User Login
Winter Assignments, Week Three
1. Read the introduction (xv-xxiv) to The Tao of Music: Sound Psychology by John Ortiz. Notice that the book is divided into four sections: Clinical Issues, Personal Issues, Social Issues, and Special Issues. In addition, it includes three interesting appendices. Read pp. 275-314 as well. Remember that Ortiz is writing for a very large audience, not college students only. Some of his language is intended for psychologists, some of it for people interested in New Age therapy, and some of it for musicians. He can't be all things to all people. Your job is to sort through the language so that it makes sense to you as you read.
2. Select one "issue" chapter from each of the four sections and read each one carefully. They do not have to apply directly to you or your own "issues," but it will probably be more interesting for you if they do. Complete one exercise for each chapter. NOTE: as Ortiz states clearly in the introduction, you don't have to use his suggested selections. The book was published in 1997, which means it does not contain anything in "suggested music" past the mid-1990s. That's fine. You have your own musical selections to draw from; use those if you like.
3. In writing, summarize the results of your work for each of the four exercises (that makes four exercise summaries of about half a page each). You do not need an introduction or a conclusion to the overall assignment; just write the chapter title (for example, "Procrastination") at the start of each selection. It is due at the end of seminar on Thursday.
Back to Assignments page
