Tag: Music

Music 21: Concert Report Format and Guidelines

Attend a virtual classical music performance and write a typed report. Make sure to review all instructions prior to watching a performance.

Concert guidelines:
1. The level of the performance must be college-age performers or professionals – no middle/high school performances.
2. The performance must be of western art music, similar to the genres discussed in the text – orchestra, chamber music, solo instrumental performances, opera, choir, ballet, musicals, etc. If you are unsure about a concert qualifying as “western art” music, consult with me before attending.
3. You must attend the entire performance and name all the pieces in the concert.

Report format:
1. 2-3 pages, typed, double-spaced on 8.5 x 11 paper with one-inch margins.
2. Attach the concert program and ticket if applicable to your report – obviously, you cannot do this during COVID 19, but you will need to name the pieces or look up information about the pieces performed.
3. Do NOT copy program notes. You may use outside references with proper citation. MLA or APA is fine. Check PCC Library’s website for help: pasadena.edu/library/citing.cfm
4. Reports are due on the dates listed in Canvas. You will submit your report through Turnitin in the assignment in Canvas.
Content of the Report:
1. Performance setting: Give the date, place, and name(s) of groups performing. Briefly describe the performance setting – for example, you might include your observations on the ambiance of the performance space, performers’ dress, audience’s dress, etc. and how it affected your concert going experience.
2. Type(s) of music: Which types/genres of music were performed (symphony, opera, concerto, etc. Which historical periods of music were represented on the program? What instruments or voices were needed to perform the works? Were concert programs with notes provided? Did you read or research the works before or after the performance? If so, in which source(s)?
3. Choose two movements or short pieces from the program and contrast and compare these works with references to the specific musical elements we have discussed in class and that can be found in the text. Your essay may include, but is not limited to a discussion about the melody, dynamics, rhythm, harmony, texture, timbre, form, and word-music relationships (if applicable). Use your ears and listen for the basic elements discussed in class and the text and apply them to the pieces of your concert. Try to highlight what really “stuck out” to you about the music.
4. Evaluate your concert going experience. What did you enjoy about the music? What would have improved your experience? How did the performance fit your expectations? Were there any aspects of the performance that were unfamiliar or surprising to you? If so, what?

Grading Criteria
1. Proper use of terminology, quality of answers to the guidelines above.
2. Individuality of thought, personal observations and insights
3. Spelling, grammar, proper formatting and citations and general coherence

Concert Opportunities: FOR ONLINE CLASSES, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ATTEND A LIVE CONCERT. PLEASE USE THE LIST OF APPROVED CONCERTS THAT I HAVE PROVIDED FOR YOU IN THE CONCERT REPORT MODULE.
The greater Los Angeles area offers a plethora of concert opportunities, many of which are free or offer discounted student rush opportunities. Here are a few ideas to get started and I will try to announce concerts in class as they occur. Many concerts are listed in the Pasadena Star News and the LA Times. There are also online resources for finding local concerts. Chamber Music Newsletter sundayslive.org/newsletter.cfm and Performing Arts Live Calendar at performingartslive.com. Also each of the venues listed below should have a calendar of events listed on their websites.

Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Opera (Music Center)
Gloria Kaufman Dance at the Music Center
Pasadena Symphony Orchestra
Pacific Symphony
Long Beach Symphony
Santa Barbara Symphony
PCC Campus performances
Colburn and USC Thornton Concerts
LACMA Sundays Live
Lake Avenue Church Thursdays at Noon
Southwest Chamber Music
Jacaranda Chamber Music
Muse/ique
Pasadena Presbyterian Church (Wednesdays at Noon)
Brand Library Music Series in Glendale

Helpful Hints: EVERYONE USE THESE HELPFUL HINTS

1. Take a pad of paper and jot down a few notes in between pieces to help jog your memory when you write your paper later. However, do not write during the performance. It will distract others and even possibly the performers!
2. Plan ahead! Keep an eye out for an event that really interests you. Writing about something you find interesting will be much easier.
3. Be open to try something new, but also consider researching the program to make sure it is something you won’t actively dislike. Find other performances of the program online or at the library (Youtube, Spotify) so you know what you will be seeing and hearing ahead of time.

