Listening/Analysis "Clubs"?

So at my high school we really don't do as much listening and analysis as we should. And I know that in college next year there is going to be a lot of it. I could always do listening on my own, but I can't take much from it analysis, especially when the theory is far above my level.

Which brings me to my idea; would anyone be interested in starting a listening/analysis club? I think this could be YC's version of a book club. The people in the club would decide on a piece, maybe one every week or one every two weeks, or however often...and then listen to it, give their opinions on it, and share their analysis of it. It could be a great way for everyone to discover new music, as well as to learn the process of analyzing music. It will also allow less experienced people to learn new theory and concepts.

Is anyone else on board?

This is how I think it could be organized:

Divide the clubs into periods

This is useful for two reasons: one because we need a way to keep the groups at a reasonable size. Too many people might be hard to organize plus it could mean pages and pages of posts (assuming this took off of course :toothygrin: ). Second because it allows the people interested to pick a club that's centered on their musical taste. That way there won't be too much disagreement on what pieces to choose, and also it allows everyone to study the music they love. But what if you love lots of music? Well that's fine, just choose the periods you're interested in, and if you want to try new styles maybe join a period you're not accustomed to.

There's one problem I see with this, which is that up until this point I've been assuming that the genre would be classical. I'm sure the majority of the site goers main interests lie in classical music, but for those that like modern music like pop or hip hop, trance etc. maybe we could have a seperate club for "modern, 'non-classical' genres" or soemthing like that.

Selection process

So IMO the ideal group size would be no more than about 10 people. Everyone in the group would agree on how often they want to pick a new piece. Than starting in some sort of order, be it by birthdate or by 1st letter of username or something like that, each person would take turns giving a piece for everyone to listen to and analyze. They should be of a reasonable length, so maybe instead of an entire concerto, symphony, or opera just pick a single movement aria, etc. to listen to. The group would spend the week or so discussing, and then move on to the next piece.

Rules ("well, they're more like...guidelines")

Yes that was a POTC quote. Anyways, I think certain rules should be followed for these. Of course any rules of YC would apply, but other than that:

Serious discussion: This has more to do with the actual discussion than things like jokes and sarcasm. These groups should be used for serious analysis. Beginners are of course allowed to join, but for the sake of not having to wait on someone, people joining should have SOME knowledge of basic to intermediate theory. This isn't for people to say, "I really like this piece because it has a cool rhythm and the sounds are awesome..." etc. If you can't articulate yourself that's one thing, but if you just don't possess the knowledge to give a basic analysis that's not your fault, but you shouldnt' be in these groups. Be SPECIFIC! Maybe say, "I really like this piece because of how Beethoven makes use of syncopated rhthyms and off-beat accents as a motive, and the orchestration is very effective."

Availability: The pieces used should be easy to get. The best case scenario; the piece is on youtube or a similar source, and a score is on IMSLP or a similar source. If there's no score that's not the end of the world, but it's probably not a good idea to pick a piece that doesn't have a readily accessible recording. They should also probably be free. Unless there's an agreement amongst the members, a person shouldn't be required to spend money to take part in these clubs.

Offensiveness(?): This is up to interpretation, but use good judgment and common sense. If the piece you want to suggest is some kind of song that supports racism or bigotry, etc. it shouldn't be used.

=========================

Lastly, two things: Like I said earilier, I think an ideal group size would be about 10. If a period group became filled, a second thread for that period could be created. So if "Classical Period Group 1" was full, a new thread like "Classical Period Group 2" could be made to allow for more people. Also, I'm not sure about this one, but if enough people want to do this, I propose creating a new forum for clubs, that way it would be easier to find them, because they wouldn't be buried by new threads that come up.

If anyone likes this idea please say so, and if you have any suggested addons or changes, feel free to make them.

On a side note, I hope something like this doesn't already exist, or I did all this typing for nothing. :P

So at my high school we really don't do as much listening and analysis as we should. And I know that in college next year there is going to be a lot of it. I could always do listening on my own, but I can't take much from it analysis, especially when the theory is far above my level.

Which brings me to my idea; would anyone be interested in starting a listening/analysis club? I think this could be YC's version of a book club. The people in the club would decide on a piece, maybe one every week or one every two weeks, or however often...and then listen to it, give their opinions on it, and share their analysis of it. It could be a great way for everyone to discover new music, as well as to learn the process of analyzing music. It will also allow less experienced people to learn new theory and concepts.

