OK, I opened my mouth and announced a quiz on Tuesday (2/9), which means now I have to make it up. Making it up is hard, because I have to figure out what I want you to know, then how to pose the questions, then (worst of all) I have to evaluate them! So even though this is sort of a practice quiz (can-help-you-but-can't-hurt-you type of thing), I want to take it seriously and enlist your help, oh those of you with the courage to write on the blog! This will also help you, since I am going to ask you to submit some good questions you would like me to ask you. Not only will you know some of the questions (if I choose them), but the very act of making good questions is a fruitful exercise.
Here's a little story that may make sense to you and perhaps even be helpful:
Years ago I did a media workshop at Appalshop (a media center in Whiteburg, KY). One part of it involved learning how to interview people. The facilitator showed us some video tape of some very interesting footage of people talking about a particular topic. He chose the footage because these were really good stories. But what he did was to stop the video tape every once and a while and asked this question: "What kind of a question might produce what you just heard as an answer?" Fascinating question about questioning. So are there particularly interesting or insightful passages from out text to which we can put the same question?
What questions do you think will lead to your learning the things that are most important to you? So you can realize your goals. Oh, and by the way, What are your goals?
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Question:
ReplyDeleteIt has been said that there is a dualistic underlying element to the music of the Baroque period. What would that be and give examples to substantiate your answer.
Question:
ReplyDeleteName the similar characteristics between opera and the classical era.
According to Joseph Kerman, the music of the late Baroque period can be characterized by the terms:"thoroughness, single-mindedness, and massive power." In contrast, the music of the Classical or "Viennese" period can be characterized as being flexible and having variety and contrast. In what ways did the music of the early Classical or "Viennese" period change as outgrowths of the Baroque Period?
ReplyDeleteI think that all of the above would be great interesting essay questions for a midterm, but they feel a bit abstract to me for use in a small quiz. If I were writing the quiz, I would choose 2 or 3 representative pieces (ideally ones that are not in the anthology) and show (or play audio of) an excerpt from each. I would then ask the student to answer each of the following for each piece:
ReplyDelete(1) Describe the stylistic traits of this piece (use SHMRF, SHMRG, or any mnemonic aid you wish);
(2) With which of the styles we've studied this semester do the traits in part 1 align most closely? (i.e., galant, etc.) What features of this excerpt (if any) do not fit this style?
(3) Give a possible composer for the piece.
The goal of this approach is to avoid questions that have a single correct answer and, in so doing, to allow each student to think about the music on his/her own terms and draw conclusions about it that demonstrate his/her grasp of the concepts covered in class. Just my two cents. :-)
I agree with Lorne. I think that those are good questions for an exam. But we have mostly been talking about the galant and empfindsamer styles, as well as the function of music in this particular time period. Lorne's questions are more of what I had in mind for a quiz.
ReplyDeleteI like the trends in here for the quiz...Lorne's idea feel more fitting though. It would be interesting to compose a melody in galant and/or empfindsamer style, 6-8 measures long and to describe which are the elements and differences we as composers have set onto our own melodies.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I do like Lorne's idea as well. However, I think composing a melody wouldn't be fair to the entire class.
ReplyDeleteSince we have mainly been discussing the galant and empfindsamer styles, you could ask us to compare/contrast both styles and give a representative composition from each category.
I also like Lorne's idea and I wouldn't mind some questions about characteristics of the galant and empfindsamer styles, or writing a compare/contrast short answer question. The other questions are excellent, however, I feel they would be better on an exam rather than a quiz.
ReplyDelete