Musical Form And Structure

Musical Form And Structure What is the difference between music and noise? In a personal point of view, one important difference is that music makes sense. It has its own structure, basic patterns and it shows how composers made the pieces by their logic as well as their elaborate management. Therefore I would say, a piece without any structure and form can be only called noise instead of music. To research the structures and forms of a piece, we have to know what the structure is as well as what the form is, when I was studying in schools, I thought the structure is the different themes and how they were connected to each other; the form would be sonata form, ternary or something like minuet. After getting deeper into some Twentieth Century composers and their music, I realized it is not as simple as that. Firstly, the structure in music means the complex composition of musical knowledge or experiments as elements and their combinations. And the form in music means the shape and the figure throughout the whole work. I consider that in music, structure and form are both extremely important somehow we can analyze structure by a macro view and seek form by a micro view. Children who study in music schools learn some early period formal music structures and forms such as analyzing pieces by Bach and Beethoven We all knew about many basic forms in music since childhood. But in the modern world, music gets mystic and complicated. For some audiences, it is impossible to realize any structure in contemporary music such as John Cages piece: 433. They think the piece was just composed like a blank paper. Structure and form seems never existed in this music. I have to say, people whom consider contemporary music does not have structure or form just do not understand the music itself at all. Everything has a reason to be there, such as composers have their own notions of creating music. To prove this view, and to show the forms and structures in John Cages 433, I will analyze this piece below. 1. Introduction John Cage has made a huge experiment on this composition 433 to the world. Unfortunately the first performance of this piece was like a scandal. It was written in 1952, his so-called piece in silence. Performers basically go on to the stage and play nothing for exactly four minutes and thirty-three seconds. At the premiere some listeners did not even realize they had heard anything at all. Obviously audiences were angry and felt being deceived after the concert. The premiere was performed by the young pianist David Tudor at Woodstock, New York, on August 29, 1952.1 433 was written for any instrument or any instruments combination. NOTE: The title of this work is the total length in minutes and seconds of its performance. At Woodstock, N.Y., August 29, 1952, the title was 433 and the three parts were 33, 240, and 120. It was performed by David Tudor, pianist, who indicated the beginnings of parts by closing, the endings by opening, and the keyboard lid. However, the work may be performed by (any) instrumentalist or combination of instrumentalists and last any length of time.2 FOR IRWIN KREMEN JOHN CAGE _________________________ 1 J.Cage, Silence: Lectures and Writings (USA, 1961), 102. 2 J.Cage, A year from Monday: new lectures and writings (USA, 1985), 77. From the statement above, we can already see some basic structures in this piece: it is divided in three parts, and the lengths of them were 33, 240 and 120. (There are two ways of dividing this music, which I have mentioned below) 2. Materials John Cage has used a few materials, or elements to compose 433. Through this piece, Tacet (As the image of the score shows) is one of the materials. However, another material which people always ignore is the division of tacets. Image of John Cages writing of this piece Base on the score, Cage used division twice to make three tacets in the whole piece. And these two divisions and three tacets formed this composition logically, thus:  ¼Ã‹â€ I ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °TacetDivision ¼Ã‹â€ II ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °TacetDivision ¼Ã‹â€ III ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Tacet 3. Analyze Cage has clearly shown the tacet in this piece. But about the division, we can analyze it in different ways. If we think mathematically, use tacets and divisions to build a function: If division is independent variable x, the musical form is dependent variable y, then based on the function mode y=f(x), we can get this: Form = Tacets (Divisions) Now we calculate this mode, we get two different results: 1. Tacet-Division-Tacet-Division-Tacet If we make Division bigger and bigger, then it becomes the part of the piece, (as important as tacets), therefore we can get this musical form: A-B-A-B-A 2. Tacet-(Division)-Tacet-(Division)-Tacet If we make Division smaller and smaller, until it has but only has the ability of dividing Tacets, then we can get this musical form: A1-A2-A3 Those two forms we all have studied in early schools, so I am not going to talk about them further here. As we can see from this image statement, John Cage has given some freedom in this piece to the performers The performance in Woodstock gave the timings 33, 240, and 120, but the original print program says that the timings were 30, 223, and 140. Also as I mentioned above, this silent piece could be played by any single instrument or any combination of instruments. It is a freedom piece But that does not mean this piece has no form however it divides, we can still find the forms. People may ask, although the piece has a form such as A-B-A-B-A or A1-A2-A3, it still does not have a very convictive structure. How did John Cage make three movements out of this piece and how did he determine the length for each of them? These three parts seem unlikely balanced and managed. Well, in that case, Cage has pointed to this particular Tarot card formation when shown a number of possible configurations: This is one of the most complicated configurations and is organized in three parts of concentric horseshoes. Each horseshoe has represented one movement, with these cards which bearing a length that could have been plus to the duration of each movement. The point above seems to be able to answer a lot of questions about the structure of this silent piece. It illustrates how the movements were built up by those little silent cards, also how the composer can know when a movement finishes, why he made this piece into three parts. Somehow these questions seem to have a greater effect on what we hear. However, we can suppose that he used these cards for his composition and it shows the decision of three movements. When people asked about the differences in time lengths of the scores, Cage said that it could be of any length. This does not mean that the formal structure of this piece could be violated at all. He said that it would still be titled 433, also the durations of the movements mu st be determined by some type of chance procedure, and it must be in three movements. 3 This piece seems to be very difficult for performers after seen this Tarot Cards formation. Because it becomes so easy to make mistakes and miss the beats. But Cage said that this is not the point. The point is about the feeling it creates, both the performers and audiences are dispensable. What the piece needs is a devoted and interesting listener. However, those methods which Cage used for 433 have offered the audiences a huge freedom area. The point, the meaning of this piece has changed. Normally we try the best to do what composer says on the score, now we do what we feel and define our own potentials. The structure that Cage used was mathematical for composer as well as humanized for performers and listeners. Although this piece has no harmony and melody lines, it still has a strong meaning. The spirit of Cage, like what Alex Ross said about this piece in his book The music was the sound of the surrounding space. It was at once a head-spinning philosophical statement and a Zen- like ritual of contemplation 4 To conclude, structure in music is the sense which composer has given; form in music is the shape and the propriety which composer wants to represent. In the premiere of 433, audiences were angry and negative, but after understood the inner sense and getting deeper into the purpose of Composer, people loved it. When you could not find the structure or the form in any particular piece, it does not mean that they were not existed. As I have said, everything has a reason to be there, such as composers have their own notions of creating music. The real music only appears after researching and understanding. ______________________________ 3 J.Cage, Silence: Lectures and Writings (USA, 1961), 109 4 R.Alex, The Rest is Noise, listening to the Twentieth Century (USA, 2007), 401 Selected bibliography: Books: -J.Cage, Silence: Lectures and Writings (1961, USA) -R.Alex, The Rest is Noise, listening to the Twentieth Century (2007, USA), 401 -P.Yates, Twentieth Century Music (1967, London) -J.Cage, A year from Monday: new lectures and writings (1985, USA), 77. -P.Marjorie, J.Charles, John Cage: composed in America (1994, USA), 193 Articles: -L.Eleni, Learning from Masters of Music Creativity: Shaping Compositional Experiences in Music Education, Philosophy of Music Education Review, 15.2 (2007), 93-117 -C.Hong, John Cage with his silence piece, Zhong Hua Music Review, 17.2 (2003), 78-92 Websites -S.David, Unreconstructed Modernist, the Atlantic online (Accessed September 1995), http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/95sep/boulez.htm

