"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."

"Periodicals"

What I appreciate about many periodical articles is how current they are. Even if the subject matter is historical, the author is still presenting the material in a new way to give fresh insight. Many articles contain new ideas or cutting-edge innovations. Periodicals also contain articles by a variety of authors; reading multiple perspectives on subjects can be very eye-opening. It can be refreshing to read about something new a teacher is doing in their classroom and then try it out in your own. 

Periodicals are invaluable tools for learning, and they reflect the various interests of our society. What a progressive way to learn about something new and to gain information through the experiences of others.

I think that the following quote from the author really captures the essence of periodicals and their value:

"While books may mark the milestones of a particular subject, periodicals chart the small steps, false trails, and dead ends that are travelled along the way, and give diversion, enjoyment, and information."

To me, this quote captures the essence of how "in the moment" articles on periodicals can be. 

"Predatory Publishers are Corrupting Public Access"

I did not realize open-access publishing had become such an issue in today's society. What should be something that is positive has become potentially dangerous for those looking to publish. I went to the author's website. Scholarly Open Access, and on it I found a long list of publishers with questionable practices. I was surprised by the length of this list! I also found it interesting that if publishers feel that their companies should not be listed as questionable, they have the opportunity to send in an appeal email with evidence proving otherwise. This article opened up my eyes to the dangers of open-access publishing. While the article specifically mentions this circumstance in the science world, I wonder what other fields this has occurred in.

"Scientific Articles Accepted (Personal Checks Too)"

As I began reading this article, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Have I ever been on a website that published articles simply for a fee? Have I ever used an article in my research that has not been credible or scholarly?" Interesting questions to consider. 

In a previous paragraph, I commented that I went to Jeffrey Beall's website and I found a 
long list of non-credible journals. This quote from Kolata's article is quite flooring:

"There were 20 publishers on his list in 2010, and now there are more than 300. He estimates that there are as many as 4,000 predatory journals today, at least 25 percent of the total number of open-access journals.

I think it's very sad that some credible open-access journals are being scrutinized because of the counterfeits now out there. The stories presented by Kolata evidence that even renowned scientists can be targeted as victims. To be honest, I am outraged that any publisher would do this to respected people.  

Experience with Periodical Articles

When I was at Crane we used periodicals in most of my education classes. I felt that I was pretty comfortable with finding and using them, but I have come to realize that there is still much I didn't know about these resources. I also did an independent research study for which I created an annotated bibliography, so I would say that I have had quite a bit of experience with the use of many periodicals for research purposes.   

That being said, I do believe that I still have more to learn about these resources and what they have to offer. 

  

"It's Not Harry Potter"

As I think back to when I first started out in college, I remember teachers throwing out names of this journal and that journal. I thought to myself, "Hm. I'm not sure what they're talking about, but I'm sure I'll find out sooner or later!" I enjoyed learning from my professors, don't get me wrong, but I don't remember one of them really explaining what a scholarly journal was or how to read them. The opening statement of Rob Weir's article describes my experiences perfectly--"We tell them, but do we show them how?" Learning how to read an article is an extremely important tool. I am still learning how to do this today. I feel that every college freshman should take a research class, similar to this one, just so they know what resources are out there and how to use them.

"How to Read a Scholarly Article"

This video was succinct and very informative. To be honest, before the previous article and video, I've never been presented with this way of reading scholarly articles. I've done a few of these things throughout the years to save myself some time, but these steps are very logical. Every student should see this video...

I think that one reason we don't read articles this way is because we think it will take more work. Many times I just want to "dig in" to get my research done. I think that this is a helpful method, and I am going to try to start using it.

"Writing an Annotated Bibliography"

Another very helpful piece of information. I've written annotated bibliographies before, but I really like the clarity of this document in regard to the subject. I also love the section at the end that contains words for talking about articles and other texts. So many times I feel as though I am using the same words repeatedly--I am am very excited about this resource! 

Other

For my topic I have chosen to research middle school choirs. I've learned a lot about middle school choirs over the years, but have not had many chances to put this knowledge into practice. On Wednesday I went to an interview and did a demo lesson. My lesson was focused on some choral warm-ups and a canon. There were a lot of changing voices that struggled with the warm-ups and canon I selected. I did my best to change they key and to sing with them, but it was still a struggle. I have decided that I would like to know as much as I can about changing voices in the middle school choir and how to approach the treatment of these voices. 

As previously stated, I have already read articles on my topic and I have briefly worked with middle school chorus during student teaching. Some research questions that will guide how I look for sources will include: "How do adolescents' voices change in middle school?" "What is the difference between a female's changing voice and a male's?" "How should the changing voice be treated in choir?" 

A few authors who have written extensively on the subject include Patrick Freer and Terry Joe Barham. 

Readings and Topics on Research

"Prime Difficulty: What is my subject"

It's very interesting that the author of this chapter has been able to capture the very essence of difficulties in starting reseach for a particular subject. I have always found it difficult to pin down one particular subject for research I have done in the past. In fact, I am in the midst of this as I write. I have two research projects to think of, and pinning down a subject to focus on is proving a very time consuming task. It's as if the subject is alluding me. One line from the chapter reads, "A subject is always trying to merge itself again into the great mass of associated facts and ideas." How true this is. A great deal of work goes into bringing a work its connectedness and continuity. I also greatly agree with the thought that "reading, writing, and thinking are the three activities of research." I wrestle the most with thinking.

"Foreward"

I love to read and I enjoy learning new things, but I believe that writing is a process in which the author is constantly wrestling with himself to create something meaningful. I don't enjoy wrestling. I like Angell's line, "Writing is hard, even for authors who do it all the time." Thank you for making the rest of us feel better, sir. I agree that while I'm writing, I need to sometimes take a step back and "ruminate" over what I've done. I need to take in the big picture--does my writing sound like it flows? Am I conveying clear ideas to the reader? Is my subject obviously stated? I need to remember these more as I write. It's good to know that even renowned authors such as E.B. White need to do the same.


"Introduction"

I really enjoyed how E.B. White recalls the memories of a professor he had and the impact the professor had on his life and his writings. I admit that sometimes in college I have made essays extra "wordy" just because of a required number of words. The importance of using words carefully and using just enough to get your point across is emphasized in this intro. I am planning on making every word count in my upcoming research and essays. I appreciate William Strunk Jr.'s passion for writing and attention to words. I hope that any research I conduct this summer and in the future will be meaningful and thoughtful--with attention to how I use words to convey my thoughts to my readers. 

Possibilities for Research Topic

Today during class I started to jot down some ideas for my research project. The first idea that came to mind was to further a project I started in college called "Integrating Children's Literature into the Music Classroom." I collaborated with a professor on this project and I feel that it's really helped me see how important interdisciplinary practice is to all classrooms. I also feel that it helped to get me thinking about Common Core and how to make connections between the standards and the music classroom.

Something else that I've been thinking about recently is starting a choir. I have been searching for a job for a year and a half and have not procured a permanent position as of yet. I've tried to stay active in the musical community, but I would really like to have a choir of my own. I love choral music and so I've been considering starting a choir in my area. I'm not sure that this would be a good research topic, but I could research audition processes, choral literature, changing voices, ect. I also think it would be good to start a choir and keep this research going throughout the entire process.

My third option for a research project is how to connect music in school and community. One obvious way to do this is to have students perform in the community--nursing homes, malls, ect. I performed in the chorus of Tri-Cities Opera last year and I was thinking about forming a presentation for schools based one of the operas of the season. I could include interviews, history of the opera, ect. This would be an effective tool to get students interested in opera or any musicals in the community.