Vids from Mond 9/13/10 class

Baroque example - watch for the continuo.

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Harpshichord Demo

Listen how the sound changes as he plays, and watch for when the keys on the second keyboard move as he plays the first keyboard.

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The group Robin R talked about

Rodrigo y Gabriela "Hora Zero" live @ Eurockéenne

Videos from 9/1/10 class

NOT chant!

A "chest" of recorders

Another Palestrina Mass Example

A Madrigal "La Guerre" - notice all the special effects

Another Madrigal - Fair Phyllis

What Renaissance instrumental music might have sounded like

just for fun - PDQ Bach

Free Concert!

Monday, September 13

Mercer Brass Quintet presents
American Music for Brass
7:30 p.m.
McCorkle Music Building,
Free admission

http://www2.mercer.edu/Music/calendar.htm for several upcoming FREE concerts at Mercer - including an organ concert on Sept 28 at Christ Church [Walnut Street]

Directions

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Mccorkle+Music+Building+1329+Adams+Street+Macon,+GA&sll=32.830125,-83.672047&sspn=0.101403,0.15398&ie=UTF8&hq=Mccorkle+Music+Building&hnear=1329+Adams+St,+Macon,+Bibb,+Georgia+31201&ll=32.834453,-83.644216&spn=0.013126,0.019248&z=16&iwloc=near

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View Larger Map

Vids from Monday 8/29/10 class

Tuba Quartet - this would be MUCH better live!

Click here to view on youtube

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The Music Technology demo I threw together - just a quick something to demo the technologies mentioned in class.

Click here to view on youtube

Music Technology: Good or Evil?

The Good?

From the New York Times
For Pianist, Software Is Replacing Sonatas
Read more @ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/21/arts/music/21taub.html?_r=1&ref=technology

The Evil?

From Wired:

Simon Cowell’s X Factor Singing Contest Auto-Tuned Contestants

Read More @  http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/08/auto-tuned-xfactor-contestants/#ixzz0xopGFinF

Ahead of the game: 200th Anniversary of 2 Romantic era giants

The Romantic era-a time of soaring melodies and outsize personalities-spawned numerous tormented souls who burst onto the scene like shooting stars, produced exquisite art, then plunged rapidly into insanity, illness or an early demise, spent by their own glorious flames.

Two of the greatest such figures are celebrating their 200th anniversaries this year: Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), a lyrical genius whose impeccably crafted music was marked, as Franz Liszt noted, by a "deep melancholy"; and Robert Schumann (1810-1856), whose sense of fantasy overwhelmed his art and, ultimately, his mind.

Read the full article here.

Quick note from Wed 8/18

1) I just loaded the Disk One tracks listing into the iTunes database, so at least Disc 1 will come up with titles. None of the others disks will come up with anything [unless someone else has already punched in the titles and uploaded them]

2) The Kamien Connect link on the right sidebar is working now. [I had an extra / at the end of the url].

Music App FAQ

{from this webpage }

What is Music Appreciation?

Music Appreciation is a course that has different goals depending on the instructor, the department, and the school where it is taught. In general, though, it is designed to heighten your enjoyment of music by improving your listening skills, increasing your knowledge, and exposing you to new styles and forms of music.
Most courses concentrate on what is commonly known as "classical" music; symphonies, sontatas, chamber music, opera, and other forms of art music. Many courses, though, also introduce music from different parts of the world as well as more "popular" music styles like jazz, rock, or musical theater.

Why do I need to learn about music in order to enjoy it?

The short answer is "You don't!" You have been listening to (and probably enjoying) music for years. However, music listening is a skill, and some kinds of music are an acquired taste. In a sense music is like wine. Your first few sips might not be enjoyable, but as your experience grows you find your palate growing more and more discerning. Eventually, you develop your own taste in wine. In music appreciation, your listening palate will become more discriminating as well. You may learn that you like some kinds of music that didn't previously appeal to you. You may also learn to hear much more in the music you already know and enjoy.

What is the difference between listening and hearing?

An excellent question! Perhaps the easiest distinction to make is that hearing is an involuntary activity that requires no active participation on your part. If you're awake and your ears are exposed to the air you WILL hear the sounds around you. When you start to pay attention to those sounds, you move from hearing to listening.
Listening itself can happen at different levels of intensity. You may carry on a conversation with a friend while still listening to music or the television. However, the amount of information or satisfaction you get from either activity is directly related to the amount of focus you give to it. In the same way, listening to music can provide many different kinds of experiences. Listening to the radio as a background to study is much different that listening to a recording through headphones or attending a live concert.
It's important to realize that all of these different kinds of listening have value. But, as in the example above, your satisfaction with the experience will depend to a large degree on your own focus.

What is classical music? Why is it called classical?

"Classical" is a term that has two different meanings when it comes to music. In the broadest sense, classical music refers to music of certain forms and genres (symphony, string quartet, sonata, etc.) for certain instrumental combinations (solo violin, symphony orchestra, string quartet, etc) and intended for concert performance. Like many other things in the today's world this definition has become increasingly less useful as other forms and genres of music contributed to and borrowed from the traditions of classical music. In general, though, it's as good a definition as any.
In a narrower sense "classical" refers to a specific period in music history and a specific set of stylistic traits. This is the dominant music style of the late 18th century in Europe as exemplified by the music of Haydn, Mozart, and the young Beethoven. The hallmarks of this style are balance, clarity, and proportion. These qualities reflect the artistic sensibilities of ancient Greece and Rome, the so-called "Classical" civilizations.

What's wrong with the music I like now?

Nothing, and anyone who says differently is just plain wrong (even if it's your instructor). Music in all of its forms is one of the greatest expressions of our humanity, and it all has some value at some time in some circumstance. This is not to say that all music is created equal, or that all music is equally good by some kind of universal artistic standard. The point is that all music provides some kind of window into the experience of being human. It might give pleasure, provoke dancing, encourage reflection, promote relaxation, incite anger, or inspire joy.
There are as many varieties of musical expression as there are facets of human emotion. As your awareness of and appreciation for different musical experiences grow, you'll discover new worlds of sound, artistry, and meaning.

