Writing Claims and Evidence About Music
When creating a claim when listening to musical examples, please be sure to include:
(a.) The COMPOSITION TITLE and COMPOSER OR PERFORMER;
(b.) Underline the VOCABULARY TERM used in the claim;
(c.) “Place an ACTION, DESCRIPTION or VERB about the vocabulary term in quotation marks;”
(d.) [Place the OUTLINE of what you are going to prove / WHAT is happening in brackets.]
When listing the evidence that supports the claim created for the musical example, please list for each piece of evidence:
(a.) Underline WHAT is happening;
(b.) “Place WHEN it is happening in quotation marks;”
(c.) [DESCRIBE the musical moment / Relating to the vocabulary word used in the claim in brackets.]
(a.) The COMPOSITION TITLE and COMPOSER OR PERFORMER;
(b.) Underline the VOCABULARY TERM used in the claim;
(c.) “Place an ACTION, DESCRIPTION or VERB about the vocabulary term in quotation marks;”
(d.) [Place the OUTLINE of what you are going to prove / WHAT is happening in brackets.]
When listing the evidence that supports the claim created for the musical example, please list for each piece of evidence:
(a.) Underline WHAT is happening;
(b.) “Place WHEN it is happening in quotation marks;”
(c.) [DESCRIBE the musical moment / Relating to the vocabulary word used in the claim in brackets.]
"O Fortuna" from "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff
Claim About Dynamics:
The form of O Fortuna by Carl Orff was outlined by the "changing" dynamics; [beginning loud, a second large section was soft, and it finished again with a loud sound.]
Evidence About Dynamics:
This performance “begins” with a loud sound, featuring [the choir and the full orchestra.] “After a large rest,” [the strings and voices] perform at a soft volume. “The third and final large phrase” is performed very loudly by [the entire ensemble.]
Claim About Texture:
The texture of O Fortuna by Carl Orff "ranged" from [thick to thin, and then back to thick again.]
Evidence About Texture:
[Every instrument in the full orchestra and the entire choir] were performing together during the “first large phrase,” creating a thick texture. “After a large rest” there were less layers of sound, produced by only the [choir and string instruments.] The “coda material” was a very full texture as the [choir and string instruments were joined by the percussion and brass instruments.]
Claim About Dynamics:
The form of O Fortuna by Carl Orff was outlined by the "changing" dynamics; [beginning loud, a second large section was soft, and it finished again with a loud sound.]
Evidence About Dynamics:
This performance “begins” with a loud sound, featuring [the choir and the full orchestra.] “After a large rest,” [the strings and voices] perform at a soft volume. “The third and final large phrase” is performed very loudly by [the entire ensemble.]
Claim About Texture:
The texture of O Fortuna by Carl Orff "ranged" from [thick to thin, and then back to thick again.]
Evidence About Texture:
[Every instrument in the full orchestra and the entire choir] were performing together during the “first large phrase,” creating a thick texture. “After a large rest” there were less layers of sound, produced by only the [choir and string instruments.] The “coda material” was a very full texture as the [choir and string instruments were joined by the percussion and brass instruments.]
Musical Forms and Musical Genres
We will study a variety of musical forms and musical genres in this class. Below is a list of musical excerpts studied during our Music Appreciation unit in class. There are also compositions on this list that we do not study in class but reinforce genres and musical forms we do study. Click on the song title to listen to the recordings.
1. "Bonse Aba," a traditional Zambian folksong, arranged by Andrew Fischer, performed by the 2013 Broome County Music Educators Association High School Festival Chorus. This song is an example of the form Call and Response.
2. "Come Sail Away," a classic rock song, written by Dennis DeYoung, performed by the band STYX. The beginning of this song is an example of the form Layering.
3. "Fanfare for the Common Man," written by Aaron Copland, performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Louis Lane. The percussion (mainly the gong) breaks up the phrases, but this song is an example of the form Layering.
4. "O Music," written by Lowell Mason, performed by the Handel and Haydn Society's VAP Combined Choirs in December 2012. Mason, deemed the Father of Music Education in America, was the the first Superintendent of Boston Public Schools to mandate music education. This song is in the form of a Round.
5. "Jubilate Deo," written by Michael Praetorius, performed by the Ithaca Children's Choir Combined Choirs in November 2005. This song is in the form of a Round.
