"Reflections"

Wow. It's so surreal that this is my last blog post for this class! I feel like I just started yesterday, but that I've also been working for a whole semester. I guess that's what happens when you do a whole semester's worth of grad work in five weeks. This summer I did more work than I ever thought possible in such a short amount of time. I was stretched and challenged.

In Bib, as we lovingly call it, I learned about research methods and was introduced to countless resources. I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to continue using the library resources here at Ithaca College during the school year. I am definitely planning on utilizing this as much as possible. 

Some resources I will be further exploring include:

Boldrey, Guide to Operatic Roles & Arias

IC Library Database 

Musical America

MET OPERA ON DEMAND (so excited about this!)

Various Archives

International Journal of Community Music 

Orff Echo

Psychology of Music 

If I could sum up what I've learned during this class in a few words it would be: there are countless resources out there. Not everything is on the internet--libraries are extremely valuable. They help preserve the past and show us how to better our futures. They can give us access to materials that we can't find anywhere else. Librarians are keepers of knowledge, especially Kris Shanton. :) Truly, I admire all the knowledge they possess, and I really do believe that they are keepers of knowledge.

Ithaca has an extensive music collection (do you know how difficult it was for me to find three books to ILL for one of our first assignments? Ithaca already had them all!) :) What a privilege to be able to utilize all the tools it has to offer. One thing I said countless times during this summer session was that I wished that I had the time to explore the library more. I've been making a mental list of things I want to read or check out! 

During this class I also learned how to research. Each search engine or book is set up a different way, and now I have the tools I need to find information I am looking for. Of course there are always going to be more research aids in existence than I will know how to use, but that's okay. 

Well, I feel that this blog has been a bit erratic. That's just how my mind is right now. After I leave here I will definitely continue to process all of the new information I've learned. 

If I could give one piece of advice to next year's incoming students it would be: 

You're behind before you even start. Haha.  But seriously. 

"Recording the Soundtrack"

I'm not exactly sure what to think of this video. Perhaps I shall describe it a bit (for my benefit). So in the video, musicians are creating the soundtrack for the Deathly Hallows video game. They don't know what scenes specific music is for. Each musician has headphones with a click track. Many interviews are done with coordinators who describe various scenes and continuity, transitions, and the use of loops. 

After the game is finished, some of the musicians come in for another interview and talk about what it was like, the mood of the music, ect. They then get to play the video game and discuss the music as they play. I think that recording music for a game and then playing the game would give insights into the music--the instrumentalists seemed to pick up on very specific details of the music. 

I know that I may be taking this blog in a different direction, but as I was watching I was thinking about a lesson I did with some of my middle schoolers. We were talking about music as expression and I showed them a video clip with three different excerpts of music--one was the music that accompanied the movie clip, and the other two were contrasting. We discussed how the music changed the scene and mood of the movie. I think it's the same with video games.

"Scholars Perspective"

This writing made me think of Dr. Radice's class through and through. Before grad school, I had looked up scholarly sources and journals, but not in the way I know how to do now. Dr. Radice required our history class to find scholarly, relevant sources, not settling for less than the best, and Professor Shanton showed us how to accomplish this. Professor Shanton and Dr. Radice have shown us what a wealth of information is out there. Although some administrators and educators may not want to take the time to show students the sources that are available and how to use and find them, this has not been the case this summer.

I am still learning, and I have a long way to go, but I feel informed. This last scavenger hunt is still difficult, but I have so much more knowledge as to what's out there than I did prior.  

"Analysis: Intro"

I had to read the definitions of hermeneutics and the formalist approach a few times before I think I grasped what these definitions mean. If I understand it right (and this is in very simple terms), hermeneutics has to do with looking at a piece while keeping in mind the background factors that went into writing it. A formalist approach has to do with specific theoretic and structural elements.

While two types of analysis are presented in this definition, I like the closing sentences of the introduction to sum up what analysis really does:

"The ultimate purpose of analysis is to construct interpretations which make it possible for the musical work to be aesthetically as well as intellectually appreciated to a greater extent--or at least in different ways--than had been the case before the analysis was considered."

