External Environment of Baker Mckenzie

External Environment of Baker Mckenzie 1. External Environment of Global Legal Industry To analyze Baker McKenzie organization in order to provide its authorities with specific recommendation for the successful future management of the firm and its employees it is critical to evaluate the principal factors of External Environment of global legal industry that have implications for the management of people and organization. To design an elaborate plan and implement it successfully in the firm it is essential to be aware of the wide business environment in which firm operates and of how this environment is changing over time. PEST analysis is used to access Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors of the Global Legal Industry (see Appendix 1). In general, the legal market was highly segmented comprising a few prestigious law firms at the top and small practices, consisting sometimes of a single attorney at the bottom. As a result of the globalization pattern a lot of legal firms became more international. While entering new markets and opening offices in new areas such political factor as local licensing laws pushed the firms to employ local lateral hires. If we have a look at the global legal industry on firm-levels we can state that the structure of an average law firm was common: LAW FIRM Equity Partners Ownership stake in the firm Revenue generating Responsibility for attracting new clients Associates (law-degree) No ownership stake in the firm Everyday routine consultancy Opportunity to be promoted to Partner (depending on the performance and firm needs) Support Staff Paralegals assistance to lawyers (law degree is not required but possible) Personal Assistants assistance to all levels In USA and many other legal jurisdictions the system of regulations was quite strict and law firms were not allowed to generate capital though IPO (Initial Public Offering) and the firms lawyers were the only ones who could held an ownership stake. This was a way to protect the company in terms of possible conflicts of interests. By 2004 various industries had to face high turnover trend and legal industry was not an exception. Such social factor as a work-life balance tendency added a new criteria which were critical for potential employees while entering the company. In law firms associates were changing the employers more often than ever before due to various factors the main of which is disaffection of: Poor firms culture the main reason resulting into â€Å"long work hours, lack of meaningful assignments and unfriendly work environment†. Compensation system as a result of â€Å"war for talent† and the practice to attract and retain star attorneys from competing firms (â€Å"lateral hires†) there was a high spread between partner and associate rates (sometimes as much as 20:1). Promotion system firms expansion strategyaffected the timeline for reaching the status of equity partner which was extended and a second tier of partner termed â€Å"junior partner† was addedto prevent the growing number of equity partners. In many firms it was understood that high billables were a requirement for advancement but in reality it did not necessarily encourage efficiency and taking into account the global character of some law firms such practice ran the risk of superseding all other metrics when promotion decisions were being made. In the recent years the customers appetites to the quality of legal services have been changing significantly and the clients expectations have been rising all over the world. The legal market was saturated with the number of law firms with appropriate professional expertise but only a few of such firms could offer a †value-added† service. Thus, to have a competitive advantage in the industry and to make a client happy a law firm had to accelerate its efforts to reduces associates turnover by focusing on corporative culture and soft skills and emotional intelligence development in the organization reviewing the performance management systems, financial patterns as well as each firm is to pay appropriate attention to all aspects of the international character of business and personal development maintaining a good relation with clients to make them satisfied. 2. Internal Environment of Baker McKenzie Baker McKenzie was founded in Chicago in 1949 and from the very beginning has intended to be truly global. By 2004 it was the largest law firm in the world by headcount comprising about 9000 employees spread across 70 offices in 38 countries and being among the industry leaders in revenue. Regardless of the fact that the firm has a strong position in the legal industry there are some areas alarming that Baker McKenzie is to review its internal environment particularly focusing on attorneys retention, motivation and improving companys culture. Such concepts as firms strategy, structure and culture are to be analyzed. 2.1. Organizational Strategy For a long period of time the general strategy of Baker McKenzie was global expansion. Due to the increasing competitiveness in global legal market and bearing in mind the fact that some clients became more oriented on not expensive routing legal needs in the late 1990th the firm felt that some changes were required not to lose competitive advantage. Baker McKenzie came to conclusion that their initial strategy which included such learning program as professional management education for partners, key-client account program and four-point strategic plan, was not efficient and ambitious enough. Even though the firm did make impressive progress on many fronts a more sophisticated approach was needed to develop further. By 2004 a new strategy was developed the main objectives of which were as follows: To achieve market preeminence by building upon unparalleled international capabilities through: deeper penetration of major clients; growth of core practice areas; greater industry specialization; To develop the firm in a systematic way so each office is able to support multinational clients and global strategy and excel and prosper in its local market; To align the firms organizational, financial and management structures more effectively with its strategic objectives. Finally, Baker McKenzie realized that people were paramount to the firms successful future and in this updated strategy the focus was shifted from the expansion to peoples qualities prioritizing the HR management. To achieve a competitive advantage in the quality of legal services the following combination of HR and competitive strategies (Armstrong, 2000) were followed: Companys Strategy HR Strategy Resourcing HR Development Reward Achieve competitive advantage through quality Use sophisticated selection procedures to recruit