Observation One Revised Version

Observation Assignment 1
Site Location: Rowe Auditorium, Grimsley High School Auditorium,

Hotel (Chamber Orchestra)
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Description of Location: Rowe Auditorium is a very large area consisting of three
sections of about 100 seats each. In the front of the auditorium is a wooden stage that
takes up about a fourth of the room. Behind the stage, is a small room where one would
wait until it is his or her turn to perform. The huge sidewalls consist of panels that help to
improve the acoustics and sounds that are coming from the stage. There is also a machine
in the back of the auditorium that runs the lighting and sound during a performance. Exits
are located at the back and side of the auditorium in case of emergency during an act.
When the chamber orchestra rehearses on this stage we must be set up in a
particular order. On the left of the stage are the first and second violins. There are five
violinists in each section. In the middle of the stage are the viola players, which consist of
three people. On the very right of the stage is one bass player and four cello players. The
back of the stage is comprised of all woodwind and brass players. The first row in the
back includes two clarinetists, one flute player, and one oboist. The second row includes
two French horn players, one trumpet player, and two bassoon players. There is also one
percussion player who stands in the back left corner of the stage. The most important
person is the conductor, who stands front and center on stage.

Figured World: A figured world is a setting where actors and artifacts interact based
on the type of environment it is. It establishes a certain type of behavior that one
should have and also develops its own discourse communities.

Rules and Conventions for Appropriate Behavior: Being in an orchestra, or any type
of music group at that, you should already know what is expected of you. Being focused
and knowing when to play at all times is very important to the chamber orchestra. Since it
is such a smaller group compared to a symphony or a philharmonic, it is a necessity that
you count through the entire piece, because once one person plays a wrong note at the
wrong time, everyone can tell. Another form of appropriate behavior would be
maintaining a good posture during a rehearsal or concert. Not only does it impress the
audience, but it also creates a better tone out of your instrument when playing. Lastly, it
is ALWAYS good to have a pencil handy. You never know when the conductor wants to
change a bowing or a dynamic last minute. You can mark the changes in your score so
you can remember to play it correctly during a performance. An example of inappropriate
behavior in the chamber orchestra would be chewing gum. This is a huge no no. Gum can
be a distraction to the conductor and also the students who are playing around you. Plus,
if you are a woodwind or brass player, the gum can get stuck in your instrument, and it is
a hassle trying to get it out. Finally, any musician should know that you shouldnt talk
while the conductor is talking. You could miss something that is extremely important to
your section of instruments. That is being rude to the conductor. The conductor doesnt
communicate with others while students are trying to ask him a question, so do not talk
while he is.
For the different discourse communities, each will have slightly different rules
and conventions for appropriate behavior than others. Being a principal chair, you must
be a leader. You need to stay focused and know when to come in at all times. Dozing off
or interacting with others when you are supposed to be leading your section in is
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unacceptable. For the brass players, the gum policy is going to be a bit more enforced
since it can easily get stuck in your instrument. An acceptable behavior for brass players
would be to warm up your lips before rehearsal or a concert by playing scales because
when it is your turn to come in, and you havent prepared yourself, then the sound is
quite awful. For string players, you must be tuned properly before rehearsal or a concert.
String instruments can easily become out of tune because of cold temperatures or slick
pegs. It is necessary that string players tune before hand to avoid wrong notes during
practice.

Actors: Actors are what interact with artifacts in a figured world. They develop certain
behaviors/roles that help to accomplish the purpose of the artifact.

Dr. Govias: As the conductor of the Chamber Orchestra, he is thought of as the
leader of this figured world. He helps to bring each section of instruments in at the
time they are supposed to play. He also maintains a steady beat that the orchestra
must follow while playing a piece.
Students: The students each have different roles depending on their instruments,
(ex. usually the bass players or percussionists are who you listen to when trying to
here the beat of a song, the violins usually have the melody, and the cellos and
violas have the harmony, etc.) but they all make the music by playing their
instruments and listening to each other.

