Step 2
Use the following examples to prepare for the Aural Assessment below
Example 1 Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Example 2 Mozart Marriage of Figaro
Example 3 Beethoven 5th Symphony
Example 4 Beethoven 9th Symphony
Example 5 Beethoven Fur Elise
Example 6 Lieder Schuber the Trout
Example 7 Verdi Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore
Example 8 Wagner Ride of the Valkyries
Example 9 Tchaikovsky Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy Nutcracker
Example 10 Tchaikovsky 1812 Overature
Bonus
Awesome History of Classical Music
Step 3
Match the composers/titles to the examples located in this Dropbox Link
1. E A. Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
2. B. B. Mozart Marriage of Figaro
3. J . C. Beethoven 5th Symphony
4. F D. Beethoven 9th Symphony
5. A E. Beethoven Fur Elise
6. H F. Lieder Schubert the Trout
7. D G. Verdi Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore
8. G H. Wagner Ride of the Valkyries
9. C I. Tchaikovsky Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy Nutcracker
10. I J. Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture
Step 1
Spend a class exploring various books, scores and CD's from the following periods
Classical
Romantic
Step 2
Comment on 2 favorite resources you found for each period
Title
Description
Reasons Why
The first resource that I enjoyed most from the Classical Period was Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, edited and selected by Hans Mersman. This book has selections of Mozart's letters that covers his entire life, from years when he travelled with his father as a child prodigy, to his last days writing love letters to his wife. I really enjoy this resource because it allows you to venture into the mind of Mozart through his words, and his letters are an avenue for us to get a glimpse of his personality. My favorite quote from this book happens to be "he is extraordinarily gay, but naughty too".
The second source I found from the classical period was the film, In Search of Mozart, Phil Grabsky being the director and producer. Produced in association with the world's leading orchestras and musicians, this movie is told through a 25,000 mile journey along every route Mozart followed... this is a detective story that travels to the heart of Europe... and the heart of a genius itself. Critics have claimed that this movie is "the most significant film about Mozart to be produced for several decades". I enjoyed this resource because of all of the wonderful music chosen for its backtrack (all Mozart features, of course). Being able to see Mozart's story through film is also a wonderful way to experience history.
The first romantic resource I enjoyed is Beethoven's Missa Solemnis in D. This vocal score, edited by Julius Stern, includes all movements of a typical mass: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Beethoven's original Missa Solemnis is written for four solo voices, chorus, and orchestra. I enjoyed this resource because of how the Prefatory Remark explains Beethoven's take on his work, and puts in in context more than just the score alone could. It explains how the Missa Solemnis is one of the most difficult works in modern musical art, the difficulty lying in the technical challenges of the music, unusually trying in the vocal parts. The mass was dedicated to the Archbishop of Olmütz, and was originally intended for the celebration of the primate's official installation, though it was not finished on time. Beethoven also designated this work as his most greatest and successful work.
The second romantic resource I chose was the film The Immortal Beloved, a film by Bernard Rose. This biography chronicles the life of infamous classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven (Gary Oldman) and his painful struggle with hearing loss. Following Beethoven's death in 1827, his assistant, Schindler (Jeroen Krabbé), searches for an elusive woman referred to in the composer's love letters as "immortal beloved." I enjoyed this resource because I think film is one of the most immersive ways to understand history, as you can watch it unfold in front of your eyes. I got to see historian's take on Beethoven and was able to see what kind of person thought him to be, which I thought was really interesting
Step 1
How has the music of the Classical and Romantic Periods influenced and inspired contemporary artists? Provide examples.
One of the main ways that classical music has impacted today’s popular music is with the chorus. The chorus, or the short melody repeated throughout most songs, was first seen during the Classical era. A vast majority of songs we hear on the radio today are structured to include a chorus. Many of today’s pop songs are based on a handful of chords and sequences that were discovered during the Classical period. When you listen to artists like Adele, you might not even recognize the rich history that has gone into the music.
These songs are influenced by Classical music:
Muse – “Plug in Baby”
Evanescence – “Lacrymosa”
Ludacris – “Coming 2 America”
Barry Manilow – “Could it be Magic”
Queen – “It’s a Hard Life”
The Beatles – “Because”
Contemporary music is also full of romanic influences. Romanticism is often affiliated with one's inmost soul or self being touched by or reaching out to stars. Bruno Mars borrows the romantic comparison of his desired other with a star in his song, thus exposing the influence of the romantic era in his music.
Lyric Sample:
They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes
Well that's fine by me
Escapism is a trait of the romantic period that is often felt and expressed in the 21st century. Lana Del Rey expresses escapism when she sings about dressing up in order to escape her current situation. Her red dress, dancing and fancy hair all point to one reality, but her lack of high heels symbolizes her freedom or escape from her own character.
Composers in the last 20 or so years have also returned to "tonal" (key centred) music in the style of MINIMALISM. Composers such as Einaudi and others have re-engaged with a public that was previously alienated from "contemporary" music by the continuous discord that they associated with much of what they heard in living classical composers.
