don’t write about Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Mozart in general but just analyze music of any one or two movements of this work (no more). Compare their themes,melodies, rhythms, form, dynamics, etc. E.g., is rhythm in a theme often regular or irregular, how large is melodic range of various themes, is tempo of the song
moderate, slow or fast (stable or unstable), does this theme/movement have soft dynamic level or the opposite, etc? Describe character of various themes (is it sad, or
lyric, or dramatic, light, heavy etc.). You can find different types of music analysis in your course book (which you may follow) which is convenient to use. Just
avoid to discuss any personal, historical, religious, medical, political and/or economic issues and concentrate your course paper on discussing music of the chosen
work.
Please don’t forget to submit your bibliography including CD(s) and information from the Internet used (on page 6).
Instructions for Paper
1. Send instructor a concise topic proposal. After the topic and songs are approved students may begin work on the paper. Without approval of the instructor of the
topic and songs the course paper will not be graded.
2. Evaluation of the paper:
a. The paper should be no less than five full pages long, double-spaced (approximately 22 lines per page).
b. However, to receive a grade the paper should be no less than three full pages long and should have a bibliography. Such paper will receive 60 credits. Otherwise,
the paper will not be graded.
c. Writing the paper, students should follow directions which are given by the instructor at the time of his approval. Otherwise, the paper will not be graded.
3. Students may choose any composer or a group of composers/performers; however, don’t write biographies of composers/performers. Rather choose one of his CD(s)
recordings or YouTube from the web and write about one or more of his works. Try not to choose topics which are too general, e.g. “The Symphonies of Beethoven”,
“French Music in the 16th century” or “The History of Jazz in the 1930s”, and the like. Instead of this students may write about one or two movements of a symphony of
Beethoven, or about 1-3 short compositions written in France in the 16th century, or about several jazz compositions which were created in Chicago in the 1930s. It is
also possible (and interesting) to compare several pieces written in different times. E.g., three different jazz compositions: where one of them was created in the
1930s, another in the 1940s, and a final in the 1950s.
4. Students may make an analysis of chosen musical work(s) by listening to music (if they can’t read music or can’t get printed music). It is highly recommended that
students study the analyses which are given in the course textbook and use these techniques when describing their chosen musical work(s).
5. Students need to add a bibliography as the 6th page of their papers, thus consulting all available materials. They should include information they acquired by
reading materials published as a supplement to their CD(s), information borrowed from the Internet (give URL address), information borrowed from dictionaries and books
or articles (e.g. the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians or an encyclopedia of popular music and jazz, and the like) etc. It is an excellent idea for students
to use the Grove Dictionary of Music Online. To use this resource, open “my.Parkland” and click on the “library” of Parkland College; then click on “electronic books”;
then choose the Grove Dictionary of Music Online.
6. Please avoid to write about works which are discussed in your textbooks and about too well-known works, e.g. Fuer Elise, “Moonlight” Sonata, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th
Symphonies of Beethoven, Canon of Pachelbel, 40th Symphony of Mozart, etc.; avoid rap.
7. One should discuss music of entire songs (not samples).
8. There is no one way to write a paper. Every student is allowed to write in his or her own style.
9. If two or more students submit the same topic for the paper, only the first will be accepted.
