# NOTE FOR WINDSOR The audio files for the [[#Windy Fixes Your Playlist]] section still requires uploading. --- When it comes to discussing music in such a way that you convince others to enjoy your music, or fully consider the message and value of a song, you can only do so effectively if you can discuss every aspect of the music. The two responding assignments this year will have you exploring how best to do so effectively. This assignment is a 3-part assignment, which includes the following parts that require your responses; 1. [[#Music with Everything]] 2. [[#Fix Windy's Playlist]] 3. [[#Windy Fixes Your Playlist]] # Review the Main Concepts ## A Review of the Basic Elements of Music ### Rhythm and Metre In rhythm we discuss simple rhythms, complex rhythms, swinging rhythms, and syncopations. In metre we discuss two different aspects of ; duple or triple meter, and simple or compound meter. - **Duple meter** – beats are organized in 2s, like in 2‐4 time, 4‐4 time or cut time. - **Triple meter** – beats are organized in 3s, like in 3‐4 time or 9‐8 time. - **Simple meter** – each beat can be subdivided into halves like in 4‐4 time (where we count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +). - **Compound meter** – each beat can be subdivided into triplets or combinations (like in 6‐8 time we count **1** + a **2** + a, or in 5‐4 time we count **1** 2 3 **4** 5) ### Pitch and Melody In pitch we discuss not only whether or not a note is higher or lower than the other ones, but also the shapes the pitches can make (as if you were connecting the dots of the music). As an example, consider what it would like if you were to "connect the dots" of the music in the phrase below. What shape does it make? ### Tonality and Mode In tonality we discuss which key signature a piece of music is in. In mode, we discuss whether or not it is in Major mode or Minor mode, sometimes discussed as either “happy” (Major) or “sad” (Minor). ### Texture When you have multiple musicians playing together, or multiple parts being played on the same instrument like a piano or guitar, you develop texture. The following words help to describe the texture of the music clearly; - **Homophonic** - a single melodic line that every voice performs simulatenously in parallel with one another (unison) - **Polyphonic** - many sounds moving in the same direction together, such as chords and chord progressions - **Euphonic** - "good" polyphonic sounds, usually in simple chords that fit a harmonic series - **Cacophonic** - "bad" polyphonic sounds, intended to sound crunchy or unpleasant, usually ignoring a harmonic series. - **Heterophonic** - two or more different melodic lines occurring alongside one another. Fugues are great examples of heterophonic music. ### Form and Structure At it’s most basic level, Form discusses the music is organized, usually by discussing combinations of notes and sections of music. 1. The basic building block of a piece of music is the **motif** or **riff**. It's usually a small combination of notes, rhythms and articulations, oftentimes no more than 4 notes long. 2. When you combine the motif with various alterations to it creating a series of them, you create **phrases**. Oftentimes phrases are 4 bars long. 3. Combining phrases creates a full **theme**. A common strategy is to consider one phrase a "call", and the following phrase a "response", ultimately producing at theme. 4. A piece of music may oftentimes have multiple themes or sections that repeat in a designed order. Some common forms and structure include - Rondo (A-B-A) or similar (A-B-A-C-A-D-A) - Verse - Chorus - Verse (sometimes Bridge) - Theme A - Theme B - Trio - Dogfight - Exposition - Development - Ritornello - Coda ## A Review of Compositional Techniques Compositional Techniques are strategies that you use when combining some of the above elements. - **Repetition** – repeating the melody, sometimes by the original instrument or voice, and sometimes by other instruments or voices. - **Sequence** – repeating the melody, however it starts on a different pitch (like sliding the whole melody up or down on the paper). - **Retrograde** – playing the melody entirely backwards; the end of the melody moves to the beginning, and the beginning becomes the end. - **Ornamentation** – a way of adding nearby notes (sometimes only a few, sometimes passages with many notes) to add complexity to the melody. - **Inversion** – flipping the melody upside‐down. If the melody generally moves in the shape of a hill, then inverting it turns it into a valley shape instead. - **Augmentation and Diminution** – Augmentation makes the melody move more slowly in relation to the tempo. For example, doubling the length of every note. Diminution makes the melody move more quickly, such as changing quarter notes into eight notes. - **Contrary and Parallel Motion** – Contrary motion is where two instruments or voices move in opposite directions. Parallel motion is where they move in the same direction, even though they aren’t the exact same notes. ## Meaning and Message Music always has a purpose, a message to convey, a feeling to emote. In Beethoven's *La Pathetique (Piano Sonata No. 8)* Beethoven conveys a very specific series of lament and rage, likely inspired by his increasing suffering from tinitis. With Pharrell Williams' *Happy*, the emotion is obvious, and George Strait's *Check Yes or No* is a ballad, telling the story of young love. Mussorgsky inspires a sense of Ukranian pride with his *Great Gate of Kiev*, and Michael Jackson inspires listeners to evaluate how their own actions affect the world around them with his *Man in the Mirror*. Sometimes the message is implied, most commonly when there are no lyrics. Some music that includes lyrics uses the instrumentation to enhance the message. Some music is particularly effective, such as those listed above, and some music is less so; examples include Calvin Harris' *Feel So Close* or Sam Hunt's *Take Your Time*; in both songs if you were to remove the lyrics, you would have no sense of what the song is about. When you discuss meaning and message, not only should you be able to identify what that message is, but also indicate to what extent the music enhances or helps to deliver that message. # Music with Everything (24 marks) The reason why some "classical" music is given so much credit is because it doesn't just focus on a few