"Criticism, Musical"

Musical criticism. Many times the term "criticism" has a negative connotation. After reading the definition presented in Oxford Music Online, I actually have considered it from a different perspective. The definition states that musical criticism is studying the "aesthetics, history, and evolution of music." I suppose that is what a critic does--they talk about aesthetics. I think that the problem with criticism is that it can be very subjective. If a critic doesn't like a piece, that doesn't necessarily mean that someone else won't like it. But then again, if musicians are trying to conform their pieces to some sort of standard, critics must be knowledgeable in this standard and may be able to assess the quality of work.

BUT! Then again--music changes with time. Certain standards that were once used-- basso continuo, stile concitato, music to influence the affections (thanks, Dr. Radice)--are no longer the norm. Critics have to know the styles of the times and if composers are even trying to conform to a particular style. 

"Music Criticism has Degenerated into Lifestyle Reporting"

I agree with the content in this article 100%. Music has become more of a lifestyle choice. It's not really about the music anymore--it's about the hype that comes with it. 

I watched some of the American Idol season this year--mostly because Harry Connick Jr. was a judge. He was a breath of fresh air. He knows music--really knows it, and he brought that knowledge to the show. But, like the author of this article mentions, J-Lo comments on his knowledge like it's a bad thing. I can't help but say that the media gives the people what they want. If something isn't selling, it's going to be taken off the market. That's what I think has happened to the music industry and music criticism. [Most] people don't care about how instruments are played or the history or theory behind a song. They want to know about the artist's life and who is dating who, and what's "in" and what's "out." It's sad. I'm not really sure what can be done about this. Music teachers need to really have a vision for change for their students. 

"Please, Critics, Write about the Filmmaking"

It's all about the form. 

"Form is the means by which content is expressed."

Although the author of this article is writing mostly about filmmaking, there are many parallels to the musical world. As I previously mentioned, I think that critics are writing what people want to hear. I feel as if it's our job to change this though. After reading these two articles, I am asking myself, what can I do, as a music educator, to influence my students to appreciate music as a form. How can I convey to them that it isn't only about the artists themselves? It is about the craft. Food for thought. 

"Plagiarism"

Sometimes as I'm writing my papers, I have to take a step back. It can be very easy to use the author's words in papers unintentionally. It's for this reason that I double check my work and I try to take notes after I read through sources. When my notes are complete, I try to wait to write my paper. I like what one professor mentioned in the article does--he makes his students wait 30 minutes from reading a source to start writing. To be honest, in this program we don't really have the luxury of time, so I can see where this may not be manageable, although I really like the idea. 

I know that we have been signed up for a Turnitin account here at Ithaca, which I think is a very good way to check for plagiarism. We've been talking about various sources and how hard some people have worked to catalogue or research composers, dates, time periods, definitions, ect. I know that I'm finding out just how rigorous research can be, and I want to make sure that I give credit where it's due.  

"The same technologies that make it easier for students to plagiarize make it easier for faculty to catch it." I found this sentence sparking some questions for me--What are these technologies? How could they work both ways? Interesting.

"Plagiarism Tutorial"

I found that reading through the IC Plagiarism Guide was a good refresher on plagiarism and when it is appropriate to cite sources. I know that I personally forget about citing common knowledge sometimes (I can never remember--to cite or not to cite?!) I also didn't know that if you are presenting the writing at scholarly conference where most people will know the common knowledge, you don't need to cite it. If you are writing a paper for class, it's good to cite the knowledge.

This statement scares me a little:

"Most cases of plagiarism are intentional, but even f you don't deliberately steal from someone else's work, you are answerable for careless thefts." 

I never intentionally plagiarize, but it's important to remember that it doesn't matter--either way I must answer for my work.

"Plagiarism: Maybe it's not So Bad"

Initial reaction before listening--What?! Writers should embrace plagiarism? This guy is cray. 

