How, when, and for what purpose does music play a role in the event? What types of instruments are used? What else strikes you? Are there other, nonverbal ways of communicating with and receiving knowledge from participants?

Festival celebrating

Your final project will involve reporting on a festival celebrating an ethnic heritage that is different than your own. Hopefully there will be some festivals that will be allowed to take place as events start opening up here in California. Ideas for festivals include attending a Pow Wow, Chinese New Year, Nowruz (Persian New Year) or the Cherry Blossom Festival. After you attend, you will write a paper that is approximately two pages in length describing your experience. You will be focusing primarily on the role of music in the festival. Here are some helpful tips in writing about your experience.

While witnessing/taking part in this event, observe the goings-on as broadly as possible.Elements of the “setting” include details such as the physical layout of the building/room/outdoor space; how the participants are configured and move within that space; age, ethnicity, dress, body language, and mannerisms of the participants; and the progression of the event. How, when, and for what purpose does music play a role in the event? What types of instruments are used? What else strikes you?

Talk with participants at the event (to the extent that it is appropriate). Ask questions related to why they are there, and what the event and the music employed means to them (i.e., the significance). Try to speak with as many different people and kinds of participants as possible. Are there other, nonverbal ways of communicating with and receiving knowledge from participants?

Take a small notebook with you, though you are the only one who will be able to judge whether it is appropriate to write notes in the midst of the event. Often it is not possible or appropriate to write observations down; in such cases, make a mental outline of points that you will want to write about later.

Was a program distributed for the event? If so, make sure to get one, as it can be a valuable tool for you to understand the ordering of performances and to check the proper spellings of song titles or names of performers. Descriptions found in the program often communicate aspects of the event’s significance for those organizing it.

Write a concluding paragraph and share any insights that you gained from the event. You will also need to provide proof of your attendance with your paper submission to receive full credit. This should be an enjoyable experience. Hopefully you will be able to attend in person and take a friend or two and enjoy new experiences and food! Don’t wait too long to record your experience as the details will fade in your memory.