elements or compositional techniques, but rather uses a very wide variety with a great deal of creativity. Beethoven is widely considered a "better" composer than Drake, because Drake's music doesn't use every tool in the composer's toolbox, but Beethoven's music does. (That being said, one cannot dismiss the relevance that Drake's music has brought to popular culture.) The following piece is written by one of America's greatest composers, Aaron Copland, titled *Variations on a Shaker Melody* from *Appalachian Spring*. Listen to the piece in it's entirety once, while reading the score. After doing so, answer the following questions; some will be answered best by listening only, some can be answered by referring to the score. ![[Variations on a Shaker Melody.mp3]] ![[Variations on a Shaker Melody Score.pdf]] ## Questions 1. What is the meter of this piece (duple or triple, simple or compound)? What makes you say so? 2. How would you describe the shape of the melody? (Imagine drawing the direction of the pitches as a line graph, you can use the score to help) 3. Does this piece seem to be predominantly in Major mode or Minor mode? What makes you say so? 4. The main motif or idea that drives the whole song is extremely quick, but includes 5 notes. Which five notes do you think would be the motif (use the page number, instrument and bar number to identify it)? Why is it not more than 5 notes long? 5. Using the melody in the 1st Clarinet part starting at Rehearsal Number 1 on Page 2, indicate where the "call" begins and ends, and where the "response" begins and ends for the "A" Phrase. How do you know that's where they begin and end? Do the same with the "B" Phrase. 6. Where do you hear some examples of each of the following (indicate where they are by page number, bar number and instruments in the score)? - Homophonic movement - Heterophonic movement - Polyphonic movement - Augmentation - Diminution 7. Examine the following specific things, and answer each question. 1. *Page 7, after Rehearsal Number 5, third bar* - you will see a motif played by the flutes that is 3 notes long. Obviously the flute does not only play those 3 notes, but plays many more. What compositional technique did Copland make the flutes play on that motif? 2. *Page 11, third bar* - that same motif is played by the flute once. Simultaneously the oboe plays something; what compositional technique is that? 3. *Page 11, fourth bar* - the clarinet plays a few more notes that is also still based on the same motif the flutes were doing. What compositional technique is that? 8. What meaning or message did you get from the music? Was there an overall feeling you got from the music? Was the message obvious? What about the music made you have that experience? # Fix Windy's Playlist (12 marks) You select one piece of music or one song you think Mr. Windsor should love. You explain why you think he should love it based on 3 criteria; - musicality - creativity, and - musical message. You can explain it in an essay, Google Slide Show, selfie video, or any other means you choose, but you must include each of these three criteria, and full details of the music. ## Clearly Identify the Song What is the song’s title? Who recorded it? Who wrote it? When was it written? If it is on an album, which one? If it is a cover of the original, who recorded the original? ## Musical Elements (6 marks) 1. Was the beat easily identified? Duple or Triple Meter? 2. Draw the melodic shape of the chorus of each song (kind of like the connect‐the‐dots strategy we did on a previous listening assignment). If you’re doing this on Google Docs, Insert a Drawing to do this. 3. Is the song largely in Major or Minor mode (happy vs sad, light vs dark, etc.) 4. What sections does the song have, and in what order? (Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Solos, etc.) ## Musicality (4 marks) What are some of the unique ways the musician(s) composed the music? Think of the compositional devices mentioned above, which of them were used by the musician(s)? ## Musical Message (6 marks) Every song has a deeper meaning to the person who recorded, to the person who listens to it, and sometimes even to a wider community (Black music, Russian Patriotism music, Indigenous music). What musical message should Mr. Windsor be aware of in this song? What makes it so meaningful for you? # Windy Fixes Your Playlist Mr. Windsor has selected some of the most iconic songs, and some that are his personal favourites, for you to consider adding to your playlist. The challenge; add at least one of the six songs he’s selected to your playlist for at least one week. You will need to explain why you chose it using the same 3 criteria as before; musicality, creativity, and musical message. ## Listen for Fun (6 marks) Listen to each of the following six songs all the way through and answer the following questions *for each song*. 1. What is your initial reaction to each of the songs? (Do you like it? Is it catchy? Was it confusing? Did it feel relevant to you?) 2. Why do you think this was your reaction? ## Choose One Song For the remainder of this portion of the assignment, choose **one** of the six songs Mr. Windsor offered. ## Musical Elements (6 marks) 1. Was the beat easily identified? Duple or Triple Meter? 2. Draw the melodic shape of the chorus of each song (kind of like the connect‐the‐dots strategy we did on a previous listening assignment). If you’re doing this on Google Docs, Insert a Drawing to do this. 3. Is the song largely in Major or Minor mode (happy vs sad, light vs dark, etc.) 4. What sections does the song have, and in what order? (Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Solos, etc.) ## Musicality (4 marks) What are some of the unique ways the musician(s) composed the music? Think of the compositional devices mentioned above, which of them were used by the musician(s)? ## Musical Message (6 marks) Every song has a deeper meaning to the person who recorded, to the person who listens to it, and sometimes even to a wider community (Black music, Russian Patriotism music, Indigenous music). What musical message do you think each song has, and therefore is worthy of consideration? You may need to do some research to come up with the answers you like to this question. ## Why did you choose that one? There were five other options you could have chosen. Why this one and not the others?