music-culture

Instructions: Your task is to attend and observe a music event, and analyze it as part of a
music-culture; then to share your experience in a short talk, as well as create a brief
ethnography (written documentation) of the musical expression.
Select a performance of live music this semester, at either an event sponsored by the
university or off-campus. We will discuss your topic in class during the month of February.
You may attend any type of event in which music is performed, including but not limited to:
religious services on or off campus, cultural shows, sporting events, dances, weddings,
karaoke, performances by the Music Department’s ensembles, street music, etc.
Decide soon what performance you will attend, including: the date and location, genre of
music, names of performers (if known). In addition, think of and write out (at least) five
preliminary questions — pertaining to the performance, the music, and/or the
community/culture — for which you hope to find answers in the course of attending the
performance. You do not need to list these in your paper.
Attend this performance of music. Be sure to arrive early and stay until the end of the
performance. NOTE: You must attend a live show after reading this assignment (that is,
you cannot watch a video, and you cannot write about something you’ve already seen).
Observe various aspects of the performance, try to answer your Preliminary Questions,
and include summaries of both of the following areas in your report:
Genre, Musicians, Music, Ensemble
• What is the genre of music?
• What are the names of the composers of the music? When did they live?
• Who are the musicians, and what is their group’s name?
• What instruments are being played? In what textures?
• Are there solos? Solos with ensembles? Only ensemble playing?
• How long are the pieces of music? How many pieces?
• Is there much repetition?
• Do the musicians improvise or play composed music, or both?
• What rhythms can you count? What are the tempos? Is there variety?
Context, Audience, Interaction, Behavior
• What is the physical space where the music happens? Describe it.
• What is the setting and context of the performance?
• Is there anything unusual about the performance?
• How does the audience behave? Are they all doing similar things?
• Describe the behavior of musicians and audience – imagine your reader has never
been to any concerts and has no way of knowing how people act.
• What do some of the musicians and/or audience members and/or event staff have to
say to you? Interview them if possible.
• How do musicians and audience interact?
• What is the purpose and meaning of the performance?
• Is a community formed because of the show? Is it re-affirmed by the show?

UNH Mu 112 — Introduction to World Music — Prof. Getter p.2
Paper and Presentation:
Give a short (1 minute) talk in class about your concert, in which you tell us about the
musical and social aspects of your performance. Please do NOT plan to use any audio,
visual, handouts or computer aids in your presentation.
Type a 2 to 3 page Report on the event, answering as many of the above questions as
possible. Describe the concert for someone who has never heard this type of music; that
is, assume that your reader has no knowledge of the performance genre or community.
Important notes:
• You must use correct citations for quoted materials, interviews, recordings, books,
articles, websites, and all sources consulted. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense.
• Use a spell-checker. Print a draft, proofread it, and make corrections. The paper must be
typed, double-spaced, with adequate margins. Use a standard plain font, such Times
New Roman in 11 or 12 point.
• Please do not email your paper.
• TO SUBMIT THE PAPER: print your paper and bring it to class.
Due Date and Grading:
• Due date of Report: Wednesday, April 9.
• Your grade will be reduced if the paper is submitted late.
• Your paper will not be accepted if submitted more than one week late.
• Everyone will speak to the class briefly about the performance they observed.
• The Report is worth 15% of your final grade.