I can't read music. Will I be able to get anything out of this class?

Yes! In fact, this kind of course is designed expressly for someone without the ability to read music. This course is about listening and understanding. While your textbook contains a number of examples of music notation, they are not essential. You'll be able to follow the listening guides and other text material perfectly well without them.

BEGIN FALL 2010

BEGIN FALL 2010

If you've already taken the class, then you probably ought to UNSUBSCRIBE from this [unless you enjoy being pelted with mail relating to a class you've already taken!] There is a link to unsubscribeat the bottom of the email.]

Relating to Parking:

All students will need to secure the new 2010-2011 Macon State College parking permit. 
MACON CAMPUS
Please bring your Macon State Student I.D. card and your license plate number to the kiosk in the Student Life Center lobby as follows:
Wednesday, August 11    8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 12     8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 13               8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Monday, August 16               8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 17      8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
 
After August 17, parking permits will be available at the Department of Public Safety located on the first floor of the Sciences Annex from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A Copyright Story

A songwriter - Jason Robert Brown - took it upon himself to peruse a site where people "trade" files they have accumulated [though the word "trade" is a lie, as used here].

He emailed members of the site and asked them to stop giving away his songs - and then wrote about it.  It is an interesting read, and a good explanation of how this whole copyright thing plays out for artists - who still have bills to pay!

http://www.jasonrobertbrown.com/weblog/2010/06/fighting_with_teenagers_a_copy.php

His wife, Georgia Stitt, also wrote an interesting article about this problem:

I'll stop telling the story for just a minute to explain why I was getting angry. For starters, selling or trading copyrighted material to which you do not own the copyright is illegal. So we can start there. But further, selling or trading copyrighted material which I own and sell as part of how I make my living is totally invasive, violating, and well, illegal. If someone distributes a piece of music that I could otherwise have sold, that distributor has stolen directly from me -- taken money out of my pocket. And if that music is published (in my case by Hal Leonard), then you're stealing from them, too. When you're talking about one piece of music, $8 here or there, I suppose it's not a huge deal. But once you open up your sheet music files to the world wide web, we're talking about thousands of dollars at stake, and suddenly it matters.

Experimental Instruments

So this Italian guy takes apart instruments, puts them together in various ways, makes music with them - and ends up as a "featured soloist" in a major feature film.

Interesting stuff!

The video:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815813330?bctid=90707126001

The Wired Article:
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/06/gallery-strange-instruments

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The BassoForte

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The Experibass

Student Gradebook

I just discovered that the downloadable gradebook does NOT take into account absences - so if you have already calculated your grade using that tool, you may have to adjust the score.

Per the syllabus:

0-2 absences = no change

3 absences = -3 points

4 = -6 points

5 = -9 points

6 = automatic F

Our class recordings......

can be found at

http://www.last.fm/music/Tom+Rule/Music+Appreciation+Experiments

I've also enabled them so you can download them & preserve your performes for posterior I mean posterity [or use them to annoy a sibling....].

20th Century roundup

If 20th century music history is a chocolate cream pie, all we did in class was smell the aroma - we didn't even touch the thing! But since we'd all like to go home at semester's end, we have to move on to America's Classical Music on Wednesday.

Before we do, though, I want to play the piece below for you. It ties together several of the 20th C characteristics we've seen:

• it uses noise as a sound source,
  
• uses rhythmic speech as a melody,
  
• sometimes has a melody & sometimes doesn't,
  
• and requires a lot of technology.
  

In particular you'll hear some bongo/conga type sounds that are synced up with spoken syllables - that was done with sampling (as far as I can tell).

Take a listen and see if you can connect what you are hearing with the concepts we discussed in class.

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Talk Radio Screencast

View more presentations from Tom Rule.

If robots are playing it, is it music (even if Pat Metheny is playing along?)

http://emusician.com/interviews/feature/pat_metheny_well_oiled_machine/

YouTube - Remember when I said in class.......

that it was a copyright infringement case waiting to happen?

It's happened - actually, it's BEEN happening. Meida gian Viacom sued Google (which owns youtube) over copyright infringement. This is a case that is going to take years and teh lawyers are going to get rich.

The lawsuit began in 2007 and is asking for over $1 billion in damages.

CLICK HERE for some details, including screenshots of documents made public this week. There are some interesting back-and-forth comments on that site, and a few "whoops!" instances.

CDs & your iPod/MP3 player [Aug 10 version]

I've been surprised at the number of people who have no idea how to transfer the music on your CDs to your MP3 player/iPod. The details will vary depending on whether you are using Macs or Windows, and what your player is/how it works. however, here is a quick idea on how to get the tracks into a more protable format.




The directions are going to be vague, but should help.
iPod/iPhone owners (this works for both Macs & Windows machines):

1. Call up iTunes. [If you don't have iTunes on your computer, go to iTunes.com and downlaod/install it].
2. Check the iTunes preferences. There's an option to set how iTunes will import CDs - I suggest using "Apple Lossless" as the format. If you really don't have a lot of hard drive space on your computer OR not a lot of memory on your player, use MP3 set to 256. If you REALLY don't have much room, set it to 128.
3. Pop in a CD. iTunes will either automatically start importing the CD, or will ask you what to do, or will just add the CD to the list, there on the right.
4. If it doesn't import automatically, click on the name of the CD. Highlight the tracks you want to import. (Click the top track, then shift-click the bottom one.)
5. In the advanced menu, select "Create Apple Lossless" or "Create MP3..." - it'll say something similar to that!
6. Plug your i-whatever to the computer. It should show up in the right-hand column in iTunes.
7. Click your music library icon [It says "Music", at the top].
8. Select some file. Click-n-drag them to the iPhone/iPod icon on the right.
9. The files should copy over.