Artifacts: Artifacts are what the actor interacts with to fulfill the purpose of it. I t
establishes certain behavior of the actor. I t also helps the actor to grow.

Dr. Govias Baton: The baton is significant because it helps give the flow and
rhythm of a piece of music. The musicians can also look up at it if they get lost in
the piece, and it will show them what beat they are on.
Instruments: The instruments are very important because they are actually what
create the music and make it sound beautiful.
Chairs: The chairs are what the musicians sit in. Many of the musicians in the
Chamber Orchestra need the chair to actually play their instrument, such as a cello
player who must sit when playing. The chair is also useful when dealing with
posture. It keeps the back straight and the feet flat on the floor.
Music Stands: The music stands are what hold the music. Without them, the
musicians would have nowhere to keep the music when trying to play it for a
concert. The music stand also helps to keep the musicians eyes at eye level so
they can see, not only the music, but the conductor also, to see the beat of the
music.
Sheet Music: The sheet music is what the musicians look off of to create the
music.

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Discourse Communities: Discourse Communities are made up of groups of people who
share and perform similar actions.

String Players: These students are going to share similar interests since they
play all string instruments. They use their fingers and a bow to make sound.
Brass and Woodwind Players: These students will share similar interests since
they play all brass instruments. They make sound by blowing into their
mouthpiece.
Principal Chairs: These students all share similar interests because they are all
the leaders of their section of instruments. They all sit at the front of their section.
They are the ones who help bring their section in when it is time to play. They all
must be very focused.

Literacy Practices: A literacy practice is a simple action that is common in your figured
world and is a way of interacting.

Asking for help from Dr. Govias: Communicating with the conductor is very
common in Chamber Orchestra. If you have a question on how to play something,
he can help you better those skills to play your part of the music.
Marking Changes in Your Score: By marking changes in your score, it helps
the orchestra sound better as a whole. If you do not mark those changes, then you
eventually forget about them, making the orchestra sound worse.
Musicians helping each other when learning their parts: Interacting with the
other musicians in your section and getting help on certain parts of a piece can
really improve your playing of that piece.

Observation 1:
(I am observing the musicians in the Chamber Orchestra during a rehearsal. This is
a 3 hour long rehearsal.)
2:55-5:57 PM

2:55 PM: Everyone is starting to come up on stage with their instruments. Dr. Govias just
came into the auditorium.

3:00 PM: Dr. Govias has his phone out, checking the time. Rehearsal is about to begin,
and he is taking notes of everyone who is not yet up on stage. The principal first violin is
standing up, tuning all the instruments. She first tunes the woodwinds, and then the brass,
and finally, all of the string players.

3:05 PM: Tuning is all finished. The orchestra is starting on their first piece that they will
be playing for tour. It is called The Marquez. The violins and cellos start the piece off by
plucking in a syncopated rhythm, while Govias is waving his baton, giving the down
beats.

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3:15 PM: The orchestra has played the piece all the way through. Dr. Govias is now
critiquing the oboe player who is new to the orchestra this semester. He keeps telling her
to play a part of the music by herself and to repeat it over and over again until she gets it
down.

3:22 PM: Govias is finally finished critiquing the oboists playing. She has learned her
part well. The orchestra is starting to play the Marquez all the way through again.

3:30 PM: A viola players string has popped. The orchestra has stopped on the last page
of the Marquez. Another viola player is walking down the steps to her viola case to get
an extra string for the student who popped theirs.

3:37 PM: The new string is finally on. The orchestra is proceeding to the last page of the
Marquez.

3:40 PM: The orchestra has finished the piece. Dr. Govias has nothing to say. He seems
content with piece as a whole. They are moving on to the next piece by Mozart. First and
second violin are starting this piece off.

3:41 PM: The first and second violins did not start together. They must start again.

3:42 PM: The beat of this piece is faster than we have ever played it. This is causing the
cellos and violas to speed up resulting in the whole orchestra getting off beat.

3:43 PM: The piece has been stopped. Dr. Govias is giving the orchestra a slower tempo
for the piece. First and second violins are starting the piece off once again.

