Posted: February 3rd, 2015

Album Ethnography

Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

Introduction to Music in World Cultures

Assignment #3: Album Ethnography

Due: December 10^th, by 2 p.m.

This course is intended to have you engage with music in a variety of forms. In the first writing project, we initially dealt with how to write about music by exploring a single song. In the second assignment, you investigated a specific performance of your choosing. For this final assignment you will listen to, research, and write about a specific world music album.

Using the directions for access to the music provided below, you will select a world music album and write a 2-4 page essay reflecting on the ideas of music as “music” but also music as representative of culture. Utilizing the skills and feedback you have acquired with previous writing assignments, seek to ask and answer questions about the music of the album you choose. Talk about characteristics of the musical performance as well. The album you choose may point toward particular questions that you can formulate and answer in your essay, but you may wish to think about the following general questions as well: what kind of representation does the album purport to give of its music/culture? Is it meant to be representative of a large cultural group or trend? Is it meant to be unique to a particular musician? Does it represent itself as entertaining or scholarly, or some combination of the two? Does it include field recordings, studio recordings, or a combination of the two? Does that make a difference in the way you listen to it? Position yourself to make a clear thesis statement about what you have questioned and learned and how you will articulate that in your paper.

As with all of your previous papers this term, we ask that you engage with musical concepts from class by selecting three and focusing on how you hear them throughout the album. Write clearly and concisely. Organize your thoughts well in advance of writing so that you can have the best flow throughout your document. You do not have to write about every song on the album individual, but do select a few tracks that stand out to you to engage with them especially. Please utilize the musical vocabulary you have learned this term accurately and appropriately. Note that this is the culminating document from this semester’s work with regard to writing about music—show us what you’ve learned! J

This document is to be:

• 2-4 pages in length
• Contain a minimum of three conceptual ideas from class
• Engage with an album made available at the access point provided below
• Times New Roman, size 12 font, one-inch margins
• Bibliography page with citations

Accessing World Music Albums

You are welcome to find an album on your own. There’s a substantial collection of world music recordings on CD, electronic media, and LP if you roll retro. In any case, you should select an album for which you can access not only the sound files, but also the cover art, liner notes, and any other documentation it has. You should make it clear in your essay why you selected the specific recording you did, including why you think of it as “world music.”

Grading Criteria:

Description: 40%

Three Concepts: 30%

Conclusion: 10%

Grammar/Style/Citation: 20%

TOTAL: 100%

In general,

A-worthy work is insightful, uses correct terminology, engages with the resources, portrays an accurate representation of the sound, and contains very economical writing.

B-worthy work is good, but can show improvement in organization, description, and word choices. Grammar can also be improved.

C-worthy work is average and fulfills the guidelines.

D-worthy work falls short of fulfilling the guidelines.