Program Notes Challenge

Welcome to Day 5 of the Program Notes Challenge!

You've made it! It's the end of the week and now you only have the final bits and pieces left for your program notes!

Today we're going to format our program notes, make sure our citations are in order, and prep all the little pieces that we need for our programs (and notes to be complete. Let's get started!

You can find the 22-23 template for recitals here. Make sure to use the same, University approved, fonts and adequate font size for your program notes. Use MLA formatting (check your margins!) and provide your bibliography as a separate sheet (those at a concert won't want it, but your professors will!)  For more information on formatting the program notes themselves, check out "Help with Formatting & Writing" Box. 

If your work has lyrics or an accompanying text make sure that you have located an English translation if necessary and provide it as part of your notes as well. To locate these see the resources in the boxes below. 

You also want to make sure that you have biographies for all of the solo/i performers, especially you! Make sure to include yourself, any accompanists, featured solo performers, or small ensemble performers. The box below directs you to the Musician's Way for step by step bio creation. 

Your Challenge for Today:

• Gather all the previous paragraphs you've written and combine them into one seamless program note for each piece.
• Format your three program notes into one document.
• If you have text or lyrics: find any needed translations and insert them into your notes.
• Construct your bibliography of works consulted or cited in MLA format (look here for help.)
• Write a biography for yourself. 

Bonus Challenges:

• Write any additional biographies you will need 
• Create your performance program - they always look so snazzy!

1. Performance Header

• Name of sponsoring organization, school, or university
• Recital title (or use solo performer's name if a recital)
• Full date (including year), time, and place

2. Details for each work

• Full work title, appropriate keys, opus numbers, etc.
• Composer's full name with birth/death dates (if a living composer, put (b. YYYY) for year born)
• Movements, song titles, or excerpts to be performed
• Names of performers and instruments/voice type

3. Text translation for vocal music

• Provide an idiomatic translation and the original text
• Set in a two-column format for easy comparison

In the library...

• Use the resources on the Music Performance & Pedagogy: Voice page to locate translations for art songs and arias from Euro-American art music

4. Provide biographies for all performers on your recital. 

• Musician's Way Blog: Step-by-step instructions, general tips
• Search the web for other examples

"Conductor Bows" by timailius is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

Congratulations, Take a Bow!

You've completed the Program Notes Challenge! It's been a delight to spend this week with you. We hope you found these activities useful and thought provoking for your work at the Syracuse University and beyond. Keep in touch!