Pick a single piece of music and argue for why it should be included in a “musical canon.”
Listen to this piece of music several times, taking notes on the individual musical dimensions
we have discussed: meter, tempo, rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, timbre, instrumentation,
form. Decide which of these dimensions are the most important for understanding this
particular piece of music. Listen again and take another set of notes precisely and accurately
describing these important dimensions. Go beyond the “framing” dimensions (tempo,
dynamics, instrumentation) and focus on the unique features of your piece: melody, melodic
phrasing, harmony, form, timbre, lyrics (if applicable), etc. etc.
In a clearly organized, carefully edited paper (650–750 words), argue for why this piece of
music should be included in an introductory music class, backing up your argument with
historical, philosophical, and/or aesthetic evidence. Imagine that you are writing this essay
to the editor of the new edition of the textbook, Listen. Why should they keep this piece of
music in the textbook, or why should they add it if it’s not in there already?