Friday's Reading

The reading from p.169-189 will help me with my multimodal project in many ways. In the reading I learned about four different key decisions I will have to make.

Firstly, I must identify my argument. If I do not have a point or a side to argue, then I have nothing to contribute. Next, I must consider my audience. The people whom I intended to reach are the most important part of my project. If I create a project that will fall upon deaf ears, then there is no reason to create the project. Also, I must consider the audiences point of view. I need to be able to persuade them, which requires me to know about them. Thirdly, I must consider my medium that I am delivering my project through. This project will have many mediums, hence its name. With the many skill sets the group provides, we will be able to produce many mediums through which to validate our argument. Lastly, I must think about the specific form of the composition. I must be able to organize the thoughts clearly and in a linear manner so that the argument is more convincing. If my argument is spread out and scattered, it will have little effect over the reader.

Decorum is another thing to consider. Decorum has to do with the formalness of the project. I will likely want to consider some ornamentation, but not too much. I must consider my audience and make an assessment on the level of decorum required.

The reading also taught me that the document design is important. I must be sure to space my paper properly. I must make correct indentions and margins if I wish to be taken seriously.

Another medium, just as important as text, is a picture. With a properly placed picture in an argument, it could almost tell the story without the words. One must be careful though because if the picture is not referenced in the text, then the reader might skip over it. Also, make sure the picture is cited properly. Make sure the picture is interesting as well. No one likes a boring picture.

Then, the reading continues to explain the importance of all the previously explained components. See, one can use text in an image to create an even more powerful image. Also, the colors in the image can speak words for the writer. If one can carefully combine all the different mediums of a project in the correct way, they can make an argument that is near impossible to argue with. If one can master the ability to combine all the ways to argue, the one can master any argument.

Point of View

Every single person has their own point of view about what they see and about what they believe. You can ask any two people to describe a situation or event and it is highly unlikely to receive the same exact description. For example, an adult wouldn’t complain about a flu shot nearly as much as a child. And inversely, an adult wouldn’t be as entertained by cartoons as a child would be.  The culture, society and personal identity and demographics all dictate how one views things.

The way one perceives others and news and events indicates what kind of person they are. A person that really enjoys cartoons but doesn’t understand a thing about the economic situation would be thought to be a child. The view one provides is based on their personal experiences. A teenager in America might complain about their $8.25/hr wage while in a third world country, that’d be a fortune. This just goes to show that what a person is used to, what they have experiences and how they’ve grown up has affected their view on society and culture.

This reading provides a few points on the point of view one might take. There are two images in which the children have the same goal. Both have children trying to raise money for the Haiti relief fund, but both are taking two different approaches. One child has a bake sale sign with a heart on it. This child is taking a much more calm and happy approach towards the situation. The other children have a sign with pictures of suffering people, which highly appeals to ethos. While some people see this as disrespectful, others see it as an effective way to get their point across. The more sensitive people would go for the happy bake sale sign while the more sympathetic and easily saddened people would go for the suffering sign. Even though the sign holders, all of the same demographic, are baking food for the same cause, they have completely different takes on the same exact situation. This is proof to the fact that everyone is entitled to his or her own point of view.

Paper Outline

Paper Outline

Christian Trotter

English 103 Section 20

Music cognition is a powerful tool for brain development. The field of study for this tool is growing rapidly. There are many new terms and studies coming out of this.

Children are the main study case for this topic. There have hundreds of studies conducted on children. There are bountiful amounts of numbers and statistics that point towards the benefits of music cognition.

The history of drumming and music is also quite interesting. There is the fact that it can be used as communication or therapy. Rhythm is a strong field of study.

Describe the history origin and uses of the drum; there is a lot of information on the instrument and its uses. Examine all the drums many uses, from the battlefield to the classroom. Mention the notation and progression of drumming. Provide a good understanding of the origins of drumming.

 Give a small introduction to psychoacoustics. Discuss things such as basic psychology and functions of the ear, the effects of tone, pitch and resonance, and cognitive psychology.

Discuss different instruments and including drum sets and drums. Also, examine the great drummer Neil Peart as well as many other famous drummers’ drum sets.

