1. Select a musical instrument to explore through research. For example, if you select the guitar, conduct some research on the guitar as an instrument so that you can discuss its origin, age, and diversity of use. You are NOT being asked for a research paper on the instrument. However, you ARE being asked to research your instrument so that you can provide an overview of it for this assignment.
2. Identify a musical composition that features the instrument you have selected. This does not mean that the music is performed only by one instrumentalist, i.e. a guitar solo. It means that the instrument you selected, i.e. the guitar, must be one of the primary instruments in the selection. Perhaps the guitar has a solo section within an ensemble piece, for example.
3. You must know the composer of the music you have selected. You are NOT being asked to provide a biography of the composer. You ARE being asked to find a brief profile on the composer, enough information to give you an introduction to that artist and to enable you to provide a short profile of the artist.
Prepare a 2-3-page response paper that discusses your selected instrument and the composition you have chosen. Explain why you have chosen the instrument to study and the composition to listen to. What have you learned about your instrument through focused listening to your music selection? Restated, what might someone else learn about the instrument and the music if they follow your path? Does information about the composer help you understand or appreciate the music?
