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MTEL Music Test Answer Key

1. C: Music is a unique language that communicates moods, emotions, thoughts and impressions; it can be philosophical, sexual, political or nonsensical but it has a story to tell and a message to convey. Because music has the ability to communicate across cultural barriers and transcend ideology, it is sometimes called “the universal language.”

2. A: Music theory studies the mechanics of making music and how the various elements work together to create the resulting “organized sound.” It is a system for analyzing, classifying and composing; it defines the relationship of the written composition and the live performance of the piece.

3. D: Music history considers the relationship of the lyrics and the music, how and why they work together, how the piece reflects the society from which it emerged and its relevance in the current environment. It is also interesting to note how the impact of a composition can vary depending upon the particular situation of the audience.

4. B: The Renaissance Period saw the rebirth of humanism and the revival of achievement for its own sake. Artists and musicians moved away from the strict rules of the Medieval Era and produced works that reflected freedom and individualism. Church music was still important but secular music became more common and with the invention of new instruments, instrumental music grew in popularity.

5. The Romantic Era brought enormous change and encouraged artistic freedom, experimentation and creativity. Nationalism was an important influence; folk music expressed cultural identity. Use of dissonance became popular. Composers tried to coax new sounds from familiar instruments and found interesting ways to combine new instruments with the old.