Writing+About+Music

=Writing About Music=

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Before you begin writing:

a. Choose music you care about, or find something interesting in the music you have been assigned to write about. b. Listen to the music closely, charting the audio events on a timeline. (This is VITAL) to the following steps). c. After listening, reflect and ask yourself what is most outstanding about the song; what are the most memorable sections? d. Identify parts of the music which validate your opinions about it. e. Develop an argument "for" or "against" the music, and try to be convincing when you detail your opinions.

Write about what you //**hear**//, not what you see! Music is an //**auditory**// medium. Ask yourself the following questions:

a. What was the length of the selection? b. Are the melodies, hooks, or themes familiar and recognizable? Which Instrument plays or sings the melody? c. Did the selection have a particular theme or character? d. What was the general mood of the piece (happy, sad, scary, tense)? e. Is the style of the music easily identified, or is it a hybrid of several stylistic influences? f. Was the texture thick or thin? Did it use many layers of sound or just a few? g. What is the instrumentation of the song? h. Are there soloists? What instruments did they play or what is their vocal range? i. What is the form of the song? How do the sections fit together? (Introduction, verses, solo sections, interludes...) j. To which instrument families do the instruments belong?
 * chordophones || strings ||
 * aerophones || wind instruments ||
 * electrophones || keyboards or synthesized sound makers ||
 * membranophones || drums ||
 * idiophones || cymbals, rattles, hand-held, and keyed percussion instruments ||

k. Is the tempo of the song slow, fast, moderate, or changing? l. Is there something particularly different about the selection? m. Compare the vocal tone of the singer to other artists. Is it clear, raspy, articulate, strong, mellow...? n. Do the musicians perform with emotion? o. Are the musicians playing together in a well-rehearsed fashion, or is it improvisatory and loose? p. Consider the traditional elements of music when writing your script... melody, rhythm, harmony, form, dynamics, and timbre (tone color).

Write your OPINIONS! a. Did you like the selection? Why or why not? b. Interview others; what do they think? c. Does the music invoke an emotional response? Why? d. Do you recommend this CD or recording for people to buy? Why should it be a part of everyone's collection? e. Would you spend money to see the artist in concert? f. What does this song personally mean to you?