Formatting Your Papers (PDF)
Written Assignments
Concert Reports
Students are to write three concert reports on live musical events they have attended; turn in tickets, programs, and ads/reviews where applicable. See guidelines below for how to write these reports.
Research Paper
Students must complete one research paper of 4-5 pages.
Writing a Concert Report
Students are to write three concert reports during the term on live musical events they have attended. Each report should be about two pages long.
For many who are gaining familiarity with these new musical idioms, the concerts can be difficult to describe. They may seem long, and your ability to differentiate between the items will need honing by repeated experience. Much of what happens at a concert is very subtle, and writing a concert report searching for a lot of minute details is neither desirable nor profitable.
Make sure to get the artists’ names and their roles (soloists and accompanists), and describe what you see on stage-from the platform to postures to behaviors to clothing. Get the correct name and spelling of the rags and tals-and you may have to ask the artists or informed audience members in order to do so. How many pieces were performed, before and after intermission? How did the overall composition of the program effect the sense of artistic balance?
Beyond reporting the basic details, treat the concert report like a letter to a friend, perhaps an imaginary one who urged you to attend. Give your impressions in the first person, commenting on what you found unusual or expected. You are absolutely permitted to register your reactions: whether you were excited, interested, or bored, turned on or off. Be a bit careful with first impressions, however; and try to dig a little deeper, especially as the semester proceeds and your ear develops.
It is always helpful to attend the concert with a friend, in order to compare notes. You are alone with your ears, but trading impressions with a classmate or companion can enhance your perceptions.
