Schema in Music

Introduction
For this unit we have been examining how schema shapes the way that we hear music. Students listened to two recordings. Each of the two recordings did not resolve, or "return home". Instead, the recordings left the listener hanging. The musical schema that most listeners of Western Art Music have developed guides the listener to anticipate an ending that resolves, or "returns home". These are student responses to the recordings.

1. What sounds funny about each of these two motives?
Student Answer: There is a missing sound at the end of each segment.
Student Answer: It leaves you without ACTUALLY ending. You think there's going to be a certain beat to end the song but the song just "blanks out"

2. How do you expect these short segments to end?
Student Answer: The segments should have ended with the note **DO?**
Student Answer: The first segment sounds like it should have gone down.

3. In your own words, define schema.
Student Answer: Schema is the way you have learned to interpret the world around you due to such factors as culture, and where you live.
Student Answer: Schema is when, because of culture or environment you learned
something, and when faced with a certain situation because of what you
learned, you interpret the world in a way that is consistent with your learned understanding.

4. How has the musical schema you developed shaped your expectations of what these short segments should sound like?
Student Answer: My musical schema tells me that all songs have an ending. These motives don't and it leaves me hanging because my brain is telling me that the song NEEDS to end and it doesn't.
Student Answer: One, since they already have a set idea or picture in their minds of music, automatically assumes that it should end on a specific thing. Therefore if it doesn't end on that "note" one thinks that it is wrong.
Student Answer: I think music should have an ending that matches or goes with the couple of notes played in the first part of the song.

Welcome

Welcome to the music technology blog for L.D. Brandeis High School. Soon you will see student work created by the music technology classes. Please check back in the coming weeks for more material.