Final projects: 121
Album Review
121 students will have their own
final project, either one of the following:
·
Write an album review, or a review of a larger collection of a musician or
composer’s work, but they will also describe how their interpretation differs
from other critiques of this music
(at least 2 others). You must choose music that includes lyrics, whether they are
sung, spoken, chanted, or in any other medium. Include a bibliography
where the reader can find the other reviews you read. Some of the
questions that 121
students will address in their critique will be:
·
Why is this album important? (please foreground your own
interpretation rather than other writers’)
·
What interesting interpretations have already been published or
spoken about this music?
Why are they important?
·
What new interpretations, information, or connections with this music can you
offer?
·
In describing the music,
emphasize the lyrics: are the words typical of music in this genre, for these musicians, in
this time period? How so?
·
Parts of the assignment:
·
“Paragraph of Interest” (Blackboard)
·
Proposal (175–250 words) (due ASAP, but no later than 11:59
pm on Wednesday, April 28)
1. Give a brief, preliminary outline for
your work. Why is the music
you have chosen (or the topic you have chosen) important? Try to keep the
reader moving along through the first paragraph, and end by giving the reader a
sense of what music,
work or interpretation has not been offered yet.
2.
In the second paragraph, talk about your evidence a little bit:
which songs will you focus on? Which concepts or ideas are crucial to
what you will say? What new argument or interpretation will you
offer?
3.
End your proposal by briefly saying what we will gain from your
review or critique—how will our way of hearing this music be changed?
·
Annotated Bibliography (due by 11:59 pm on Sunday May 2)
Find at least two reviews of the album or body of music that you wish to critique, and
preferably more. Write a brief metacritique of each
*The entire annotated bibliography should be 200-300 words, including
annotations.
You may reuse ideas and even text from your annotated bibliography in
your album review!
The annotated bibliography counts for 10% of your overall grade.
·
Rough Draft of paper (due 11:59 pm on Tuesday May 11)
You must submit a complete draft of your album/music review, including an introduction, some
musical
description, and a conclusion.
·
Final Draft of paper (due 11:59 pm on May 25 preferably, no later
than 11:59 pm on May 26)
Grading:
·
75% overall content of paper (interesting interpretation, fair and
careful descriptions of other reviews, depth of interpretation, providing
evidence)
·
20% clear, thoughtful organization with strong opening sentences
to paragraphs, flow of ideas, and clear conclusion
·
5% for outstanding overall work
The final draft counts for 20% of your overall grade. I will
take improvements into account (from your rough draft) in your final draft.
Assignments should be submitted to me via email.