Assessment Tasks
Task: You are to answer ONE of the following questions:
- What is the role of the musician in society? Choose a society/culture/time period to explore.
- Discuss the evolution of a particular style/genre/time period. Think about what happened in society and science and technology at the time to enhance its evolution.
Your report must be 800 words in length (+/- 10%). Your bibliography is NOT included in the word count.
Your report will be done at home, not during class time.
You must include an accurate and correctly presented bibliography with your report. Please note that any bibliography consisting of URLs only is not acceptable. See the Bibliography tab for help with using referencing systems.
Due date: To be advised
Australian Music Centre
Visit the Australian Music Centre to investigate themes and influences in Australian music, as well as the timeline of Australian music.
Music at School
Browse Music at School (Cams Hill) for information about Indian music, African music, Minimalism, Film music and more. See navigation below.
Composers' Timeline (interactive)
Composers' Timeline allows you to see composers in context of time and links to audio files of their music.
Visual map - thanks Mr Brown
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
A good start to your research would be to browse The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians in the Reference section of the library. These volumes are located on the low shelves in the middle of the library. You cannot borrow them but you can copy (not more than 10%) the pages you need.
Can I use Wikipedia?
You need to think about how to use Wikipedia. It's okay to use it as a starting point to get your bearings, browse different sections to get an overview of the general content, then look at the sources used.
See the guide for using Wikipedia in your research.
Useful links
Do some detective work once you're on these sites because what you're looking for may not be immediately visible.
GCSE Music History notes styles and periods
Music history - including Western and Non-Western styles
Music history: a guide to Western composers and their Music from the Middle Ages to the Present
Jazz in time: history in the key of jazz eg the role of the jazz musician in WWII.
Music Web Hunter Terrible graphics but many good links
Classical composers and List of master composers
52 Composers (by nationality)
Brief history of anthem, spiritual and gospel music from early slavery to mid-twentieth century
Composers with links to some of their works (audio)
Ideas on the run
Early music:
- Vivaldi's music was for the church
- Bach - organ
Classical era: Age of Enlightenment
- the middle class
- opera and classical music for entertainment
Romantic: changed the Classical form
The Industrial Revolution 1760 - 1840: new manufacturing processes
Negro spirituals - slavery in America
Blues/Jazz (America - see Smithsonian Institution)
Rock - electric guitars 1950s
- Buddy Holly
- Elvis Presley
1960s:
- Bob Dylan
- Rolling Stone
- Beatles
Woodstock - sexual revolution; the Vietnam War​
- Disco: Saturday Night Fever
- Michael Jackson
- Stevie Wonder
People compose for different reasons:
Collaboration - Australian Chamber Orchestra; Phillip Glass
Film music:
- John Williams
- Nigel Westlake (Babe)
- Moricone
Australian composers:
- Peter Sculthorpe
- Percy Grainger
Themes: Australian Chamber Orchestra - Gallipoli/World War
Instruments:
flute - pipe - wooden - few keys - many keys
drums - eg Africa
Stringed instruments - gut strings originally
Dieter Moebius - German experimental music