Other MP3 players
You've got a few options. YES, you can use iTunes. You can also use Windows Media Player, or any of several MP3 rippers out there (there are many that are free. Some are good, some not so good...).
The short version:  After "ripping" the files [i.e. getting them copied over from the CDs to the hard drive] - for a lot of players, all you have to do is open up two windows - one from the computer where the audio is stashed, the other to your MP3 player. Then drag the files to the MP3 player to copy them over.
The longer version:
If you are going to use iTunes:

1. Follow steps 1-5 in the iPhone list above.
2. Plug your player into the USB port.
3. Macs: You should see the player show up on the Desktop. Windows: Open up My Computer.
4. Doubleclick the icon to open a window. Slide the window over a bit.
5. Macs: Open up where iTunes is stashing your files [usually Documents-->Music--->;iTunes, then nose around the folders. try looking inside the "Compilations" folder.)
6. Windows: Open up My Documents---->My Music--->iTunes. Nose around the folders there - look for the "Compilations" folder.
7. Drag the files from the Computer---->iTunes window to the MP3 player window.

That should do the trick.
I'm not familiar enough with Windows Media Player to really type up anything helpful - if you know it well enought to give some detailed instructions, type 'em up and send them to me. I'll post it!

Links from Feb 1 class presentation (Renaissance)

Recorder example - "chests" of instruments

Palestrina Motet

Palestrina Mass

Madrigals: La Guerre, Fair Phyllis

Instrumental example

Just for Fun: PDQ Bach Sonata Immorata
--------------------More about PDQ Bach

Medieval Period: What Monks are NOT like.........

Music Technology video

Here is the Music Tech demo (WARNING: high cheese factor!!!) that I mentioned in class. You'll see a quickie examples of a Synth, a sample-playback instrument, MIDI, and how you record MIDI and audio on a computer using these technologies.

Incidentally, the audio I played from the DSi in class today formed the basis of a tune posted on my last.fm page. It's called "Fun" and can be heard at http://www.last.fm/music/Tom+Rule/One+Syllable+Songs.

I worked up that bit you heard in class today, then transferred each track of audio into the computer - and added additional tracks as well as some effects on the DSi audio before mixing it down to 2 tracks and loading it into last.fm.

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Can a phone/game system be an instrument?

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Korg KAOSS

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iPhone Band Demo

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Korg DS-10 for the Nintendo DSi

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Jazz - something to study

I've loaded the Jazz PPT I use in class to WebCT - download it for your notes.


If you don't have Microsoft Office on your machine, I strongly suggest you check out the FREE OpenOffice (available for Macs as well - or you can use Neo-office if you have an older version of the MacOS).

Download it, install it, and you'll be able to open/view/edit/create Office docs without paying any $.

VIdeos shown in class - Beethoven's 5th, double-stops, harmonics

These are the Beethoven's 5th videos I showed in class today. Enjoy!

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Toscanini

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Karajan

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New Horizons in Music Appreciation

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The Argument

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Redneck Tenors




Redneck Tenors @ America's Got Talent

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Double Stops

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Harmonics - listen to the violin soloist playing TWO harmonics at the same time. It's a combination of harmonics and double-stopping.

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Test Suggestions

1) Make sure you view the video thing, posted on the blog here.

2) There are some study sheet suggestions on the blog as well. These are less detailed lists and more suggestions for things to pay attention to: Baroque, Classical.

3) You might want to pay attention to the differences in the music between the two eras - what is different, musically speaking, between the two eras?

4) SOmething else to think about - what's the difference in the Baroque-era SOLO concerto and the Concerto Grosso ?

Have a great break - see you Monday at the LIBRARY!

No Class Monday - Instead, watch this video on Classical era

I'm sick - as you'll be able to hear in this video. Rather than infecting all of you, I decided it would be better to create this - hopefully my machine hasn't been infected with this virus!

It's probably NOT flu, thankfully... more likely an upper respiratory infection.

We'll double up on the presentations Wednesday. Meanwhile, watch this and take some notes.

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Click on the play button, there at the bottom. You'll need speakers or headphones.

Rule Classical era Last part

View more presentations from maconmacguy.

Is it music if a computer composed it?

A professor has written a computer program that analyzes a composer's music, and then composes a new piece in the style of that composer. Interesting stuff - and it really raises a question about what music is, and what makes it "good".

The original article is at:

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/09/virtual-composer-makes-beautiful-musicand-stirs-controversy.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

...and here are some mp3s of the machine's work:

http://arts.ucsc.edu/faculty/cope/mp3page.htm

Mozart Theme and Variations

Here's the youtube video I showed in class today.

Direct Link

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Lego Harpsichord

A Lego Harpsichord?Yup. A guy actually built a full working harpsichord out of legos. Really.

Details here.
You can hear it here.
A short Video is here.

The British Audio Archives

The sound archive of the British Library (trust me, it's HUGE) has gone
online - for free! There is a TON of stuff here you'll never hear anywhere
else - if you have a few minutes, take a listen!

The article is at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/sep/03/british-library-traditional-music

There are several soundfiles in the article you can hear.

The archive is located at
http://sounds.bl.uk/

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This might be a good break from the Music Appreciation test!

Instruments of the Orchestra Links

Instruments of the Orchestra guide
http://www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/guide/

ID the Instrument game
http://www.thirteen.org/publicarts/orchestra/

Flashier tour of the Orchestra
http://www.sfskids.org/flash/instruments/instruments.swf?dom=3

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Plus links to the "cheesy Music Tech videos" to be shown in class:
Synthesizer
Sample Playback kybd
MIDI as a word processor?
MIDI & Softsynths
MIDI recording

Is it music to play an entire building?

from http://www.wtop.com/?nid=114&sid=1735146
David Byrne makes music with London building

from http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/playing-the-building--3268
Playing the Building: An Installation by David Byrne

from http://www.davidbyrne.com/art/art_projects/playing_the_building/index.php
Playing the Building

Playing the Building is a sound installation in which the infrastructure, the physical plant of the building, is converted into a giant musical instrument. Devices are attached to the building structure — to the metal beams and pillars, the heating pipes, the water pipes — and are used to make these things produce sound. The activations are of three types: wind, vibration, striking. The devices do not produce sound themselves, but they cause the building elements to vibrate, resonate and oscillate so that the building itself becomes a very large musical instrument.