Concert Etiquette:
1. If you must leave for an emergency or have arrived late, enter only when an usher indicates it is OK to do so. If there are no ushers, only enter during applause in between selections.
2. Don’t talk during a performance.
3. Cell phones and other noise making devices must be off!
4. Never text or call someone during a concert. Never video or take pictures at the concert as you may be asked to leave. Never use a device that makes noise or has a flash.
5. No food or drink should ever be brought in to a concert. The one exception is if you have a cough. Have cough drops unwrapped and ready to silently stem your coughing.
6. Some classical pieces of music are broken down into parts called “movements”. In between these movements the music will stop for a few seconds. Usually the audience does not applaud until the conductor or performers have dropped their hands and have turned around or risen to acknowledge the audience.

Your Final Project will consist of a 7-10 slide multimedia presentation, with written comments that support your presentation. This project will fulfill the following learning objectives for the course:

Recognize various elements, styles, composers, and major historical periods of music.
Identify and discuss genres and uses of music.
Demonstrate knowledge of the historical and cultural context of musical styles and periods.
Analyze and make critical judgments of music listening experiences utilizing appropriate terms and concepts.
Tasks:

Choose a new specific topic or a musical piece from the class. You might also choose to use one of your unit writing assignments and turn it into a power point presentation. If you choose your own topic, make sure the topic is worthy for this type of college project. The project must be presented academically–not just a selection of a contemporary pop artist or song with materials from the “Fan Website” or album cover. If you have questions about your topic being worthy, contact your instructor for topic approval.
Your slides should incorporate four active audio and video links for listening and viewing related information. Your 7-10 slides might look like the following:
The name of your presentation, your name, and date.
A summary of the piece’s composers/performers/producers.
A summary of its historical and musical context (what was happening in the world and in music around the time of its composition/production).
A summary of its most important performing forces and musical characteristics.
A listening guide of the composition.
A conclusions slide.
Your Works Cited slide in MLA format. Check the MLA references in your How to Succeed in this Course module for guidance on formatting.
You must submit the power point presentation as a PDF attachment. You may use PowerPoint, Google Slides or any other free presentation software that will allow you to save the presentation as a PDF.
Criteria on which you will be graded:

25% Historical

After listening to Moldau by Bedřich Smetana, explain why you chose that selection. The short essay should be a minimum of 400 words in length. Then, please, utilize the knowledge obtained from the Listening assignment to discuss Melody, harmony, texture, style, any information regarding the composer, and his/her background based on the required research.

Discuss the background and musical organization of the swing band. What sets this music apart from the jazz that came before and after? What is the standard instrumentation? What are some distinctive characteristics that make this swing and not another jazz style? Make sure to cover the historical details. Reference at least two musical selections from the required listening to make your points.

For your Paper #3, listen to the first five minutes of each selection below. This first one is by Leonin, the second is by Palestina. Write two pages describing the differences in the two works. Your paper should show your knowledge as to how music evolved over the nearly 500 years that separates the two pieces. This should be an easy paper to write, but that doesn’t mean it should be light on content!

The links for what the writers needs to listen and write about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mYfzf5O8QY

VERY IMPORTANT! this is feedback from my professor please avoid this error in this paper. thank you The only reason I took off a few points is that you used a few outside sources (other than in the questions that I ask for them). (Trust yourself and use your own thoughts! )

instructions are in the files provided. any additional information needed for the paper I can provide. thank you in advance.

In a 900-word essay discuss the origins and demise of boogaloo (bugalú). In your essay be sure to discuss:
The generational basis of the music.
What was the novelty of the style and why.
The musical synchretism of style.
Its popularity and the reasons for its demise.
Select one of the following boogaloo artists (Pete Rodriguez, Hector Rivera, Johhny Colón, Joe Bataan)—with the song that’s on the musical examples list—and analyze the musical piece in terms of how its representative of the genre, and (after doing a bit of research) how is the artist’s life representative of those who developed this genre.
Music examples:
https://youtu.be/KxhOIpQP8yY (Joe Bataan)
https://youtu.be/qXQm-QzJ7ig (Johnny Colon)
https://youtu.be/hMq82nK5fIY (Hector Rivera)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJY4OzgTWs (Pete Rodriguez)
Links to some material:
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?stor…
https://centropr-archive.hunter.cuny.edu/centrovoices/arts-culture/east-harlem-got-hold-me-musical-history-johnny-colón