Is anyone else on board?

This is how I think it could be organized:

Divide the clubs into periods

This is useful for two reasons: one because we need a way to keep the groups at a reasonable size. Too many people might be hard to organize plus it could mean pages and pages of posts (assuming this took off of course :toothygrin: ). Second because it allows the people interested to pick a club that's centered on their musical taste. That way there won't be too much disagreement on what pieces to choose, and also it allows everyone to study the music they love. But what if you love lots of music? Well that's fine, just choose the periods you're interested in, and if you want to try new styles maybe join a period you're not accustomed to.

There's one problem I see with this, which is that up until this point I've been assuming that the genre would be classical. I'm sure the majority of the site goers main interests lie in classical music, but for those that like modern music like pop or hip hop, trance etc. maybe we could have a seperate club for "modern, 'non-classical' genres" or soemthing like that.

Selection process

So IMO the ideal group size would be no more than about 10 people. Everyone in the group would agree on how often they want to pick a new piece. Than starting in some sort of order, be it by birthdate or by 1st letter of username or something like that, each person would take turns giving a piece for everyone to listen to and analyze. They should be of a reasonable length, so maybe instead of an entire concerto, symphony, or opera just pick a single movement aria, etc. to listen to. The group would spend the week or so discussing, and then move on to the next piece.

Rules ("well, they're more like...guidelines")

Yes that was a POTC quote. Anyways, I think certain rules should be followed for these. Of course any rules of YC would apply, but other than that:

Serious discussion: This has more to do with the actual discussion than things like jokes and sarcasm. These groups should be used for serious analysis. Beginners are of course allowed to join, but for the sake of not having to wait on someone, people joining should have SOME knowledge of basic to intermediate theory. This isn't for people to say, "I really like this piece because it has a cool rhythm and the sounds are awesome..." etc. If you can't articulate yourself that's one thing, but if you just don't possess the knowledge to give a basic analysis that's not your fault, but you shouldnt' be in these groups. Be SPECIFIC! Maybe say, "I really like this piece because of how Beethoven makes use of syncopated rhthyms and off-beat accents as a motive, and the orchestration is very effective."

Availability: The pieces used should be easy to get. The best case scenario; the piece is on youtube or a similar source, and a score is on IMSLP or a similar source. If there's no score that's not the end of the world, but it's probably not a good idea to pick a piece that doesn't have a readily accessible recording. They should also probably be free. Unless there's an agreement amongst the members, a person shouldn't be required to spend money to take part in these clubs.

Offensiveness(?): This is up to interpretation, but use good judgment and common sense. If the piece you want to suggest is some kind of song that supports racism or bigotry, etc. it shouldn't be used.

=========================

Lastly, two things: Like I said earilier, I think an ideal group size would be about 10. If a period group became filled, a second thread for that period could be created. So if "Classical Period Group 1" was full, a new thread like "Classical Period Group 2" could be made to allow for more people. Also, I'm not sure about this one, but if enough people want to do this, I propose creating a new forum for clubs, that way it would be easier to find them, because they wouldn't be buried by new threads that come up.

If anyone likes this idea please say so, and if you have any suggested addons or changes, feel free to make them.

On a side note, I hope something like this doesn't already exist, or I did all this typing for nothing. :P

Sounds interesting. I'd love to be involved. Let's set up a time to start. Ticktockfool

This seems cool, I'd like to join!

Well this isn't the actual club(s). This is just me proposing. If enough people want to do this I'll pitch it to the "higher-ups", or they might stumble upon this, whichever happens first.

We actually did something like this, informally, at one point. It was just a shoutbox thing, but it was enjoyable and interesting. It sounds like a good idea to me. A chance to get acquainted with new material, pieces one hasn't heard before, information, etc.

i would definitely be game!!

Alright well maybe the best way to get more attention is just to start rather than wait. I'm going to start a group for the Classical Period. Which should also probably decide on some general dates that would work. They don't have to be exact, neither are they limiters. Just a rough time frame for reference. If you decide to create a group for a different period, maybe specify the years in the description of the thread:

Classical Period-Group 1

1750-1830

Also check beforehand to make sure that the group you want to create doesn't already exist.

Other than that, I think we're off!