Buy or borrow and listen to an album featuring a rock group or artist.
Even better, at style of music you have not listened to often! An example would be if you are a fan of country music and have never really listen to a hip-hop album from beginning to end, give it a try. You may love it (or hate it even more but at least you will have a lot to write about!).
The only stipulations for what artist to choose:
1)It can be any type of Popular music including Pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Rap, Rock and Roll, Heavy Metal, Country, etc.
2)It cannot not be big band jazz, jazz combos, or classical music. (There are some bands that I do accept that are a mix, for example Pat Metheny. Contact me if you have any questions as to the appropriateness of the artist for this report).
The album must be at least 45 minutes in length. The report must be at least 600 words. Please do not exceed 1000 words unless approved by the instructor.
What to write about:
You should give the reader your thoughts on regarding the music and interpretation of the music
• Read the liner notes included if possible.
• This should give you some valuable insights regarding the specific tunes, and should also provide some historical background on the performers. Here are some suggestions of questions to answer:
1. What genre is featured on the recording, i.e. early rock, country influence, rhythm and blues influence, folk music, Heavy Metal, music of a specific culture, race, or geographic location? How can you tell?
2.What do you hear with regard to a) melodic flow, b) rhythmic element?
s, c) harmony (consonance or dissonance), d) dynamics, e) orchestration (choice of instruments), f) texture, g) range? Refer back to your text if you need help understanding how any of these elements interact in music.
• Select one tune of the album that really made an impression on you and go into some detail regarding what it was that caught your ear!
• Finally, you might want to comment on the quality of the recording. Was it from a live performance? Was the balance OK? (Could you hear all of the instruments clearly?) Listen carefully and you may hear some interesting sounds that are NOT part of the music!