Week #2 The Structure and Elements of Music Assignment Upload #2: Upload your Wo

Week #2
The Structure and Elements of Music
Assignment Upload #2: Upload your Word Document or PDF to the assignment link in our
Week #2 Folder.
Read Chapter 1 of your textbook from page 7 to page 12 (stop at the paragraph after Figure 6.8
with the sentence ending on ‘play with tones’. Listen to the tracks as they are mentioned. All
excerpts can be found on our accompanying YouTube playlist. Then answer the following
questions. The questions appear in approximately the same order you’ll encounter the concepts
being asked about in the reading.
1) After listening to “Sister Hold Your Chastity,” choose the answer below that best
describes this song.
a. Regular, strongly repeated beat
b. Rhythms that seem free and driven by the words without a strong, regular beat
2) Listen to “Yundao ge.” Using simple terms such as ‘Long’ and ‘Short’ describe three
patterns that are repeated, even if only once. Next to your descriptions, include the timer
readings you see on the YouTube player at the moments of repetition.
After reading the definition in your textbook of metrical rhythm and free rhythm, listen to the
following tracks and identify them as either Free or Metrical. If you’re having trouble
deciding, try to clap along with the piece. Can you find a steady beat to clap to? Is there anything
predictable about the metrical structure?
3) “Sarasiruhasana Priye” on our playlist. Please note that this track is slightly different
from the similarly named one in our textbook. Listen to the one on the playlist to answer
this question.
4) “Islamic Call to Prayer” on our playlist. This track is not mentioned in our textbook.
5) “Which Side Are You On” on our playlist. This track is not mentioned in our textbook.
6) “Kyrie” on our playlist. This track is not mentioned in our textbook.
7) “Ahora te puedes marchar” on our playlist. This track is not mentioned in our textbook.
After reading the definition of polyrhythm in your textbook, you’ll probably find yourself
needing clarification because this is a tricky concept! A polyrhythm occurs when we layer two or
more distinctly different rhythms on top of each other so that they are performed simultaneously.
When a polyrhythm is present, you will hear a tension or a push-and-pull between the musical
lines. When it is not present, as in most pop songs, you might hear a steady rhythmic foundation
with a rhythm pattern playing above it but there will be no tension or push-and-pull – the lines
will work together. Please watch the “Songs That Use Polyrhythms and Polymeters” video on
our playlist for a clear explanation and demonstration. You don’t have to listen to all 13 minutes.
Just get to about 2:30 and you’ll have watched what you need!
Once you are comfortable with the concept of polyrhythm, listen to the following 3 tracks and
indicate with a Y for Yes or an N for No whether you hear a polyrhythm or not.
8) “Dynamite” by BTS
9) “Sangba Rhythms for Bowu”
10) “Hajanga” by Jacob Collier
11) Listen to “Yeibichai” and “Yangguan san die.” Using your own words, describe the
timbre of each piece and how it makes you feel/influences your experience of the music.
12) In your own words, please define the difference between rhythm and pitch.
Now read page 14 from Chapter 1 of your textbook. Listen to the tracks as they are mentioned.
All excerpts can be found on our accompanying YouTube playlist. Then answer the following
questions. The questions appear in approximately the same order you’ll encounter the concepts
being asked about in the reading.
13) In your own words, please explain the difference between melody and harmony.
14) What is the word used for simultaneously sounding tones?
15) Listen to “Amazing Grace” on our playlist. Is this texture monophonic, homophonic,
heterophonic, or polyphonic?
16) Listen to “Ilumán tiyu” on our playlist. Is this texture monophonic, homophonic,
heterophonic, or polyphonic?
17) Listen to Louis Armstrong “When The Saints Go Marching In” on our playlist. Is this
texture monophonic, homophonic, heterophonic, or polyphonic?
If you would like more information on melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, or any of the more
specifically musical concepts mentioned in our Chapter 1 reading, please see the section in
Chapter 11 titled ‘Elements of Music.’ It begins on page 585. You are not required to read this
but it may prove helpful if you’re struggling with any of the concepts above!
