the course syllabus under “Assignment Guidelines, Expectations and Rubrics” (also found above under Media Resources). Make sure you reference musical elements discussed in the assigned reading. The reflective paper must be at least 250 words.
(Module Objective 1.1)
What music means to you is a little more complex, but it’s still a discussion of your own thoughts and feelings. A few questions you might want to explore include: When do you find yourself listening to music? Is it when you’re experiencing any particular emotions or feelings?
Do you turn to music for comfort or distraction or
encouragement? Is it something you play or listen to out of habit or necessity? Where do you listen to music most? Perhaps you only listen to it when you’re in places where it’s being played, such as church or elevators or department stores–if so, why not more?
Do you connect most with the lyrics or the music? Is there any aspect of music which is personal and experiential to you (i.e., do you sing or play or write your own music)?
Take one or more of the issues above, add any others you might have in mind, organize your thoughts into some kind of order, create a clear thesis statement, then write.
Really, there are so many possible directions for this essay, and they all come down to expressing how you feel about music; and, since the only person who can know that, you’re in the perfect position to write this assignment.

Initial Response: Jackson, Dick, and Atwood brilliantly incorporate the conflict of Person vs. Society, but which one does it better?
In one to two paragraphs, argue which of the Unit 5 authors best portrays the conflict of Man vs. Society and HOW (you might like to do some more research on The Handmaid’s Tale to write about Atwood). This is a great practice for your upcoming Position Paper.  
Share a modern-day piece of literature (new story, article, video, movie, novel, etc.) that supports your response and is a direct connection to the story you choose. Be sure to post the link to your modern piece of literature and explain how it connects to your chosen author/story. 
Finish your post by asking a question of your peers that promotes critical thinking on this subject.
Topic One: Literature Resources for this unit:
The readings in this unit focus on the literary device of Conflict. Conflict is the driving force of all good literature. Nowhere does conflict appear more originally and desperately than in Dystopian (relating to a society in which there is an illusion of a perfect/futuristic society) stories. Below, you will find two chillingly vivid classic tales of conflict by Jackson and Dick. 
Shirley Jackson’s chilling dystopian story, “The Lottery,” is rife with conflict. As a cautionary tale, “The Lottery” is just as effective in modern times as in 1948, and set the stage for popular literature such as Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Jackson, S. (1948). The lottery, The New Yorker. Link to the full text in The New Yorker. 
Philip K. Dick authored 121 short stories and 44 novels before he died at the age of 53. Many films are based on his work, such as Blade Runner and Minority Report. His most famous alternate-history novel is a current series on Amazon, titled The Man in the High Castle. 
Dick, P. (1953/2017). The hanging stranger. American Literature.com. Link to the full text here. 
When Margaret Atwood authored The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985, she might not have imagined it would have extended popularity for decades. Currently, it is a top-rated series on HBO and the novel is again on the New York Times bestseller list. As with most dystopian novels, it focuses on a society that is changed for what appears to be the betterment of its people. 
In dystopian handmaid’s tale, a warning for a new generation not to take rights for granted. (2017, April 25). PBS News Hour.
Watch Video
In dystopian ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’ a warning for a new generation not to take rights for granted
Duration: 7:11
User: n/a – Added: 4/25/17
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36TR0ESbhTE

Create an annotated bibliography that explores resources related to one of the topics below:
Women producers in hip-hop
Hip-Hop around the world
Political perspectives in hip-hop
Unconventional hip-hop: Artists who are “outside of the box”
Hip Hop artists as executives: From musicians to moguls
Choreography in Hip-Hop: Names you should know
The role of the DJ in Hip-Hop
Graffiti artists and the beginnings of Hip-Hop
Create an annotated bibliography that explores resources related to a specific aspect of Hip-Hop
e.g., Hip-Hop around the globe, Women Hip-Hop Engineers & Producers, etc.
Each annotation should be at least 150 words.

in 1200 words should be based on a personal expert music impact of music in your life in past and present time 

What does a successful career in CLASSICAL music look like in the 21st century, and who can help a student achieve it? 
This essay must be constructive, mature, thoughtful, analytical (using data), innovative, and challenging.
Here are just some ideas:
Classical music is not a hobby for the social elite. 
Why is it so hard for talented classical musicians to secure a good living?
Classical music is crucial to humanity’s survival. 
A complete musician finds a way to balance aesthetic and artistic values with practical business savvy.

Hypothetical meeting between Beethoven and Mozart where Beethoven presents Mozart with a string quartet. What would Mozart think of the piece? The format can be like a interview or a script, doesn’t have to be MLA no works cited page needed. 

The attched document is the essay, pretty simple but i do want this essay to be really good so she could give me an A. PLEASEEE!! 🙂

