“Listening Guides

For Assignment 1:
Select one of the “Listening Guides” assigned from the textbook from LG2 through to LG7
(chose one of the 6). Don’t select any of the examples without the label “LG.”
The following examples will NOT be accepted for Assignment 1: any of the “Encounter”
examples, the NAWM8 examples, the “Part 2 Style Exercise” or LG8, LG9, LG10, LG11, LG12,
LG13, LG14, LG15, LG16, LG17, LG18
For Assignment 2:
Select one of the “Listening Guides” assigned from the textbook from LG8 through to LG18
(chose one of the 11). Don’t select any of the examples without the label “LG.”
The following examples will NOT be accepted for Assignment 2: any of the “Encounter”
examples, the NAWM8 examples, the “Part 2 Style Exercise” or LG2, LG3, LG4, LG5, LG6,
LG7
For Both:
In approximately 500 words, indicate your level of enjoyment of the piece(s) in the listening
guide. This can be a range of reactions from immediate captivation through curiosity, mild
pleasure, complete ambivalence, confusion, mild annoyance to revulsion (!) and all the degrees
in between.
Reflect on your feelings about the music, drawing on the vocabulary and ideas used in the
class (lectures, reading assignments, etc.). Your assignment will be graded based on such
features as the quality and accuracy of your writing, thoughtfulness, evidence of the
considerations provided below, originality and compelling reasoning.
Include in your reflection why you feel the way you do about the music, moving beyond mere
assertions that you like, do not like or are ambivalent about the piece. Please provide an
HONEST assessment of your reaction. Attempts to “impress the instructor” with manufactured
“love” of the music will not be beneficial to the development of your own personal awareness
(and ability to articulate it) or to the instructor’s understanding of his students’ true feelings.
The more accurately the instructor can understand his students’ sincere perspectives, the
better he can pursue meaningful teaching, both now and in the long term.
That being said, if you are immediately captivated by particular examples, don’t hesitate to say
so (if that is your honest reaction!).
In preparation for this assignment examine and reflect on all the materials provided in the
“Listening Guide” (for the one in the Ebook, but all the other materials are good too) and any
relevant material in other related listening examples or readings (textbook or primary source).
Include in your commentary some reflection on the following exercise:
Listen to the piece from beginning to end at least once a day over at least 4 days. When you
listen, eliminate other distractions (i.e. don’t listen when you are doing another activity) so you
can devote your full attention to the music. Record your reactions on each listen.
Does your opinion of the music change from day to day? If so, does it change significantly or
only slightly? Why do you think your opinion changes or does not change?