LaSalle University

"All music has value to someone."

This assignment begins to explore the above concept, and I think that you'll find that sometimes YOU are unwittingly the subject!

Here's the assignment. Choose a day that you will be conscious of when you hear music. Pay attention to every musical sound that you encounter: on your iPod, in the car, in the bookstore, in a passing car, your cell phone ringtone, in a TV commercial, on the radio, through your dorm room walls, EVERYTHING. Create a journal page for that day, keeping track of the following:

1. how many times you hear music

2. the context of the music that you hear (ipod, car, store, etc)

3. the purpose of the music - for active or passive listening

4. every feature that you can actually discern in your "hearing/listening" regarding the elements. Can you hear a beat or rhythm? What instrument(s)? Is there a tune that you recognize or can repeat by humming or singing? Is it an entire "song" or just a 30-second or less clip to draw you in? Was it designed to present something to you (as in a commercial), or were you supposed to either LISTEN to it (active listening) or just hear it as background music (passive listening).

5. Any random thoughts that might come to you as you are aware of the music.

If it is a muffled recording through a dorm room wall of a neighbor's reggae song, then you might only "fell" the beat/rhythm and not really "hear" the pure sounds. That's OK, just make a note of it. If you're listening to something on your iPod while working out, at what level of active listening are you involved (moving to the beat, singing to time your breathing, or just "background" music while you push)?

I'd like you to have as many examples in your journal as you can - AT LEAST FOUR. If you have not had four musical experiences in one day, please choose to do the assignment on another day, or carry it out over two days.

I want you to be aware of sound. Know that it's going on around you all the time. Try NOT to tune it out. This awareness is a BIG part of the skill part of our class. Just knowing that something is there will help you to pick it out better.

This assignment can be in whatever format works best to organize your thoughts. Paragraph form, spreadsheet layout, etc., just make sure it's organized so that I can make some sense of it!

Please let me know if you have any questions.