people who are likely to deliver quality and high levels of customer service Encourage the development of a learning organization and support total quality and customer care initiatives with focused training Link rewards to quality performance and the achievement of high standards of customer service Achieve competitive advantage by employing people who are better than those employed by competitors Use sophisticated selection procedures based on rigorous analysis of the special capabilities required be the organization Develop organizational learning processes; encourage self-managed learning through the use of personal development plans as part of a performance management process Develop performance management processes that enable both financial and non-financial rewards to be related to competence and skills; ensure that pay levels are competitive One of the major improvements in HR strategy was the implementation of Associate Training Program (ATP) which allowed the associates to transfer for the period of a year to 18 months among any Baker McKenzie office in the world. The strategy was a success as it enhanced the lawyers experience by exposing them to different jurisdictions, laws and cross-border terms. Also it was a great tool to embed and develop the relationships across the firm. It is also important to mention the rewarding performance which was used in the firm. For many years Baker McKenzie used a compensation system of objective nature called â€Å"the formula† rewarding the following four criteria: â€Å"Work Credit† (personal productivity of a partner; â€Å"Client Credit† (partners ability to delegate and supervise work done not by partners); â€Å"Associate Profit† (work done by non-partners); Tenure with the firm (number of years as an equity partner). As a result of such strategy the partners were not focused on development tasks but principally on generating fees. Such compensation system was suitable in early years when the firm opened its first offices in different countries. However, such formula is not efficient today and Baker McKenzie was to review it bearing in mind the best interests of the business. In 2002 the firm adopted new rules that facilitated the evolution to discretionary compensation systems based on more subjective criteria. In spite of the fact that not all partners were satisfied with such method and it was hotly debated before being approved, the key implication of such approach is growing recognition within the firm that changes in the financial structure and compensation system were needed to advance the overall strategy. However, the updated compensation system involving such new subjective elements as development associates and demonstrating leadership used for the evaluation of partners meant that there could be risk for the partner to receive substantially less. To conclude it is to be emphasized that new strategy requires a well-developed framework for its successful implementation. 2.2. Organizational Structure As it was mentioned in the previous chapter the principal strategy of Baker McKenzie for a long time was global expansion with the local lateral hires which were more steeped in techniques and traditions of their regions law (only few offices were staffed from the main office)3. It resulted to decentralization and spread among continents (see Chart 1). As per Burns and Stalker (1961) Baker McKenzie could be defined as an Organic structure rather than Mechanistic and can be characterized by the following: High decentralization of authority; Tasks loosely defined; Horizontal communications; Greater individual authority; Flexible and adaptable. Chart 1. Baker McKenzie organization, 2004 The advantages offered in the decentralization are that it: + Increased responsiveness to the local circumstances; + Enables decisions closer to the operational level of work; + Improved level of personal customer service; + More in keeping with developments in flatter and more flexible structures. But there are also some negative aspects: The same lateral hires results in tough control over offices letting no interference; Firm becomes inert to new programs and changes or their implementation results are low; Low sociability and interaction between offices caused by rare meetings. 2.3. Organizational Culture A key weapon in the war for talent in the 21st century is going to be organizational culture. To analyze the culture of Baker McKenzie it is important to look at it from different perspectives and use various approaches. In general, Baker McKenzies culture was a strong one encompassing several core elements such as: Internationalism and multi-culturalism; Sense of friendship; Equality of employees; Strong sense of independence; Consensus-building based on multilateral mindset and highly consultative, transparent and respectful style; Attention to selection process of laterals. According to Goffee Jones (1996) Grid (see Chart 2) Baker McKenzie located in Mercenary area gravitating to Fragmented organization as of its numerous offices around the world which tend to be autonomous. That results in general low sociability of the employees. This can be supported by the fact that international interaction was quite poor, presented only by annual meetings for equity partners and some star lawyers. Solidarity is high due to result-oriented strategy (a lot of billable hours required to be rewarded by bonus) and high compensation for partners level only. Chart 2. Goffee and Jones (1996) Grid Organizational cultures and their associated structures typology of Charles Handy (1986) is another popular model to examine the firm. According to his classification Baker McKenzie is â€Å"the person culture cluster structure† which is described as structure where autonomous experts and professionals pursue their own interests. This type of culture is characterized by high autonomies of partners and associates where management hierarchies are not acceptable and the legal business is operated by mutual consent and influence based on expertise. Having noted that it could be stated that such culture is in balance with the decentralized structure mentioned in the previous chapter. Facing high turnover and â€Å"war for talent† Baker McKenzie has to pay more attention to its employees to shape a firm-friendly culture required not only for personal and professional development of the lawyers but such culture which could have an immediate positive effect on the successful future of the firm. 3. The Development Framework By 2000 Baker McKenzie recognized importance of retaining associates as every lawyer who left the firm within the first two years never provided the firm with even a partial return on investment in terms of training, development, and replacement