ENTOGHRAPHY OF THE MUSIC COMMUNITY OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH

CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
By: Gina Marchitell


APRIL 21, 2014
ENGLISH 1101
Professor Germian
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Introduction
The music community of UNC Charlotte is an interesting group. They have a language
all of their own that combines several different languages together to make a music language.
They spend the majority of the time in the lobbies of Robinson, or in a practice room. The lobby
on the second floor is always hoping with music students. There is a small couch and four club
chairs with three end tables in the middle that act as places to eat or to do homework. These seats
are all full with people especially between classes. The students tend to have instruments and
bags next to them. Their instruments are their most prized possession, because using these
instruments is how they express themselves through music. These students are highly dedicated
to their major, this can be seen by the sheer amount of time they spend in Robinson.

Interview
Rachel Moore is attending the University at North Carolina at Charlotte and is majoring
in Music Education, with a concentration in instrumental education. Her primary instrument (the
instrument she plays for the majority of the time) is the flute. Rachel is only a freshman but she
already knows exactly what she wants to do for the rest of her life. She wants to teach high
school band. She volunteers at her old high school to get in the classroom and gain experience in
the behind the scene activities of being a high school band director. She has a busy schedule yet
she still finds time to practice her instrument.
Why did you choose music education as your major?
I chose music education because while in high school, I discovered that I thrived off of
making people understand concepts that they didn't before in band. Furthermore, I loved the idea
of molding students to see their own potential.
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Why did you decided to play Flute?
My family and I were moving from Florida after 9 years of living there because my dad's
work had moved him to Georgia. While packing, my mom found her old flute and called me in
the room to show it to me. After she played a few notes on it for me, I thought to myself, "that is
the sweetest, most beautiful sound I have ever heard". Afterward I was determined to play it.
How long has music been in your life?
Music has been in my life since before I could remember. The moment my mom played
her flute for me, I realized I loved it. However, I believe I have subconsciously loved it since the
day I was born.
Why did you decided to come to UNC Charlotte to get your degree?
I decided to come to Charlotte for my degree as a backup plan. Originally I had planned
to go to Appalachian State University. I decided to stay when I discovered that the professors are
top class and that I was starting to fit in to a supportive and small environment that I really
appreciated.
Does the instrument you chose define you in any way?
Yes and No; while the flute and piccolo resemble my personality-in that they are very
energetic instruments, I can appreciate all different sounds of music. I constantly seek variety
and spontaneity in music.
How much time do you spend do musical activities?
All day, every day. If I'm not studying music, I'm practicing. Either that or I'm listening
to it on the radio or on my iPod.
Do you spend a lot of time with other music students and what do you do with them?
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I mostly don't have time to spend with non-music students. Mostly when I am hanging
out with them we are either taking a break from playing, studying music or I am being tutored
for my music classes.
Do you have a lot of friends in the music department?
Yes
What is your favorite thing about music?
I love how spontaneous and unpredictable it can be. No one can expect where it will go
next.
What would your life be like if you did not have music in it?
I believe music is always present-even to non-musicians. However, if I were to select
another major to study I would still pick something in the arts because that is where my heart
lies.
Do you ever think that if you could start over you would choose a different instrument to play
and why?
I have often thought about starting over to play a low brass instrument, or even a
percussion instrument. However, if I had the chance to go back and switch instruments I would
still pick playing the flute and piccolo.
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Portfolio A day in the Life of Ashely Lauran
Ashely Lauran is a medium-tall, perfectly straight long brown hair girl with gentle brown
eyes and a face decorated with just the right amount of makeup, that makes her look stunning but
approachable. She looks like she could be a model because everything about her is perfect
including the outfits she wears each day. Although she does look this perfect she is actually quite
nice and easy to talk to which can be seen in her gentle brown eyes.
She is attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she presently is undecided
major but she is working towards her minor. Her minor is a music minor, with a concentration is
vocals. This means that she is a singer. She is not a full time student at the moment but she still
has a crazy schedule just like all of the other students. Even though she does not have enough