Click here for a video

Is this music?

Last day of class - videos

Charlie Parker Youtube search

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Kind of Blue 50th Anniversary

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More Music Technology - verrrry cool!

This was an encore of a piece performed by a couple of "Tesla Coils" - which are basically gizmoe capable of generating very high voltages. The sound you ehar is actually the sound of the electric arcs produced by the coils - I don't know how they tuned them.

This was the final night of the SEAMUS convention, an Electro-Acoustic music making association.

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An interesting Friday tidbit.....

Since I was talking about music technolgoy the other day...

here's an article about a HANDMADE turntable... partly made from a Harley Davidson!

Enjoy your weekend!

Links from today's class - painos, synths, and screencasts!

Modded Piano article

Analog Synth/Dancer/Video thing

Demo of the Minimoog

Buchla Modular synth demo

Moog Modular Synth demo

Nintendo DS synth - the Korg DS-10

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"TALK RADIO" Screencast

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Talk Radio Screencast

View more presentations from maconmacguy.

New Musical Instruments @ Ga Tech

Original Article here

"It was like a low-stakes X Prize for music as musicians, inventors and hobbyists competed against each other in the first annual Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech for cash prizes of $10,000."

There are some interesting things in this article. Take a look at the some of the creations that were shown! The article includes sound AND video.

The Worlds Most Unwanted Song

A tidbit for a Friday the 13th:

I ran across an article describing the World's Most Unwanted Song and what musical characteristics it would have (it would have a large orchestra that included the accordian and bagpipe, be over 25 minutes long, and also have an operatic soprano).

Click this link and read about it.

Click this link and take a listen!

For you guitarists out there

You may have heard about "virtual" stuff when recording - you have a piece of software that can make your guitar sound like it's plugged into any amp, using any mic, etc. Since it's software it's easy to make changes.

There are also "virtual instruments" - you run a midi cable from your keyboard to your computer, and your computer can make sounds like any of a gazillion synthesizers.

Now they've come up with a "chameleon" guitar at MIT - where you can make it sound like just about anything. Very interesting - read the article and watch the short video.

Castrati links

For your enjoyment, here are links to the
Article
and the
Recording

I for one am thankful those days are past!

More info on Copyright

Ran across an article from an Oneonta, NY newspaper that gives some practical explanations about copyright from a songwriter's perspective. It's short and to the point, and might clear up some confusion.

Copyright links - interesting articles to read

These are link to articles where you can see the effect of copyright. In both of these article you can see the problems some people face because fo copyright - however, they really don't tell you the whole OTHER side of the story (these people are using other people's work, who should get paid)

http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20081106/digital-music-deal-nearly-done-but-web-radio-darling-pandora-not-out-of-the-woods/

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/nov/08/collector-keeps/?partner=RSS


Here's a take on the content owner's side:
http://blog.copyrightalliance.org/2008/11/copyright-in-a-free-market/

How Math Unraveled a Beatle's Mystery

One of those "hmmmmm....." things I run across. The Beatle's "Hard Day's Night" starts with a mysterious chord that no one has really figured out.

It took Dalhousie University professor Jason Brown six months and some
advanced mathematical analytical techniques to crack the code

Read about it here

Quite interesting! The article has a sample of the opener, if you don't what this is all about.

Classical/Romantic Test - NOTE

Your score listed in WebCT is based on "out of 81 points".

I'm curving the test - instead, it's out of 72 points.

For example, if WebCT says you scored 66 - instead of 81%, your score is 92%.

I'm going to ask for some feedback on the test in class.

Get ready for the 20th Century - it's a wild ride!

Medieval/Renaissance Notes

Medieval Period
450-1450
Primary music: Chant, Mass
Ordinary vs. proper
Secular, instrumental music in Medieval

Organum = development of Polyphony
Step 1 – second part marched in Lockstep
Step 2 – second part many notes to Chant’s one
Step 3 – add rhythms (measured rhythm, Notre Dame)

New Age (Ars Nova) – Secular music rampant, new rhythms, notation system updated
Music written that DOESN’T use chant as basis
Machaut


Renaissance
1450-1600

Music Characteristics
Word Painting (illustrate text with melody line)
Texture: Polyphonic
A Cappella (“as in church”) – unaccompanied
Syllabic vs. melismatic

Gently flowing Rhythm
Say this phrase:Hail Mary Full of Grace The Lord is with you, serene Virgin.

Music Types
Sacred:
Motet
Mass
Secular:
Madrigal
Instrumental

How to make a living
Church: as a monk. Steady, traditional, high quality.
Court/Patron: higher profile, not much job security. Just beginning to happen in this period.

Youtube Video Links used in class
Short People
Organum
Palestrina Mass
Madrigal: La Guerre
Madrigal: Fair Phyllis

PDQ Bach: Sonata Innomorata

Medieval Music Youtube Links

Notre Dame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB8gn3ixehk

Other Monks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ8iRv67lVM

Organum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W2-xz0nr9c

Instrumental
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e98MKAP3x7w

Note about the upcoming test

Don't forget to look at the composer of each piece as well as the title, and connect that info with the sound of the piece.

See you next Wednesday AT THE LIBRARY - downstairs, all the way past the stairwell. Lab #1.

Bring something to write with.

..... and your brain!



Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Spring 08 Final Exam notes

The final exam is graded - you should be able to see your grade on WebCT.

I did throw a curve in there - on my gradebook your score is out of 74 instead of 79.

Your final grade should be available on Banner Tuesday noonish, which is the deadline to get grades posted.


