For those of you that attended my lecture on Chinese music, here is the link to the 12 Girls album containing the version of "Reel Around the Sun". The group plays essentially Western music using Chinese traditional instruments. Check them out!
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Chinese Music - Recommendations
Some books to read:
Jonathan Stock - Musical Creativity in 20th Century China
Life of Abing, the folk musician.
Richard Kraus - Pianos and Politics in China
Written by a sociologist about the turmoil during the Cultural Revolution.
Sheila Melvin & JinDong Cai - Rhapsody in Red
A colorful history of how Western Classical music became Chinese.
Liang Mingyue - Music of the Billion: An Introduction to Chinese Musical Culture
Socio-historic background, instrument descriptions, instrumental & vocal music including the Chinese opera.
Some websites:
For sound samples on Chinese instruments, visit http://www.chineseculture.net/ Enter the “Music Store”. Excellent resource for Chinese sheet music although overpriced so buy those from China Sprout!
Jonathan Stock - Musical Creativity in 20th Century China
Life of Abing, the folk musician.
Richard Kraus - Pianos and Politics in China
Written by a sociologist about the turmoil during the Cultural Revolution.
Sheila Melvin & JinDong Cai - Rhapsody in Red
A colorful history of how Western Classical music became Chinese.
Liang Mingyue - Music of the Billion: An Introduction to Chinese Musical Culture
Socio-historic background, instrument descriptions, instrumental & vocal music including the Chinese opera.
Some websites:
For sound samples on Chinese instruments, visit http://www.chineseculture.net/ Enter the “Music Store”. Excellent resource for Chinese sheet music although overpriced so buy those from China Sprout!
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
According to Tickle ... I am a
Bernese Mountain Dog
No bones about it, you're a good-hearted, people-loving Bernese Mountain Dog. Down-to-earth and loyal, no one works or plays harder than you do. You put your nose to the grindstone when it really counts, but you never neglect your social calendar. Simultaneously strong and sweet, you're very tuned-in to the feelings and needs of the other dogs you run with. Without having to be asked, you always have a helping paw to lend and a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. "Communication" is your middle name, and when that's paired with your unswerving devotion, you get a breed that everyone respects and trusts. Woof!
Aww.. I gotta say how sweet to be complimented by a computer! In case, you want to take the test too. Click here!
No bones about it, you're a good-hearted, people-loving Bernese Mountain Dog. Down-to-earth and loyal, no one works or plays harder than you do. You put your nose to the grindstone when it really counts, but you never neglect your social calendar. Simultaneously strong and sweet, you're very tuned-in to the feelings and needs of the other dogs you run with. Without having to be asked, you always have a helping paw to lend and a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. "Communication" is your middle name, and when that's paired with your unswerving devotion, you get a breed that everyone respects and trusts. Woof!
Aww.. I gotta say how sweet to be complimented by a computer! In case, you want to take the test too. Click here!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Teaching MUS 121 Intro to Listening .. Things I learned
1. I miss and REALLY miss teaching piano.
2. I'm glad I'm not a musicology major.
3. How come I have not heard these pieces before?
4. Why do I own so few CDs?
5. Why does the UA library have such a small video collection?
6. I am teaching study and test-taking skills more than music itself.
7. Open book tests: give at your own risk! Students don't know how to take them.
8. Attendance: I'm not their mom and I'd rather not have to take note.
9. I want to be out of class just as badly at times ... I'd rather be at home practicing or shopping!
10. What would happen if I overslept the day I'm supposed to give the final? Students would be really happy, that's for sure!
11. So many composers had syphillis, tuberculosis ... it's crazy!
12. I'm really interested in the history of jazz and popular music.
13. I don't know as much about Chinese music as I should and want to.
14. I can handle the media cart. I'm not technologically challenged.
15. Power Point can be your friend.
16. SAVE! backup. SAVE! print! and never lose your USB drive!!
2. I'm glad I'm not a musicology major.
3. How come I have not heard these pieces before?
4. Why do I own so few CDs?
5. Why does the UA library have such a small video collection?
6. I am teaching study and test-taking skills more than music itself.
7. Open book tests: give at your own risk! Students don't know how to take them.
8. Attendance: I'm not their mom and I'd rather not have to take note.
9. I want to be out of class just as badly at times ... I'd rather be at home practicing or shopping!
10. What would happen if I overslept the day I'm supposed to give the final? Students would be really happy, that's for sure!