Field Essays are personal field notes of a musical happening, that are 1500 words. A Field Essay should include descriptions of the event, reactions to the event, and any follow-ups on the part of the researcher to better understand the event in its cultural context. An event could include a concert on campus or in greater Los Angeles, a rehearsal, jam session, dance party, or any other live happening involving music.
Ordinarily, the researcher should share temporal space with the event (be there), or justify the mediated nature of the event (explain why you are reporting on online composing collaboration, an international synchronized iPod event, an online concert).
With our online format however, any form of performance (live, recorded, mediated, etc.) is acceptable.
An ideal essay would include a writeup of the researcher’s plans and previous knowledge of the music or musicians; a detailed description of the event including time, place, people, crowd, reactions, collective responses, and surprises; further research into what happened and why it happened, which could include interviews with musicians and audience members or further readings.

MORE INFORMATION IN FILE!

In other words, put the exact bold headings I use below such as Composer, Location, etc. and then fill in your own information.
Single-space your paper with an extra space between paragraphs and sections.
Use 1” margins and a standard 12-point font such as Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Cambria.
Your paper should be at least 700 Words. You will be marked down if it is shorter than this.
Make sure you put a Bibliography of your sources at the end. It does not have to be a separate page, but just a section with Bibliography (in bold) as the heading.

Please choose whichever person you think is easy to write. As long as that person is contemporary composer!

Music Appreciation Comparative Essay

For this assignment, we will compare two pieces that belong to the same genre. In this case we will compare two piano concertos of the classical time period. The paper should be two to three pages double spaced in Times New Roman font. Your first criteria for this paper should include your analysis, interpretation, and critique, and second criteria should include reflection of your experience listening to these different works of art and artistic performances.

The first part of the paper should focus on the historical context, the other should focus on music analysis. Please compare the first movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata No. 16 for Piano in C Major, K545 (1788) and the first movement Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (1801) No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No 2. I have provided links, however if you have this music available to you, you are welcome to use that.

Consider when each composer lived during the same time period; Mozart in the early part of the Classical time period and Beethoven in the later part of the same time period. How did the music evolve and change, if at all?

Mozart

Lang Lang— Mozart: Sonata in C, K. 545, Allegro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xeAsc6m35w
Beethoven

Beethoven : Sonata No.14 Op.27 No.2 (“Moonlight”) / Valentina Lisitsa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKt0bIE3eaI

After critically listening to the first movements of the two piano sonatas, please write an essay that answers or addresses the following two questions:

What differences are noticeable in the musical elements of tempo, duration, dynamics, harmony, mood and musical expression in the first movements of these two musical works?

How do these works, by Mozart in the Classical Period and Beethoven in the Romantic Period, reflect some of the musical and artistic characteristics of their respective periods of musical history?

This is for a music appreciation course which is a general level course and thus the terminology used should be on that level

I wrote a draft but the professor said it does not qualify because “you need to discuss the Source article specifically. Further, you need to offer some analysis of the reviewers’ criteria across the artists and not simply summarize individual sections (artist by artist). ” So you need to revise or rewrote my draft as needed. The source article is the pdf TOP50 rappers.
The assignment requirement is “Based on the source article I uploaded, rank the top 10 rappers and explain why, like why he’s the great why u out in the top 1 or top whatever, and what contribution they have. You should analyze music reviews and “best of” lists to understand how the criteria shaping the canon of hip hop greatness, the exclusions those canon entail, the ways canons periodize and delineate artistic movements and schools, and the ways in which the canon influences how we understand hip hop history. Revisit the Top 10 rappers from the Source article and analyze their criteria for this ranking.

The reading material for the next few weeks discusses how jazz continues to be a viable art form. New artists regularly gain recognition for their contribution to the music, even to this day.
For this last discussion board, your objective is to introduce your classmates to a rising or currently relevant artist in modern jazz music.
The parameters
You must choose one of the artists from the “The Elite 150 Early- and Mid-Career Jazz Masters” list from the appendix of the text. If your artist is not listed there, you will not receive credit.
The artist you choose must have recorded with musicians outside of their own group (this probably includes everyone, but I mention in case there is a musician listed who is strictly a solo performer).
You may not write about the same artist profiled by one of your classmates.
My recommendation is to open Spotify, type in one of the artist’s names and briefly listen to a few of their recordings. Check out a dozen or more different artists. They will represent a very broad range of styles of jazz, and you might be surprised by what you discover.
For your initial post:

State the name of your artist and their primary instrument in the title of your thread.
Provide basic background information… when they were born, where they grew up, their first major break, etc.
List some notable artists they have collaborated with, especially if they have worked with musicians outside of jazz music. Allmusic.com and Wikipedia typically provide this information, but you would be served better to visit the artist’s website (most of them have one).
Name the style(s) of jazz mentioned in the text that you think were most influential on the artists style of music. Is there music reminiscent of bebop? Hard bop? Cool jazz? You will probably find this information as part of your web search.
Include two links (recordings from albums, not live performances)
One link should contain a recording made by their primary group. This group will be listed under their own name (JD Allen Trio), but in some cases they primarily perform with a group with a band name. For example, Ethan Iverson has recorded several albums under his own name, but he is most well-known for his work with the group The Bad Plus.
The other link should be for a recording where your artist is a sideman/accompanist on the album. Sticking with our last example… Kenny Garrett is well known for his own recordings, but he did record an album with The Bad Plus on which he performed their music.
Ideally these two different recordings will give us an impression of the depth of their range. Try to pick two recordings where the styles of jazz sound different.

describe a potential project that you might realistically undertake that involves creating an adaptive instrument. How would the instrument function? What would compositions made with this instrument sound like? How would it compare to acoustic instruments in terms of size, weight, and expressiveness? Who would be the users of this instrument? Where might someone use this instrument?

done
Seen

Apr 25th, 2022

describe a potential project that you might realistically undertake that involves creating an adaptive instrument. How would the instrument function? What would compositions made with this instrument sound like? How would it compare to acoustic instruments in terms of size, weight, and expressiveness? Who would be the users of this instrument? Where might someone use this instrument?

done
Seen

Apr 25th, 2022

It has been called the Cortijo Revolution, but why? In a 700-word essay explore this statement. Be sure to discuss the musical, social, and racial impact that this group and its members had on Puerto Rico and Latin American culture. Your discussion must describe and explain in detail, not just mention, the implications that this group had.
Music examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nUUIElvwtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEut4R6B6jE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d42QmcXESSo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3esss14P08g