Listening:

#1) Hallelujah, by anonymous. A gregorian chant, so it's medieval.
#2) Concerto Grosso, by Zwilich. 20th century, but based on a baroque melody by Handel.
#3) Surprise Symphony, Haydn. Classical era.

Jazz - Preview for Monday, featuring Bill Cosby

We're going to start with Bebop - and here are 2 youtube clips.

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First, Bill Cosby being interviewed on a talk show in 1973. He's talking about playing Bebop (though he never says that).

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... and Wynton Marsalis playing the tune Cosby talks about: Cherokee

20th Century music........and the Class Piece

Click the title of this article to hear the results of our composition the other day. (You can also hear last Spring's version - but the audio quality is not nearly as good.)

So what TYPE of 20th century piece is it an example of... Quotation music? Expressionism?

Hmmm.......

Don't forget that copyright questions will be on the test, and that there is a study sheet linked down there on the right sidebar.

Is This Music?

Is This Music?

More about Synthesis

The text mentions "modular synthesizers" ; here's a vid of a college student who demos one. Watch all the stuff he has to plug in to make a sound.

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Electronic Music - Notes & Vids

1. We'll listen to a bit more of the Varese piece Monday - but I wanted you to take a listen to some other stuff. Using Electronics to make music is fairly old by now - CLICK HERE to read about the 1897 Cahill Telharmoium (all 200 tons of it - it took 36 boxcars to transport). So the idea of using electronic gizmos to produce music is nothing new.
2. Ever heard of the "Hammond Organ"? You've definitely heard the sound - it's also electronic, and can be called the first commercially available sysnthesizer. (But they called it an organ because an organ would - but a "synthesizer" no one would buy.
3. Another electronic instrument - the Theremin - is the only instrument you don't touch. It's electronic, and has been used all over. Here's a BBC story about the Theremin:
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. ....and here's another performance of an artist playing a Debussy piece on the Theremin:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Watch this one, and look at how the experiments of the last century have produced something that you hear every day.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. ..and finally, an interview on "ScreenSavers" with Dr. Robert Moog, who took all the stuff the electronic musicians were doing and put it in a small, portable, easily usable (relatively speaking) case. He also demos a Theremin that the company makes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Studying for the Classical/Romantic test

1) You can now access the powerpoints that come with the test. Login to WebCT, click on the Classical or Romantic organizer pages. (Thanks to the person who let me know there was a problem!)

2) Check out the study sheets here on the blog - links are on the right sidebar.

3) Listening - you should have been listening to the CDs and getting them in your head well before now. Well, better to start late than not at all - trust me on this. Listening will come from the Classical and Romantic eras.

Standard answer to "How many questions are there on the test?" still applies.

(Between 1 and 10,000).

Note about Beethoven

Something for today's class: from the Wall Street Journal, Fri 3/8/08 Edition, Page W14:

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Recapturing the Excitement of Beethoven
Mikhail Pletnev Makes the Symphonies Sound New Again
By GREG SANDOW

When Beethoven's symphonies were first performed, there was sometimes wild enthusiasm. "The listeners could scarcely restrain themselves," said an early Beethoven biographer, talking about the premiere of the Ninth Symphony, where the audience burst into applause right in the middle of the music.

And later, when the symphonies began to be played regularly, everybody knew that something special was happening. People in the audience would cry out with "wonderment and joy," as one observer wrote. When "a violin passage [in the Fifth Symphony] ripped down from the highest notes of the orchestra to the lowest . . . the orchestra entered into a community with the public, they exchanged glances."

This of course doesn't happen in our time, when surely there's a Beethoven symphony played somewhere at every hour of every day. And not just because the etiquette of the classical concert hall forbids those wild reactions. We know these pieces now, and they're not likely to surprise us. We're used to them.

And yet . . . isn't something missing? Isn't shock and surprise -- and wild excitement -- built into Beethoven's DNA? In the Fifth Symphony, there's something just about unprecedented, at least for any listener in Beethoven's time. The third movement, dark, uneasy (and full of goblins, as E.M. Forster memorably wrote), can't bring itself to end. It collapses into tense and almost formless expectation, out of which the last movement explodes like a long-awaited burst of light. Nobody had connected movements of a symphony before, and certainly never with such drama. Audiences in the 19th century understood how new this was and would lose control, erupting with spontaneous applause.

..........

Something we'll discuss in class in the future (cool!)

Free tickets to events: The College Town Series

Click HERE for an entry regarding the CollegeTown Voucher - your student activities fees at work!

Studying for the upcoming test - A suggestion

The test will cover the first three eras in teh book: Medieval/Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque.

Outlining the chapter is a good idea. Pay special attention to the musical characteristics of the music of the era, what types of music there were (i.e. Ren. = mass, motet, madrigal) and their definitions, and how musicians made a living.

Another good study aid is the powerpoint presentations stashed on WebCT. Log in, and click the "folder" for the period. You'll see a link to the presentation. Sadly, it works best in Internet Explorer on Windows, but IS functional on the other browsers & platforms.

Yet another resource is the textbook website. There's a link on the syllabus.

If you have questions, shoot me an email, or ask in class. Check webct for my email addresses.

Elements Test Study suggestions (12/11 update)

Music Instrument Production

Antiqua Winds Factory (woodwinds)

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Some suggestions for studying

1. Look at all the elements of music discussed in class and in the text. Make sure you know the definitions.

2. Anything that is bolded or underlined, make sure you know what it is (terms, for example).

3. Instruments - what instrument is in what family of the orchestra. Single reed vs. double reed. Get an idea of the top to bottom order of instruments in a family (i.e. for strings top-to-bottom order is violin - viola - cello - bass). Don't forget that the Voice is an instrument as well!

4. Listening - as you listen, make sure you have an idea of what makes that piece unique. For example, the Chopin piano prelude is (duh) piano by itself. The jazz piece has a unique sound in this set. The Britten piece has that primary melody that is repeated a whole bunch.