4:05 PM: The orchestra has gotten through the two-movement piece. It has taken almost
twenty minutes to get through the whole piece. It looks like everyone is tired after
playing this piece. I can tell by their facial expressions. I can tell that the string players
are especially tired since they play through the whole piece and have to move while they
play.

4:07 PM: Dr. Govias is telling the orchestra that since they have already played the
Mozart in many concerts before, that there is no need to practice any more of it. He says
that we are ready for the tour tomorrow.

4:10 PM: Some violin players are having to switch spots because Dr. Govias assigned
them to new chairs. The first violin is back up tuning everyone in the orchestra, getting
them ready for the next piece.

4:20 PM: The orchestra is starting their third piece called the Lully. This one will be extra
hard because the orchestra was told that they would have to have it memorized by today.
Dr. Govias is telling everyone to stand up, move their chairs and music stand out of the
way. He wants the orchestra to play without looking at the music.

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4:21 PM: The cellos are starting this piece. They are playing the whole piece and then the
rest of the strings are coming in. After the all the strings have played the piece all the way
through, then the brass and woodwinds will join the strings to play the piece all the way
through one last time. Dr. Govias has a metal staff in his hand and is banging it on the
floor, giving the orchestra the beat. A drum is playing in the background.

4:35 PM: The orchestra has finished playing the piece. Govias is asking the first two
musicians of each section to play the piece together, leaving the last two players of each
section to listen.

4:50 PM: The first two musicians of each section have finished playing the piece. Govias
is now asking the last two players of each section to play the piece together.

5:05 PM: The last two players of each section have finished playing. Govias seems to be
content with this piece, but he is now asking the orchestra to play it again all together.

5:16 PM: The orchestra has finished playing the Lully. Dr. Govias is telling the orchestra
that they have a 20 minute break, and that each member of the orchestra needs to come
and get a chamber orchestra shirt that we will have to wear on tour.

5:25 PM: Everyone has gotten their shirts. There is a group of about five girls running to
go try on the shirts in the bathroom. A group of people are burrowed in the corner of the
auditorium eating their snacks since they didnt have lunch today.

5:30 PM: A professor in the music department who is helping the orchestra play for tour
has brought her 1 year old child into the auditorium. Everyone is piled up around her.

5:36 PM: Everyone is back on stage. The Principal Chair is standing up one last time to
tune everyone in the orchestra. Govias is getting out the last piece that the orchestra is
playing for tour. It is by Vivaldi.

5:40 PM: Since the orchestra has also played this piece several times, Govias is telling
them that he only wants to hear them play the first movement of it.

5:41 PM: The orchestra is starting to play the beginning of the first movement of Vivaldi.
It is sounding good. Dr. Govias is not conducting at all. Instead, he is walking out into the
audience, going to the back of the auditorium to listen to the orchestras dynamics and to
see if they are maintaining a steady beat.

5:54 PM: The fist movement is reaching its end. Dr. Govias is walking back down
towards the stage to end the movement.

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5:56 PM: The piece has finished. Dr. Govias is thanking all the musicians in the orchestra
and the professor who is helping play with them in the tour. He is telling them that he
thinks the tour is going to fun and that we are going to blow the high schools away. He is
telling everyone that they are free to go.

5:57 PM: Everyone is rushing off stage. They seem tired. This is the longest practice that
the chamber orchestra has ever had in a day. People are packing up their belongings,
putting their instruments in their cases and rushing out the doors to go home or to go eat.

Description of Location: Grimsley Auditorium is a very huge area. While walking in,
there looks to be about 500 or so seats. There is a balcony above that takes up half of the
room. The dcor of this room is very Greek-like, with pillars that rise to the top of the
stage. There are spiral, wooden steps that lead up to the stage. The stage itself is large,
fitting about 150 chairs on it for the musicians to sit in.
The set-up on stage is a catastrophe. It is very disorganized. There is a section for
violins, violas and cellos, but the chairs are all squished together that you cannot tell
where the other sections of different instruments are. There will be about 100 kids joining
us up on stage today.