The Kyoto Protocol Essay -- Environment USA Carbon Emissions Essays Pa

The Kyoto Protocol The Protocol: In December of 1997 the industrial nations of the world met in Kyoto, Japan to discuss a protocol that would require each nation to reduce their emission levels of greenhouse gases. On average the protocol required a 5.2% reduction on emission of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon-dioxide, in each signatory nation. 1 However some nations, like the U.S. who were obligated to reduce emissions by 7% of their 1990 levels by 2012, were required to reduce emission levels more or less than the average of 5.2% based on the current levels the nation emits. By March 16, 1997 the protocol was opened for signature and the first nations to sign were Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Maldives, Western Samoa, Switzerland and St. Lucia. Today 84 nations have signed the protocol and 104 have ratified it, accepted it, approved it, or come to an accession. 2 Although the United States under the Clinton Administration did originally sign the protocol; under the Bush Administration, in March of 2001, the U.S officially backed out of the Kyoto Protocol.3 According to President Bush the Kyoto Protocol "makes no economic sense, it makes no common sense." 4 Economically he was worried about the effects of the California energy crisis along with the threat of a recession. 5 In addition President Bush rejected the Kyoto Protocol because of its failure to include developing countries like China which is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases. 6 However, other nations of the world and our own nation saw it as "a moral lapse by the world's biggest polluter." 7 The United States, which only has 4% of the world's population, creates 25% of the pollution. 8 In an article written for the Seattle Times, Eric Sorensen f... ...February 9, 2003) 14. Shogren, Elizabeth. "Bush Pushes to Cut U.S. Greenhouse Emissions." June 10, 2001. Los Angeles Times. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com (accessed February 9, 2003) 15. Pianin, Eric. "Bush Offers No Alternative to Kyoto Treaty." Washington Post. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com (accessed February 9, 2003) 16. Shogren, Elizabeth. "Bush Pushes to Cut U.S. Greenhouse Emissions." June 10, 2001. Los Angeles Times. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com (accessed February 9, 2003) 17. Brodeur, Nicole. "City Thinks Global, Skips Things Local." July 24, 2001. Seattle Times. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com (accessed February 9, 2003) 18. Forgrave, Reid. "Resolution Sent to Council for Global-Warming Action." July 20,2001. Seattle Times. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com (accessed February 9, 2003)

