<< Chapter < Page | Chapter >> Page > |
Asking questions that will have complex answers, such as "how" or "why," or sometimes "what," will help to produce well-rounded, in-depth inquiries. If you already have some idea of the kinds of influences on or by your chosen composer, you may be able to start with an inquiry-type question, such as "Why did Beethoven have such a substantial influence on Romantic-era composers?" or "What influence has Ravi Shankar had on American music?" or "How did church music influence Elvis Presley?"
Questions that involve "who," "where," or "when" usually lead to bits of knowledge rather than deeper understanding. However, if you do not know who influenced or was influenced by your composer-of-interest, you may have to start with that question. It is not unusual for inquiries to start with some early investigations that help to shape the direction of the inquiry. In fact, in this inquiry, rather than posing one question, you will pose and keep track of a whole series of questions that arise as you investigate, and this will help you identify the "good" inquiry question or questions that you create along the way.
Begin your investigation with any relevant question (for example "What music influenced Joan Baez?") When a question occurs to you, write it down, and take notes on the answers you find until something in the answers inspires a related question that interests you. Write down the new question, and continue your investigation until you have enough information to create a short but thorough and interesting report or presentation on the influences of or on your chosen composer.
Notification Switch
Would you like to follow the 'Music inquiry' conversation and receive update notifications?