Rules and Conventions of Appropriate Behavior: I am observing the audience today
while the Chamber Orchestra plays for them. Since the audience will be a high school
band and orchestra, there are certain behaviors that are appropriate and not appropriate
for watching a performance.
During a performance, an audience is expected to be quiet. There should be no
phones out, and flash photography is prohibited since it can distract the musicians. It is
very respectful to stay put while the musicians are playing, but if it is an emergency, it is
all right to leave. If it is not an emergency, it is proper that you wait until the piece is
finished to get up and walk out. It is also appropriate that the high school students clap
after every piece is played. This shows appreciation towards the orchestra.
Inappropriate behavior would be talking while the orchestra is playing. This is
disrespectful and can also be a distraction to the orchestra and others who are trying to
watch the performance. Getting up to use the bathroom while the orchestra is playing can
also be a distraction to others and the orchestra. It is very considerate that you wait to go
until the concert is finished, or, if it is an emergency, that you go after a piece has been
played through all the way. Texting is popular with many high school students. It is all
right if a student wants to check the time every now and then but when the Chamber
Orchestra has come all the way here to play for them, it is very disrespectful to be on it
for the full length of the performance. Acceptable behavior would be to keep it on silent
or turn it off and tuck it away into your book bag.

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Actors: Actors are what interact with artifacts in a figured world. They develop certain
behaviors/roles that help to accomplish the purpose of the artifact.
Grimsley Students: The high school students are going to be watching the chamber
orchestra play to learn more about their own instrument and how they can get better.
They will be joining the orchestra up on stage later in the performance to sight read a
piece with the group that will better perfect their playing skills.

Discourse Communities: Discourse Communities are made up of groups of people who
share and perform similar actions.
High School Students: The high school students all share similar interests because they
all are trying to learn more about their instrument and better their playing. They are still
trying to develop as a musician.

Literacy Practices: A literacy practice is a simple action that is common in your figured
Asking the Chamber Orchestra student for help with the sight-reading: This form of
communication will help the high school student learn their parts to the piece better and
develop as a musician.
Observation 2:
(I observed the Grimsley Orchestra and Band students as they watched the
Chamber Orchestra perform and then joined us on stage for a sight-reading piece.)
8:30-11:30

8:30 AM: The Chamber Orchestra is at Grimsley High School about to play on stage
while the high schools band and orchestra are entering the auditorium.

8:35 AM: The Chamber Orchestra is starting to play their first piece. While picking my
violin up to play, I can hear a group of girls to the left of me giggling and whispering.

8:55 AM: The chamber orchestra is told to stand up as the first piece is now finished. A
girl is staring creepily at me while I am standing on stage.

9:10 AM: The chamber orchestra is starting their second piece. There is silence in the
auditorium as we begin to play.

9:25 AM: The Chamber Orchestra has finished their first movement of the second piece.
The students in the audience begin to clap because they think that the piece is over, but
there is still a second movement that needs to be played.

9:26 AM: The Chamber Orchestra is starting to play the second movement of the piece.
Students are laughing in the audience because they clapped at the wrong time.
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9:40 AM: We have completed our second piece and are being told to stand up again. The
same girl that was staring at me a moment ago is staring at me again.

9:45 AM: Dr. Govias is has just finished talking about the final piece that we will play for
Grimsley. A group of girls are getting up and rushing to the back of the auditorium to go
to the bathroom.

9:46 AM: We are starting to play our last piece of the performance. I can see people
starting to yawn and get tired. There are several students slouching in their chairs with
their heads leaning onto their palms.

10:00 AM: We have finished playing our concert for the high school, but now it is time
for the Grimsley band and orchestra to join us on stage to sight read a piece of music. I
can hear sighs coming from the students in the audience.

10:15 AM: All of the students that were sitting in the audience have now joined us on
stage with their instruments for a side-by-side sight-reading of a piece. The girl who is
sitting next to me is named Juliet. She is telling me that she is a senior and that she wants
to major in music.

