CONCERT REPORT

Part of our syllabus includes a concert report. The intention is that you will invest a few hours in listening to live music, followed by writing a report that includes both a description and a response to your experience. Several opportunities to attend local concerts of world music will be announced over the course of the semester. It is your responsibility to attend and report on a different concert if none of these are suitable. Details and directions will be mentioned in class; please feel free to announce a concert opportunity if you know of one.

Report:

In a report of at least three pages give a detailed description of the concert event you attended. Special consideration should be given to three main areas of observation: the Place, the People, and the Music.

In the category of Place, please observe all the environmental conditions you can, including the season, the neighborhood, time of day, the architecture, the seats and the equipment. You can include temperature and ambient sound as well, if you like.

In the category of People please observe yourself, the audience, performers, functionaries, technicians, etc that you see around you. Who are these people, how do they behave? Observe, dress, communication and cues among the performers and staff. Make notes on your own train of thought, and what happens to you when you listen.

In the category of Music, please address the tempo, meter, genre, form, instrumentation, and all other aspects of musical structure, together with the feelings and associations they evoke in you and in other listeners.

Use the time before and after the concert to observe and collect data. You may accompany your report with research, interviews, concert programs, sketches, and photographs or recordings, if you have permission.