The Art of Listening
Internal Links - Class Notes - Power Points - Challenges - Assignments - External Links
Last updated 8/14/13.
Thank you all for your attentiveness during the in-class Guitar Recital!
here is the program for the concert.
Recital 4/23/13
YouTube links - please note that I have now fixed them! They work now!
Bach
Mozart
Granados
Rodrigo
Herskowitz-Heald
Barrios
York
Welcome to The Art of Listening! - Please scroll down to see the complete page, including links to the course syllabus, defined terms, Listening Assignments, and various professional and amateur performing organizations.
Current notes (after the midterm exam)
Before the midterm
Definitions of Musical Terms from several different textbooks
Current PowerPoints (after the midterm exam)
Before the midterm
PowerPoints from class
Elements of Music from 3/12/13. Form.
For Other Eyes mp3
Elements of Music from 3/19/13. Form, Program vs. Absolute Music, Vivaldi "Spring" Concerto.
Kennedy performs "Spring".
Notes from 3/26/13. Larger Forms, Vivaldi Spring, Bach Bourree and Sammartini Symphony.
Notes from 3/26/13 through 4/9/13. Larger Forms, Sonata - Allegro Form, Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, 1st Movement.
My Guitar Ensemble at Valley Forge Christian College rehearsing Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Serenade, K. 525, Movement 1
Wow - watch this! Mozart Symphony No. 40 in graph notation. You can follow along with the notes (pitches and rhythms) as you listen! No music reading required!
Notes from 4/30/13. After Beethoven, Twentieth Century, Indeterminacy.
Elements of Music from 1/15/13. Updated to reflect what was covered in class.
Elements of Music from 1/22/13. Includes some ideas for what to expect on the quiz next week.
Elements of Music from 1/29/13. Pitch, frequency, etc.
Elements of Music from 2/5/13. Auto Tune, Timbre, etc.
Elements of Music from 2/12/13 and 2/19/13. Timbre (voices), Dynamics, Compression, etc.
Elements of Music from 2/19/13. Jazz
Ella Fitzgerald sings Duke Ellington's song "Take the A Train" from class 2/19/13.
Links to videos for the in-class recital on 4/23/13.
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as interpreted by PDQ Bach
Refresher on Form from 3/12/13
Harmony, Texture, and Form from 3/12/13 (concentrate on the section on Form).
Form of For Other Eyes from 3/12/13
Concerto and Program Music from 3/19/13. Vivaldi's "Spring" Concerto.
Symphony, Sonata - Allegro Form, Absolute Music from 4/2/13 and 4/9/13. Mozart's Symphony No. 40.
Twentieth Century extremes from 4/30/13.
Elements of Music from 1/15/13.
Elements of Music from 1/22/13.
Elements of Music from 1/29/13 and 2/5/13. Pitch and frequency, decibels, mp3 compression, etc.
Timbre - Instruments from 2/5/13. Skip the part from orchestra seating plan and voices. We did not cover this in class. It will not be on the quiz next week.
Timbre - Instruments from 2/12/13. From Orchestra seating plan to voices.
Elements of Music from 2/12/13 and 2/19/13.
Elements of Music from 2/19/13. Jazz
Listening Assignment No. 1: Due Tues., January 22, 2013 - Music journal for one day, active vs. passive listening.
Listening Assignment No. 2: Due Tues., February 5, 2013 - Choose 3 people to list their top 5 musical selections. Give two examples from each person a cursory listen, and comment on your impressions. Choose your own top 5 musical selections, and identify why each makes the list for you.
Listening Assignment No. 3: Due Tues., February 26, 2013 - Listen to and analyze your favorite piece of music (from your top 5 musical selections).
Listening Assignment No. 4: Due Tues., March 19, 2013 - Listen to and analyze the form and lyrics of your favorite piece of music (from your top 5 musical selections).
Listening Assignment No. 5: Due Tues., April 9, 2013 - Listen to Mozart's work Eine Kleine Nachtmusik for Sonata-Allegro form.
Listening Assignment No. 6: Due Tues., April 30, 2013 - Listen to and analyze your favorite piece of music (from your top 5 musical selections). Since this is the final assignment, please treat it as a summary of
all the terms covered throughout the semester. Discuss general to specific - pitch, duration, dynamics, and timbre, but then go into much more detail on phrases, meter, form, lyrics, word painting, repetition, variation, contrast, etc.
Challenge No. 3 for Listening Assignment No. 6 - Beyonce Pepsi Commercial. The video calls it something, but it is not entirely accurate. What is the name of the song that is being sung?
Challenge No. 2 for Listening Assignment No. 5 - Morning In The City (due 4/9) - Answer: Johann Strauss II, "On The Beautiful Blue Danube". Strauss was known as the "Waltz King" in Vienna.
Challenge No. 1 - in lieu of completing Listening Assignment No. 4. Identify the title of the musical selection in this commercial, and the composer. Due in writing (on paper or by email) by 3/19. Answer: Richard Wagner, "Ride of the Valkyries".
Musical Selections
Santana: "Love Of My Life".
Enrichment links...
Copyrighting a melody and chord progression.
Here's Victor Borge with the Mozart Opera skit
A voice for black classical musicians. Article on Broad Street Review.
New Music Discovery!!
Here is a self-produced album that Zane Matsko, a student of mine, has just finished, and posted for free. It's worth the download!!
Get the album at http://www.mediafire.com/?e3hcvne33c9bji4
I'm on YouTube!! Click here to watch
I'm also YouTube with Anibal Rojas, the awesome saxophonist. Click here to watch!!
My good friend and colleague Anibal Rojas' website. He's just released his debut CD, and someone you know is on it! Listen to the sample for "Lay Down"...
Here are a couple of recordings I made in the fall of 2008 on 3 different guitars. See if you can hear the differences in timbre from one instrument to another.
Bach Bourree and Gigue on Spruce guitar
Bach Bourree and Gigue on Cedar "student" guitar
Bach Bourree and Gigue on Cedar "concert" guitar
Here's a brief quiz to take on concert etiquette - if you have any questions!
Concerts
Temple University calendar for recitals
Monthly Recital calendar for the Curtis Institute of Music
Here's a pdf file of free concerts advertised in the magazine Philadelphia Music Makers.
The LaFayette Symphony Orchestra's "First-Timers" Guide
Delaware Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
Kimmel Center, home of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Free shows at the Kimmel Center!!!
See the schedule
Philadelphia Orchestra website - See this site to find out what and when The Philadelphia Orchestra is performing.
Philly Music site - click on Classical to see what's being performed
Bucks County Symphony Orchestra
Concordia Chamber Players - Doylestown
Temple University Student and Faculty recitals/concerts (most are free!!!)
Ambler Symphony Orchestra
And while I'm at it, here's the YouTube video that I'm on!
In the meantime, you can hear me in a performance of Vivaldi's Spring played on guitar!