Music Through Human Experience

The question that you will be able to prepare ahead of time is worth approximately 30% of the final exam and is one of the following two questions: 1. Pieces of music are often unified by repeated rhythmic patterns. For the following pieces, compare the repeated rhythmic patterns and the ways in which these repeated rhythmic patterns are used: Shango Maru-Bihag 2. Iterative and recursive form are ways in which musicians design pieces of music (cf., e.g., the material for Chapter 14 in the course kit, pp. 164-66 in the hardcopy version). Show how iteration and recursion are used in two of the following pieces: Spring Symphony no. 39 Schwiphti Note that you should answer either question 1 OR question 2. The first sentence of your answer should be exactly the same as the first sentence of the question you choose: ‘Pieces of music … rhythmic patterns.’ OR ‘Iteration and recursion … pieces of music.’ The second sentence of your answer should specify the pieces you are discussing and whether you will focus on similarities and/or differences between the pieces. E.g., an answer to question 1 might have as its second sentence: ‘In Shango and Maru-Bihag, the repeated rhythmic patterns are similar and/or different, and/however the ways in which these repeated rhythms are used are similar and/or different.’ Your second paragraph should elaborate on the second sentence of the first paragraph by specifying the particular similarities and/or differences that you have chosen to emphasize. Your third paragraph should return to the main idea of the second sentence of your first paragraph and summarize the main points of your second paragraph. E.g., for question 1: ‘In summary, the repeated rhythmic patterns of Shango and Maru-Bihag are similar and/or different as follows: …. Moreover, the ways in which repeated rhythmic patterns are used in Shango and Maru-Bihag differ and/or are similar as follows: ….’ Note that in the third paragraph you should not merely repeat all that you have said in the second paragraph. Instead, you should emphasize the most general points you have made in the second paragraph. Because you will be writing your answer in an exam, you should try to be as concise as possible in your answer. Although you will have about an hour for the essay question, you should aim for an answer that requires no more than 300 words.