Final Essay Instructions

The Final Essay

Introduction

You've had a semester in the SoM FYS in which you've had a number of experiences, encountered a lot of new ideas, and participated in planning and producing a musical event.  As we've discussed, now is the time to reflect on all these ideas and experiences, identify what you've learned, and imagine what possibilities you can open up for yourself as a result of your engagement with the readings, discussions, and activities.

If you haven't fully engaged with the readings yet, then now is the time to do that.  (This would not be without precedent; it's not atypical for some students in a course with one major exam to do most of their studying in the last 72 hours or less!)

The links to the readings, websites, and listening lists have been collected here.  (Remember that to access the pdf files, you need to be logged into your DePauw Google Apps account.)

What We've Been Doing, From My Point of View

In putting the class together, my intention has been to introduce you to ideas and experiences based on these premises:

• Traditionally-presented classical music, especially in the form of formal events in concert and recital halls, is, with very few exceptions, becoming less popular.
• Part of the reason for this is that the idea that classical music is at the top of a hierarchy of types of music has lost its dominance, especially with people 50 and younger.  Therefore we live in what Joseph Horowitz named a "post-classical" era.  This doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with classical music, or that it is going to disappear.  It just means that it is going to have to find its way and make itself heard in ways appropriate to contemporary culture (which is always developing).  
• Classical musicians, and classically-trained musicians who also perform other genres of music, are faced with a market in which we need to be innovative in the way we program, present, and market music, looking at other models.
• Classical music is dominated by the idea of "musical works" which we think of as great works of art, and we tend to think of music as those works.  There are many musical cultures, and ways of making music, which do not use fully-composed works.  It's important to experience ways of making music that are not work-centric so we can look at classical music from a wider perspective.  Consequently, we have participated in drum circles and improvised music.  And we've seen that it is very clear that these ways of making music are about relating to each other with and through sound.  
• Every musical event, formal or informal, represents values--aesthetic, philosophical, social, etc.  We may not be aware of them, but they are there.
• Many young musicians are having success with alternative ways of programming and presenting music.
• While it has always been incredibly difficult to get a full-time job playing music, it is even more challenging now.  In order to have performances, whether for love, money, or both, its important to create your own (almost always working together with other people).  

Everything we've read, looked at, and done, has related to the ideas above. 

My hope is that you have begun to shift from working to fit into the existing system, which is not doing so well, to being a participant in creating what's next, the future of music in this post-classical world.  

What I Want From You

So now I want you to communicate with me about what you've learned.  What ideas have had the most impact on you?  What experiences were most valuable?  How do you see yourself participating in creating the future?

Tell me an idea.  Tell me a dream. Tell me a transformational question that you have come to embrace.  

(What do I mean by a transformational question?  One that helps you imagine new possibilities and moves you into discovering things you haven't been taking into account.  For me, two are, "How do we engage new audiences without compromising artistic standards?" and "What ways of relating do I want  to encourage and facilitate at musical events?"  That second question, as I've told you, helped me to reframe the concert series I present as "bringing the community together with friends making music for friends.")

That idea, that dream, that question--that's the main point of your essay. 

Then use quotes from our readings and website we've visited, and experiences we've had, to explain how you got there.

It seems to me that a really good essay would include:

• quotes from at least three different readings
• descriptions of at least three different experiences

and that the essay would be 1000 words or more.  If it's really well written, it could be less.

Update (12/7 1:10 PM): In class we said somewhere between 400 and 10,000 words, and briefly discussed that writing a really good short essay can take a lot more time than a long essay.  The important thing is that your piece shows genuine intellectual engagement with ideas, experiences, and your future/the future of music (or should we say "musicking"?).

Also, we discussed that:

• You may use an informal, conversational tone.  This is not an exercise in third-person, faux-objective, academic writing.  I want to read about your ideas, your imagination, and how what you have read and done has contributed to that.    
• For quotes, paraphrases, and other references, you may simply name the author/title and use a hyperlink, rather than use footnotes or another formal documentation system.  For example: "In Christopher Small's lecture Musicking: A Ritual in Social Space, he asserts that the meaning of a musical event comes not from the pieces performed, but from the relationships present."  

Please submit this electronically, as an attachment, a link to a Google document, or, if you want, as a blog post.  

Questions?

Email me or post as a comment.

• Q. (From Michael) Does it need to be double spaced? A. No.  
• Q. (From a hypothetical student): Do all the usual standards for academic honesty apply to this assignment? A. Yes. Be sure that when you discuss other people's ideas, you credit them and supply a link or other note as appropriate.  When in doubt, document.  
• Q. On the blog you said it's due Tuesday, December 12th. Tuesday is the 11th. Which day is it actually due? A. It's Tuesday.  Sorry about that!

Due? (Notice the correction)

Noon on Tuesday 12/12 12/11 (the end of the final exam period for this class).  That makes it 12/12/12 at 12.  Cool.  12/11/12 at 12, which isn't so cool.      

Really need more time?  Email me for an extension, with a good reason.