Plans for Week #3
February 8th
Please read the following pages of Chapter 2, “North America/Native America”: Pages 33 to 46
(stop at the Traditional “Popular” Navajo Music heading). Then read starting on Page 85 (stop
before Figure 2.18 at the sentence that begins “Following in the footsteps.” Listen to the tracks
on our YouTube playlist as I mention them in the questions below – don’t worry about the links
in our reading. The questions below are asked in the order in which you’ll encounter their topic
in the reading. Since I’ve aligned the questions with the reading, you should look at the
questions below while you’re reading instead of waiting until the end! There are also some
places below in which I add clarifying information and examples so don’t read straight through
– look back and forth between the text and this document! As you’re reading sections of the
chapter that include detailed musical descriptions, read with an eye (or ear) towards thinking
about how you can start thinking about and describing music in a similar way. If you
encounter a vocabulary word that you don’t know, you have two easy options: Look it up in
our textbook or (better yet) email me and ask!
1) Listen to “Gizhebs” on our playlist and answer the following questions.
a. How many different layers of sound do you hear and what is producing them?
b. Would you describe this music as simple or complex? Why?
c. Does this sound like music meant to be performed for an audience or music
meant for a participatory community? Why?
2) Listen to Black Fire – “Silence is a Weapon” on our playlist.
a. How does this Native American band combine elements of Western music and
Native American musical traditions?
b. Which tradition is the most prominent?
c. What is your emotional and/or intellectual reaction to the presence of both
traditions, especially when they switch from one to the other?
3) Listen to “Ho Way Hey Yo.” This track prominently features call-and-response, a
technique that is found in countless musical traditions worldwide. Call-and-response
music can also be called antiphonal. Call-and-response is present when we hear an
individual singer perform a musical line followed by a response by a group of singers.
There are a few instances of call-and-response in this recording. Please identify at least
two below by typing call when you hear the solo singer and typing the timer reading on
the video at the moment the call happens. Then do the same for the moment the
response enters. Your answer might look like this:
CALL – 0:05
RESPONSE – 0:15
4) Please define vocables in your own words. Can you think of at least one other musical
tradition in which we hear vocables?
5) Why might music play a particularly important role in the lives of peoples such as the
Haudenosaunee who are geographically split, often by very large distances?
6) Watch the “Stomp Dance Demonstration” on our playlist. [This is NOT the same Stomp
Dance mentioned in our reading – I am substituting this version for that one] You don’t
have to watch the entire thing – start at around 3:12 and watch through 7:00. Notice
the use of the entire body to create the music – the women are wearing shakers that
contribute to the rhythmic pattern as they walk. This represents a close interconnection
between music and dance, an intertwining that is so intricate that in many cases music
and dance cannot be separated. While listening, answer the following questions:
a. Describe to the best of your ability the pattern of repetition in the vocal line.
b. There are several moments at which the music changes, creating sections by
means of contrast. Identify at least one of these moments by describing the
nature of the contrast and by indicating when it happens using the YouTube time
stamp.
c. Can this Stomp Dance be used as an example of the “iterative form” mentioned
in your textbook?
d. Do you hear call-and-response?
e. Now watch the “Plantation Dance Ring Shout” video. This represents a different
tradition of American music making. Despite the surface differences, there are
many similarities. Identify at least 3 similarities and share your thoughts on why
these similarities might be present. Think in terms of instruments available to
these communities, the social and economic status of these communities, and
their heritage and efforts to preserve that heritage in the face of oppression.
7) Listen to “Yeibichai” while following along with Active Listening Guide 2.3. Describe the
interaction between the male voices and the female voices.
a. Do they sing simultaneously?
b. Do they sing in a similar or different pitch range?
c. Do their rhythms and tempos differ?
d. Does one seem to be the leader and the other the responder?
8) Most of the tracks we’ve listened to have a cultural value that runs further and deeper
than the musical value. Write about 250 words commenting on the idea of cultural value
in music, whether in relation to the Native American traditions, genres you are familiar
with, or both.
9) The Red Power movement coincides chronologically with the Civil Rights movement and
the rise of the Second Wave of the feminist movement. Like in these two more well-
known social justice movements, music played a prominent role in the Red Power
movement. Listen to “Reservation of Education” while following along with Active
Listening Guide 2.9.
a. Your textbook states that this song “sits squarely within the style conventions of
early 1970s rock.” This is true but there are some elements that link it to more
traditional Native American music. Identify and describe at least one of those
elements.
b. What are some potential benefits and drawbacks of the mainstreaming of
popular Native American musicians? NOTE: There is no “right” answer to this and
you won’t find it directly mentioned in the reading. I just want you to think in
terms of things like musical authenticity and cultural/racial power dynamics
Plans for Week #4
September 20th
Please read the following pages of Chapter 3, “Africa/Ewe, Mande, Dagbamba, Shona, BaAka”:
Pages 100 to 105. We are looping back to the Postal Workers recording from Week #1 of our
semester in order to practice Active Listening and to think about how definitions of music are
different in different cultures.