5. The listening section is matching (piece #1 is title A). I'll be playing about 60 seconds of each.

6. The textbook table of contents is a great way to get your thoughts organized. So are the in-class powerpoints, available on WebCT

7. The test will come from BOTH the text AND your notes.

2 more ways to study for the test

1. Login to WebCT. Click on the Romantic link - you can go through the powerpoint that was included with the instructor materials. It will help you organize the material (but remember my organization was different).

2. Fire up iTunes. Swing over to the iTunes store, select podcasts. Do a search for "music appreciation". There's a podcast done by Charles Laux, who teaches at a California community college, that is interesting. He's a violin player, and he tells a few stories as well. You can always fast forward through the pieces if you don't want to listen to them - he plays several of teh same pieces we've heard.

See you Wednesday!

Studying for the Romantic test

Listening: 11 selections. You need to be able to ID the piece AND tell whether its a Character piece, Opera, Program symphony, Absolute symphony, Lied/Art song, or Concerto.


Notes:
Lots of definitions, because there were a lot of new genres played around with in this period. Remember, the period didn't reject the music of the previous era, it BUILT on it. (This is different).

See the previous Romantic era notes & study sheet for more details.

Wednesday, in the Library computer room (same one we were in last time).

Question: Would it be useful for me to play the listening TWICE? Give me an opinion, if you have one, Wednesday before we start.

Why Classical Music?

Yes, this is a bit off-topic, but I ran across this article today and wanted to send you a quote from it.

This is from the New Republic, and is discussing all the angst that has erupted lately online about "classical music is dying" - it stems from a thing the Washington Post did in a subway station with Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist. The original article:

http://www.tnr.com/story_print.html?id=f3839c75-3724-4154-adc4-e0638e30448a

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As a team of Texas researchers have recently announced, there are exactly 237 known reasons why people have sex. There are at least as many reasons why they listen to classical music, of which to sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock is only one. There will always be social reasons as well as purely aesthetic ones, and thank God for that. There will always be people who make money from it--and why not?--as well as those who starve for the love of it. Classical music is not dying; it is changing. (My favorite example right now is Gabriel Prokofiev, the British-born grandson of the Russian composer, who studied electronic music in school, has headed a successful disco-punk band, and is now writing string quartets.) Change can be opposed, and it can be slowed down, but it cannot be stopped.

I stand corrected!

From Wikipedia, regarding the piece by Holtz (The Planets):

The suite has seven movements, each of them named after a planet and its corresponding Roman deity (see also Planets in astrology):

1. Mars, the Bringer of War
2. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
3. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
5. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
6. Uranus, the Magician
7. Neptune, the Mystic

Another tidbit:
"Neptune" was the first piece of music to have a fade-out ending. Holst stipulates that the women's choruses are "to be placed in an adjoining room, the door of which is to be left open until the last bar of the piece, when it is to be slowly and silently closed", and that the final bar (scored for choruses alone) is "to be repeated until the sound is lost in the distance"^[10].

Although commonplace today, the effect bewitched audiences in the era before widespread recorded sound - after the initial 1918 run-through, Holst's daughter Imogen (in addition to watching the charwomen dancing in the aisles during "Jupiter") remarked that the ending was "unforgettable, with its hidden chorus of women's voices growing fainter and fainter... until the imagination knew no difference between sound and silence"^[5].

Well, maybe I **sit** corrected.

Have a good week. See you Wednesday!

Re: Comment from "some random person dude"

I love the pseudonym - made me laugh!

Yes, you need to have a handle on each movement separately. Remember, though, that the symphonies follow that sonata cycle pattern - that should make it easier.

Bonus info for those of you who keep tabs on the blog:


Some of the listening examples will have the period identified for you (i.e. "listening #1 is from the Renaissance"). Some will not.

Study tips for test

I didn't think to mention this in class today - Log into WebCT. Click on a link relating to a period (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical). There you can go through the powerpoint that is directly tied to the text. It'll help you organize the material & see what points are important.

Don't forget to check out the links to the area-specific study ideas on the right sidebar of the blog.


I had somebody ask me which pieces were what era on the CD. I could be mean and make you look it up, but I didn't wear my mean professor socks today, so here's an idea:

Renaissance:
CD 1:
Tracks 56, 59, 62
Josquin, Palestrina, Weelkes

Baroque:
First one is Bach CD 1 track 63
Last piece is Handel CD 2 track 17

Classical:
First one is Mozart CD 2 track 23
Last one is Beethoven CD 2 track 63 (on back cover).
There are a couple of Classical era pieces on CD 3 as well - they are listed on the inside FRONT cover, there at the bottom.

Study Sheets updated

I just updated the study sheets on the blog for the 3 eras that will be on the test: Renaissance, Baroque, Classical

Surf to the blog and click on the links on the right sidebar: Renaissance, Baroque, Classical. DO NOT select the one marked Ren/Bar/Class - it's old, but I'm keeping it there to repurpose it later.


There WILL be more listening on this test than the last one. I will be asking you to identify what piece it is, AND which era its from. Remember that each era sounds completely different, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

Baroque Study Sheet (2/08 update)

This is more of an outline of major points than a real detailed list.... so there are probably some things in the text that aren't mentioned here.

Dates: 1600-1720
Elements of Baroque music: unity of mood, constant rhythm, characteristics of melodies, terraced dynamics, , predominant texture, continuo/figured bass.

Orchestra makeup. Instrumental becomes more important in later part - opera invented and vocal predominant in first half of era.
Place of music in society. How musicians could make a living.

Types of pieces:
opera - choral - cantata - oratorio - concerto (solo concerto vs. concerto grosso) - fugue - sonata - Suite (aka Dance Suite)

A-list composers:
JS Bach - Handel

Notes for Mon 10/1

Apologies for the late notice about class being cancelled. I came in this morning to teach a piano lesson - and was about brought to my knees by my shoulder. I headed home to redose, but apparently my body is telling me to shut down for a day or else..... and I really don't want to know what "or else" means!
Couple of housekeeping things first:
The recital that was supposed to be tonight has been moved to Thursday night. I changed to previous post about it to reflect the new reality - check it for details.

