Create
If you are doing this inquiry as part of a class or inquiry group, prepare a presentation for the rest of the class, as suggested in the list below. If you are not doing this formally as part of a class or group, consider whether or not one of the suggested presentations might be a good choice for some assignment that you are expected to do, perhaps for a class, for work, for a club meeting, or for a musical group that you sing or play with.
If you have no venue for sharing a creation, it is still a good idea to try to express your own understanding of what you have learned, perhaps as an entry in a private music-learning journal, or as a conversation-starter with a friend or relative. Trying to state clearly what you have learned will help you to remember it and to discover whether there are still aspects of the answer that are confusing or unclear to you.
Presentation suggestions
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Slide show, video presentation, or written report - This should include the background (who, where, when, how) information, as well as the answer to the "why" question. You may also want to explain why you had that particular curiosity. If possible, include video, audio, or photos of the practice in your presentation.
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Dramatic presentation - This is a good choice if several people have been involved in the same inquiry. The investigators can create a drama to present to the rest of the class or group. It should dramatize the musical practice that you have learned about, in a way that makes clear who the characters are and why they are participating in that practice. Consider whether costumes, instruments, scenery, or other props are possible. Also, consider whether it would be useful to include playing an audio file of an authentic musical performance as part of the drama. If preferred, the drama can be videotaped and the videotape presented to the class.
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Interactive role play - In this variation on the drama, everyone present is given a role (such as audience, musicians, dancers, etc.), with those who have learned about the musical event explaining to the rest what their role is, what they should do, and why someone in that role would do that. This works particularly well when everyone can be given simple but active roles (for example, learning easy dance steps or learning when and how to encourage the "performers").
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Music appreciation session - You can present an audio or video of the musical practice that you learned about, giving a running commentary that points out what is happening in the audio or video while it is happening, and explaining why it is happening.
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Musical performance - If you like to sing or play an instrument, your presentation can include a short musical performance. Before your performance, explain how it is related to your inquiry. For example, what practice are you demonstrating? Why did you want to understand about it? How is it related to what you do as a musician or music student?
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Musical composition or arrangement - If you like to arrange or compose music, you can present an original composition or arrangement that demonstrates something you have learned in your investigation. You can present a live or taped performance. Before the performance, explain what you learned in your inquiry and how it is demonstrated in your creation.
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Visual display - Create a diorama, painting, cartoon, or other visual display related to what you have learned about a musical practice. Include a short explanation of how this work demonstrates what you have learned in your investigation. This can be done either as a verbal explanation when you present your display, as part of a display card that includes the title of the piece and the artist's name, or as an integral part of the work (for example, as conversations within the cartoon).
Discuss
If presentations are being given as part of a group inquiry or class, a short discussion should follow each presentation, with the rest of the group asking questions and/or making suggestions.
If a formal presentation is not possible, consider who you might discuss your findings with in a casual conversation, someone who might be genuinely interested and who might offer useful questions, feedback, or suggestions.
Reflect
The following questions may help you decide where to concentrate your next inquiry:
- Did your investigation raise any other questions in your mind, about that musical culture or its practices, questions that you would like to learn about next?
- Did it raise any questions about non-musical cultural practices that you would like to learn more about (for example, questions about a religion, a national holiday, or a historical era)?
- Did it raise any questions about the music itself, apart from the culture, that you would like to learn about next (for example, questions about music theory, notation, or performance techniques)?
- Do the reasons given for doing things that way make sense to you? If they do not, did you dig deep enough to understand the point of view of those who gave the answers? If you rejected their point of view, what was it that made it seem incomprehensible or unreasonable? Are you interested in trying to better understand the other point of view, and how might you do so?
- Did you discover substantial disagreements, for example about why something is done, how it should be done, or who should do it? Do you know where each viewpoint comes from, and who holds it? Do you have an opinion as to which view is correct, and why do you think so? Would you like to learn more about the controversy?
