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Music Appreciation
Dr. Peter LaRue

"Designed for the Betterment of 8:00 Scholars Everywhere"

Mini-Module One  

The material which follows will serve as the framework of our lectures and discussions 
for Mini-Module One. This material is presented in a format which will enable you 
to easily printout a copy which you might choose to do as we begin the Mini-Module, 
however, you certainly will want to printout this material prior to MTI [Mini-Test One]
which is a Real-Time experience.

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Music in Society

Need for Music in our Lives and Support for the Arts in General
.....Liberal Arts Education
.....Civilizations known by their arts in general/music in particular
....."technocracy" of today's society
.....community leaders - support of the arts
.....loss of government funding, etc.
.....how you raise your children

How we listen to/utilize Music in our society

[please note there is a certain "cross-over" between these three categories]

.....Music as Memory [Reminder/Referential]

When we choose to listen to music or music is used to "remind" us of other places or events.
Examples would include an Alumnus hearing their Alma Mater, hearing a song which reminds us of "first-love", nostalgia invoked by a Christmas Carol

.....Music as Communication  

Historically, music was oft-used as a communication tool. Bugle calls in the military or particular percussion "cadences" are strong examples of music's use as a communicative tool. In modern society, music continues to be used to convey particular messages, ideas or feelings. Patriotic feelings, ideas or thoughts of a particular holiday or season, commercials, and the rites and rituals of society are examples.

.....Music as Background

Perhaps the most pervasive uses of music today - are in a subordinate, background role. Today's technology [i.e. CD's, DVD's, tapes, web sources] provide an unparalleled opportunity for music to be "around us" virtually all of the time. Whether it is "muzak" in a store, or listening to the radio while you shower; whether it is a soft radio playing at the Dentist's office or listening to a CD while you drive, music is with us much/most of the time.

Understanding Music

The Elements of Music [that of which music is comprised - the "building blocks" of music]

Rhythm
.....the beat or the pulse
      organization of sound and silence - temporal relationships
Melody
.....the tune
     horizontal structure
 Texture
.....that of which the music is comprised
     "fabric" of the sound - instruments, voices, etc.
Harmony
.....the chords
     vertical structure
 Form
.....the game plan of the piece
      overall structure [Binary-AB, Ternary-ABA, etc.]

Musical Factoids
 Clefs [notational device]
 .....treble clef - g clef
.....bass clef - f clef
.....moveable c clef [may be either alto or tenor clef]
Dynamics [overall volume - density of sound - how loud or soft the music is]
.....piano (soft)
.....forte (loud)
.....mezzo (medium)
Tempo [speed of the music]
.....largo - very slow [MM=40-66]
.....adagio - slow [MM=66-76]
.....andante - medium/walking tempo [MM=76-108]  
     [Moderato covers the middle ground of about 108-120]
.....allegro - fast [MM=120-168]
.....presto - very fast [MM=168 and up]
     [and there are many, many variations of these - i.e. allegretto, prestissimo, etc]

     MM=Maezel Metronome
     [MM=120 - 120 beats per minute or MM=86 - 86 beats per minute]

Concert Etiquette
[some thoughts, suggestions and standards regarding concert attendance]
.....Manner of dress
.....Respect for the artist(s)
.....Pre-Applause for concertmaster [orchestral setting]
.....Pre-Applause for conductor [ensemble setting]
.....Pre-Applause for soloist [solo setting]
.....Generally accepted applause levels
     polite applause, applause over head, bravo, bravissimo, throw flowers 
     [always be polite, respectful, but HONEST in your response]
.....Importance of program notes
.....Generally accepted precedents/mis-held myths  

Some More Definitions, Amplification & Factoids
 
 Melody.....sequence of tones
.....stepwise - diatonic
.....skipwise - intervallic
Rhythm.....organization of sound, pulse, beat
.....duple - 2/4 - divisible by two - [i.e. march]
.....triple - 3/4 - divisible by three - [i.e. waltz]
Harmony.....relationships of intervals and chords
.....Modes
      major [happy/uplifting]
      minor [sad/gloomy]
.....consonance [feeling of rest] 
.....dissonance [feeling of unrest]
Texture.....fabric of the sound, nature of sounds, timbres
.....monophonic
     one single line/idea at a time [Gregorian Chant]                          
.....polyphonic
     many independent lines/ideas at the same time
.....homophonic
     middle ground - one idea supported by harmony
Form.....shape or design of the piece of music [Macroforms]
.....binary - AB
.....ternary - ABA
.....rounded binary/ballad/ballade - AABA
.....rondo - ABACADA...
.....many others..........

Issues of contrast                             
.....unifying elements 
.....contrasting elements
      same - different -----light - dark ----- loud - soft ------ high - low

Form: The Shape of Music - Repetition, Variation and Contrast
.....Examples of Form in our daily lives
     human body, trees [theme and variation]
     paintings [contrast light and dark]
     buildings [preface for field trip]
.....repetition; same or similar elements over and over
.....variation;  same element with slight modifications
.....contrast;   varying elements

.....Repetition: Strophic Forms - repeated phrase or melody
     strophic: same melody repeated, different verses [i.e. tune stays the same/words change]

[Field Trip #1 - Look for repeated/contrasting elements in architecture]
[need Repeated/Contrasting Elements handout for completion]

approximate time for MTI [aka Mini-Test One]
Real Time

Thanks
Peter LaRue