This signature assignment meets the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Core Objectives: • Critical Thinking Skills- to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and the analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information. • Communication Skills- to include effective written, oral, and visual communication. • Teamwork- to include ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared position or goal. • Social Responsibility- to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities. This signature assignment also meets the Student Learning Outcomes 1. Identify musical works and elements in a variety of styles 2. Analyze the elements and structure of music using appropriate terminology. 3. Critically evaluate the influences of social, political and/or cultural ideas on music. 4. Articulate the significance of music as an art form with historical, cultural, and social contexts. Signature Assignment- “Classical Music vs. My Music” Project Description This project takes the form of an essay and a presentation produced by a team of students. It is based on the analyzing, comparing, and contrasting of two pieces of music; a composition of music from an era studied throughout this course and an appropriate selection from the current popular repertory. The task will focus on an analysis of elements; historical, musical, social, and the discourse of existing links with new, modern music. The paper and presentation will also allow students to analyze differences, if any, in the performance etiquette between the classical composition and the contemporary composition. This paper and presentation will allow students to develop team-working skills, communication skills, critical thinking skills, and the understanding of what it means to be socially responsible. • Selection of Musical Compositions- students will select two musical compositions. One composition of from an era studied throughout this course and the other an appropriate selection from the current popular repertory. The compositions can be pieces discussed in class and any composition selected cannot be longer than eight minutes. In addition, the instructor must approve the compositions selected by the team of students. • Organization of the Paper and the Presentation- The paper and presentation must have a title. The title must include the name of your project, the title of pieces to be analyzed, the name or names of the composer or composers involved, and the name of the members in your team. The following requirements must also be included in the organization of your paper and presentation: ​​ 1. Abstract/Introduction- in this section, your team should briefly describe the pieces selected, what will be analyzed, the main findings of the analysis, and the potential links between the two compositions and the composers. This section in the paper should not be more than 20% of the page. 2. Analysis- your analysis will consist of three sections: historical elements, musical elements, and social/cultural impact. A. Historical elements- teams will provide relevant information of the historical and contextual elements surrounding the compositions and the composer or composers. These elements include but are not limited to characteristics of the style, historical period, information about composer or composers, and information about performers. B. Musical elements- teams will analyze the two compositions focusing on at least three of the following elements: melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, tempo, articulation, dynamics, lyrics (with translation if applicable), and instrumentation. Your analysis must include specific examples of where in the composition the composer or composers’ use the three elements selected by the team. C. Social/Cultural Impact- teams must provide information about the role of these compositions in society. For your composition that is not contemporary, your team will analyze the role of the piece in its respective society, and for your modern composition, your team must analyze the role of the piece in current society. 3. Comparison/Contrast of the Compositions- in this section, your team will develop their comparison/contrast component of the project and will establish possible links between the two compositions. What elements are used in both compositions? What are specific examples? How are the compositions different? 4. Conclusion(s)- in this section, your team will provide its final thoughts on the analysis. Project Mechanics and Deadlines • Group Formation- each student is responsible for integrating into a team. Each team may not have more than six members and must elect a team leader. The team leader will submit the names of the team members to the instructor. The instructor will not assign students who are absent during this phase to any team. It is the responsibility of each student to integrate into a team. • Selection and Submission of Compositions- each team will propose, discuss, and select the two pieces to be included in the project. Each team must select one composition of music from an era studied throughout this course and an appropriate selection from the current popular repertory. It is in the best interest of the team to begin this process as soon as possible because no duplicate works will be accepted. • Organizing the Paper and the Presentation- as soon as the compositions are approved, your team can begin their work on this project. Teamwork is part of the assessment. All team members must participate. Teams are responsible for scheduling meetings, division of tasks, and all other work within the inside the team. Teams should adhere to the specific instructions and parameters of the project. • Paper Submission and Delivery of Presentation- Written papers will be submitted on the due date, at the beginning of class. No late papers will be accepted. All teams must present their projects on the due date in random order. Also, on the due date team members must submit the “team member critique sheet”. Format •The paper must be divided into the appropriate sections. Presentations must be at least 20 minutes in length, use a presentational aid such as PowerPoint or Google Slides, and be organized into the appropriate sections. Each member of your team must present, no group members are exempt from presenting. All team members must be professionally dressed for their presentation-no jeans, ball caps, sunglasses, T-shirts. • Teams must use academically relevant sources both in their paper and in their presentation. Paper and presentation should include at least five academic sources. The paper should follow any recognized writing style such as the Chicago Manual of Style. Please include a “works Cited: page both in the paper and the presentation. • Both the paper and the presentation should not be an exercise in “copying and pasting”. No more than ten percent of the paper should be direct quotations. • Font Size- no smaller than 12-point font on paper and no smaller than 30-point font on visual presentation