Musical elements of a non-Western music.
Goal: The goal of this forum is to explore the history, culture, instruments and musical elements of a specific
style of non-Western music.
Course Objectives:
CO-2: Apply musical terminology, concepts and critical listening skills to a given major composer and style of
music.
CO-3: Analyze the social, political, and cultural influences on Western and non-Western music.
CO-4: Examine different styles of music found around the world.
Description:
In this project, you will create an informative website featuring the traditional music of a specific non-Western
culture that is not covered in Chapter 8 of the course text. (Note that the term "world music" in the context of
this assignment refers to music that is not based in the Western tradition of music. See below for more
information about choosing a topic.) A link to your completed website will be posted to the WK8 “Let’s Explore
the World through Music” Forum.
You will be building your website using www.wix.com, which is free and easy to use. Wix features user-friendly
drag and drop technology, so you can easily change or customize your website. All that is required is to set-up
an account using your email address and password. Here is a beginner's guide for creating Wix websites.
There is also a good video explanation of building a website with Wix. Wix also has an excellent Help Center to
address any questions you have while creating your website.
The website should include the following:
1. A summary of the chosen culture including a short history.
2. A brief explanation of some beliefs and traditions of the culture.
3. Description of the instruments used in that culture’s music.
4. Explanation of the key attributes of the culture’s music, including melody, harmony, timbre, texture, rhythm
and form.
5. Specific introduction to one piece of music from the culture. Include at least one example of the music, such
as through linking to YouTube performances. Be sure to include a description of the musical example.
The above elements can either be included on one page of your website or separated into different pages.
Include your name on your website. Your website should include photos and video (either linked or embedded).
Embedded photos and videos need to be cited.
Your choice of world music must be a style of traditional music that is non-Western or not from the Western
tradition of music, therefore avoid choosing styles of music from the U.S., Canada, or Europe, including Jazz or
any type of pop music (including hip hop). For example, a pop or rock band from Europe or Japan would not be
appropriate for this assignment. Celtic or Irish music are also not appropriate styles of music because these
are European styles of music. Also, because most students are already familiar with Reggae music, do not
choose Reggae for your topic.
There are hundreds of styles of music from each continent that are not covered in the course materials. For
example, Dagomban and Ewe music is covered in the Africa section of our e-text. This music is from Ghana,
but there are other tribes in Ghana, who have a unique style of music. Another example is Southeast Asia.
Javanese and Balinese music is in the course reading, but there are many Southeast Asian countries and
cultures that are not addressed in the course materials. If you are not sure if your chosen topic is a style of
non-Western music, contact your instructor, who will provide guidance on your topic selection.
Sources must be valid, academic sources (i.e. Please do not use non-academic websites, such as Wikipedia
or About.com). Your website should not contain more than 15% direct quotes and direct quotes must be in
quotation marks. Direct quotes and paraphrased material must be cited in the body of the text and in a
reference section.
was like a Soviet coming of age story for Shostakovich. He was forming a Soviet personality Tolstoy states that the first movement presents a crisis of the mind. The second movement provides a period of rest and relief. In the third movement Tolstoy believes the Soviet personality begins to emerge. The finale represents triumph and movement toward optimism. Tolstoy classified the audience reaction as a demonstration by the people that Shostakovich had reformed his musical style. “Our audience is organically incapable of accepting decadent, gloomy, pessimistic art. Our audience responds enthusiastically to all that is bright, clear, joyous, optimistic, life-affirming.”[] At this time, Stalin was purging those thoughts and philosophies that did not conform to his ideals of social realism. Many people suffered during the Stalin era. Therefore, this Symphony seemed to evoke many different feelings. To some, it was an illustration of the mourning and loss inflicted by the regime. Many people shed tears during the Largo portion of the Symphony at the first performance because it provided an outlet all that was occurring in their lives under Stalin. The official party line was that the Fifth Symphony displayed a new direction in the composer’s pursuits. It was a transformation that Party had orchestrated. The Party’s support was a demonstration of its power to make an individual conform to its beliefs. In the Fifth Symphony, Shostakovich placated the party yet expressed his feelings and those of the public.
As World War II engulfed the Soviet Union, and Leningrad fell under siege Shostakovich composed the Seventh Symphony. This symphony was completed in December of 1941. However, according to Shostakovich, the Seventh Symphony was conceived prior to the at