MUSC1982 Project Portfolio – to be read in conjunction with the Unit Outline
The Portfolio allows students from diverse backgrounds and experiences to explore the nature of musical expressiveness by engaging in analysis of recorded musical performances. The Portfolio comprises three components (topic proposal, essay, and video presentation) and provides you with a wide choice in selecting the music and performances you wish to analyse—specifically, you can choose any performances of music you wish, but each must be connected or related somehow. Choose two, three or four different recorded musical performances, and compare and discuss aspects you observe to explain what you think contributes to musical expressiveness in performance. Each assignment has comprehensive online instructional videos (“lectures”) and other support materials, and a range of selected readings.
The Portfolio component of this unit is research-based. It is NOT an extension of the personal reflective approach that you may have undertaken in MUSC1981, and nor is it linked with your ensemble performance activities.
The struggle that many students experience is having strong opinions and feelings about what they experience from hearing/seeing a performance, but attempting to articulate these as verifiable facts backed up by research sources. This struggle is worth the effort—it will honeyour research and critical thinking skills. You mantras should be “in performance” and “can I prove that?”
Musical work/s choice:
a. select 2-4 different recordings of the same musical work; or
b. select 2-4 related musical works (e.g., a set of songs, same performer/s, same composer); or
c. select 2-4 works of similar types or genres (e.g., a Samba and Rumba, three distinct types of improvisation, songs from different musicals sung by different artists, etc.).
Ensure that you have neither too few nor too many performances. Two performances are often not enough to make a compelling case, but could be appropriate. Four or five may prevent investigating in enough depth.
Analysis choice:
From the following, choose one or more approaches that matches your personal preference, or that seem a good fit with the performances you have chosen:
1. Music and Texts: Evaluate and describe the relationships and interactions between text(s) (e.g., words, lyrics) and musical elements in different performances of one or more recorded vocal works. These should be related somehow (e.g., same work performed by different artist(s), same artist performing different song(s), songs related by topic or style, etc.). (Tip: Be wary of engaging in analysis of song texts, as that would be a review or literary/poetic elements. Rather, focus upon what the performers do to make these lyrics expressive when they perform.); or
2. Traditional Musical Analysis: Evaluate and describe the relationships and interactions between purely musical elements in the recordings you have chosen. Such elements could include form, part-writing, harmony and tonality (or atonality), dynamics/articulation, notated expressive elements, rhythmic character, and timing and tempo. (Tip: Be wary of engaging in musicological analysis. Rather, focus upon expressiveness in the performances being analysed); or
3. Musical Roles, Interactions and Relationships: Evaluate and describe the relationships and
interactions of the performers’ roles in two to four different recorded performances, and how these create musical expressiveness and impact upon the audience (e.g., you, or the intended audience, or in a recorded live performance).
You may use any publicly recordings available, such as internet sources (e.g., YouTube), CDs or DVDs available in the UWA library, or any other widely and publicly accessible recorded material. You must cite all sources appropriately in your written presentation. Please see advice concerning referencing in Assignment 2 Essay below.
Note: These are not formally accepted approaches to analysis, but have merely been conveniently grouped and articulated as useful methods. Therefore, in your assignments do not refer to these as “Method 1”, Approach 2”, “Analysis Choice 3”, etc. Rather, explain what your methodology is. For example:
I will analyse three of Taylor Swift’s live performances to show how she employs various elements to demonstrate expressivity in performance. Underpinned by research, I will consider aspects of: vocal artistry to enhance the lyrics of the song; presentation of persona via body language and facial expression to convey internal emotion of the singer’s character; and other visual elements such as lighting effects that may enhance overall mood.
SUPER IMPORTANT:
Do NOT focus upon background, composer intentions, high-level musical analysis, and never state something that you cannot prove. While these maybe briefly mentioned (if you have evidence), and maybe important, your focus must be upon musical expressiveness in the performances you have chosen, and your analysis and conclusions must be underpinned by appropriate research.
DO NOT provide a personal viewpoint or a reflective essay as you may have done in MUSC1981. The portfolio component of this unit is predicated upon scholarly research, and not feelings or opinions.
• IMPORTANT for students studying a music major or minor in Western Art Music, or from a literary background, do not engage in analysis of lyrics, poetry, or musicological aspects. No matter how wonderful your writing, or thoughtfulness, or advanced musicological/literary analysis, you will fail any portfolio element that does not address the topic. You need to address what did the performers do in performance and how you know (can prove) that expressivity has occurred.
• TIP for students not used to presenting essays of this type. Start with how you might apply drafting an essay within your primary discipline (e.g., business, science). How would you present facts and evidence? How would you draw objective and meaningful conclusions? Next, consider things you may see, hear, or personally react to within the performance. Finally, clearly link these personal observations with what the evidence/research says t provide a compelling argument.
E.g., don’t do this: ”She sings so beautifully and with such sophistication and control that the audience can almost feel every wordshe sings.” That’s opinion and has no place in this unit.
If you ignore the performance element within any assignment, you will not have addressed the topic and will fail the assignment.