Discuss the second year results of a five-year longitudinal study of the musical achievement of culturally disadvantaged students. Talk about results from tests of frequencies, micro-melodies, and rhythm and their effects on rhythmic perception of the subjects. Introduce computer simulation of musical performance adjudication. Expand on the topic of the five-year longitudinal study of the musical achievement of culturally disadvantaged students. Reveal information on the nature of absolute pitch, the development of rhythmic and tonal capabilities of kindergarten and 1^st grade children.

Identify and classify this new field of study. That field being identified is the developmental psychology of music. Also known as Psychomusicology, this new study has a bountiful amount of information to be discussed and examined. With many studies on music development of children and other forms of psychological development due to music, I can fully examine the psychological effects of music on the human mind.

Music often parallels to the sounds of nature and often calling music organic. There are studies of the patterns of mental or bodily activities as well as musical tension/resolution patterns. There is also chance for an in depth look on music and the nervous system.

A listener of music does not bring emotion to the music, but the music does bring emotion to the listener. There are also other creative mediums such as poetry and literature that the effects of music are noticeable. Music is not an emotion or a language, but music is provocative enough to be perceived as such.

 There have been countless studies of a child’s development through musical therapy. Beginning with some concepts of music as cognition, the effects on the mind of young humans and their temporal lobes is examined closely.

Music through melody, timbre, word and harmony, all have different effects on the mind. Explain the overall psychological effects of harmonic and disharmonic music.

Greatly considering previous theories, explain my own. Focus more on the effects of rhythm than music itself. Ending with a grand conclusion of my own, I must tie together the research I have excavated.

Music Cognition Bibliography

1. Briefly Describing the history origin and uses of the drum, there is interesting information on the instrument and its uses. This Canadian drummer examines all the drums many uses, from the battlefield to the classroom. Also mentioning the notation and progression of drumming, the information provided helps give a good understanding of the origins of drumming.

Chatto, Allan. "Drum History." CADRE. Allan Chatto, Jan. 1996. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://www.cadre-online.ca/drumhistory.html>.

2. An introduction to psychoacoustics, this book covers basic topics and some new research. With chapters on things such as basic psychology and functions of the ear, the effects of tone, pitch and resonance, and cognitive psychology, this text has all one would need to obtain an understanding of Music Cognition.

Cook, Perry R. Music, Cognition, and Computerized Sound: an Introduction to Psychoacoustics. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2001. Print.

3. This web site contains very basic information on the history of drums and the modern progression of their use in music. The author, a fellow drummer, has some informative details about his own drum set. Also, he has set up a few pages to this site that also examine the great drummer Neil Peart as well as many other famous drummers’ drum sets.

DeStefano, John T. "History of Drums." Http://penz4.tripod.com/. John DeStefano, 2001. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://penz4.tripod.com/historyofdrums.html>.

4. This book includes the second year results of a five-year longitudinal study of the musical achievement of culturally disadvantaged students. It also has results from tests of frequencies, micro-melodies, and rhythm and their effects on rhythmic perception of the subjects. Also with a large section on a computer simulation of musical performance adjudication, this book, based on Carl E. Seashore’s work at the University of Iowa, is a plethora of information.

Gordon, Edwin. Experimental Research in the Psychology of Music: 7. Iowa City: Univ. of Iowa, 1972. Print.

5. Though this citing may seem to be the exact as the one prior, it is not. This is the 8^th edition of the research and is a continuation and expansion of the previous edition. Containing information on the nature of absolute pitch, the development of rhythmic and tonal capabilities of kindergarten and 1^st grade children, and the third year results of the five-year study, one can see the progression of the studies and new information that wasn’t put in the last book.

Gordon, Edwin. Experimental Research in the Psychology of Music: 8. Iowa City: Univ. of Iowa, 1972. Print.

6. This book tries to define and describe this new field of study. That field being the developmental psychology of music, this author is in over his head. Also known as Psychomusicology, this new study has a bountiful amount of information to be discussed and examined, and this book does just that. With many chapters on music development of children and other forms of psychological development due to music, this book fully examines the psychological effects of music on the human mind.

Hargreaves, David J. The Developmental Psychology of Music. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire: Cambridge UP, 1986. Print.