10:16 AM: Dr. Govias is trying to get everyones attention. There are about 80 or so
people up on stage at this time. There is a lot of chitchat behind me in the brass section.

10:20 AM: We have all been given the piece that we will play together. It is called
Jupiter. I can see my stand partners eyes widening as she looks at the piece that we are
about to play.

10:25 AM: We are finally starting to play the piece. I can hear sighs coming from the
violin players around me. I can tell that they are not ready to play this piece.

10:30 AM: The orchestra was just interrupted by the fire alarm going off. Even though
we do not go to the school, we are still being told to get in a single file line and head
towards the auditoriums exit. The Grimsley students are all laughing, while the
highschool orchestra teacher is blushing because she is embarrassed.

10:35 AM: We are all outside right now waiting for the signal that tells us we can go
back inside. The students in the Grimsley orchestra and band are running towards their
friends from other classes.

10:37 AM: We are being given the signal to go back inside.

10:45 AM: Everyone is finally in the auditorium. The students from the high school band
and orchestra are getting their instruments and gathering back onto the stage. My stand
partner is already sitting down next to me, shivering from the cold air from outside.

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10:55 AM: We are all finally on stage. Dr. Govias is tuning everyone since many of the
musicians took their instruments out into the cold during the fire drill. The cold can mess
an instrument up pretty badly.

11:00 AM: Everyone has been tuned. We are starting to sight read the piece with the high
school. As we are beginning, the high schoolers and chamber orchestra are playing faster
than the rest of the orchestra.

11:02 AM: We are starting over on the piece. The orchestra has been given a set beat that
we must maintain through the entire piece. The high school students are tapping their feet
on the stage floor, helping them to keep the beat.

11:15 AM: The class switch bell is ringing, meaning that we are finished. The high
school students are rising up quickly with smiles on their faces. You can tell that they are
excited to get out of here.

11:20 AM: The second bell is ringing. Students are still packing up, panicking because
they are late for their next class.

11:30 AM: The Chamber Orchestra has packed up, and we are on our way to another
school where we will play the same thing as we did for Grimsley.

Description of Location: The Holiday Inn Hotel lobby is a very nice looking area. It has
a comforting presence to it. It consists of three large, suede sofas for people to lounge on
while they watch TV. There are two flat screens that are positioned in the corners of the
room. The majority of the room is made up of about 25 tables for people to sit at during
breakfast or any other time. Located at the side of the room is a bar that has a running
refrigerator with yogurts and milk in it. There are five different coffee makers next to it
that you can use any time during the day. There is also a toaster and microwave that you
can use to heat up food.

Rules and Conventions of Appropriate Behavior: Since I am observing the Chamber
Orchestra in a hotel, there are certain behaviors that are acceptable and not acceptable in
this figured world. The Chamber Orchestra must consider that they are not just the only
ones that are staying at the hotel tonight. There are more people who have checked in and
have probably gone to bed already. An inappropriate behavior in this situation would be
talking loudly or running up and down the halls. This is unacceptable because it can wake
up the other guests who are sleeping and cause complaints at the front desk. An
acceptable behavior would be whispering or going into your own room to have
conversations with people. An even more inappropriate behavior would be banging on
the walls while others are sleeping. There may be guests that do not belong in the
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chamber orchestra who are staying next to you. An appropriate behavior would be to be
considerate of others around you and stay quiet. The orchestra must also know that they
do not permanently live here, so they must clean up after themselves. This is an
acceptable behavior. Leaving coffee cups and bowls of popcorn on the tables would be
inappropriate. Another inappropriate behavior that you would think does not happen but
actually does, would be rolling up and down the hallways on the luggage carts. This can
wake up other guests on your floor and can really make the workers angry. You would be
getting several complaints from the people living on that floor.
Literacy Practice: A literacy practice is a simple action that is common in your figured
Having conversations at low noise levels: The Chamber Orchestra Students can interact
with each other, but at low noise levels making sure not to wake any guests who are
sleeping.
Observation 3:
(I am observing the Chamber Orchestra after we have arrived back at the hotel
from the first day of tour.)
7:15-9:00 PM

7:15 PM: We have just arrived at the hotel we will be staying at until tomorrow when we
travel to Raleigh. Everyone is unpacking the three vans we brought with us to tour.

