Presentations + Statement

DA 134 Listening to Music
Spring Semester Presentation & Statement
Questions? Contact bauyong@cornish.edu

The Group Presentation and Written Statement provide opportunities for you to delve into music to discover ways to strengthen a dance through writing about music, mixing music together, sharing your discoveries and collaborating with colleagues.

Group Presentation

Schedule

• April 26 — Amy/Ellen/Elise/Megan [video]
• April 28 — Arianna/Jamila/Jesse [DVD]
• May 03 — Aubrey/Maggie/Sam/Stephanie [DVD]
• May 03 — Jo/Missa [performance]
• May 03 — Kiana/Meredyth/Rose [PowerPoint]
• May 03 — Hillary/Matt/Susanna/Toni [DVD]
• May 05 — Deborah/Kelly Ann/Lindsay/Will [DVD]
• May 05 — Autumn/Baylee/Colleen/Kat [DVD]

Create your Presentation
As a group, create a presentation that has to do with the environment, war or love. You may want to reference a current event found in The New York Times or on the BBC. There are six class sessions devoted to creating the presentation. From March 29 to April 14, work with your group in the media lab, class room or other location. Have a plan for each session. Focus on the work rather than problems with collaborators. Learn to listen. Everyone is required to attend the check-in on April 19.

For the music, select one musician from each of the three columns below. Remix their music. The audio should be a vital part of your presentation.

Column One
Anthony Davis
Morton Feldman
Osvaldo Golijov
Gyorgy Ligeti
Meredith Monk
Sofia Gubaidulina
Toru Takemitsu
Anton Webern
Iannis Xenakis

Column Two
J.S. Bach
Béla Bartók
John Cage
Aaron Copland
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Madonna
W.A. Mozart
Bob Dylan

Column Three
Musician/Band of your group’s choice

Present your Work
The presentation can be a dance, a pitch, a video or your own invention as long as the group intention is clear. Make your presentation memorable with worthwhile content. Start strong. Grab the class’s attention by sparking interest or offering benefits. Consider starting with your concept, a question, story, quote or statistic. End strong. Conclude with key points. Motivate the class to ask questions, have an emotional response or take action. Presentations will be April 26 to May 5.

Written Statement

Write in-depth about your musical choices and how they function in your presentation.

• You may reference Copland or Cutietta’s criteria for musical elements along with soundscape ideas from Schafer or Shelemay.
• You may discuss the ramifications of ethnicity or gender with examples from Barber-Kersovan, Bartók, McClary, Toop or Reck et al.
• You may write philosophically considering Cage, Smith, Ross or Varese.
• To cite a reading, use (Author page) – e.g. (McClary 138).

Include at least one visual.

• Think about the most effective mid-term handouts.
• An effective visual supports your writing and ideas.
• How can you continue to strengthen the music and dance relationship in your work?
• Draw conclusions from your writing about the choices in for your presentation.
• Discuss effective tactics to communicate about music with dance.
• How will you incorporate what you have learned in your future work?

Grading (15 points total)

Organization

• Ideas are coherent and compelling.
• Each paragraph supports every other part and the paper feels complete.
• Length 3-4 typed pages, double-spaced, using a 12-point font.

Thoughtfulness

• The reader is encouraged to discover new ways to listen to music.
• Your paper speaks honestly to any underlying agendas.
• Your voice is clear, concise, thoughtful, accurate and specific.

Action

• You deal with the layered personal, political, social, economic, psychological or religious contexts of your relationship with music.
• The tensions in your thinking — perhaps riddled with complexities and contradictions — through writing become ways to discover and develop.
• Your Written Statement reflects who you are and what you want to accomplish in the dance field and as a global citizen.

The Written Statement is required from each individual, not the group. For feedback, submit an optional draft of any length due in class April 19, 2011.

The Written Statement is due by noon on May 5, 2011. Turn in the paper during class, via email or in my faculty mail box. No late papers will be accepted.