Performance Review

This assignment is due on Monday, March 5th

The Assignment

Evaluate the performance of the musical artists. You must concentrate on musical matters, though brief discussions of other facets of the concert or show may be included.

I don't want to hear only about the "show" aspect. I want details regarding the performer's skill level and emotional investment, backed up with examples.

The introduction should include the following:

• The title of the concert or show
• The name of the band or musician
• The city, venue, and date of the concert or production you attended
• The name of the production company (if any)

Please note: If you don’t provide the date and place of the concert, your paper will not be read or graded. It’s your job to look over your paper and make sure all information is included.

You are not graded down for expressing and defending your honest opinion. Be sure, however, to state your opinions in clear, concise sentences and in well-organized paragraphs.

Your review should consist of your thoughts and impressions of the entire experience. Explain why or why not you enjoyed the performance. Don’t just write "It was a great concert." Explain why you thought the concert was worthwhile or not. I want to know about the songs themselves. I don't want a vague description of the concert and the music. Tell me about each song ... or most of them. I want to know:

• The genre of music
• Did the songs linger with you for days after?
• Were you moved to dance or tap your toe?
• Were you awed by the skills of the performer or did you feel they lacked skill?
• Were the performers emotionally invested in their songs?
• How did the audience around you react?
• Would you buy a CD of this band or show?

You must use specific examples to back up your explanations.

For more help on how to write your review, visit:

http://mason.gmu.edu/~jjohnsto/musicdramahelp.htm

PLEASE NOTE: Performances you've seen in the past are not acceptable. It must be a performance you see during the course of this class.

If seeing a live performance is absolutely impossible, you do have an alternative. You must see two taped, live performances and write a full review for each of them.

• If you rent the performances, you must include the date of the rental and the name and address of the movie rental business.
• If you watch the performances on TV, you must include the date and time watched and the channel.
• If you borrow the videos from someone, you must give their name and phone number and the date you borrowed and watched it.
• If you stream from Netflix, you must give the date and time watched.
• If you watch a video on YouTube or other website, you must give the date and time watched, and the URL.

*Submit your assignment by doing the following:

Go to www.turnitin.com, create a student account and turn in the paper through the website.

The class ID is: 4611732

The enrollment password is: music

Please do not create a cover page. Put your name on the top right-hand side of the paper.

Your essay should be at least one full page and no more than two pages (12 font, 1 inch margin, double spaced).

Please be aware that I grade on grammar and spelling. If I have to try and decipher what you're trying to say, then it takes me twice the time to grade the content of the paper. Take the 2 seconds it takes to do the spell/grammar check on your computer and look over your paper for mistakes.

Please submit as a file upload. If you copy/paste your assignment, the format won't look right when I receive it.

It's also best for you to save your document in Rich Text Format (RTF). That way, no matter what word document program you have, I can open your paper.

IMPORTANT!!! – Make sure that after you submit your assignment to TurnItIn, you receive and save your receipt from the site. Without it, you will have no proof that you submitted it if there is an issue.

When I finish grading the paper, you will be able to see your grade and my comments on TurnItIn.