Neal's Presentation

Nation Central University
邱珦益 Neal #13
TIME: Wed 9:00~12:00
Presentation: 11/3/2004


【The motive】
To obtain much understanding of the essay organization “Comparison and Contrast,” I skim over several books about writing instead of choosing a specialized theme first. Therefore, the material I choose is a standard academic writing example.


【Source of material】
Writing academic English : a writing and sentence structure handbook / page 114 / Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue.


【Outline】

Ⅰ Introduction
Japan and the United States are two highly industrialized nations in the world. Although their cultures have a few similarities, there are greater differences between these nations of the East and West.

Ⅱ Body
A. Japan and the United States have several similarities.
a. democracy
b. a mutually enriching exchange of cuisine
c. the popularity of Western sport of baseball

B. Despite these similarities, the United States and Japan have some very significant cultural differences.
a. people compositing the country
b. the two countries' use of transportation
c. highing observing traditional customs observe or not

Ⅲ Conclusion
It is clear that although there are some important similarities between Japan and the United States, there are significant differences as well.


【Essay】

Japan and the United States

The culture of a country is an integral part of its society whether it is a remote Indian village in Brazil in a highly industrialized city in Western Europe. Basically, culture is reflected in a country's language, literature, art, music, and dance. However, culture also includes the patterned ways in which people conduct themselves in their relationships with others. Japan and the United States are two highly industrialized nations in the world. Although their cultures have a few similarities, there are greater differences between these nations of the East and West.
First of all, Japan and the United States have several similarities. The United States is a democracy and Japan is, too. The United States' Constitution is the supreme law of the land, just as the Japanese Constitution is in Japan. Also, Japan's Diet is similar to the U.S. Congress. In addition, both Japan and the United States have made a mutually enriching exchange of cuisine. There are Japanese restaurants in America, where diners can enjoy foods like sashimi (raw fish), tempura (fried vegetables and prawns), and noodles. Similarly, Japanese enjoy American fast foods like McDonald's hamburgers and French fries, Kentucky fried chicken, and Mrs. Fields' cookies. Finally, the Western sport of baseball is popular not only in the United States but also in Japan, The Japanese have their major leagues as the Americans do, and they have their version of the World Series games. Baseball heroes are important to Japanese spectators, just as they are to American fans.
Despite these similarities, the United States and Japan have some very significant cultural differences.
One important difference is the people. Japan is a homogeneous society of one nationality and a few underrepresented minority groups like Chinese and Koreans. As a result, all areas of movement and society are controlled by the Japanese majority. In contrast, although the United Stats is a country with European roots originally, its liberal immigration policy has resulted in its becoming a heterogeneous society of many nationalities-Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Hispanics. They are represented in all facets of American society, including business, education, and politics.
Another difference is in the two countries' use of transportation. Japan and the United States have modern transportation systems which use the latest technology. However, the means of transportation used by the masses in Japan is different from that used by the masses in the United States. The majority of Japanese use an efficient network of public transportation for pleasure and for commuting from the outlying areas to the cities or from city to city. Thus, the train and subway systems are extremely overcrowded during peak hours. By comparison, American rely less on public transportation and prefer instead to drive their own cars or to ride in carpools. Although the average Japanese family owns one car, the typical American family owns at least two cars or more, depending on the number of children of legal driving age. Finally, a common sight in Japanese cities is neatly dressed women on motorized scooters riding on busy streets to do their shopping. Bicycles are also a very popular form of daily bikes mostly for exercise or pleasure.
The final and most important difference is that in modern Japan, traditional customs are still largely observed. In fact, surprisingly, many young people still prefer an arranged marriage, in which a couple meets through the combined efforts of parents and friends of relatives. By comparison, young American people seek their own marriage partners. In addition, married Japanese couples have greater control over the household and family decisions than an American wife. For example, a Japanese wife decides on the family's residence, major expenditures, and the children's schools. The strong role of a Japanese wife is understandable since the husband, as primary breadwinner, is a very busy man. His loyalty is first to his workplace, and he must expend all of his energy and waking time to his career or job. Thus, he may not arrive home until late at night, so his wife must discipline the children and make important decisions to keep the household running smoothly. On the other hand, American couples, who more or less maintain a 50/50 relationship, generally have a more democratic approach and make decisions together.
It is clear that although there are some important similarities between Japan and the United States, there are significant differences as well. The extent to which Japan has accepted some aspects of Western culture reveals the country's desire to absorb new customs. Indeed, the cultural exchanges of Japan and the United States have benefited both nations dramatically and will continue to do so in the future.