7. Often paralleling music to the sounds of nature and often calling music organic, the author has a deep passion for music. Almost a hippie’s point of view, the author goes into great depth on the change and life of the music itself. But for my interests, there are examinations of the patterns of mental or bodily activities as well as musical tension/resolution patterns. There is also an in depth look on music and the nervous system within these pages.

McLaughlin, Terence. Music and Communication. London: Faber, 1970. Print.

8. It basically states that a listener of music does not bring emotion to the music, but the music does bring emotion to the listener. It also takes insight into other creative mediums such as poetry and literature and the effects of music in those areas. The book also likes to point out that music is not an emotion or a language, but music is provocative enough to be perceived as such.

Pratt, Carroll C. The Meaning of Music: A Study in Psychological Aesthetics. New York: Johnson Reprint, 1968. Print.

9. A short yet informative article on brain function improvement through music, this web site skips the flashy words and gets straight to the point. It has a brief thesis and discussion with research to back it up saying that music improves brain function.

Schewe, Phillip F. "Music Improves Brain Function." Livescience.com. American Institute of Physics, 6 Nov. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://www.livescience.com/7950-music-improves-brain-function.html>.

10. As any good music cognition book would have, this one also has a large section devoted to the studies of a child’s development through musical therapy. Beginning with some concepts of music as cognition, the book then delves into the effects on the mind of young humans and their temporal lobes.

Serafine, Mary Louise. Music as Cognition: The Development of Thought in Sound. New York: Columbia UP, 1988. Print.

11. A short analysis found online, this source is just concentrated information. Describing the effects of music through melody, timbre, word and harmony, the author wasted no time explaining the effects of music on the mind. With definitions of some words early in the writing, the author sets the tone to later describe the overall psychological effects of harmonic and disharmonic music.

Severance, Scott. "Psychological Effects of Music - Music - ScottSeverance.us." ScottSeverance.us. Scott Severance, 1999. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://www.scottseverance.us/music/effects_of_music.htm>.

12. Greatly considering previous theories, the author gives a historical introduction of musical rhythm. Then, the nature of stratification with respect to pitch is greatly explained. This author focuses more on the effects of rhythm than music itself. Ending with a grand conclusion of his own, the author ties together the research in the book.

Yeston, Maury. The Stratification of Musical Rhythm. New Haven: Yale UP, 1976. Print.

Research Paragraphs

Drumming and its therapeutic effects on the human being are not well known. Every one is familiar with the urge to tap his or her feet on the ground to a song. Every one is also familiar with the thought that physical activities help relieve stress. Little do people know is that drumming is quite a physical activity. It takes much exertion and often leaves drummers out of breath. It’s not only the creation of music, but it is also the relief of hitting something. Drumming is an effective form of therapy and is also an interesting hobby that is worth perusing.

http://penz4.tripod.com/historyofdrums.html
Though this source seems simple, almost childish, it will provide me with some solid gap fillers and basic information on drumming. I can use the most broad of information from this website to give my paper some body and interesting points to start upon.

http://www.cadre-online.ca/drumhistory.html
Another website that has a "brief" history on drumming. Skimming its info, I could easily see that this site will be bountiful with useful information on the history of drumming and many techniques in drumming.

http://www.lpmusic.com/Play_Like_A_Pro/Lessons_From_Pros/drumforhealth.html
Interested by the effects that drumming can have on a human, this site will enable me to click its side links and various pages in itself. This site will inform me upon the effects of drumming on humans.

http://healing.about.com/od/drums/a/drumtherapy.htm
This site will help with explaining drum therapy, another interesting side to drumming and its effects on the human psyche.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2755465/?tool=pmcentrez
This site explores the fact that drumming can even be used for communication between humans.

I suspect that I will need and use all five of these sources. I excluded a couple from the ones I found while searching.

Some problems I expect to encounter would include the lack of information to use. Even though drumming has been around since the dawn of time, I doubt it is a deep enough subject to draw over numerous pages. I expect I’ll be diving deep into the depths of the library and Internet to find solid points and facts behind drumming. The best way to avoid this problem would to be to do more research.