Hello and welcome to our Module 6 writing assignment! These assignments will continue to reinforce the material that we have learned in this week’s lesson. We have discussed both Chamber Music and Orchestral Music of the Classical Era. Both ensembles give composers of the era different mediums to explore and play to their unique strengths. Through the expanded orchestra and newly innovated chamber music, ensemble music saw instrumental diversity realized like never before. We will discuss and compare them in this assignment.
First, what are the differences between the two types of instrumental ensembles from the era (Orchestral and Chamber Music)? What are some different instrument combinations that can make up chamber music? What instrumental families make up the orchestra? Also, what are some benefits and issues with each of the ensemble types? Finally, which type of ensemble do you prefer from the era? Why?
As far as format, think of these writing assignments as at least one page minimum essays in MLA format. Points will be deducted for short papers. Make sure to cover everything I ask below in detail and do not leave any questioned unanswered.
Write a one page minimum essay in MLA format.
If you are referencing outside sources, make sure to quote them and to include a works cited page
Topics to Address:
What are the differences between the two types of ensembles? (Orchestral and Chamber Music)
What different instrument combinations can make up chamber music? What instrumental families make up the orchestra?
What are some benefits and issues with each of the genres?
Which type of music do you prefer from the era? Why?
these are professors notes:-Welcome to Module 6, where we will discuss the Classical Era! From this point forward, our musical “Eras” have quite a bit of information, so we will instead focus on the most important aspects from each Era. As far as the Classical Era, we will finally hear famous composers such as Mozart, Haydn and early Beethoven. The Classical Era is perhaps the most widely popular and understandable Era we will listen to in this class. This is probably why most Art Music is referred to as “Classical Music.” I hope you enjoy! The Classical Period (c.1750-1825)The Classical Period was a time of change. Music of the Baroque era was polyphonic in texture, with an emphasis on complexity and constant movement. Here in our Classical Period, we will begin to hear music becoming more lyrical, elegant and homphonically textured. You will be able to hear this in our listening examples’ melodies. The melodies of the Classical Era will be recognizable you as well as catchy and memorable! The Classical Era is defined by the life of one of the greatest and most popular composers in music history, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. While Mozart dies before the era truly concludes, his impact is enormous. We will also look at other significant composers such as Haydn and the early works of Beethoven. These big three composers were all centered and composed around Vienna, Austria. Now, let’s review some of the major developments we will listen for in the Classical Era, before we move to discussing these composers in detail. Thematic Development
As I mentioned above, melodies will become more memorable and appealing to the listener. There are a number of in-depth reasons for this outside the scope of this class, but in short, composers composed entire works based around a melody, or theme. They then elaborated on this melodies and varied them throughout a work, developing the theme. You will be able to hear these ideas in the melodies of our pieces from this chapter. New Classical Forms and Genres
In the Classical Era, we will begin to hear the concept of Absolute Music become more popular. Absolute Music is when there is no story or text to accompany the music. The music is the story in itself. The composer did not compose the work with any “program” in mind. This is the opposite of Program Music, which we discussed last module in the context of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. This will become quite a large debate in our next module.We will also have several new genres, such as the Sonata and the Symphony, but I would like to discuss these in the context of our composers and listening examples. I would however like to mention the development of Multi-Movement works in the Classical Era. Several of the pieces we will listen to will have multiple “movements,” or smaller works within them. Each movement within a larger work usually has a different tempo and musical mood than the others. This will be fairly common moving forward in our course. Let’s jump in to discussing our different Classical Era composers and some of their contributions to music! Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Joseph Haydn was born and composed in Austria. He eventually entered the employ of the wealthy Esterhazy family as their in-residence music master. He composed much of his music during this period and lived quite comfortably. This was known as the Patronage System, in which a composer would compose music for the nobility of Europe and would be well taken care of. This was the primary goal of many Classical Era composers and Haydn is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the system. Haydn was revered throughout Europe during his life and we mostly remember his contributions to instrumental music. Haydn pioneered the genre of Chamber Music. We have briefly discussed different musical ensembles in Module 3, but to recap, Chamber Music and Ensembles are small ensembles only using a few select instruments. It is a music meant to take advantage of a small and intimate space with the audience. It is music that is often smaller in scope but larger in expression. Think of it as a smaller “Conversation” between the instruments. The most famous Chamber Ensemble instrumentation is a String Quartet. This consists of 2 violins, a viola and a cello. This is what we will hear below. A Haydn Chamber Music listening example and brief lesson from The Enjoyment of MusicGo to Playlists (Chapter 29- LG 19) and listen to the provided examples. Haydn: String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 33, No. 2 (Joke), IV. As you listen, listen to how the smaller instrumentation compares to some of the larger orchestral works we have heard. Does it feel more defined, smaller and more intimate? Is the melody more listenable and memorable in line with Classical Era ideals?
In addition to Haydn’s contributions to Chamber Music, he also revolutionized composing for the Orchestra. Haydn expanded the size of the orchestra, calling for more musicians and instruments in the orchestra. All instrumental families of the orchestra now have key roles to play. The String family remains at the heart of the ensemble, but Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion were added and developed to add color and impact to the orchestra. Below is a list of the instruments primarily used by Classical Era orchestras after Haydn’s additions.Strings: Violins 1