【Reference】

Ⅰ Grant and Lee : A Study in Contrasts / Strategies for successful writing: a rhetoric, research guide, and reader / James A. Reinking, Andrew W. Hart, Robert von der Osten.

Ⅱ Digital vs. Analog- Which Is Better? / http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/10/8/134958/152

Ⅲ A Comparison between Laughing and Sentimental Comedy / http://www.ourcivilisation.com/smartboard/shop/goldsmth/theatre/

Ⅳ Privacy vs. Safety / http://news.com.com/Privacy+vs.+safety/2009-1023_3-272972.html

Migo's presentation

Migo #16

Wed. 9:00-12:00

Contrast Essay-11/03/2004


OUTLINE

Title: Jazz vs. Classical Music

Two items to be contrasted: 1.Jazz Music 2.Classical Music

Relationship the items share: complex art music

Controlling idea: four main differences


Introduction-paragraph 1
Thesis statement: A comparison of classical and Jazz music will yield some interesting results and could also lead to an appreciation of the abilities needed to perform or compose these kinds of music.

Body-paragraph 2,3
Topic sentence: Let's begin with a look at the histories of the two.


Body-paragraph 4,5
Topic sentence: Let's focus on the instrumentation of the two kinds of music.


Body-paragraph 6
Topic sentence: How has each of these kinds of music been transmitted to later generations of musicians?


Body-paragraph 7
Topic sentence:The cohesive element that keeps a musical group together is also an interesting contrast.

Conclusion-paragraph 8
In summation, we can say that Jazz and Classical music represent two approaches to Art Music.
Both of these kinds of music provide rich expression and detail to the serious listener. They take different paths to reach their final form but give person equal opportunities to appreciate the creative output of each.


Full text

Jazz vs. Classical Music

Upon entering a modern record store, one is confronted with a wide variety of choices in recorded music. These choices not only include a multitude of artists, but also a wide diversity of music categories. These categories run the gamut from easy listening dance music to more complex art music. On the complex side of the scale are the categories known as Jazz and Classical music. Some of the most accomplished musicians of our time have devoted themselves to a lifelong study of Jazz or Classical music, and a few exceptional musicians have actually mastered both. A comparison of classical and Jazz music will yield some interesting results and could also lead to an appreciation of the abilities needed to perform or compose these kinds of music.


Let's begin with a look at the histories of the two. The music called classical, found in stores and performed regularly by symphonies around the world, spans a length of time from 1600 up to the present. This time frame includes the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary periods. The classical period of music actually spans a time from of 1750 to 1800; thus, the term Classical is a misnomer and could more correctly be changed to Western Art Music or European Art Music. European because most of the major composers up till the 20th century was European. Vivaldi was Italian, Bach was German, Mozart and Beethoven were Austrian; they are some of the more prominent composers. Not until the twentieth century with Gershwin and a few others do we find American composers writing this kind of art music. For the sake of convention, we can refer to Western Art Music as Classical music.

Jazz is a distinctively American form of music, and its history occupies a much smaller span of time. Its origins are found in the early 1900s as some dance band leaders in the southern U.S. began playing music that combined ragtime and blues. Early exponents of this dance music were Jelly Roll Martin (a blues player) and Scott Joplin (ragtime). The terms "Jazz" and "Jazz Band" first surfaced in the year 1900. Some say this occurred in New Orleans, although similar music was played at the same time in other places. The most prominent exponents of this early music, called Dixieland Jazz, included Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet. After World War I, Jazz music had evolved and was aided by the development of the recording industry. The small dance band ensemble grew into the larger orchestra known as the "Big Band". The music of the Big Bands became known as "Swing." Two of the more famous Swing band leaders were Tommy Dorsey and Harry James. In the late 40s and through the 50s, a different kind of Jazz became popular. This music, played by a very small ensemble, was much more sophisticated and complex. Its rich harmonic changes and melodic counterpoint were not conducive to dance. It became known as "Bop," with Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie being the early proponents. In the last twenty years there has been a combination of Jazz with popular music of the US and Latin America. This modern Jazz music has been called "Fusion." Present day exponents include Pat Metheny and Chic Corea. There has also been a return to the sound of Bop in the last ten years by such musicians as trumpeter Winton Marsalis and his brother Branford, a saxophonist.