As you are reading, I would like you to think about the distinction the author makes between
“art for art’s sake” and “work music.” Even though the author makes this distinction, he relies
on the research of a colleague who regularly observed the postal workers even though “they
gave the impression that they thought I was somewhat odd for doing so.” For this week’s
assignment, I would like you to write a response of approximately 500 words exploring your
thoughts on both the distinction between art music and work music and the nature of his
colleague’s decision to observe this practice. There is no right or wrong response to this – I just
want you to think about your understanding of music as a cultural practice and your
understanding of what, if any, boundaries there should be for outside observers. You can type
your response on this document, below this question and before the Listening Guide.
After doing this, look at Listening Guide 3.1 on page 105. Listen to the Postal Workers
recording while following along with this guide. For each section indicated on the guide, please
add at least 2 details about what you hear. You can add information about how loud or soft the
sounds are, whether each section gets simpler or more complex, whether you hear voices and
“instruments” added or taken away, or any other observation of this nature. You can fill in your
answers below. You can also feel free to add time stamps if you hear something interesting that
you think should be included!
0:00
0:07
0:44
2:04
2:36
2:44
Plans for Week #5
February 22nd
Please read the following pages of Chapter 3, “Africa/Ewe, Mande, Dagbamba, Shona, BaAka”:
Pages 106 to 108 (stop before the ‘A Performance’ heading); Page 120 (stop before the ‘Listen
to’ icon); Pages 166 to 171, and Page 151 (Just the background information on Fela Kuti – stop
at the 1st ‘Listen To’ icon).
Listen to the tracks on our YouTube playlist as I mention them in the questions below – don’t
worry about the links in our reading. The questions below are asked in the order in which you’ll
encounter their topic in the reading. Since I’ve aligned the questions with the reading, you
should look at the questions below while you’re reading instead of waiting until the end! There
are also some places below in which I add clarifying information and examples so don’t read
straight through – look back and forth between the text and this document!
If you encounter a vocabulary word that you don’t know, you have two easy options: Look it
up in our textbook (in the Pitch Aspects section at the end of the book) or (better yet) email
me and ask!
1) Watch “Agbekor Ewe Music and Dance” on our playlist and answer the following
questions. It is a long video! If you don’t have time to watch the entire video, please
start at the beginning and watch to approximately 6:00 so you can see and hear a
change in texture and then watch from approximately 13:30 to the end so you can see
and hear the intensity that has been built up and how it is resolved at the end.
a. Is this polyrhythmic?
b. Do you hear call-and-response?
c. Can we separate the music from the dance? Why or why not?
2) How did performers learn Agbekor?
a. How did the process differ from learning other forms of music and dance in Ewe
culture?
3) What was the intended function/purpose/goal of Agbekor?
4) Listen to “Agbekor, Slow” on our YouTube playlist. This is NOT the same as the recording
in the textbook. Related but not the same. Answer the following questions:
a. What does the timer read when you hear a shift from an A section to a B
section? What changes in the sound of the music at this shift? Hint: There is a
visual clue to the moment we hear a shift from an A section to a different (B)
section.
b. Using terms from the Elements of Music units, please explain one way in which
this melody is similar to the Western sounds we are surrounded by and one
which in which it is different.
5) In listening to of the BaAka people, we are moving from West Africa to Central Africa.
Listening to music from these two regions presents us with the opportunity to
remember that there is not only one “African” musical tradition just as there is not only
one “American” musical tradition. Watch the video called “BaAka Song: Hip Deep
Scholar Michelle Kisliuk Teaches Vocal Ensemble” and answer the following questions”
a. Identify at least one way in which this is similar to the Agbekor and one way in
which it is different.
b. In what ways does this method of teaching this song relate to (or not relate to)
the idea of an egalitarian and communal culture?
6) Listen to the performance of “Makala” in the track on our playlist called “Makala
(Central African Republic) and answer the following questions:
a. Is this song polyphonic, polyrhythmic, or both?
b. Do you hear yodeling in this song?
c. What are some of the instruments you hear?
d. What are some of the repeated sounds or patterns you hear?