11. So many composers had syphillis, tuberculosis ... it's crazy!
12. I'm really interested in the history of jazz and popular music.
13. I don't know as much about Chinese music as I should and want to.
14. I can handle the media cart. I'm not technologically challenged.
15. Power Point can be your friend.
16. SAVE! backup. SAVE! print! and never lose your USB drive!!
A few more hats
Florist - that I didn't know
Vocal coach - yeah, I coach a 12 yr old
Seasoned traveler - I think I earned the title after being stuck in O'Hare again! Ditched my original routing, requested to be flown to Memphis, spent the night, got a free ticket for volunteering to take later flight to Memphis, had to beg a rental car company to rent me a car, drove 4 hrs to Birmingham, found out luggage missing, had to be picked up from Birmingham. Didn't recognize Tuscaloosa when I got back! Got my luggage about 3 days later.
Vocal coach - yeah, I coach a 12 yr old
Seasoned traveler - I think I earned the title after being stuck in O'Hare again! Ditched my original routing, requested to be flown to Memphis, spent the night, got a free ticket for volunteering to take later flight to Memphis, had to beg a rental car company to rent me a car, drove 4 hrs to Birmingham, found out luggage missing, had to be picked up from Birmingham. Didn't recognize Tuscaloosa when I got back! Got my luggage about 3 days later.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Setting More Tests & Grade Inflation
I have given the third test in my music appreciation classes. I have in fact tested myself on whether I can prepare a test and expect the outcome.
The first test I gave was a multiple choice "killer" in which 10% would earn A, 10% would fail. Indeed the test results came back as I expected. The second test was alright, I wanted to make it easy enough that the majority would fall into the A & B category. I again succeeded. I remembered one of my undergraduate professor that allowed us to bring a 3X5" notecard with anything our handwriting would fit in. I allowed my class to do the same and found many of them do not know how to measure. Have they heard of rulers and that you can cut a 4X6" notecard to a 3X5"?
The third test was planned as a closed book but before I began the test review I chnaged my mind. As I expected, nobody had really read the assigned texts. I gracefully set it as an open book test. On the day of the test, to my horror, some of my students have no test-taking strategies. I had warned them there would not be enough time to look up the answers to every question . Of course, some tried to find them in the order they were presented and ran out of time. They did not scan the whole test paper and answer those that they knew.
Conclusion: they don't know what they are asking for! Perhaps teacher knows best right? I haven't decided what to allow for the final. I wish I wasn't buried in paper and not contributing towards grade inflation. That's for another blog another time. Beethoven class....
The first test I gave was a multiple choice "killer" in which 10% would earn A, 10% would fail. Indeed the test results came back as I expected. The second test was alright, I wanted to make it easy enough that the majority would fall into the A & B category. I again succeeded. I remembered one of my undergraduate professor that allowed us to bring a 3X5" notecard with anything our handwriting would fit in. I allowed my class to do the same and found many of them do not know how to measure. Have they heard of rulers and that you can cut a 4X6" notecard to a 3X5"?
The third test was planned as a closed book but before I began the test review I chnaged my mind. As I expected, nobody had really read the assigned texts. I gracefully set it as an open book test. On the day of the test, to my horror, some of my students have no test-taking strategies. I had warned them there would not be enough time to look up the answers to every question . Of course, some tried to find them in the order they were presented and ran out of time. They did not scan the whole test paper and answer those that they knew.
Conclusion: they don't know what they are asking for! Perhaps teacher knows best right? I haven't decided what to allow for the final. I wish I wasn't buried in paper and not contributing towards grade inflation. That's for another blog another time. Beethoven class....
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