Boleros were songs of nostalgia about trying to make sense of a lost world. The songs themes were generally about unrequited or impossible love.
Discuss in two of the songs from the musical examples how these feelings of loss, despair and loneliness mirror the lives of migrants, newly urbanized former peasants, and people for whom the world has changed. In 800-words analyze the songs, the music, and compare how each presents a way for listeners to deal with their loneliness.
Some links to material:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN79OzJA0qc Lyrics for “Perdida” (“Lost”)
Perdida, te ha llamado la gente / Lost, they have called you
sin saber que has sufrido con desesperación / without knowing of you desperate suffering
Vencida, quedaste tú en la vida / Defeated, you’ve been in life
por no tener cariño que te diera ilusión / for not having a love that gave you hope
Perdida, porque al fango rodaste / Lost, you’ve rolled in the mud
después que destrozaron / after they shattered
tú virtud y tú honor / your virtue and your honor
No importa que te llamen perdida / I doesn’t matter that they call you lost
yo le daré a tú vida / I’ll give your life
que destrozó el engaño / that’s been betrayed
la verdad de mi amor / the truth of my love.
https://youtu.be/hhNPzLLv4l8 Lyrics to “Piel canela” (“Cinnamon skin”)—composed by Bobby Capó
Verse:
Que se quede el infinito sin estrellas / Let infinity be without stars
o que pierda el ancho mar su inmensidad / or let the deep sea lose its immensity
pero el negro de tus ojos que no muera / but let the darkness of your eyes never die
y el canela de tu piel se quede igual. / your cinnamon skin remain the same.
Si perdiera el arco iris su belleza / If the rainbow should lose its beauty
y las flores su perfume y su color, / and the flowers their fragance and color,
no sería tan inmensa mi tristeza / my sadness would not be as immense
como aquella de quedarme sin tu amor. / Like that of being without your love.
Refrain:
Me importas tú y tú, y tú, / What matters to me is you, and you, and you
y solamente tú y tú, y tú, / and no one else but you…
me importas tú y tú, y tú, / what matters to me is you, and you, and you
y nadie más que tú. / and no one else but you.
Ojos negros, piel canela, / Dark eyes, cinnamon skin,
que me llegan a desesperar, / that drive me crazy,
me importas tú y tú, y tú, / what matters to me is you, and you, and you
y nadie más que tú. / and no one else but you.
https://youtu.be/rgPKjeV2e2s Lyrics for Obsesíon:
Por alto esta el cielo en el mundo,For as high as the sky is over the worldpor hondo que sea el mar profundo,for as deep as is the deepest seano habrá una barrera en el mundothere is no barrier in the worldque un amor profundothat a deep loveno pueda romper.won’t break. Amor es el pan de la vida,Love is the bread of lifeamor es la copa divina,love is a sacred chaliceamor es un algo sin nombrelove is a nameless somethingque obsesiona a un hombrethat obsseses a manpor una mujer.for a woman. Yo estoy obsesionado contigoI’m obsesed with youel mundo es testigo de mi frenesí,the world is witness to my madnesspor más que se oponga el destinono matter how destiny opposses usserás para mí.you’ll be mine. Por alto esta el cielo en el mundo,For as high as the sky is over the worldpor hondo que sea el mar profundo,For as high as the sky is over the worldno habrá una barrera en el mundothere is no barrier in the worldque un amor profundothat a deep loveno rompa por ti.won’t break for you. Yo estoy obsesionado contigoI’m obsesed with youel mundo es testigo de mi frenesíthe world is witness to my madnesspor más que se oponga el destinono matter how destiny opposses usserás para mí.you’ll be mine. Por alto esta el cielo en el mundo,For as high as the sky is over the worldpor hondo que sea el mar profundo,for as deep as is the deepest seano habrá una barrera en el mundothere is no barrier in the worldque un amor profundothat a deep loveno rompa por ti.won’t break for you. https://youtu.be/_hWRPDD8c6U Lyrics for Rafael Hernández’s “Silencio”
Duermen en mi jardínThey sleep in my garden las blancas azucenas,the white lilieslos nardos y las rosas.the nards and the rosesMi alma, muy triste y pesarosa,My sad and sorrowful soula las flores quiere ocultarwants to hide from the flowers su amargo dolor.its bitter pain. Yo no quiero que las flores sepanI don’t want the flowers to know los tormentos que me da la vida.the anguish that’s my lifeSi supieran lo que estoy sufriendo,If they knew of my sufferingDe pena morirían también.of sorrow they’ll also die. Silencio, que están durmiendoSilence, they asleepLos nardos y las azucenas.The nards and the liliesNo quiero que sepan mis penas,I don’t want them to know my sorrowsPorque si me ven llorando morirán.Because if they see me crying they’ll die. Silencio, que están durmiendoSilence, they are asleepLos nardos y las azucenasThe nards and the liliesNo quiero que sepan mis penas,I don’t want them to know my sorrowsPorque si me ven llorando morirán.Because if they see me crying they’ll dieDe penas morirán… también.of sorrows they’ll die, also die.https://youtu.be/FxU3PQV4BW0 Lyrics for “¿Que sabes tú?, composed and sung by Myrta Silva

Tú no sabes nada de la vida You don’t know a thing about life tú no sabes nada del amor you don’t know a thing about love eres como nave a la deriva you are like a ship adrift
que va por el mundo sin razón. that sails the world without reason. ¿Que sabes tú, lo que es estar enamorada?What do you know, what’s to be in love?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es vivir ilusionada?What do you know, what’s to have an Illusion?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es sufrir por un cariño?What do you know, what’s to suffer for a caress?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es llorar igual que un niño?What do you know, what’s like to cry like a child?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es pasar la noche en vela?What do you know, what’s to spend a sleepless night? ¿Que sabes tú, lo que es querer, sin que te quieran?What do you know, what’s to love, and not be loved back?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es tener la fe perdida?What do you know, what’s to have lost faith?¿Que sabes tú, si tú no sabes nada de la vida?What do you know, if you don’t know thing about life? ¿Que sabes tú, lo que es pasar la noche en vela?What do you know, what’s to spend a sleepless night? ¿Que sabes tú, lo que es querer sin que te quieran?What do you know, what’s to love and not be loved back?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es tener la fe perdida?What do you know, what’s to have lost faith?¿Que sabes tú, si tú no sabes nada de la vida?What do you know, if you don’t know thing about life?

Boleros were songs of nostalgia about trying to make sense of a lost world. The songs themes were generally about unrequited or impossible love.
Discuss in two of the songs from the musical examples how these feelings of loss, despair and loneliness mirror the lives of migrants, newly urbanized former peasants, and people for whom the world has changed. In 800-words analyze the songs, the music, and compare how each presents a way for listeners to deal with their loneliness.
Some links to material:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN79OzJA0qc Lyrics for “Perdida” (“Lost”)
Perdida, te ha llamado la gente / Lost, they have called you
sin saber que has sufrido con desesperación / without knowing of you desperate suffering
Vencida, quedaste tú en la vida / Defeated, you’ve been in life
por no tener cariño que te diera ilusión / for not having a love that gave you hope
Perdida, porque al fango rodaste / Lost, you’ve rolled in the mud
después que destrozaron / after they shattered
tú virtud y tú honor / your virtue and your honor
No importa que te llamen perdida / I doesn’t matter that they call you lost
yo le daré a tú vida / I’ll give your life
que destrozó el engaño / that’s been betrayed
la verdad de mi amor / the truth of my love.
https://youtu.be/hhNPzLLv4l8 Lyrics to “Piel canela” (“Cinnamon skin”)—composed by Bobby Capó
Verse:
Que se quede el infinito sin estrellas / Let infinity be without stars
o que pierda el ancho mar su inmensidad / or let the deep sea lose its immensity
pero el negro de tus ojos que no muera / but let the darkness of your eyes never die
y el canela de tu piel se quede igual. / your cinnamon skin remain the same.
Si perdiera el arco iris su belleza / If the rainbow should lose its beauty
y las flores su perfume y su color, / and the flowers their fragance and color,
no sería tan inmensa mi tristeza / my sadness would not be as immense
como aquella de quedarme sin tu amor. / Like that of being without your love.
Refrain:
Me importas tú y tú, y tú, / What matters to me is you, and you, and you
y solamente tú y tú, y tú, / and no one else but you…
me importas tú y tú, y tú, / what matters to me is you, and you, and you
y nadie más que tú. / and no one else but you.
Ojos negros, piel canela, / Dark eyes, cinnamon skin,
que me llegan a desesperar, / that drive me crazy,
me importas tú y tú, y tú, / what matters to me is you, and you, and you
y nadie más que tú. / and no one else but you.
https://youtu.be/rgPKjeV2e2s Lyrics for Obsesíon:
Por alto esta el cielo en el mundo,For as high as the sky is over the worldpor hondo que sea el mar profundo,for as deep as is the deepest seano habrá una barrera en el mundothere is no barrier in the worldque un amor profundothat a deep loveno pueda romper.won’t break. Amor es el pan de la vida,Love is the bread of lifeamor es la copa divina,love is a sacred chaliceamor es un algo sin nombrelove is a nameless somethingque obsesiona a un hombrethat obsseses a manpor una mujer.for a woman. Yo estoy obsesionado contigoI’m obsesed with youel mundo es testigo de mi frenesí,the world is witness to my madnesspor más que se oponga el destinono matter how destiny opposses usserás para mí.you’ll be mine. Por alto esta el cielo en el mundo,For as high as the sky is over the worldpor hondo que sea el mar profundo,For as high as the sky is over the worldno habrá una barrera en el mundothere is no barrier in the worldque un amor profundothat a deep loveno rompa por ti.won’t break for you. Yo estoy obsesionado contigoI’m obsesed with youel mundo es testigo de mi frenesíthe world is witness to my madnesspor más que se oponga el destinono matter how destiny opposses usserás para mí.you’ll be mine. Por alto esta el cielo en el mundo,For as high as the sky is over the worldpor hondo que sea el mar profundo,for as deep as is the deepest seano habrá una barrera en el mundothere is no barrier in the worldque un amor profundothat a deep loveno rompa por ti.won’t break for you. https://youtu.be/_hWRPDD8c6U Lyrics for Rafael Hernández’s “Silencio”
Duermen en mi jardínThey sleep in my garden las blancas azucenas,the white lilieslos nardos y las rosas.the nards and the rosesMi alma, muy triste y pesarosa,My sad and sorrowful soula las flores quiere ocultarwants to hide from the flowers su amargo dolor.its bitter pain. Yo no quiero que las flores sepanI don’t want the flowers to know los tormentos que me da la vida.the anguish that’s my lifeSi supieran lo que estoy sufriendo,If they knew of my sufferingDe pena morirían también.of sorrow they’ll also die. Silencio, que están durmiendoSilence, they asleepLos nardos y las azucenas.The nards and the liliesNo quiero que sepan mis penas,I don’t want them to know my sorrowsPorque si me ven llorando morirán.Because if they see me crying they’ll die. Silencio, que están durmiendoSilence, they are asleepLos nardos y las azucenasThe nards and the liliesNo quiero que sepan mis penas,I don’t want them to know my sorrowsPorque si me ven llorando morirán.Because if they see me crying they’ll dieDe penas morirán… también.of sorrows they’ll die, also die.https://youtu.be/FxU3PQV4BW0 Lyrics for “¿Que sabes tú?, composed and sung by Myrta Silva

