Posted: October 20th, 2016

What instruments are present? +Pitch�does it vary widely or stay constant and within a narrow range?

Write 2 pages for each of the assignments. The first assignment: Research Your Favorite Instrument On The Web _Decide which instrument you are going to research. _Do research on the selected instrument: Research two (2) sites in each of the five categories listed below. _Submit the 10 sites you have come up with in your research, along with a SHORT paragraph for each category summarizing their content and why they were chosen. ***The categories are: 1. History and/or Manufacturers: Information about well­known makers and the instrument’s history. If you choose the voice, you can obviously skip the manufacturers, and concentrate on the history. 2. Famous Performers: This one is quite self evident. You are not restricted to any particular period or style. For example, if your favorite instrument is guitar, you can choose Eric Clapton and John Williams. 3. Famous composers: Another self evident one. Again, you are not restricted to any particular period or style. One example from the class is the Leonard Bernstein site at the Library of Congress. Did Bernstein, for example, write any pieces for your favorite instrument? 4. Repertoire: What are the most famous pieces written for your chosen instrument? Submit a list of five famous pieces written for the instrument, and two (2) sites that were sources for the information. Here’s a site that might help: www.naxos.com 5. Famous Orchestras: Your favorite instrument will likely, but not necessarily, be part of a traditional symphony orchestra like the one you studied in the Orchestral Timbres class. You should submit and comment on two (2) orchestra websites. ­­­­­ The second assignment: Putting things together _Analyze “A Thousand Years (Piano/Cello Cover) ­ ThePianoGuys” OR your choice of any piece with at least 2 instruments playing. **Your analysis should include: 1. The number of different musical ideas in the piece (can we say, for example, that there are two ideas A, and B? Or is there only one?) 2. The timings (start and stop times) of the different sections of the piece. (Hint: Listen for changes in musical ideas and timbre, e.g. points where different instruments come in or give way to others) 3. How UNITY and VARIETY are exemplified in those sections through the use of: +Dynamics (Listen for changes and use Italian words; when is the piece louder than at other times?) +Timbre (Listen for changes in timbres as well as the constants that are always there). What instruments are present? +Pitch�does it vary widely or stay constant and within a narrow range? +Rhythm (What is the meter? Duple (two­ or four­beat) or Triple (three­beat)? Is it constant throughout? What is the tempo? Is this tempo constant throughout?) +Melody�is there a recognizable or singable melody present? Does it recur in whole or part? If so, where? +Harmony (is the harmony major or minor?)