1 more word about Presentation Papers

Hey folks,

Presentation Papers

They should be between 2-4 pages each excluding your documented sources. Try to aim for at least 3 full pages. Feel free to write more if you have good discussion. This may seem long but try to analyze the pieces of music among you like i have been doing in class. Questions to ask yourself are things like:

1. What do you think the composer is trying to convey with the piece of music used in that specific scene of the game. Like we discussed the Stormwind theme in WoW was chosen because it sounds noble especially when we consider what Stormwind represents- the last surviving human city (?) or WoW's opening screen theme speaks of an epic scope, rife with Warfare and military might.
   
2. Why do you think he chose strings over brass or percussion for example? Why did he choose a low sound as opposed to a high sound.
   
3. What could the use of strings mean for example? Think back to the Psycho example- he wanted to imitate stabbing sounds yet set your nerves on edge, therefore he has the violins play at such a terrifying/unnerving register.
4. Did the composer simply want ambient music, (music that envelops the listener without drawing significant attention to itself) or is he using the music as a symbol- think themes like the piano/keyboard melody for Halloween, the jaws theme or Jason's breathing theme.
5. What is the role of the choir/singers if there is one?
   
6. Does this theme represent a character, event or emotion that happens each time the character appears?
   
7. Why do you think the composer chose an orchestral score as opposed to a rock band, modern hip-hop music, jazz, new age and vice versa?
8. How does the music work with the gameplay or cut scene? You can describe the gameplay and talk about how the music adds or detracts from it. In other words ask yourself: Are the musical decisions effective/ineffective?
   

If you listen very carefully and analyze the music really well, you could easily write 2 pages about the music itself. I'm not looking for you to nail all the sounds of the instruments but you should be able to discuss them intelligently such as the way described above. I will post more ideas for musical analysis on the blog as I think of them but this should give you a good start. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or you need to bounce something off me. This is important so I will also EMAIL it to each and every one of you.