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Concert Critique Guidelines

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All orchestra students are required to attend four  orchestra concerts (1st Quarter, 2nd Quarter, Honors Orchestra--February, and one 4th quarter). These concerts need to be by a high school, college, professional or community orchestra.  The Honors Orchestra concert will count as your 3rd quarter critique--you will need to write a critique whether you attend or play in the concert.  Any concert that you are participating in will not count for your critique requirement.  Check the website, the web, newspaper, college websites, school calendars, community college calendars for some ideas.

Enjoy the concert you’re attending--you may write down a couple of thoughts--but concentrate on being an ACTIVE LISTENER throughout the whole concert.

Please turn in 2 things: 

  1. Program or ticket stub

  2. 1-2 page typed reaction to the concert  (It is best to do this within 48 hours so you don’t forget.  Handwritten papers will not be accepted.)  Critiques will not be accepted after one week  following the concert.

 When writing your critique/review, please include the following:

  • Title of concert, date, place and name of performing groups

  • Discuss your AESTHETIC reaction to the concert  (aesthetic = intellectual and emotional responses)

  • What did you like/dislike about the concert and why

    • critique the music (was it all the same style?), the way it was performed, the conductor, etc.

    • talk about one piece in detail (what was the piece about and how did the phrasing, tone, articulation, instrumentation convey the meaning of the piece.)

  • Any other observations that you make

 

Summary paragraph--

What did you learn from the performance and how can you apply that to your own playing?  (If this paragraph is missing, you will not receive full credit.)

 

Examples of what not to say!!

          Anything too vague or general

            “I like that song because I know it.”

     “It inspired me.” (be more specific)

     “They need to practice more.” (WHY?)

            “The dynamics were good.” (HOW?)

            “They sounded good.” (You can do better than that!)

            “The orchestra had nice harmonies.”  (huh?)

     “The rhythms were intersting.”  (HOW?)

            “Their outfits did not match at all.  And this women behind me kept on unwrapping cough drops and this one girl at the back of the violin section was moving so much that it distracted everyone from her big hair.”

You may only write one sentence containing a non-musical criticism.  Full credit will not be given if you focus on peripheral, non-musical matters.

If any of the above items are left out, you will not receive full credit.  You can receive a total of 25 points depending on the quality of the critique.

 

**Extra Credit**

You may earn extra credit by attending and writing a concert critique on any musical performance.  These may include musicals, other orchestra concerts, choir, band concerts and even rock concerts.  You must write a critique using the above guidelines to receive credit.  To make sure that you will receive credit for attending a particular concert, please check with Miss Young first.  These are each worth 10 pts. each and you are limited to two extra credit critiques per quarter.

 

These extra credit critiques are above and beyond your critique requirements.

 

Normal credit Extra Credit
   
D211 Honors Orchestra Concert (3rd Quarter) 1 band or choir concert
High School orchestra concert  Musical
Professional orchestra concert Rock concert
Recitals with stringed instruments Any concert above & beyond the required three
College orchestra concert   
Youth orchestra concert  

 

Youth Symphony Links

 

Schaumburg Youth Symphony

Chicago Youth Symphony

Elgin Youth Symphony

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