Electronic Medical Records vs. Paper Charting

Electronic Medical records vs. Paper Medical Charts By: Diedre Fitzgerald Rasmussen College Summer 2012 English Composition; Professor Pauley Electronic Medical records vs. Paper Medical Charts It is no secret that the medical profession deals with some of population’s most valuable records; their health information. Not so long ago there was only one method of keeping medical records and this was utilizing paper charts. These charts, although still used in many practices today, have slowly been replaced by a more advanced method; electronic medical records or EMR’s. The manner in which information is currently employed in healthcare is highly inefficient, which slows down communication and can, as a result, reduce the emergence and discovery of problems. Accelerating communication and the use of information creates new opportunities to improve healthcare, but also new opportunities for problems to occur† (Ethan, Norman, Prashila, Samuel, 2011, p. 3-4). Although t hey are very reliable, paper medical records are becoming a thing of the past while electronic medical records are among one of the new advancements in our technologically savvy world.Both paper charts and EMR’s ultimately give clinicians and patients the same result but the journey is far from similar; A paper free work environment was once something to only imagine but in our present day is this new age technology exactly what we imagined? Paper medical records are something that most anyone who has been in the medical field for more than a few years are familiar with. This method of patient charting is very cut and dry and keeps true to its form of being a reliable source of information on a patient.According to the Law and Contemporary Problems Journal, the main function of paper medical records is to serve as a container or storage device that is occasionally opened to add new information while at the same time, preserving an authoritative method of treatment (Ethan, Nor man, Prashila, Samuel, 2011). Another essential need when dealing with any kind of medical record is security. While paper charts only consist of ink and paper they provide a sufficient amount of security because they are hard copies of raw data that cannot be hacked into and/ or ccidentally viewed by the wrong eyes unless someone physically has the chart in their hands. On the other side of the spectrum is a relatively new concept; electronic medical records or EMR’s are booming in many areas of the medical field. EMR’s do much more than just keep records. Electronic health records (as they are sometimes referred to) or â€Å"EHR’s, have a wide range of information and communications technology (ICT) capabilities. EHRs do not simply provide the user with a larger and more convenient record; they provide a record that is continuously linked to other sources† (Ethan, Norman, Prashila, Samuel, 2011, p. 8). There are endless possibilities when it comes to EM R’s. According to many health care professionals, one feature about everything going electronic is the fact that any chart can be accessed at any time by anyone who is allowed access to it, therefore, eliminating the need to wait around on charts to be used by doctors, nurses, therapists etc. â€Å"EMR’s make my life so much easier, I do not have to wait for a doctor to finish dictating in the patients chart to start what I need to do with the insurance portion† (Olivia Widner Pre services coordinator, US Oncology, 2012).In the March issue of Massage Magazine, author Brandi Schlossberg (2012) discusses the enthusiasm about going â€Å"paperless† within different massage practices. â€Å"Going paperless is the best paper decision you can make, and it's something all of us can do to make a difference,† said Timonie Hood (2010), zero waste coordinator with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Pacific Southwest. â€Å"Going paperless elimi nates all the environmental costs and impacts associated with paper† (Schlossberg, 2012, p. 46).Not only are EMR’s the â€Å"green† option between the two but they also take up less space, require less staff to process paperwork, can be backed up on a hard drive to ensure an extra blanket of security and keep the files safe with protection. Just as with paper medical charts, security of the information is an issue to a lot of people and in its own way EMR’s take precaution in keeping people out of the charts that should not be there. Almost all EMR programs are equipped with password protection. Although EMR’s may be taking over the medical world, paper medical charts emain the most well recognized form for keeping medical records. There are however some things within paper charts that some medical personnel might argue make it a primitive aspect of the medical field. One argument in itself is that the abundance of paper that is utilized in paper ch arting doesn’t stand up to the â€Å"green† society we aspire to live in today. â€Å"Paper charting used to take so long, the papers would always get unorganized, they took up so much room in the nurses’ station and the worst was waiting for a doctor to finish with a chart so I could chart what I needed to† (Brittney Guggino LPN, 2012).Another acknowledged concern with paper medical charts is the illegible handwriting of clinicians, which is a common, longstanding problem. Being unable to read orders clearly creates an added risk when dealing with patients treatments, medications etc. Paper charts may be familiar but they come with many downfalls and it’s these downfalls which may sway a person’s decision in the opposite direction in regards to the keeping of medical records.Just as with any new advancement in our hi-tech world, EMR’s have some kinks that need to be worked out and in a lot of cases just dealt with. The cost of implem enting and maintaining an EMR system is significantly larger than that of a paper charting system. â€Å"The CBO recently conducted a study and reported that, on average, EHR implementation costs for hospitals amount to approximately $14,500 per bed for implementation. Annual operating costs amount to $2,700 per bed per year† (Dell, 2010).Some of the medical professionals that have been in the profession for a while may find it difficult to adjust to this completely new way of charting. The same populations of people who have trouble navigating a computer fall short of the typical learning curve when it comes to learning this new method of charting. According to the Health Information Management Journal â€Å"Going paperless is great, but going fully automated paperless is impressive† (Boo, Noh, Kim, Kim, 2011, p. 12). While this may be true, consider how this will affect the job market.There are thousands of people who are clerks, receptionists and medical assistants whose jobs are primarily filing, copying, assembling charts etc. Due to companies moving toward EMR systems, a lot of people are losing their jobs because there is no need for them because the computer is taking over their job, not to mention taking away the personable feel that is found in most offices and or hospitals. â€Å"I used to work at Tampa General Hospital as a clerk on one of the units but because we recently switched to a computer charting system I quit my job due to lack of hours.The only thing I stayed for in the end was scanning paper charts into the new electronic versions† (Justin Mukhalian, telemetry tech, 2012). Either way we view the evolution of medical charts we all know eventually paper products will dissipate so much to the point where they are hardly used in any aspect of our lives; this is just the nature of the beast. Electronic medical records were once a thing of the future, but the future is now and paper medical charts are becoming a practice o f the past.Both methods focus on providing the patient with quality healthcare while providing useful information for other clinicians reviewing patients’ charts to provide that same quality of care. With anything in life, you take the good with the bad and in regards to medical records it is ultimately about what is best for the practice, the patient and clinician. Paper charts are simple, familiar, and almost foolproof but EMR’s are modern, organized, and environmentally friendly.More than 20 years ago, businesses began anticipating a paperless workplace. Today, professionals continue to integrate the latest electronic systems into their business plans hoping to achieve a ‘paper-free’ environment. Is this the right move for our society? Only time will tell. References Cote, C. (2010, October). Going â€Å"paperless† or â€Å"fully automated paperless†? American Chiropractor, 32(10), 22-23. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. rasmussen. edu/? ehost/? detail? id=4;hid=104;sid=2b51330e-5843-4272-ba93-36c23c748071%40sessionmgr114;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=awh;AN=54575534 Dell inc. (2010). Electronic health record implementation: Costs and benefits. Retrieved from http://www. perotsystems. com/? MediaRoom/? library/? ServiceOverviews/? ServiceOverview_CostsAndBenefits. pdf Ethan, K. , Norman, S. , Prashila, D. , ; Samuel, S. (2011). Is there an app for that? Electronic health records and a new environment of conflict prevention and resolution. Law and Contemporary Problems, 74(3), 31-56. Retrieved from

