Sona Jobarteh & Band – Kora Music from West Africa

(1) Watch a concert performed by a musical group from culture that is not your own. Ideally, you would attend a live concert in person, but that isn’t possible right now. So, find a concert performance online that you find engaging. You may choose any concert you like as long as it represents a culture other than the one you grew up in.

If you need help, I have made a list of great options here: Ethnomusicology Report Video Suggestions

Take notes while you watch! Read the questions below in advance and take notes while you watch the concert so you have the information ready to write.

(2) Write an 5-7 page essay answering/addressing the following questions (your essay does not have to be in this exact order):

a. Introduction (1-2 paragraphs): Tell us about what you’re going to tell us. Provide a summary of the sections of your paper.

b. Background on the performers (2-3 paragraphs). Who are they? Where/how did they study music? How long have they been performing together?

c. Background of the concert (1-2 paragraphs). Why is the concert being performed?

d. Background of the musical culture (2-3 paragraphs). What culture do these performers represent? Do they represent one culture, or a blend/fusion of several cultures?

e. Instruments used (2-3 paragraphs). What instruments did the musicians play? Are these instruments from their culture, or borrowed from others? What meaning do these instruments have for the performers, and for the audience?

f. Description of the performance (4-5 paragraphs). Tell the story! Use descriptive language. What would it have been like to watch that concert?

g. Description of the audience (3-4 paragraphs). Who is the audience? What is their reaction to the music?

h. “Your take” (4-5 paragraphs): What did you think about the concert? What parts did you enjoy, and why? What parts did you find challenging, and why?

i. “Bigger picture” (3-4 paragraphs): Make connections between this concert and the content from our course.

i. What is the importance of this concert to the bigger picture of the world?

ii. What messages are the musicians trying to get across?

iii. Are the musicians making a statement about politics, religion, or social problems?

iv. How was their music influenced by globalization and/or colonization?

j. Conclusion (1 paragraph): Wrap it all up! Tell us what you told us in a short, concise way, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of the meaning of the concert not just as a fun musical experience but how it relates to the world around them.

Your paper should be formatted using Times New Roman, 12 point font with appropriate paragraphs, punctuation, spelling, and syntax.

Include a title, your name, and the course number.

Your paper should be submitted as a doc, docx, or pdf file format.