Evaluative Essay-Select a scene from an opera, film, video game, or musical

PURPOSE: The purpose of this activity is to listen and evaluate a musical selection, critique and assess the performance using descriptive musical terms, and represent those observations in an evaluative essay.

TASK: Select a scene from an opera, film, video game, or musical in which music provides crucial information that is otherwise absent from the narrative.

-Analyze the specific musical features of the music and articulate how these musical details affect the meaning(s) engendered by the piece and its narrative context.
-Be careful to spend no more than one paragraph describing the scene itself.
-I do not want a bio on the musician(s). Focus on the music.
-Do not include musical examples discussed in our text.
-Include a bibliography of at least 4 sources, NOT including the textbook. At least 2 sources must be from books or journal articles. Web sources must be from official artist sites, reputable news sites, or record labels. Wikipedia and About.com are not acceptable sources. If you are having trouble finding sources, talk to Dr. Dyer or a GHC librarian.
-Use Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double-spaced. Head your paper with your name, formatted as (DoeJ_Essay#4.pdf). Assign your file the same name. Plagiarism will result in a score of zero. You may use any citation style you prefer (e.g. APA, Chicago, MLA), however, be consistent and use the same style throughout. -WLDCRITERIA: You will be successful in this activity if you can meet the following criteria:
Mechanics and Grammar 40%
Essay is free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors; utilizes varied sentence structure, employs sophisticated vocabulary correctly and throughout paper.
Organization 40%
Essay includes a compelling introduction and conclusion, information is presented in ways that capture the reader’s attention, and the audience is identified. Analyze rather than summarize.
Resources and Citations 10%
Essay includes (2) print and (2) online resources, sources are noted in bibliography and/or footnotes, consistent use of APA, MLA or Chicago style.
Presentation 10%
All elements included: 12 pt., Times New Roman font, double-spaced, title including first and last name, course title, instructor name, date, etc. Page numbers included.
HINTS FOR SUCCESS:

-Avoid sharing your opinionof the value of the music example, or whether or not you are a fan of the style/genre/artist/etc. Rather, describe what you heard using the music elements framing our course readings: melody; harmony; rhythm; texture; timbre; and form.
-Edit your posts/assignments, and write in a formal, scholarly style.
-Avoid flowery terms such as snappy, catchy, upbeat, jazzy, bouncy, spicy, and …. ugh. Just don’t do it.
-Your sources should highlight glossary terms and music elements (melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, and from). Please don’t regurgitate analysis already completed (especially from our text).
-Do not cut-and-paste lyrics. If you want to detail how the music and lyrics interconnect, please do so using a minimum of sample lyric.
-Avoid generalizations and unsubstantiated claims or words, such as “always,” “all,” “like,” “never,” and “every.” Remember, if you make a claim you will need to share a source to prove that claim.