Discussion: Elements of Music and Vocabulary
The World of Music
8th Edition
Author: David Willoughby
ISBN: 1259892921
For your initial post (at least 100 words), address EACH of the following prompts:
1. Share at least three elements of music and/or ideas you learned the most about in Ch. 1-2. What did you find most interesting about each one?
2. What is your most significant takeaway from the Mad Scientist video (available in Module 1 Content)? Why?
3. Learning so much new information in a brief overview often leads to more questions. What is at least one question you have based on what you learned in Ch. 1-2?
For your two responses (each at least 50 words):
1. Extend the conversation. Do not simply agree or disagree with the initial post, but consider what information or opinion you can add to the discussion.
2. In at least one of your responses, try to answer their question. Share a link to a related online resource to justify your response and/or give further information on the topic. This might be a factual/informative website, an informational video on YouTube, or another online resource. Do not link our online textbook. One of the goals of this assignment is to build a bank of new resources that you might use throughout the course; the textbook is not a new resource since we all already know about it.
First respond: by  Andrew Sanchez (discussion Least 50 Words)
2. What is your most significant takeaway from the Mad Scientist video (available in Module 1 Content)? Why?
My most significant takeaway from the Mad Scientist video is how music should be interpreted. Music should not be set in place or have concrete labels. Music taste is very individual, and what makes one person laugh can make another sad. It doesn’t matter if there is sound or no sound. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense to others. It doesn’t matter if you use instruments or not. Music is anything that you find exciting and calling to you. If you enjoy a sound, then that is music for you. The Mad Scientist showed me I don’t have to stick to one view of music.
Second Respond:  Chrstian Damian (discussion least 50 words)
1. I learned a lot about the connection between all the musical elements. For example, the connection between the rhythm and melody. Simply changing the rhythm, or the duration of each note will strongly affect the melody which can either make the song very active, or rhythmically simple. I also found the element of texture very interesting. I thought it was so cool how a song could start with a thin texture, and then how adding something as small as a ukulele could thicken the texture, being equivalent to a beat drop. 
Discussion: Module 2
For your initial post (at least 100 words), address EACH of the following questions:
1. The oral tradition, discussed throughout Ch. 1-5, is a means of passing down information, musical or otherwise, from generation to generation. Describe one musical thing and one non-musical thing YOU have learned through the oral tradition.
‘Musical’ might be a favorite song or melody while ‘non-musical’ might be a family recipe, proverb, family lore, etc, but you must ID things you’ve learned THROUGH the oral tradition.
Be specific. You cannot earn credit by simply writing, “I learned a song and a recipe.”
2. What are your thoughts on religious music as it is covered in the textbook in Ch 4? If you were required to change/update/revise the chapter, what would you modify? (Be specific. You will lose credit if your response does not show an understanding of how religious music is covered in Ch 4 and a way to modify the chapter.)
3. From the Folk, Jazz, and Pop Listening Bulbs, which song was your favorite? Share at least two musical reasons why you liked that song. For example, what elements of music did you enjoy most in that song and why did you like them? 
For each of your two responses (at least 50 words each):
Frist discussion by Maria Seif
Chapter 4 talked about religious music from different cultures and religions. It explained how music was used in rituals, gatherings, and worship. I think one thing I would modify would be including a section about modern religious music and how traditional and modern music mix. It’s different from generation to generation which means religious music changed over time but still stayed important. It also shows how the media affects the spread of the religious music. 
Second discussion by Lidia Olivos
From the Folk, Jazz and Pop listening bulbs my favorite song was Judy Garland “I got Rhythm”. Having listened to her growing up as she was one of my moms favorite icons when she was younger and therefore being introduced to her music, movies and different entertainment she has been apart of, it has always been captivating to hear Judy. She is someone that has an amazing voice with such a specific tone and timbre that cannot be confused with any other artist. She has always been such a staple in my household especially since she makes anything she has ever sang she makes it sound as it from a Disney princess movie (nostalgic for me of course). 
Discussion: Popular Music
For your initial post (at least 100 words), select ONE of the prompts below to address:
1. If one popular style of music were to receive the most attention in the textbook (similar to the way country does in our textbook), which style do you think it should be? Defend your choice in at least 5 sentences. Why is that style significant to American culture? Your response should be about one style of music from the Popular chapter, or a newer popular style that wasn’t covered in the chapter at all. Music covered in Ch 3-5 is not an option because there are already entire chapters devoted to each of those styles.
– OR –
2. Read A Music Critic Review AI SongsLinks to an external site. and discuss: is artificial intelligence the future of popular music? Will AI replace songwriters and/or musicians in popular music? Why or why not? Cite at least one musical sample from the article to support your argument. Feel free to share other articles or AI-created music to support your argument.
In each of your two responses to classmates (at least 50 words each):
– Extend the discussion. Don’t just agree with what they wrote or rewrite what you wrote in your initial post. What can you add to the conversation?
First discussion by Aziz Hanna
Based on the article, AI has the capability to replicate voices and styles with surprising accuracy, as seen in the tracks sampling the styles of Kanye West and Nirvana. For example, the Nirvana inspired piece “Drowned in The Sun” is scarily good, the vocals were performed by an impersonator, Kurt Cobain, but everything else was created by AI. The piece was so good that it earned a “good” rating. Despite this though, AI can’t compare with the emotional depth and the originality that human artists bring. We can see this through the Britney Spears inspired piece which doesn’t even sound like a song, or music for that matter, explaining why it received a “horrifying nightmare” rating. So even though AI is able to create music in some sense, I don’t believe it will fully replace songwriters or musicians in popular music, at least not in the near future. AI can’t compare with human creativity and the emotional expression we bring to music as it does not have the same authenticity we have
Second discusion by Aziz Genidy
I believe hip-hop should receive the most attention in the textbook. Hip-hop is really important to the American culture because it originated in the 1970s in New York and has been growing and even became a global phenomenon. It has affected fashion, language, and social movements around the world. It serves as a powerful voice for the colored communities by addressing different issues such as poverty, racism, and social justice in its lyrics. Hip-hop has greatly impacted the mainstream culture, by shaping trends and breaking down barriers in the racial and socioeconomic worlds. Highlighting hip-hop would give us with a good understanding of its cultural, social, and musical additions to musical world in America
The World of Music
8th Edition
Author: David Willoughby
ISBN: 1259892921

I need a 540 word essay about how the baroque era started and who was the main 3 guys in it ( Sebastian Bach , Handel , and Antonio Vivaldi. ) and the influence they had in it.