Sept 8 2011
Think about the definition of the word “music.” Write down what you think are the essential elements to all music. Can you think of counterexamples for each element? i.e. a piece of music which does not include one or more of the essentials? What makes them essential?
Find 3 examples of recorded music from your own personal music collection which contain something of rhythmic interest to you. List the discographical information (i.e. artist, title, composer, date, etc.) and identify what part is interesting to you in this context, even identifying the time mark (e.g. 4min33sec) to illustrate your point. Think of the phrase “rhythmic interest” in terms of the various time scales we discussed in class, and try to find examples, regardless of style, beyond the rhythmic simplicity found in most Western (and commercial) music. Try to find examples of any of the terms we have discussed in class so far.
Bring your recordings on your AppleTM brand iPod© or other brand of portable music player to play in class. Create a separate playlist of your examples for the sake of expediency.