Step 2
Provide examples of resources/organizations that provide 'classical' music to consumers and patrons on a local level.
One example of a local orchestra is the Sage City Symphony. Sage City Symphony was started in 1972 as a community/college orchestra with close ties to Bennington College. Since then it has become primarily a community orchestra which draws players from three states, as well as providing academic credit to Bennington College students who choose to participate. Another example is the Manchester Music Festival. In 1974, the bucolic, Southern Vermont town of Manchester welcomed an impressive newcomer: The Southern Vermont Arts Center Music Festival.
Step 3
Review the Benchmark Goals you set for yourself in Unit 1; What is it that you hope to know and/or be able to do at the conclusion of the course?
A. Comment on your semester achievements in relation to your initial goals. One of my goals was to take good notes and complete assignments in a timely manner. I am very proud of the work that I have done on my Jimdo page, which makes up for the not as good notes that I've been taking on paper (which was a goal I had). I also hoped to get my work done in a timely manner, and minus a few exceptions from illness I pretty much had everything on time.
B. How well did you achieve your goal? What goals were met? What goals were not met? As stated above, I hoped to take better notes on paper, but the majority of my information is in an organized format on my Jimdo page. It was also my goal to have general knowledge about music hisory that I can have at my disposal to better understand repertoire. I would say I achieved that goal, as I have noticed my understanding on the time periods discussed has grown immensely.
C. What has been the greatest benefit/most rewarding aspect of your learning experience? It has been very rewarding seeing how my knowledge can be transferred to the repertoire we have been doing in band/chorus/etc. Understanding music history memes is also very rewarding as it shows me how much I've grown from the beginning of the course, to today.
D. How well did you avoid sources of interference to stay on task?
I would say I could have been more on task during class time, as I easily got distracted from peers, or more notably from other work I had to complete, whether it was AP Bio or college applications. However, I did manage to get everything in on time, it just meant I needed to do more work outside of class.
Step 4
Review your Unit 1 Self Regulation Inventory
A. Comment on how you addressed the weaknesses you identified and/or how you overcame challenges in regards to achieving success this semester. One weakness I mentioned was that I tend to do work just to get it done quickly instead of taking the time to fully understand the content. I addressed this by letting go of the idea of finishing things early, and instead took the time to get the work done in its fullest form and took time to understand the content./
B. Reassess the 30 true/false statements for the Self Regulation Inventory. Compare your current ratio to your initial one. I feel like my true/false responses have remained quite constant throughout the semester.
C. How would you approach the process differently if you had another opportunity to learn in this manner? If I were to redo the course, I would have isolated myself more often to get work done more efficiently during class.
D. What have you learned about learning? I have learned that you cannot rush the process of learning, as you won't retain as much information that way.
E. How does what you learned relate to other things you have been learning or have experienced? This idea has helped me in other courses to realize that going fast doesn't always mean I will know more information, as things will get lost in the process.
F. How has your thinking about your thinking(metacognition)changed?
I have become more aware of the way I think as I read through the listening chapters and write my notes, as instead of just reading to read, I an become hyper focused to obtain as much information as possible.
Step 5
Use the following Rubric to guide your responses regarding your semester achievements
A. Identify areas of strengths. I am good at organization and presenting my work the best it can possibly be.
B. Identify areas of needed improvement. I need to become less distracted during class time and focus on the work at hand (for this class, not for other subjects).
C. What strategies might you use in the future to overcome these challenges? I should try meditating and getting my other worries for other classes out of my mind before the start of class. and if I start to become distracted, I should isolate myself and do work independently.
Step 6
Briefly review the assignments you have submitted for Units 7-12
A. Comment on the quality of work reflected in your ePortfolio as well as the content of your manilla folder. I am very proud of the work on my jimdo. It is not only aesthetically pleasing, but very organized as well and full of memes as well.
B. Did you modify your approach for the second part of the semester or repeat your approach from the first part? I pretty much kept the way I organized my jimdo constant throughout the semester.
Step 7
Answer the following questions regarding the future use of the course material
Identify 3 of the most important concepts or skills you learned in this course. I think being able to identify qualities and facts about each time period has helped me have a better mental timeline of history in general, and I can now match certain repertoire/qualities of music to different eras.
Explain why you perceive these concepts or skills to be important. I believe it is important to have a deeper understanding the music we listen to/perform helps us have a better appreciation for it.
How do you anticipate using these concepts or skills in the future? I hope that I can have intellectual conversations with more acclaimed musicians, and be able to take my knowledge and bring them to my college classes.
Step 8
Please provide some advice and words of wisdom for students taking this course in the future. Make sure you use your time in class as efficiently as you can. Though the work is not difficult, there is a lot of it, so don't assume you will have time to complete it all at home because it piles up quick!!
Step 9
Please help us sculpt the future of the course by providing feedback, suggestions, etc. related to Unit Content, Listen, Launchpad, Wix, On-Campus, ePortfolio, Work Flow, etc. I enjoyed every aspect of this course. The quizzes from the listen book were kind of tedious and didn't always make the most sense, so I think keeping those as holistic grades is a good idea.