7) Watch the performance on our playlist called “Fela Kuti Live: Teacher Don’t Teach Me
Nonsense.” It is a long performance. You don’t need to listen to the whole thing but
please listen at least from the beginning to approximately 4:40.
a. How is Kuti integrating Western instruments into an African sound world?
b. What elements of the performance are “Western” and which fit the descriptions
of “African” music we’ve learned about?
c. Do you hear call and response?
d. Is this polyphonic and/or polyrhythmic?
Plans for Week #6
March 7th
Please read the following pages of Chapter 4 “North America/Black America”:
 Page 176 (Introduction)
 Page 187 (Work Song. Stop at the line that starts with “As a farm boy”)
 Page 189 (Start at the line that begins “Not surprisingly, the words of these songs) to
193 (Stop at the heading Music of Play)
 Page 195 (Start at the heading Blues) to 205 (Stop at the heading Learning the Blues)
 Page 216 (Start at the heading Social Context and the Meaning of the Blues on the
second paragraph, “Although the emotional aspects”) to 219 (whole page)
 Page 233 to 236
Listen to the tracks on our YouTube playlist as I mention them in the questions below – don’t
worry about the links in our reading. The questions below are asked in the order in which you’ll
encounter their topic in the reading. Since I’ve aligned the questions with the reading, you
should look at the questions below while you’re reading instead of waiting until the end! There
are also some places below in which I add clarifying information and examples so don’t read
straight through – look back and forth between the text and this document!
1) After reading about “My Dream of the Big Parade” and “Hustlin’ Blues” in the
Introduction of this chapter, go to our playlist and listen to each song. Write a short
paragraph that serves as a review of each song that includes information such as: Which
one do you enjoy more? Who is the intended audience for each one? Is there anything
inherently more “World” Music about “Hustlin’ Blues?” If yes, what is it? If not, why
not?
2) According to our reading, what does a work song “do?”
3) Listen to “Carrie Belle” and answer the following questions:
a. What kind of work does it sound like the workers are doing? What is it in the
music that makes you think this?
b. How might a work song like this create a safer working environment?
c. Compare and contrast the use of work songs in African American culture with
the Postal Workers in Ghana recording from earlier this semester.
4) Listen to “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” and answer the following questions:
a. What elements of the work song are preserved in this performance?
b. How closely does the performance, especially in terms of the text and
pronunciations, align with the listening guide in our book? What are the
similarities and the differences and what might account for them?
5) Listen to “Rosie” while following along with Active Listening Guide 4.4. The guide gives
you the lyrics and the time stamps. For each set of lyrics/time stamps, please write a
few words to describe what is happening in the sound of the music.
6) What musical technique does the reading say “emblematizes the social nature of this
music?”
7) Listen to “Poor Boy Blues” while following along with Active Listening Guide 4.5 and
answer the following questions:
a. Describe the interaction between the voice and the guitar
b. Blues songs often have multiple layers or meaning or “truth.” What is one
possible layer of meaning in this song beyond that which is clearly stated by the
lyrics?
8) After reading Bill Lucas’s account of his life, write a few sentences reflecting on how, if
at all, “Poor Boy Blues” might be said to be autobiographical. Please don’t just say Yes it
is or No it isn’t – think creatively about the lyrics and his story and offer support for your
answer!
9) During which decades did the Blues begin to develop?
Plans for Week #8
March 14th
Please read the following pages of Chapter 5 “Europe/Central and Southeastern Regions”:
 Page 243 to 246
 Page 282 to end of chapter
Listen to the tracks on our YouTube playlist as I mention them in the questions below – don’t
worry about the links in our reading. The questions below are asked in the order in which you’ll
encounter their topic in the reading. Since I’ve aligned the questions with the reading, you
should look at the questions below while you’re reading instead of waiting until the end! There
are also some places below in which I add clarifying information and examples so don’t read
straight through – look back and forth between the text and this document!
1) Your textbook says that “the way we conceive of regions of the world rarely depends
solely on physical geography.” What are some other things that come into play,
particularly when we are talking about the music or other cultural products of a region?
2) What seems to be the relationship between relative social, religious, and political power
and the categorization of European musical traditions as “Western” or “World?”
3) Listen to “Oifn Pripetshik” on our playlist and answer the following questions:
a. What are some “Western” traits of this song?
b. What are some “World music” traits of this song?
4) How would you define Nationalism in your own words?
a. How/Why is Nationalism related to musical practice?