Whoever was supposed to present today - can you do it Wednesday? We'll double up.

Baroque:

Today was supposed to be Baroque instrumental day - and I'm here without my text (so I'm working off my admittedly faulty memory!)

Remember at the beginning of the semester when I said the majority of the learning was going to take place outside the classroom?

Things to check out:
Place of composer in society - how'd they make a living?
2 A-level composers: Bach, Handel
A few B-level composers covered: Vivaldi, Corelli, etc.

Types of instrumental pieces (these all have separate chapters):
Fugue - a fugue always begins with the subject by itself (i.e. MONOPHONIC texture), and then adds in additional voices (all of which ALSO begin with the subject) - i.e. it bocomes POLYPHONIC. After everybody is in, then we get "stuff" - still polyphonic. Eventually, the subject comes back in - could be in one voice, could be in all. The piece alternates subject and "stuff" until it's time to quit. (The book uses other terminology - more official.)

Concerto - piece for solo (solo concerto) or small group (concerto grosso) and orchestra. Vivaldi's 4 seasons is an example - you have a couple of tracks on your CDs. You also have a solo concerto by Corelli - but I may be mistaken there.

Sonata - in the Baroque, it's a piece for a soloist OR a small ensemble. It is generally a multi-movement work. (The definition changes a bit during the Classical era).

There is a 4th genre - but I can't bring it to mind at the moment.

Composers also wrote "Sinfonia"s - which were pieces that served as a prelude to an opera. They generally included themes (melodies) from the opera itself (similar to what you hear at the beginning of a modern American musical).

Remember that vocal was the big thing at the beginning of the Baroque - but by the end instrumental was king.

In the "Hello" category:
I found a youtube video of the aria "Dido's Lament" we listened to. Check it out here, and let me know if it's better to LISTEN to an opera, or SEE it.

Here is a company in Germany (I think) that has done a version of Monterverdi's Orfeo. Does this match your conception of opera?

Concert Report idea

One of your fellow classmates sent this in, and I though it was good thing to use as an outline when writing your concert reports. I do still want them as essay format (i.e. paragraphs and such), but these questions are a great way to organize your thoughts.

--------------------------

1) Date of concert:
2) Name of location (theatre, city):
3) Name or performer(s):
4) Classifiation of music ensemble (Soloist, Quartet, Symphony, Bluegrass Band):
5) What style of music was performed (Classical, Romantic, Baroque, 20th century....)
6) What instruments, if any, were used in the performance?
7) How long was the performance. When did it begin?
8) How did the performers visually present themselves (costumes, sitting, standing
moving across the stage or stationary)?
9) I liked the concert because (describe):
10) I disliked the concert because (describe):
11) My favorite part of the concert was (explain):
12) Name two musical things you learned from viewing the performance that you
can apply to your own performance skills (explain):

WebCT news

You may remember that we're going to be using WebCT for testing. The first test will hit in 2 weeks (on 9/12). I'll announce in class exactly what the test will cover.

PLEASE login to WebCT and nose around this week. You should be able to join (if you already aren't in it) my Music Apprec section.\

I have added a direct link to Macon State's WebCT on the righthand navbar.

I will also be adding a powerpoint presentation for the textbook section 1 that will help you study.

Writing a Concert Report

HERE is an online version of the "How to Write a Concert Report" document I was mentioning in class that is on the CD-ROM (which we don't have).

It is VERY useful - read it before you head off to a concert.

Remember, you need to do TWO reports this semester. Due date: Last day of class. I will NOT accept any late ones, and you'll be happier if you get them done early.

Why? Because everyone is way overloaded starting about the first of October.

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A former student sent this to me a few years ago. I though it was good thing to use as an outline when writing your concert reports. I do still want them as essay format (i.e. paragraphs and such), but these questions are a great way to organize your thoughts.

--------------------------

1) Date of concert:
2) Name of location (theatre, city):
3) Name or performer(s):
4) Classifiation of music ensemble (Soloist, Quartet, Symphony, Bluegrass Band):
5) What style of music was performed (Classical, Romantic, Baroque, 20th century....)
6) What instruments, if any, were used in the performance?
7) How long was the performance. When did it begin?
8) How did the performers visually present themselves (costumes, sitting, standing
moving across the stage or stationary)?
9) I liked the concert because (describe):
10) I disliked the concert because (describe):
11) My favorite part of the concert was (explain):
12) Name two musical things you learned from viewing the performance that you
can apply to your own performance skills (explain):

In-Class presentation grading example

Since I was printing one to be xeroxed, I thought I'd post a version of the form that you'll be using to grade your classmates' in-class presentations:


What you'll do is circle the grade in each category, as they do the presentation. (Now, you can stop worrying about it, in case you were!)

3 2 1 0

Music played X X X X

Source Identified X X X X

Form discussed X X X X

Instrumentation covered X X X X

Interesting tidbits X X X X

Writer/Performer info X X X X

Interesting? X X X X

Pachelbel's canon

Notice how many of the styles that he lampoons all have the same exact chord progression.

Funny, and well done.

Thanks, Stevie - I really enjoyed this.

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Final Exam Study Ideas - Thurs update

If this page gets updated later, I'll change the title.

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Material from earlier eras will come directly from the earlier test. Yes, verbatim.

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Listening:
There are will be 2 types of listening on this test. The first type will be just as we've had before, drawn from the 20th century tracks on your CDs. (Beginning with Debussy, stopping just BEFORE the Jazz.)

The second type will test your ability to describe what you are hearing, and your ability to figure out what period a piece is from. The pieces could be anything - literally - and you will describe what you are hearing..... I suggest you bone up on all those notes you took at the beginning of the semester on how to talk about music - the parts of music.

I'll have a few questions to guide you as you write.

I'll be looking for good points that you make. You are not penalized for stating something wrong (for example, by guessing the wrong composer). You are given credit for stating something correct (for example, stating that the piece sounds too dissonant to be anything other than 20th century).

Yes, it could literally be anything. Be prepared to be surprised!

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20th century:
Focus on the characteristics that make 20th century unique, musically speaking. Which composers are assoicated with which movements (impression, expressionism, etc.)? What are the musical characteristics of each movement? Watch out for those musical terms (usually in boldface or italics).

These will be multiple guess format, just like always.

Jazz:
Get a handle on which style has which basic characteristics, and the particular order the "periods" show up. You'll have ALL FOUR pages of the handout Monday. But here's the order, anyway:

Ragtime
Blues
Chicago - piano
Swing (a.k.a. Big Band)
Bebop
Cool
Third Stream & Fusion

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Miscellaneous tips:

Get a handle on which composers hail from which era.

Focus on general musical characteristics of each era.

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Final note: (pun intended!)

I'll have a place for you to make up a "code" - one that you will know, but that no one else will be able to ID you with. Do NOT use a username / facebook name / myspace name / email address / etc.

IF you put a code on your test, I'll post your final exam grade here on the blog with your code. If you leave it blank, I'll leave it off.

I'll leave that posting up for about a week, and then delete it.

Romatic test study sheet

Apologies in advance for typos - it's well after midnight,
and the dyslexia combines with fatigue to produce interesting typing........

Listening portion will be pulled from these pieces:
A Schubert: Erlkonig (The Erl-king)
B Dvorak: Symphony #9 in E minor (New World)
C Robert Schumann Carnaval
D Clara W. Schumann Liebst du um Schonheit
E Chopin Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, #2
F Chopin Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, # 12 (Revolutionary)
G Berlioz Symphonie fantastique, IV (March to the Scaffold)
H Smetana The Moldau
I Brahms Symphony #3 in F Major
J Puccini La Boheme, Act I: excerpt (Mimi…Rodolfo)
K Wagner Die Walkure, Act I (Love Scene, Conclusion)

Be able to ID what TYPE (genre) the piece is: Opera, art song, character piece, program symphony, tone poem, string quartet, nationalistic symphony, or something else

There will be between ONE and ELEVEN listening selections. (feel free to say "well, duh!" after reading this)



General characteristics of Romanticism

• general characteristics of the music
• new techniques like double-stopping, rubato, orchestration
  
• how the orchestra changed since the Classical era
• how composers made a living
• how the Romatics viewed the Classical era
• the effect of the middle class
• What composers were active
  

Genres

• Opera - general characteristics, including verismo and music-drama
  
• Art Song - the two forms
  
• Character pieces
  
• Chamber music (String quartets/quintets/etc)
• Concerto
• Tone Poem
• Symphony

Movements and Thoughts

• Exoticism
• Absolute vs Program music
  
• Nationalism - how would you write something Nationalistic, anyway?
  

Classical era study sheet (1/08 update)

This is NOT comprehensive. Treat it as a suggestion for some things to look at. After all, I haven't made up the test yet!

1. A-list Composers - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven
2. What their jobs were like - i.e. how a career as a musician changed from Haydn -> Mozart -> Beethoven
3. Overall characteristics of the music (beginning of chapter)
4. Forms: know the official definitions: Sonata-Allegro, Rondo, Theme and Variations, Minuet & Trio
5. Genres: Symphony, Concerto, Chamber music (String Quartets), Opera, Sonata (esp. Piano Sonata)
6. The 4 movement set that I called the Sonata format
7. Why is it called the "Surprise" symphony?
8. If there is a term in bold in the text, it'd be a good idea to know what that term means.
   
   

Medieval, Renaissance Test notes (9/09 update)

Know which major composers goes with which era (hint: they have major sections in the text)

Look at the overview section -
what was the overall place of music in society?
What the role of "The Church"?
What are the overall characteristics of music from this era?

Major piece types of each era, and definitions (ex. Renaissance - Madrigal, Motet, Mass)
Section headings will help here as well.

Again, anything bold face would be good to pay attention to.

Overall, I'm more interested in the music rather than the life of the composer, so you won't get questions like "When did Josquin Des Prez work at the Vatican?"

Dates to know (8/10 update)

2010
Aug 16 Classes begin
Aug 19 Last day to make schedule changes
Sept 6 Labor Day Holiday
Oct 7-9 Fall Break - do these days of the week make sense for a break?
Oct 13 Last day to drop with a "W" grade
Nov 24-27 Thanksgiving break
Oct 4 Last fay of classes
Final Exam is Mon Dec 6 from 1-3 pm

2011
Jan 5 First day of class
Jan 10 last day to make schedule changes
Jan 17 MLK Holiday
Mar 2 Last day to drop with a "W" grade
Mar 7-12 Spring Break
April 27 Last day of class
April 28 - May 3 Final Exams

Taken from this webpage

20th C. test Study guide (1/08 update)

As promised, here are some things you need to be sure you know, in no particular order.

1. What did composers draw inspiration from?
   
2. Terms:
   
   • Glissando
     
   • Ostinato
     
   • New playing techniques
     
   • polytonality
     
   • bitonality
     
   • atonality
     
   • polyrhythm
     
   • ostinato
     
   • prepared piano
     
   • quotation music
     
   
   
3. Which composer is tied to which movement - and basic characteristics of the music of each movement
   
   • impressionism
     
   • expressionism
     
   • primitivism
     
   • neoclassicism
     
   • minimalism
     
   • electronic music
     
   • Aleatoric (chance) music
     
4. Listening - same as before. Drawn from your CDs.
   
5. PLUS: possibly a piece you've never heard before, that I will want you to comment on. We've had enough listening and discussion through the semester that you should be able to listen to a piece and make some intelligent comments and guesses as to what type of music it is. This would be graded on the quality of your opinions and how well you phrase them (so you CAN get credit even if you guess wrong - as long as you back up your opinion!)