Who performed? Include the name of the performer or group
B) The type and style of music you heard
C) The location, time and length of the performance The type of event (concert, church service,
etc.); and the admission price.
D) Context
• Describe the physical and social environment of the performance.
• Is it indoors or outdoors?
• How do the performers and audience fill and use the space?
• Is this a place devoted solely to performance?
• If it is built to serve other purposes as well, how does that affect the performance?
• How would you classify the overall “feel” of the space: luxurious, utilitarian, seedy?E) Purpose
• What are the intended purposes of the performance? For example: community outreach,
cultural education, dancing, listening enjoyment, political protest, socializing, or
religious worship.
• Why are people (musicians and audience) there? Are the musicians performing for pay,
for practice, to show off their skill? A student ensemble performing in the DVC
Performing Arts Center, for instance, differs greatly from a professional band in a club.
• Did the audience come specifically to this event or is it a street performance where
people wander by?F) Observation of the musicians
1. How many musicians
2. Instrumentation
3. Skill level (in your opinion)
4. Interaction between performers
What does each musician contribute? Who is the leader? How do they communicate? If
there is dance, how does the dancer interact with the musicians? Does the dancer also
make music?
5. Musical sound
How would you describe the music, its sound, and its style? You may find that it is
interesting to focus on a few songs/pieces or aspects of the performance rather than
recounting the entire event. What instruments are played and how do they contribute to
the music?
G) Audience behavior
Observation of the audience: size, attitude, mood? How did the audience appear to
experience the event? Note any interaction between the musicians and the audience,
when people seem most interested or affected by the performance.
H) Socio-cultural background of the music, the musicians, and the audience
To the best of your ability, try to “read” the appearances of the performers and audience
(age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, etc.). With what sort of people is this kind of
music most commonly associated?Your opinion: did you enjoy the show?
Some things will be more directly observable than others; some aspects will depend heavily on your
interpretation of events. For instance, it is usually relatively simple to note which instruments are being used,
how many performers are involved, and when the audience applauded, but determining whether the audience
applauded because they loved the music or because they were simply being polite is an interpretive act. Be sure
to be aware of such distinctions and make them clear in your report.