7:36 PM: Everyone has gathered into the lobby of the hotel with their instruments and
suitcases. Dr. Govias is giving everyone their room keys. We were previously assigned
the groups of people that we would each be rooming with on tour.

7:50 PM: 90 percent of the chamber orchestra has decided to stay down here in the lobby.
There is a group of people on the left just talking. People are drinking coffee at the high
tables, and there is a group of musicians with their instruments out. They are preparing to
play a sextet for our performance tomorrow at another high school.

8:15 PM: A group of people has decided that they are going to play a card game called
Dutch Blitz.

8:45 PM: After playing a few games of Dutch Blitz, I can see many of the musicians
starting to yawn and rub their eyes. We have played for three schools today and are very
tired.

9:00 PM: People are starting to migrate towards the elevator to go up to their rooms and
go to sleep.

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Interview Questions and Answer:
(Person I am interviewing: Marissa Self- Viola Player)

1. What do you like about playing in the chamber orchestra?
I enjoy playing in the Chamber Orchestra for several reasons that include
development of ensemble playing skills, interpersonal skills, and technical skills.

2. How is your instrument important to the orchestra? What is its role?
My instrument, as apart of the larger string section, is crucial for filling out
harmonies within the orchestra. Several violists are needed to provide a rich, full
tone when only one or two brass instruments are needed per part.

3. How much do you practice for this class? Is it enough time to perfect the
pieces that we play for concerts?
I practice for this class by learning difficult passages on my own before I come to
class and by improving upon problem areas that arise in rehearsal. It is by no
means, however, enough time to perfect a piece of music, as humans we are
unable to achieve perfection. As an orchestra, we can only be as proficient as
possible.

4. How do you feel about our conductor?
Our conductor, Dr. Govias, is a director who uses very unique and effective
rehearsal methods, such as starting together with our eyes closed. He has very
high expectations for our orchestra. He is also very sympathetic to our positions
as students and is willing to work with our other professors in regards to rehearsal
and performance schedules.

5. What would you say about the chamber orchestra as a whole? Does everyone
come to class prepared and on their best behavior?
The chamber orchestra as a whole is a very advanced ensemble that is knit
together not only in terms of musical cohesiveness but also in the bonds of
camaraderie and friendship. Developing relationships with fellow musicians only
strengthens how well that we can play together. This also prevents bad behavior
in rehearsal since there is an understanding between everyone.

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Interview Questions answered by Hannah Pulliam
My personal experience being a member of the Chamber Orchestra:

1. How have you been in actor in this figured world?
I contribute to this orchestra as the other musicians in it do. I am a second
violin player. What that usually means is that I act as the harmony for the
orchestra, and if you dont have the harmony, then the orchestra really suffers
as a whole.

2. How does this influence your observations?
If I were to just observe the second violin section, the behavior would be
different compared to the first violins. For the first violins, you always need to
be prompt and attentive. Same goes for the seconds, but usually we will be
playing with the first violins, so what we do is listen for the firsts to come in. I
dont want to say that the second violin section is more laid back, but it does
involve less counting. We do have to work together with the first violins to
come in at the same time though. You must always be focused, no matter
what.

3. What was it about this topic that made you so interested in pursuing this
as your observation topic?
When picking my figured world to observe, I knew instantly that it was going
to be based around music in someway. I didnt really know it would be the
chamber orchestra that I would be observing, but once Ashlyn gave me the
idea, I knew it was perfect for me because, first of all, I am always with the
chamber orchestra, and second of all, I have such a passion for playing that I
knew I could explain the interaction between the actors and artifacts very well
in this setting.

Going Above and Beyond:
http://prezi.com/sfmmyh8rkunf/uncc-chamber-orchestra/

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Observation Assignment 1

Site Location: Rowe Auditorium, Grimsley High School Auditorium,

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