What aspect of the musical sound do you think affected you and why?

Write a 600-word essay (roughly 2-3 pages) describing your personal “soundscape.” For
the purpose of this assignment, your personal soundscape can briefly be described as the
distinctive settings, sounds, and significances of music in your life. (This assignment differs
from the discussion board post in this module that asks you to consider the overall
soundscape in your neighborhood).
I would like you to think about your own musical environment. For example: as a
listener, you may listen to music while doing certain activities or you may listen to certain
types of music depending on your mood or location. As a music maker, you may play an
instrument, sing, or dance so I would like you to describe the music you perform, practice, or
dance to (if applicable). You should construct a clear essay based on your own life
experience so you may want to organize the essay in chronological order, choose specific
musical events to focus on, or choose a specific time period in your life. You may want to
contact parents or other family members to ask them if they listened to music when you
were a child, or if you attended any musical events that you may not remember entirely. The
questions listed below are designed to help you think about your personal musical
experiences. You may choose to briefly answer all of the questions in your essay or focus
on a few of them in order to provide more detailed answers. Please be as specific as
possible in your essay and be sure to list specific musicians, songs, concerts, etc.
• Are music and dance important to you? Why or why not?
• What role do music and/or dance play in your life? Has this changed over time? If yes,
how?
• Who or what has influenced your musical soundscape?
• Where and when do you (or did you) listen to music and/or dance?
• For you, is music or dance usually a solitary activity or a group activity?
• If you sing, play an instrument, or dance, what led you to your choice of instrument, vocal
or dance style, and genre?
• Have you experienced music or dance that has moved you in some way (positively or
negatively)? What aspect of the musical sound do you think affected you and why? What
aspects of the experience affected you (context, people, etc)?
Please remember the following:

• The essay must be a minimum of 600 words – approximately 2-3 pages.
• Please proofread your work. Check spelling, sentence structure, and grammar.
• You are encouraged to write in the first person, but please use standard academic prose
(avoid contractions, etc.).

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