Animal Testing Should Not Be Banned - 1261 Words

There will come a day when such men as myself will view the slaughter of innocent creatures as horrible a crime as the murder of his fellow man- Our task must be to free ourselves- by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature and its beauty. -Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Animal testing is an issue in today s general public that, regardless if anybody understands it, does influence each of us. Is some some testing needed by law? Medical advances, for example, transplants, antibodies, and drugs were all tried on animals before they were utilized on people. However, does government law guarantee that creatures utilized as a part of examination and testing are dealt with compassionately? Today†¦show more content†¦This bars feathered animals, fish, rats, cold blooded animals and farm animals (regardless of warm or cold blood) from experimentation. This Act requires reports on the testing and treatment of all creatures, but, allows tes ting that many feel goes too far. The strongest support for animal testing and analysis is that there has been a plethora of groundbreaking, lifesaving and substantial advancements in the field of medical science on account of the experimentation performed on animals. Studies have demonstrated that in the course of 100 years, real leaps forward in medical science were found through animal testing (no less than 85 percent). If not for puppies, insulin never would have been made in medicinal labs for the treatment of diabetes. Without chimpanzees, an immunization for Hepatitis B never would have been found. There are numerous different cures and antibodies that have been made and discovered because of testing. The absence of human volunteers and stringent laws about the misuse of a human being make animals a likely source. Animals have numerous biological structures that are fundamentally the same to a human’s that they are the ideal substitute for a one. Their organs work like a human’s, and many are smaller in size, making it less demanding for specialists and researchers to learn and study with. Since many medical studies include potentially poisonous materials, it is unlawful to put a man