6. "Non Nobis Domine," written by William Byrd and edited by Jean Ashworth Bartle, performed by the Western New York Children's Chorus. Some entrances of the main theme start on different pitches. This song is in the form of a Canon.
7. "Canon in D Major," written by Johann Pachelbel, officially titled "Canon and Gigue in D Major, T.337: I. Canon," performed by the Orchestre de Chambre, conducted by Jean-Francois Paillard. By the nature of the title of this composition, this song is a Canon.
8. "Yellow Submarine," written by Paul McCartney, was performed and recorded by The Beatles for their 1966 album "Revolver." This song is written in the form of Verse / Refrain.
9. "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, titled here as "Serenade #13 in G, K525," performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karl Bohm. This composition is in the musical form of ABA, or more specifically AABA.
10. "March (from "The Nutcracker")," written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by the Royal Opera House Orchestra, conducted by Mark Ermler. This movement from "The Nutcracker" is in the Rondo musical form (or more specifically, ABACABA).
11. "What's It All About," written by Samrat Chakrabarti, is performed by Five O'Clock Shadow. This selection is in the musical genre of popular/contemporary a cappella music. Only the human instrument is featured in this recording! This song is written in the form of Verse / Refrain.
1. "Bonse Aba," a traditional Zambian folksong, arranged by Andrew Fischer, performed by the 2013 Broome County Music Educators Association High School Festival Chorus. This song is an example of the form Call and Response.
2. "Come Sail Away," a classic rock song, written by Dennis DeYoung, performed by the band STYX. The beginning of this song is an example of the form Layering.
3. "Fanfare for the Common Man," written by Aaron Copland, performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Louis Lane. The percussion (mainly the gong) breaks up the phrases, but this song is an example of the form Layering.
4. "O Music," written by Lowell Mason, performed by the Handel and Haydn Society's VAP Combined Choirs in December 2012. Mason, deemed the Father of Music Education in America, was the the first Superintendent of Boston Public Schools to mandate music education. This song is in the form of a Round.
5. "Jubilate Deo," written by Michael Praetorius, performed by the Ithaca Children's Choir Combined Choirs in November 2005. This song is in the form of a Round.
6. "Non Nobis Domine," written by William Byrd and edited by Jean Ashworth Bartle, performed by the Western New York Children's Chorus. Some entrances of the main theme start on different pitches. This song is in the form of a Canon.
7. "Canon in D Major," written by Johann Pachelbel, officially titled "Canon and Gigue in D Major, T.337: I. Canon," performed by the Orchestre de Chambre, conducted by Jean-Francois Paillard. By the nature of the title of this composition, this song is a Canon.
8. "Yellow Submarine," written by Paul McCartney, was performed and recorded by The Beatles for their 1966 album "Revolver." This song is written in the form of Verse / Refrain.
9. "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, titled here as "Serenade #13 in G, K525," performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karl Bohm. This composition is in the musical form of ABA, or more specifically AABA.
10. "March (from "The Nutcracker")," written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by the Royal Opera House Orchestra, conducted by Mark Ermler. This movement from "The Nutcracker" is in the Rondo musical form (or more specifically, ABACABA).
11. "What's It All About," written by Samrat Chakrabarti, is performed by Five O'Clock Shadow. This selection is in the musical genre of popular/contemporary a cappella music. Only the human instrument is featured in this recording! This song is written in the form of Verse / Refrain.
Staged Works
We will study a variety of musical styles in this class. Below is are YouTube clips that contain footage of different staged works of varying musical styles that are studied during our Music Appreciation unit in class.
"Do, Re, Mi," from the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, was written by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. This clip is from the original motion picture, starring Julie Andrews.
"Do, Re, Mi," from the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, was written by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. This clip is from the original motion picture, starring Julie Andrews.
"Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" (a.k.a. The Queen of the Night aria), from the opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This clip is from the Royal Opera House production conducted by Colin Davis, with Diana Damrau as the Queen of Night and Dorothea Röschmann as Pamina.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (alvinailey.org) was founded in 1958 by dancer, choreographer and visionary Alvin Ailey, to bring African-American cultural expression and the American modern dance tradition to the world. Since its debut in 1960, "Revelations" has moved audiences around the world through its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music (African-American Spirituals) - evoking timeless themes of determination, hope, and transcendence. This is the "Water" section of ballet "Revelations."