While listening:

He teaches at Princeton? He encourages plagiarizing? Students need to buy a paper and then present it as if they wrote it? Is this for real? 

Reflections:

Some ideas and quotes that really struck me from this interview include:

Literature is in a rut. 

Originality is a stagnant reality. 

Patchwriting--how he would consider the way we're writing our history papers? perhaps? 

Property didn't mean possession until the 17th century.

Believe it or not, I think I may sort of understand what this poet is trying to say. But, I don't agree with plagiarism. 

If we just take information and don't cite it--we could be totally making it up! Knowledge could become unfounded. This could really tear things apart and turn the world upside down. Think about a doctor using a textbook to learn. What if everything in it was simply made up? 

Don't let Dr. Radice listen to this...

"Sock Puppets on Steroids: The Internet's Fake Personalities"

First reaction--83 million accounts are phony?! And bacon specialists? What?! 

I will say--I have a Facebook, but I often contemplate getting rid of it. I feel that many people try to friend others just because they want to have a certain amount of Facebook friends. Some people have thousands--my question is, do you really keep in touch with all these "friends" on a regular basis?

I say all that to point out that social media has our society under its thumb. People are so easily influenced by how many friends you have or how many people liked your photo, or how many people follow you on Twitter. It's getting ridiculous. I'm sorry if I sound so negative! Again, disclaimer, I do have a Facebook! I just feel that these kinds of social media accounts have too much of an impact on our lives. Yes, they can be extremely useful and wonderful and a great way to keep in touch with people, but they can be deceiving as evidenced in this article.

I really like this quote from the author:

"Whether it's on FaceBook, Twitter, and dating site, or elsewhere, there are machine personalities--fake, computer-controlled quasi humans--that are attempting to influence your behavior. And they're succeeding."

"Web of Doubt"

This was a great discussion to listen to. Some of the the questions raised included:

How do you know what's real (on the internet)?

How can you tell if internet people are real or fake? Can you rely on Wikipedia? (I've noticed that we haven't covered Wikipedia in class yet--will that site be covered soon? .....just kidding). 

I think that these readings and audio interview have made me more aware that what you see isn't always what you get. You can't always trust what's posted on the internet, although people treat it like it has all the answers. It is certainly an invaluable tool out there, but think about all of the other sources of information we have. Consider how many people pass by reference indexes in the library and don't know what they are or how to use them (pretty much me until last week). Primary sources and information are essential to studying our past. That kind of significant and valuable information can't always be found on the internet. In fact, sometimes information AND people are simply made up on the internet and you wouldn't even know it. Scary. 

Very interesting stuff to consider. 

"IMSLP"

I have used IMSLP before to look up scores, and I never made the connection that this site is actually a Wiki. I like how the author of this review presents the positives and negatives associated with IMSLP. It can be limited in what it can do (search-wise), but what a wonderful resource. And it's quite amazing that it's kept up by people like you and me. Users play a vital role in keeping this resource alive. 

"Term Definitions"*

Autograph: a manuscript written in the hand of a particular person

Holograph: a document written in the hand of the author or composer

Sketch: a record made by the composer of a composition in an unfinished state 

Sources: the handwritten documents that lie behind the printed form in which the music circulates

Editions historical: any music publication that is devoted to a past repertory

Urtext: 

1. signifies the earliest version of the text of any composition

2. a magic word conjuring up an idea of absolute authenticity in literary or musical works

Facsimile: name given to a gene of book publishing based on photo-mechanical printing techniques that attempts to recreate the appearance of an original handwritten manuscript or printed edition

*All of these term definitions were taken from the readings. I simply defined them here so I could keep referring back to them without having to go back to the readings.

First of all, I admit that I kept having to read the terms repeatedly to really get a sense of their definitions. I read the article and definitions a few days ago and then decided to wait to write my post so I could have time to think about them. I am coming to the conclusion that holographs can be very valuable about giving the best kind of insight into music and the world at the time that composers lived. This has been evidenced through our discussion in class today and through lectures given by Dr. Radice during history.