credit hours to be a full time student she has over five classes in her schedule. The problem is
that none of them are above two credit hours. At the moment she does not know what she wants
to major in, she is thinking about becoming a music major but is still debating. Since she is a
music minor she can easily pick up a music major since minors and majors first years are the
same. She is the sweetheart for Phi Mu Alpha, the music fraternity on campus. She is thinking
about starting a music Sorority. She also is a devout Christian and loves doing anything related
to her faith.
She does not live on campus so she has to plan in time to travel between her house and
school. Ashley Lauren wakes up at seven on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She sets what seems like a
million alarm clocks because she has a hard time waking up in the morning since she goes to bed
late. She wakes up to a blue and purple room that was painted when she was a little girl. She still
lives in her parents house so the bathroom is down the hall. That is where she heads first thing
in the morning to take a hot shower to wake up. Then she goes back to her room to pick out her
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perfect outfit. Then she goes back to the bathroom to put on makeup that matches her outfit.
Finally she goes downstairs to eat a breakfast of cereal with fruit in it, with her parents. Ashley
have a good day at school today and make sure to be safe while driving to and from school says
Ashleys father. Then her mom chimes in Make sure to text us when you get there and when
you are leaving so we know that you are safe. Okay I will like always, says Ashley. Then she
leaves for school at 8:45 so she can get to school early.
On Tuesday she starts classes at 9:30 and does not leave campus before 3:30. That is a six
hour school day, she has three classes during that time. At 9:30 she has music theory, with the
rest of the music majors and minors. Sometimes she shows up late but she tries not to. After
theory she has a break until 12:30 when she has ear training which, is the hearing part of music
theory. Since she typically does not do her homework ahead of time or completely finish it for
ear training she takes her free period in a practice room with no windows, to complete her
homework. Then she goes to ear training and turns in her completed homework. Once ear
training is done, her day is technically done but she likes to attend performance class, which is a
class required for music majors not minors. It is a class where music majors perform in front of
other musicians non majors are welcomed to come to watch the performances. Since many of
Ashley Laurens friends are music majors, she goes to support them. The last thing she does, but
only on Thursdays before she leaves campus, is go to tutoring. The tutoring is for her two classes
she has that day. She is not doing badly in the class but she wants to have help in those classes
because she has to pass them with a c and she is worried that she might not.
Finally at four-thirty in the afternoon she can leave the campus and head home. She gets
home around six pm because of the five o clock traffic. When she gets home she practices for an
hour for the ensembles she is in and for her jury which is a performance at the end of each
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semester that all music majors and minors have to do. Since she is a singer she can practice
anywhere she just chooses to practice at home. She loves to sing so singing does not seem like
homework to her which is why she does not group homework and singing together. When she
has a bad day all she has to do to make it better is to do her hour of singing at the end of each
school day. After she sings she eats and then does her homework.
Then she gets ready for bed by changing into her bed time clothes and getting into her
neatly made bed. She then relaxes by watching her favorite television programs or listening to
her favorite music pieces, which include many religious pieces. She eventually falls asleep
around midnight or later depending on how much homework she has and how much time it takes
her to relax. Then she sleeps until 7 and starts her day all over again.

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Genre Generator-Class Picture

Explanation of Genre Creation
I made a class picture of the music students, minors and majors. It does not look like
people but rather instruments and it is. Each instrument represents one student. The instrument
that was chosen was their primary instrument or the one that they play for the most part. For
vocalist their voice is their instrument. When meeting a music student for the first time after
finding out their name people ask what instrument that student plays. The music students are
proud to say what instrument they play because that is just as much a part of their identity as
their name. Their instrument is an extension of who they are and it is the way they express
themselves. Some people including music students, cannot name every single music students
name but they can tell anyone what that person plays. The instrument their fellow peer plays is
what they remember more than the name. They contact a face with an instrument. A music
student is no longer just a person, but also they become the player of a certain instrument and
that becomes more important than their names. I have labeled each instrument because non
music students might not know what instrument is which and for this it is important because a
viola and violin are not the same thing.