Note: You must work on this assignment independently. To avoid academic dishonesty, do not collaborate with a classmate on your report!

Format

Your report should be a two-to-three page essay (700-900 words). Develop your report on the notes that you made regarding the elements of music and how they were used by the composer-report on what you heard.

Arrange your paper as a formal report, one that has a brief introduction that summarizes your findings and a body that develops, explains, and justifies them. Your introduction should identify the type of concert, its location, date, and the principal performers. Be brief-most of your discussion should be on the music.

In the paper's body, focus on two or three pieces in detail. Discuss the musical elements that were most significant (rhythm and texture for this class!) and cite specific examples which support your statements. It can also be revealing to trace a particular element's use throughout a piece, particularly if contrasting or recurring treatments of the element project a sense of form or growth. Each paragraph should discuss a major point you are trying to make. Do not try to tell absolutely everything you heard-focus on aspects which are truly worth mentioning.

The other pieces in the concert can be summarized in a paragraph or two.

Format:

• Typewritten (computer or typewriter) double-spaced on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper
  
  
• Do not use erasable paper--correct with Liquid paper or correction strips
  
  
• Use one-inch margins at the top and on the sides, slightly larger at the bottom
  
  
• Put your name and the page number in the upper right-hand corner of each page, one line above the first line of text and justified against the left margin (or use a header on computer)
  
  
• Include a cover sheet. It should have a title, centered almost halfway down the page. In the lower right corner, list your name, the course, and the date
  
  
• Please staple your paper in the upper left corner to hold materials together. (Do not crimp the corners or use report covers, paper clips, etc.)
  
  
  

Carefully proof read your paper before submitting to check for typographical errors, misspellings, and errors of grammar, punctuation, or expression. Reading the paper out loud is a good way to check for mistakes.

Check out Writing Tips for Reports!


Here's a sample music report from a previous semester