Let's focus on the instrumentation of the two kinds of music. In Classical music, both large orchestras and small ensembles are used. But generally, the greatest and most prominent compositions are for the larger symphony orchestra. The largest part of the orchestra is the string section consisting of violins, violas, cellos and string basses. These instruments were invented very early in medieval times but really matured into their present form during the late 18th century. The wind instruments, comprised of brass and woodwinds, took longer to mature. The brass section in particular did not posses the ability to play chromatically (in all keys) until the advent of valves which allowed the length of the instrument to be changed while playing. This occurred around the middle to late 19th century. Consequently, the brass instruments are less prominent in the music of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven along with their contemporaries. Late 19th and early 20th century composers make use of a very large orchestra with all the fully developed wind instruments. Some of the master orchestrator/composers of this time were: Wagner, Rimskey-Korsakov, Ravel and Stravinsky. Currently, composers also make use of the full orchestra but with the addition of increasingly larger percussion sections which add many unique and unheard of sounds than in earlier music.

Early Jazz music was played in small ensembles making use of clarinet, tuba, cornet, baritone, drums, and piano. Dixieland groups of New Orleans had similar instrumentation. During the Swing era, larger groups were employed to achieve more of an orchestral sound. The Big Bands of the era were predominantly wind orchestras containing alto and tenor sax sections, trumpet and trombone sections, along with piano and drums. When Bop music arrived, the alto saxophone and trumpet were the preferred instruments of the major soloists who were backed up by piano, string bass and drums. With the advent of Fusion, electric instruments such as the electric guitar and keyboard synthesizer became prominent.

How has each of these kinds of music been transmitted to later generations of musicians? Early in the evolution of classical music, a system of notation was gradually developed which for the most part remained stable from the Renaissance on. This gave the composer control over how his compositions were to be played. Throughout the history of Jazz, however, notation was more like a rough sketch. This was because the syncopated rhythms of ragtime and the melodic riffs of the blues were not easily notated. Also, early Jazz musicians were not formally trained; they usually learned by ear. Some songs were transcribed and written down, but not in precise ways. Jazz music became more of a passed on tradition that a musician learned through interaction with other players. In a similar way, the modern Jazz musician must rely on previous recordings to get a feel for the style and technique which he desires to learn from. But in classical music, one composer can learn from an older composer by looking at and analyzing the music that the previous composer wrote down. Likewise, classical musicians can master the parts they must play by practicing the music that has been written or published beforehand. These two approaches to passing on tradition are both valid. However, without the recording medium Jazz music might have developed much differently than it has.

The cohesive element that keeps a musical group together is also an interesting contrast. In Classical music, the conductor uses a baton and plays the orchestra as if it were his instrument; he looks at a complete score of all the events happening in the composition and interprets these events based on his knowledge and intuition of what the composer intended. Jazz groups rarely utilize conductors. The swing era employed them for the sake of keeping the larger sized group together but other jazz styles did not and do not to this day. The drummer of the Jazz ensemble provides the beat that keeps the group together but even he is interacting with the other soloists as the song is performed.

In summation, we can say that Jazz and Classical music represent two approaches to Art Music. The Classical composer or performer has a long and rich body of music in written form that he uses to learn from while the Jazz musician uses a body of recorded music to learn. Because of its small size, the modern Jazz ensemble allows loose interaction while the symphony orchestra's large size and diversity of instruments provides many different sounds and wide dynamic range. In classical music the composer strives for control; he uses printed music to guide and direct the musicians through the conductor. In Jazz music, the songs are loosely composed, thus forming a basis for individual expression within an ensemble. When you go to hear a symphony, you hear an orchestra conducted by the conductor playing a composition. When you go to a Jazz club you hear a small jazz ensemble interacting and improvising a song. Both of these kinds of music provide rich expression and detail to the serious listener. They take different paths to reach their final form but give person equal opportunities to appreciate the creative output of each.


Reference

http://www.cyberessays.com/Arts/39.htm

http://www.efl.arts.gla.ac.uk/CampusOnly/essays/15web.htm

http://comemusic.com/book.instrument.php?select=book_instrument_main