5) What is a difference in musical practice that the author identifies between musicians
raised in Eastern Europe and those of Eastern European heritage but raised in North
America?
6) What is “musical purity” and why was (is) it an impossible pursuit?
7) Listen to “Going to the Village” on our playlist and answer the following questions:
a. What is the primary musical difference you hear in the vocal presentation when
the Trebunia-Tutka family sings at :41?
b. When we hear a violin playing a nuta (family of notes) over the reggae dub at
1:36, which is more prominent to your ear and why?
c. Which family tradition seems to be serving as the harmonic foundation and
which is serving a more melodic role?
d. If asked to identify this as Polish or reggae with no further information or
context, which would you choose and why?
8) What brought the Trebunia-Tutka family and the Twinkle Brothers together?
a. What were the goals in terms of music, culture, and politics, of creating a fusion
between these two genres?
9) Listen to “Ivo Papazov The Best Clarinet Player” (playing the Bulgarian wedding dance)
and answer the following questions:
a. What does the time stamp read when the music transitions from a free rhythm
to a strong, clear meter?
b. Identify at least one place during this recording when you hear call-and-
response?
c. What sounds “World” about this and what sounds more “Western?”
d. How does this music “reference political resistance and ideas about freedom and
independence?”
10) What is ganga and how is it usually structured?
a. Where is it from?
b. Can men and women sing it together?
11) Listen to “Sister Hold Your Chastity” and “Zuta Baba” then answer the following
questions:
a. What is similar about the vocal performance styles? What is different?
b. What musical genre does the instrumental accompaniment sound like it belongs
to?
c. What are your thoughts about the interaction between the voices and the
instruments – do the instruments enhance the Eastern European sound world or
“Westernize” it? Why or how?
Plans for Week of April 3rd
Please read the following pages of Chapter 6 “Asia/India”:
 Page 294 to the end of the section titled “The Period of British Colonization”
Listen to the tracks on our YouTube playlist as I mention them in the questions below – don’t
worry about the links in our reading. The questions below are asked in the order in which you’ll
encounter their topic in the reading. Since I’ve aligned the questions with the reading, you
should look at the questions below while you’re reading instead of waiting until the end! There
are also some places below in which I add clarifying information and examples so don’t read
straight through – look back and forth between the text and this document!
Read from the beginning of the chapter to the section titled “The Aryans” then go to our
playlist to listen to Tracks 1 and 2.
“Ganesh Vandana” is a chant to the god Ganesha, a Hindu deity recognized by his elephant
head. Known as the god of beginnings, Ganesha is often honored at the beginning of rites and
ceremonies.
1) Listen to “Vedic Chants – Ganesh Vandana” on our YouTube playlist and answer the
following questions:
a. How many layers of sound do you hear?
b. What does each layer do or sound like?
c. What instrument plays the slowest-moving layer?
d. Approximately how many different pitches do you hear in the melody?
Tyagaraja was a composer of Carnatic (south Indian Classical) music from Tamil Nadu in South
India. Also known as Saint Thyagaraja, he was born in 1767. He is thought to have composed
over 22,000 pieces during his lifetime, 729 of which have survived and still appear on programs
of Carnatic music today.
2) Listen to “Mokshamu Galada” on our YouTube playlist.
a. How many layers of sound do you hear?
b. Is the range of pitches in this similar to that in “Ganesh Vandana” or different?
Use descriptions from the music to support your answer.
c. What are the “Western” elements in this performance? Do they make this song
more relatable to you than it might be otherwise? Why or why not?
Return to our textbook and read beginning where you left off – “Kingdoms through the
Classic and Medieval Periods”
3) What is the Natya Shastra and approximately when was it created?
a. In what ways has it influenced our practices in Western music today?
4) What outside musical and artistic influences did the Mughals bring into India?
a. Which two instruments associated with Indian music are a result of these
influences?
5) What is the musical tradition of North India? And of South?
After reading the section titled “The Mughals,” return to our playlist and watch Track 3.
6) Watch the video “Difference between Carnatic and Hindustani music” on our YouTube
playlist and answer the following questions:
a. Which tradition uses the Meend? How would you describe the Meend in your
own words?
b. Which uses the Kamptitam? How would you describe the Kampitam in your own
words?
c. Which tradition gives more attention to the compositions?
d. Which tradition connects through human emotions as opposed to divine?
Return to our textbook and begin reading where you left off – “The Period of British
Colonization.”
7) What was the relationship between the British colonizers and Indian musical culture?
a. How did it change over time?