This is the aspect that many students struggle with—how to clearly articulate ideas, feelings, and emotions as verifiable analysis of what occurred, and backed up by research.
Following is actual feedback to a former student. It’s something I find myself providing multiple times every semester:
While I can see where you are heading with your analysis, and the general structure and flow of your essay works well, your focus is upon the composer’s writing style, rather than musical expressiveness IN PERFORMANCE. You do reference the beauty of the performer’s voice, but you don’t indicate how he uses this to create expression — rather, you focus upon the lyrics and the composer’s implied personal intentions. While that’s interesting as background information, it does not address the topic. You started to investigate the performance element with “sings with a rhythmic cadence accompanied by bass strumming which creates a hypnotic vibe”,but don’t provide any discussion, or any evidence of this hypnosis —what specifically occurred, what is a hypnotic vibe (i.e., a definition is needed); and how do you know it occurred for others apart from you? You provide many similar expressions without further evidence of explanation (e.g. “an alluring sensation of tenderness and sincerity” —what is allure, and how is it measured; how do you know he is sincere?). Overall, this does not read as a research project, but a personal reflection/opinion essay. That’sa pity, as you write well, have clearly thought about the musical pieces, and almost made some important points … but you neither addressed nor developed them in the context of the topic.
The Portfolio comprises three parts:
1. Topic Proposal 5%
Your topic proposal allows you to formulate your ideas and choose works for analysis. Key details:
a) Submission: A Word or PDF document via LMS (Submit Assessments | MUSC1982 project proposal Statement) by the due date;
b) Word limit: 200 words;
c) Description: A brief description of the recordings you have chosen, and your reason/s for choosing them;
d) Analysis: An indication of your chosen analysis approach (choose from Analysis Choices 1-3 above or a combination, but use words and not numbers); and
e) Focus: The aspect(s) you will focus on to explore musical expressiveness in the recordings.
• (See the example Taylor Swift paragraph above that may guide you in parts (d) and (e))
2. Essay 25%
Your analysis results in an essay that presents a cogent argument supporting your musical performances choices, applying your analysis choice and reference materials, and a summary or conclusions. Key details:
a) Submission: A Word of PDF document via LMS (Submit Assessments | MUSC1982 Essay) by the due date; and
b) Word limit: 1,500 words if words only (i.e., no charts, drawings, or diagrams), or 1,300- 1,500 words with integrated pictures (i.e., clearly explained charts, drawings, musical examples, or diagrams).
c) Brief introduction: Clearly outline the topic, why you have chosen it, the structure of your discussion, and a statement of your methodological/analysis approach;
d) Body of the paper: Contains either words only, or charts/diagrams/drawings/printed musical
examples supported by text explanations. The content will present a coherent description and explanation of your analysis, be presented in logical sequence, and employ clear paragraphing as appropriate. Sub-headings are preferable, as these enhance flow and readability;
e) Conclusion: Include a succinct and compelling conclusion of your analysis. Aim not to merely summarise, but to draw conclusions;
f) Citations: In addition to the recorded performances that are the focus of your assignment, include at least three research sources within footnotes/endnotes and your Reference list, all of which should be peer-reviewed research of a scholarly nature. (Tip: websites and blogs are rarely scholarly—they can provide additional information, but stick to published research);
g) Reference list: All references cited should apply a style appropriate to your methodological
approach (see http://guides.library.uwa.edu.au/referencinguwa/styles). Chicago 17 citation style. is preferred, but APA is acceptable; and
h) Formatting: Word-processed, double-spaced, Arial or Times New Roman type fonts, 12-point size, standard margins, legible graphics. Please re-read that last sentence. Coloured graphics are acceptable.
3. Video Presentation 10%
In your video presentation you present key elements of your topic, research, and conclusions from your essay. This component allows you to develop skills in video production, editing, on-camera presentation, and creativity. The time limit of 5-minutes duration is deliberate, to ensure that you focus upon what is important. Key details:
a) Submission: Video Presentation via LMS (Submit Assessments | MUSC1982 Video Presentation) by the due date;
b) Slides: Embed a set of (PowerPoint?) slides within a video presentation, which will include words, pictures, sound, videos, or graphics as relevant;
c) Time limit: There is a maximum 5-minute duration. Tip: practice your presentation delivery to ensure it is within the time limit, but not overly hurried;
d) Title slide: Include your Topic title, your name, and student number;
e) Content: Provide a brief introduction and overview of your analysis project, a statement of analysis approach, an outline of findings (most of the video content), and conclusion/s. Embed direct references to the performances you have chosen to analyse, as well as sound/video recordings, and embed research references;
f) Presentation style. There is no fixed standard, but view the exemplars. You may deliver a voice- over audio as background sound to your slides, presenting to camera as if you were presenting to a live class, or a combination of delivery styles that enhance the material presented (best practice). Note that you must present yourself speaking to the camera for part of the presentation to demonstrate that you arepresenting;
g) Examples: Embed music or video examples to illustrate your points. These should be brief excerpts (less than 20 seconds) and be introduced and explained clearly for relevance; and
h) References page (can be one-second duration).