"A Period is Questioned in the Declaration of Independence"

After finishing both readings initial thoughts are:

-I never considered how important punctuation could be. 

-I haven't done much score study of autographs and holographs--I've seen these pictures in books, but I have not dealt much with researching them first hand. 

-Much can be gained from studying all of these term definitions.

To be honest, I don't think that before this course or my bib and history classes I placed much emphasis on primary sources and in general the significance of being able to see a score (or other document) written in the hand of the composer. What makes this even more special is that many holographs from the past have been destroyed. There is much to learn about the times through these documents. 

Questions to Consider:

Is it truly important to follow the composer's intent so closely?
I think that studying about what the composer intended through all of the ways listed above can tell us a lot about the history of the times. Not just the musical history, but what else was going on and why the composer made certain choices. Composers did not know of the many advances that would come in the future. I feel that respecting the composer is important, but at the same time, certain things are different today. I feel that some composers would want their works strictly followed regardless of advances, but others would be more open to incorporating the innovations of today into the pieces.

Are the ideas of performance practice and period instruments valid or are they just fostering music as "re-enactment" performances?
I feel that these ideas are valid but that there can be two views--composers took time and care to write for instruments they had and techniques that they saw fit to use. At the same time (as I previously mentioned), many instruments from back then may not necessarily be around today. 

"As Open Access Explodes, How to Tell the Good from the Bad and the Ugly?"

Although we've read a few articles about Open Access Journals and faulty Open Access Publishers, it still bothers me that people would set up these publishing companies in the first place. I realize that a big factor and "advantage" for them is money. As the author of this article states,

"...because in contrast to subscription journals, an OA title earns more revenue with every paper its editors accept."

I am glad that researchers are getting together to decide how to fight against these companies and the criteria that should be used in doing so. 

Using journal transparency as a criterion caused me to consider the journal review we just did. It's interesting that looking up a journal's purpose statement and writer guidelines can help to expose the quality of the journal. I wonder what other criteria can be used to determine quality.

"Publish or Perish-Peer Review and the Corruption of Science"

The world of academia is full of pressure from all sides. Pressure to be the best in your field, pressure to constantly move forward and discover innovations, pressure to publish. The author of this article displays these pressures in a very negative light, and while I wholeheartedly agree with his points, I would like to comment that pressure isn't always a bad thing. Again I reiterate what I previously stated--I agree with the author. It does seem natural that research funders want their researchers to have a certain number of papers written in scholarly journals--why shouldn't they be constantly exploring topics in their fields or even new fields?  

That being said, the author of this article does very well with presenting the problem and then offering solutions. He is very thorough in his analysis of his own solutions as well. The issue with these research funders is that while some pressure can help researchers to grow, too much can cause the problems evidenced in this article.  Researchers start to publish articles wherever they can, even if the data isn't fully developed. I think that my questions are these: "What would it take for research funders to stop requiring so much from their researchers?" and "Why aren't the funders reacting to the problems they are causing?"

"Battling Bad Science"

Initial reactions to this Ted Talk: Why would companies want to withhold information from scientists? Why not do research the right way the first time?" 

After thinking about this video, I am starting to consider its applications for my own research this summer, and on future research I will do. I feel as though all of us "first-years" are constantly asking, "Why is APA so particular? Why do we have to use APA for one class and Irvine's for another?" It's becoming clear that research needs to be done the right way. Half of the journey of research is HOW you reach a conclusion. Citing correct information and researching the best ways possible enables us to present clear and verified information--why would we want it any other way? Many times during this program I have heard professors compare researching and using research to the research of doctors. They need to know all of the facts to reach a conclusion because the conclusion can have such a significant effect on patients. Our research and its conclusions can also have effects and it is up to us to decide what kind of research we want to conduct. 

Two quotes that really struck me at the end of this Ted Talk were:

"I think that sunlight is the best disinfectant."

"We cannot make decisions in the absence of all the information."