Third Assignment

Due: April 16, 2008


  1. Consider yourself the leader of a small (3-8) group of performers dedicated exclusively to music written after 1950. Choose from John Cage's book Notations (on reserve) or from the School of Music library a "graphic" score (i.e. a score that looks more like a drawing and uses little or NO traditional notation -- e.g. Sydney Wallace Stegall Dappled Fields, Carl Fernbach-Flarsheim's untitled piece, or A. Logothetis Ichnologia, all reproduced in Notations). Describe how you would perform it, what would each member of the ensemble play and do during the piece. Attach a copy of the score.

    Do not forget to mention: how long the performance should last, what instrumentations will be used, and how would you read the score.


    In addition to the information provided by Cage's book, here are some other composers who wrote scores in non-traditional notation:

    You can find out more by consulting:

    Each student should choose a different score. If two or more are working on the same score, their interpretation and performance instructions should be significantly different. No assignments that "share" ideas - only individual, original work will be considered.

    The attached pdf file contains three examples of graphic scores. They can be used but all descriptions/interpretations of them should be obviously different: different ensembles, different ways of reading the scores, etc. Similar solutions will receive 0 points.

    70 points

  2. Based on the scores presented in class or available on reserve, draw a notation symbol for each of the following instrumental or vocal effects: