Help me figure out this assignment for my grad class, please!

[bbernardini]

Okay, a few weeks ago, we had to come up with 25 statements we believe to be true about human beings. After that was 25 statements we believe to be true about music. Now, there's this assignment:



Now that you have completed the first two sets of 25 statements about what you believe to be true of human beings and music, you realize that you have some beliefs that may be in conflict. The next set of 25 statements is an effort to resolve the conflicts and to combine that which you believe to be true about human beings and music as a single entity. The purpose of this exercise was to have you consciously examine your beliefs, many of which might have been deep-seated at the subconscious level. Consequently, by bringing these beliefs to the surface, you can more readily see how they will impact your philosophy of music education and your teaching in the classroom.

This week, please submit 25 statements that you believe to be true about both human beings and music.



What does this mean to you? I can't figure out if they want a combination of the first two assignments, or statements like "Human beings and music are..." Thoughts?

[LaurenG]

1. I don't think they expect you to combine

After all they said you will find conflicts in them. I think its more like human beings and music both ______.

[steely]

2. Hard to wrap my head around that w/o seeing an example...

statement from your previous assignments - but I guess I can imagine. (music and people can be loud?)

I would think (offhand) that all of your statements from the previous assignments are fair game, but that you will/may not be able to apply all of them to both humans and music at the same time.

But thinking in the box (cause I'm bull headed), I would begin by bouncing a human truism statement (one at a time) against each of the music statements to see which are common and keep that set. That is 25 x 25 or 625 tests - I hope it's raining today where you live.

Not sure I get the part about the beliefs in conflict nor the "deep-seated...subconcious level" stuff. Start doing it, maybe you'll find the trick.


my 2 cents - Good luck

[Duncan Grant]

3. It's the second choice you mentioned.

The preparatory work is "resolve conflicts" between the 2 lists and then "combine that which you believe to be true" about both.

The assignment is: This week, please submit 25 statements that you believe to be true about both human beings and music.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :)

Hope you'll post a few examples here when you're done. It sounds like an interesting exercise.

[bbernardini]

4. Here's what the professor said to try and clarify matters...

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it does. :)

The assignment for this third list is to make 25 statements about what they believe
to be true of human beings and music. It could be a reconciliation of their previous two
lists. Hopefully, it is a somewhat new view in that we are now not talking about human
beings per se, and not about music per se, but about the interaction between human
beings and music. Some of the problem may stem from the second set of statements in
which they made statements about human beings listening to music instead of only about
the phenomenon of music.

The whole exercise is to get them to think. Since the product is highly subjective, it
simply has to be completed. By doing this, they begin to examine their beliefs, which is
what we want to happen. The depth of their thinking will depend totally on their
experience with music and what they have examined about life itself. That will vary
greatly. Hope this helps.

[Neil Lisst]

5. Get the grade and book

The purpose of every grad class is to get the highest possible grade, so whatever your dumb ass prof wants, do it. Whatever will make them happy, feed their world view, use that.

This person obviously feels that music and life are intertwined, yet conflicting, and he or she wants you to see that.

I'll give an example. Country singers always sing these "my girl left me, and now I'm crying" songs. But the country guys who listen are the antithesis of that in their actions, too tough and hard to express that. In song, they tell more truth.

I think that is where this is headed. People express themselves more fully in song, with more care and less restrictions. We let it all out in song. We say out loud in song things we can't say otherwise.

[WCGreen]

6. What the hell major is that......

[bbernardini]

8. Masters in Music Education

[WCGreen]

9. Now that makes sense....

It just struck me as really an odd assignment....

[Angry Girl]

7. Now I'm curious to see your statements....

Anyways, take your first set of 25 human bean statements - call it Set A. Compare it to Set B of the 25 music statements.

Take the statements in Set A that don't have a contradicting statement in Set B. Also take the statements in Set B that don't have a contradicting statement in Set A. These will be Set C.

Take the statements in Set A that are contradicted by statements in Set B. Also take the statements in Set B that are contradicted by statements in Set A. Create some new statements you can deduce from these contradictions. Call this Set D.

Take Sets C and D and deduce your 25 statements for the assignment out of that. Note that some of these statements may simply be straight from Set C - not all statements have to be newly deduced BUT all statement MUST reflect on the nature of both human beans AND music.

