SHOSYS ACADEMY 4: Knowledge Of Specific Facts: Chronological Sequences
Kelvin Sholar
1 Introduction To The Blog Series
This series of lessons and tests incorporates an easy music appreciation curriculum for adult beginners who are remote learning, or are self-taught. Lessons are posted on Mondays while Tests are posted on Saturdays. For more in depth and private guidance, I offer personal instruction by Zoom (Personal Meeting ID 8522954569) – for 1 dollar a minute. Time schedules range from a minimum of 30 minutes to a maximum of 60 minutes. Email me at [email protected] to set up personal instruction. I accept payments and cash gifts by Cash App ($KelvinSholar), Zelle ([email protected]) or Paypal (paypal.me/kelvinsholar).
2 Revisiting The Tree Of Knowledge
In blog 3, we learned about the artistic terminology in music. In this blog, we will learn about specific facts of music, including chronological sequences of styles; this knowledge resides in Specifics branch (1.10) of the Tree of Knowledge (1.00), at the second leaf from the left (1.12) – Facts. In “Taxonomy Of Educational Objectives”, Benjamin Bloom describes knowledge of specific facts as: “knowledge of dates, events, persons, places, sources of information” (Bloom 65).
2.1 Knowledge Of Specific Facts
When we learn about music, it is often necessary to pinpoint exact dates of historical events, as well as approximate time periods within which events take place. Relative to pinpointing the dates of events, it is necessary to learn about important musicians and global locations associated with said events. Knowledge of specific facts also include learning about the sources of information by which facts are conveyed; such as newspaper and magazine archives, composer and performer manuscripts, photographs, audio-visual recordings, personal writings (e.g. journals, letters and diaries), books and oral histories.
2.2 A Chronological Sequence Of Styles
A chronological sequence of styles is a list of general ways to compose, write or perform music that follow each other in time. Styles are given arbitrary names by various authors; though the sequence of styles in Classical music is standardized, there is no standard sequence of styles in many types of Western music – including Jazz.
According to Roger Kamien in “Music: An Appreciation“, the goal of learning about the Western chronological sequence of styles in Classical music is to:
“explain the roles of musicians in medieval society, discuss the texture, melody, rhythm, mood, and texts of Gregorian chant, describe different types of secular music in the Middle Ages, trace the development of polyphonic music in the Middle Ages, identify the musical innovations in music of the fourteenth century, explain the shift in musical patronage during the Renaissance, compare and contrast polyphonic vocal music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, describe two types of sacred vocal music during the Renaissance, compare and contrast two types of secular vocal music during the Renaissance and discuss the development of Renaissance instrumental music” (Kamien 59).
Here is a chronological sequence of styles in both Classical and Jazz music; I have invented arbitrary names for some Jazz Styles, which I feel are relative to widespread labels in several well-known Jazz publications (such as Mark Gridley’s “Jazz Styles: History and Analysis“.
2.3 A Chronological Sequence Of Styles In Classical Music
- Middle ages (450-1450)
- Renaissance (1450-1600)
- the Baroque Period (1600-1750)
- the Classical Period (1750-1820)
- the Romantic Period (1820-1900)
- Twentieth Century (1900-)
2.4 A Chronological Sequence Of Styles In Jazz Music
- Ragtime (1890-1920)
- Early Jazz (1920-35)
- Stride and Swing (1930-45)
- Bebop and Hard Bop (1945-60)
- Avant-garde (1960-70)
- Fusion (1970-80)
- Renaissance (1980-2000)
- Contemporary (2000-2020)
3 Bibliography
Bloom, B. S.; Engelhart, M. D.; Furst, E. J.; Hill, W. H.; Krathwohl, D. R. Taxonomy Of Educational Objectives: The Classification Of Educational Goals. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Company, 1956
Gridley, Mark. Jazz Styles: History and Analysis. Pearson Prentice Hall, 1978
Kamien, Roger. Music: An Appreciation. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2018