In Week 2 of #MUS654 we are thinking of all things melodic. There is birdsong, a spattering of cool riffs, and a discussion on the way a tune gets stuck in our heads. We have a custom made video by Gypsy Jazz violinist Duane Padilla about the components of melody. We read from the historical writings of Mattheson from the 1700s that still hold relevant today, and for those of you hungry for more, there are links to four hours of lectures by Bernstein on the qualities that make it a melody… There is plenty to get into!
Melody is certainly more than notes. Is there something about context that gives those notes meaning? There can be things that stick as meaningful and hardly seem melodic to others, but they have significance because of… it’s hard to say. Sometimes both for a musicians and a listeners, those meaningful moments seem possibly ineffable.
Is that really true?
This week’s tasks provide a chance to unpick those different aspects of melody, take time to reflect, understand, explore, and make those seemingly ineffable things articulate. We do this through sound, notation, and words. If you have the time to dip in and join us, it will be delicious. Participation is voluntary, and there are no prerequisites or requirements for engagement.The class is open and music lovers, performers, and teachers of all levels are invited to join us.
Where is it?
You can find the session page on the dropdown menu under the #MUS654 tab (or follow the link at the beginning of this post.) I’m looking forward to playing around with the task of copying some birdsong tomorrow, and then I’m going to tweet about it (pun, pun!).
Image CC BY-NC by Haberdashery Pie