ASSIGNMENT

1. Identification: Name the piece, the composer and performer, the approximate time period in which it was written, and the style.

2. Consideration of context and the influence of assumptions: In what context was this example composed/performed/heard? What was happening historically at the time? What assumptions were made about this music at the time by the composer and audience, and what similar or different assumptions do you, and your contemporaries, make about this music today?

3. Communication of your own perspective: State very clearly what it is about this example that you find aesthetically beautiful. You can consider the melody, the instrumentation and/or sound quality of voice(s), the form of the piece, and the ambiance, or mood the piece creates for you as a listener.

4. Presentation of supporting evidence: Using the musical terminology you have learned this semester, describe the example appropriately to support your statement in paragraph 3.

5. Integration of your musical perspective with that of this musical style period: Reflect upon how you have been able to integrate this composer’s ideas about aesthetic beauty with your own ideas. How has your perspective been affected as a result of learning about this piece/composer/style? Has your perspective changed or remained the same? Do you have the same ideas about beauty that you had coming into this course, or have the possibilities been expanded?

6.Identification of your conclusions: What do you conclude about aesthetic beauty, overall, at the end of this process? What makes something beautiful? Explain what you found to be meaningful.