Tú no sabes nada de la vida You don’t know a thing about life tú no sabes nada del amor you don’t know a thing about love eres como nave a la deriva you are like a ship adrift
que va por el mundo sin razón. that sails the world without reason. ¿Que sabes tú, lo que es estar enamorada?What do you know, what’s to be in love?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es vivir ilusionada?What do you know, what’s to have an Illusion?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es sufrir por un cariño?What do you know, what’s to suffer for a caress?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es llorar igual que un niño?What do you know, what’s like to cry like a child?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es pasar la noche en vela?What do you know, what’s to spend a sleepless night? ¿Que sabes tú, lo que es querer, sin que te quieran?What do you know, what’s to love, and not be loved back?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es tener la fe perdida?What do you know, what’s to have lost faith?¿Que sabes tú, si tú no sabes nada de la vida?What do you know, if you don’t know thing about life? ¿Que sabes tú, lo que es pasar la noche en vela?What do you know, what’s to spend a sleepless night? ¿Que sabes tú, lo que es querer sin que te quieran?What do you know, what’s to love and not be loved back?¿Que sabes tú, lo que es tener la fe perdida?What do you know, what’s to have lost faith?¿Que sabes tú, si tú no sabes nada de la vida?What do you know, if you don’t know thing about life?

For Essay #3, decide which musical work you would nominate for the Pulitzer Prize. The work does not need to be from the 2020s.

Research the criteria for nomination on Pulitzer’s official site: https://www.pulitzer.org

1. Provide an overview of the nominee’s creative background and output, and your rationale for the nomination. Your rationale should consider the work’s purpose, type-specific expectations, originality, composer’s and performer’s skill, and the work’s contribution to society.

2. Provide a detailed descriiption of at least two works by the nominee: the inspiration and context of the composition; when and where it was premiered; the performance force, form, and notable musical parameters.

3. Include a URL to the performance of the work where available.

Please include footnotes in the body of the essay on any sources you consulted, as well as a bibligiography. For proper citation, consult Purdue OWL: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html

Your essay should be a minium of 600 words in length (please include a word count). Please provide an original title, write in complete sentences, indent paragraphs, and proofread. Your essay will be graded on content and style. Submit the completed essay in word document only to the Assignment Portal on Bb before the end of the day on April 22. All assignment turned in after that time will be subject to the course’s late work grading policy.

Discuss a contemporary artist (in any genre)
who you think has been influenced by what might be considered an
unusual source of inspiration (an example may be a country artist who is
influenced by classical music). Describe—in an original post of 200
words minimum—the influence in the particular artist you choose. If
possible, include a link to a song by your chosen artists that
exemplifies the influence you describe. My chosen artist is Andrea Bocelli