At least that's how I'd play it.

[bbernardini]

10. Here are my answers to the previous two assignments:

1. Human beings are loving. 2. Human beings are easily misled. 3. Human beings are full of untapped potential. 4. Human beings are stupid. 5. Human beings are intelligent. 6. Human beings are animals. 7. Human beings are easily entertained. 8. Human beings are hard workers. 9. Human beings are inclined to take the easy way out. 10. Human beings communicate. 11. Human beings live on earth. 12. Human beings are empathetic. 13. Human beings prefer comfort to hardship. 14. Human beings like to understand how things work. 15. Human beings want to know "why". 16. Human beings have their own individual philosophies. 17. Human beings appreciate the arts. 18. Human beings are able, but not always willing. 19. Human beings like to have a good time. 20. Human beings need air to live. 21. Human beings need water to live. 22. Human beings need food to live. 23. Human beings are resourceful. 24. Human beings live like they are the only life form on the planet. 25. Human beings are quick to anger.

1. Music is a (mostly) universal language. 2. Music is whatever the composer says it is. 3. Music is the best. 4. Music is often manufactured for the lowest common denominator. 5. Rap is music. 6. Music is organized sound. 7. Music is unorganized sound. 8. Music is essential for the survival of the human race. 9. Music should not be censored. 10. Music should be accessible to all, regardless of ability. 11. Music education is vitally important to the development of children. 12. Music contains rhythm. 13. Music contains beats. 14. Music brings joy. 15. Music brings sorrow. 16. Music is mathematical. 17. Music is a series of tensions and releases. 18. There is no such thing as bad music. 19. Every person thinks his or her taste in music is the best. 20. Music is inspirational. 21. Music is profitable. 22. Music is language. 23. Music is my life. 24. Music is melodic 25. Music is harmonic.

[huskerlaw]

12. Ok, that helps

for combination purposes, some of them wouldn't be too difficult. Like, for example, 7) Human beings are easily entertained and 4) Music is often manufactured for the lowest common denominator. And perhaps: 12) Human beings are empathetic and either 14) Music brings joy or 15) music brings sorrow. Also 10 and 22.

Otherwise, I think, since you're supposed to see conflict and fix it, you could go through and find ones that don't match, and explain why.

It makes more sense now, but I still hold that it's a ridiculous assignment. ;) Good luck!

[huskerlaw]

11. Holy crap

what a ridiculous assignment. Seriously.

25 statements about humans. Check. 25 statements about music. Check. And now you realize you have some beliefs that may be in conflict? :wtf:

Human beings and music as a single entity? Sorry, that is fucking stupid.

As for what the professor meant, it's really hard to tell. But since the next set of statements is supposed to resolve conflicts that occur when you merge your first 2 sets of statements: "The next set of 25 statements is an effort to resolve the conflicts and to combine that which you believe to be true about human beings and music as a single entity"... I would assume he/she wants some sort of combination of the first 2 assignments.

[Angry Girl]

16. Yes, it is a very strange assignment. More a philosophy/logic

exercise. And a badly devised one at that. No criteria for the statements either so they can't even be used as axioms - what are you going to do with a collection of statements that are randomly subjective and/or false? What school is this? I hope you're not paying through the nose for this education.

[bbernardini]

13. Here's what I've got for this assignment so far:

Almost halfway done!

1. Human beings and music need air to live.
2. Human beings and music should not be censored.
3. Human beings and music bring joy.
4. Human beings and music bring sorrow.
5. Human beings and music are inspirational.
6. Human beings and music are different according to culture.
7. Human beings and music are both complex entities made up of many different parts.
8. Human beings and music elicit different emotions depending upon what sounds they make.
9. Human beings and music communicate ideas.
10. Human beings and music are full of untapped potential.
11. Human beings and music are profitable.
12. Human beings and music are not inherently bad.

[tishaLA]

14. Music and people

(I refuse to write "human beings") are sometimes harmonious and sometimes dissonant.

[Scoots]

15. Hmmm......

Human beings and music suffer when restrained.
Human beings and music suffer when categorized.
Both are capable of infinite depth.
Both are capable of forgiveness.

-- Keep Music Evil --