8) How was Indian music learned before the advent of the recording industry?
Return to our YouTube playlist and watch “The Evolution of Hindustani Classical Music” then
answer the following questions:
9) What is the Music of the People now called? What about the Music of the Gods?
10) Which trading route allowed for the trading of musical traditions?
a. Where were the influences coming from?
11) What was the impact of royal patronage on music and musicians?
12) In what ways was the British Raj disastrous for Indian music?
13) When and how does Indian music begin to recover?
14) How is music paid for in Indian today?
a. What concerns does the narrator raise about this?”
Watch “A Brief History of Carnatic Music” and answer the following questions: *Note – he
uses the word Raga. A Raga is a collection of pitches used in Indian music, similar to our
Western scale.
15) What does “Carnatic” mean?
16) Did Carnatic music incorporate Persian influences?
17) Which three composers are the “trinity of Carnatic music?”
18) The instruments he mentions as being the most common until the 18th century are the
Veena, Tanpura, Ghatam, and Mridangam. During the British era, Indian musicians are
introduced to Western music. Which Western instrument was then adapted to use by
Carnatic musicians?
19) Watch “Carnatic Veena: Introduction to Veena” to learn about the beauty and
complexity of this instrument and answer the following questions. Please also listen to
the solo veena performance titled “Lute” on our playlist to hear this instrument in
action.
a. What instrumental family does the Veena belong to?
b. To what year does the Veena date back to?
c. What kind of wood was used to make the Veena?
d. Which hand performs the tala (rhythm) and which the raga (melody)?
20) Watch “What is a Tanpura” and answer the following questions:
a. What does tanpura mean?
b. What is the tanpura made of?
c. How many strings are on the tanpura?
d. Is it a melodic instrument or an accompanying instrument? What about the
veena – melodic or accompanying?
21) Watch “Mrudanga/Mridangam” to learn about the history of the instrument then watch
the opening half of “Sumesh Narayanan” to hear a performance and answer the
following questions:
a. What is the mridangam made from?
b. What are some of the nicknames for the Mridangam and why?
c. Is it an accompanying instrument or a melodic instrument?
d. Does the performer make sound using the hands or using the fingers?
22) Watch “What is a ghatam” and answer the following questions”
a. What is the ghatam made from?
b. What are some similarities and differences between the ghatam and the
mridangam?
Plans for Weeks of April 11th and 18th
Please read the following pages of Chapter 8, “Asia/China, Taiwan, Singapore, Overseas
Chinese”: Pages 383 to 393; Pages 396 to 398; Pages 433 to end of chapter.
Listen to the tracks on our YouTube playlist as I mention them in the questions below – don’t
worry about the links in our reading. The questions below are asked in the order in which you’ll
encounter their topic in the reading. Since I’ve aligned the questions with the reading, you
should look at the questions below while you’re reading instead of waiting until the end! There
are also some places below in which I add clarifying information and examples so don’t read
straight through – look back and forth between the text and this document!
1) The Chinese languages and dialects are tone languages. What does this mean?
2) As the pipa became more of an entertainment instrument, what changed about how
performers played it?
a. What was the advantage of this new style of playing?
While reading the section on pipa, stop when you finish the paragraph that ends with the
phrase “master without training and long practice.” Go to our Playlist to watch the video “An
Introduction to the Pipa.”
3) How many strings are on the pipa?
4) Which of the playing techniques do you find the most distinctive or interesting? Why?
Return to our textbook. Continue reading where you left off.
5) What is the difference between “military” and “civilian” pieces?
6) What is the controversy surrounding the title of Abing’s “Great Waves Washing the
Sands?”
After reading the section on Abing and “Great Waves Washing the Sands,” go to our Playlist to
listen to Abing’s recording of his song.
7) Does this piece have a steady meter?
8) Do you hear an identifiable pattern of repetition and/or imitation?
9) Do you hear an association between the sounds of this music and either of the titles
that could possibly be assigned to it? Why or why not?
After answering these questions, return to our textbook and read page 396.
10) What was the function of a Bridal lament?
Go to our YouTube playlist and watch the last 2-3 minutes of the video titled “A Mongghul Love
Tragedy” to hear a portion of a Bridal lament.
11) What do you notice about how each short phrase of music ends?
12) Is the melody the same for each short phrase?
Return to our textbook and read beginning on page 397. Stop reading after completing the
section on “Lady Mengjiang.” Then go to our playlist to listen to “Meng Jiang” on our playlist.
13) In terms of subject matter, how is this similar to and different from the Bridal lament?
14) In terms of music, how is this similar to and different from the Bridal lament?
Return to our textbook and read beginning on page 433. Stop after Transcription 8.14 and go to
our playlist to listen to “Blooming Flowers and the Full Moon.”
15) Is this “martial” music or “civil” music?
16) In what ways does this sound similar to Western popular music? Use descriptions of the
music that are as specific as possible.
17) In what ways is this different from Western popular music? Use descriptions of the
music that are as specific as possible.
Return to our textbook and begin reading where you left off.
18) In Mainland China, what shift occurred in popular music after ca. 1949?
a. Where did the popular music industry shift to?
19) In the music of Cui Jian, the singer claims that there are no political messages but some
of the imagery suggests otherwise as does the use of pronouns that leave room for his
songs to be interpreted either as commentary on personal relationships or as political
commentary. Think of at least one song in Western music that could be interpreted in
this double-sided fashion. What is the song and what are two possible interpretations?
Go to our playlist to listen to “Rock and Roll on the New Long March.” It ends at about 4:49 on
the video.
20) Is this Western-style Rock and Roll, Chinese music with little Western influence, or a
combination of both? Use examples from the music to support your answer.
Plans for Week of April 25th
Please read the following pages of Chapter 9, “South America: Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, and
Peru”: Page 439 (Read Introduction and stop before listening to “El aparecido.”) and Pages 463
to 465 (A Classic Sanjuán).
Choose one of the following ideas to address in a short response essay of approximately one
page in length. (1 double-spaced page). A response essay is an essay in which you explain what
you think or how you feel about a topic. It is an informal, short form of writing that refers to the
topic with a few specific examples but primarily allows you to share your personal thoughts on
the topic – do you agree with the author, disagree, or wish that more information had been
given?
In your response essay, please refer not only to the textbook but also to a relevant music
example. Music examples for each idea are included in our weekly playlist.
Idea #1 – Your textbook states that “In Latin American culture, mixture is the norm, not the
exception.” Think about this statement as you watch the following videos on our playlist:
“Bomba – Música afroecuatoriana,” “Traditional Music from the Andes: Chasca Carullaktama,”
and “Valicha.” (For “Valicha,” fast forward to about 1:30 which is when the music starts). Write
a response essay in which you state your agreement or disagreement with this statement. As
you write, think about whether this statement might also be true of music and culture in the
United States. Why or why not?
Idea #2 – Your textbook describes “Ilumán tiyu” as having a “ballad nature” but one that is not
at all obvious. In music, a ballad is a verse set to music. The verse usually tells a story and is set
to simple music that allows for oral transmission of a piece from one generation to the next.
Listen to “Ilumán tiyu” while following along with the listening guide in your textbook then
listen to “Sweet Betsy from Pike,” an American folk ballad. In your response essay, think about
why the author might say that the ballad nature of “Ilumán tiyu” is “not at all obvious.” Use
“Sweet Betsy from Pike” as a point of comparison.
Musical Ethnography
Purpose
A musical ethnography is best described as a study of human musical activity in its cultural context. In
this short (approximately 500 words) essay, you will write an ethnography of your musical life. You
might approach this from the position of performer, listener, or both. You might focus on one song that
has meaning to you, a significant musical moment (a concert, a song that reminds you of graduation or
some other big life moment), or your personal/family/cultural connection with a particular genre of
music. In your essay, you must do the following:
 Talk about how this song/performer/genre/musical moment helps to create a sense of
community between the performers and listeners.
 Include information about how the musical choices, including instrumentation, vocal timbre,
simplicity or complexity, and form, contribute to the sense of connection you feel with this
genre/song/performer and with other listeners.
 Write about the extramusical connections inspired by this music. Extramusical connections
might include: physical engagement with the music such as dancing; activities you engage in that
are centered around this music; clothing choices that intentionally demonstrate membership in
this musical community; other cultural products that you associate with this music such as food,
visual art, or locations of interest.
 Compare and contrast this with any song, genre, or world region we’ve explored this semester.
This could be as simple as a sentence such as: My ‘musical activity’ reminds me of ‘this
genre/song/performer’ we learned about because both ‘do this/send this message/use this
instrumentation’ in a similar way. My ‘musical activity’ is different from ‘this
genre/song/performer’ because ____________________.