costs. The developed HRM strategy was placed in jeopardy. To find the causes of high associates turnover KPDC lunched a survey lead by two outsourced HR specialists which educed the following gaps in performance management: No or poor feedback on associates performance were provided (no deep review, no examples are given). This circumstance was complicated by cultural obstacle as many of associates reported that â€Å"it is not the practice of their offices to conduct reviews or that is a new concept†; No guidelines explaining business and legal skills required for each career step were given to the associates. This resulted in low motivation and lack of self development; Development opportunities and training programs were not clearly explained or not explained at all to the lawyers. In April 2003 two industrial psychologists were invited to develop new framework to overcome these asperities and meet common performance expectation across different locations of the firm. It was the right choice as it is almost impossible to deal with the different cultures from the position of usual management. The following final Development Framework qualities were highlighted as the basic criteria: Personal Qualities (PQ); Key Performance Areas (KPAs) comprising Individual Activities Categories (IACs). By such framework associates have been rated on a scale of 1-3 for each component: 3 â€Å"exceeds expectations†; 2 â€Å"meets expectations†; 1 â€Å"falls short of expectations†. This highly segmented system of evaluation could satisfy everyone and could meet the needs of the multicultural firm. Also it represented an actual approach to talent management. In general, the talent management strategy of Baker McKenzie can be characterized by the following main aspects: Recruitment identifying and selecting right people to met the challenges of the firms strategic goals; Development personal and professional development of the employees; Career Management coaching and supporting the employees throughout their careers. Having analyzed the external and internal environments and the Development Framework it can be concluded the main tool for Baker McKenzie successful recruiting, developing and retaining the chosen talent and to win war for talent is to find a common language within international offices of the firm for discussing excellence in order to facilitate firm activities and find the best fit between a lawyer and Baker McKenzies operation and culture. 4. Recommendations Undoubtedly, the New Development Framework is a well-designed foundation ready to be implemented and now it fully depends on how much effort the Executive and KPD Committees will contribute to convince each partner of its implementation importance. Based on the analysis of the Baker McKenzies organization, culture and strategy, including New Development Framework aimed on successful recruiting, developing, and retaining the talent it is recommended to pay more attention to the following aspects: Recruitment and Selection Process Organizational performance depends considerably on the quality of its workers. It is required to continue generating a pool of skilled and qualified associates, which have some of the necessary attributes to enable a suitable candidate to be selected. Appropriate range of selection methods of evaluation which can be partly taken from the Development Framework (IACs and PQs) are to be applied to cover such gaps as lack of soft skills for the potential employees. This will facilitate the candidates to integrate into Baker McKenzies culture and to meet the expectations of the firm. It is worth recommending while selection and recruiting process to bear in mind the fact that firm is working on standardizing its processes on international level. It means that there should be given more attention to the ability of the candidate to be a good team member. Such characteristic feature of the human being can be measured by some psychological testing as well the firm could several steps of selection process one of which could be a simulation or role-playing within the number of candidates. Such simulation should be observed by a number of specialists and assessed accordingly. Also it can be added that due the nature of globalization the preference is to be given to those candidates who have international experience or willing to obtain it. Developing Competent Employees In spite of the fact that the firm is focused on the highly qualified attorneys recruitment we should not underestimate the role of work-based learning. This is particularly important for paralegals being loyal to the firm and associates whose target is to become partners. Such methods can be divided into following groups: Learning from another person consists of coaching and mentoring. Mentors provide two functions: 1) career advice and support, 2) psychological function. As we could see from the analysis of Baker McKenzies performance management the lack of career development advice was one of the main drawbacks in the firm. It is important to note that coaching does not come naturally to all managers and it requires a number of skills which can be developed by sending the responsible managers to special management courses; Learning from tasks consists of job rotation and delegation. This involves moving lawyers into different limitrophe groups (e.g. associates from the Major Project and Project Finance group may broaden their expertise by being placed into International Commercial or Corporate group, etc.) Delegation is also a way of developing of employee as it can offer new challenge and responsibilities. Retaining Associates As the final point Baker McKenzie have to be focused on staff retention as high turnover damages not only performance, service quality and financial side but also a corporate image. First of all, Motivation is directly expressed by how to make people contribute to organizational goals while satisfying their personal needs. A good balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation is the key to success. In terms of extrinsic motivation can be applied such tangible rewards as: improved salary, the firm is to develop a more reasonable and balanced compensation system between partners and associates which can result to comfortable work-life balance; Perks like corporate transport or enhanced workplace. Performance Management is the other aspect which is extremely important for the firm to develop particularly in providing associates with: Constant and detailed feedback with clear explanations of their performance. Exposing their strengths and weaknesses; Guidelines explaining business and legal skills required for each career step. That will result in high loyalty and motivation as well. All these recommendations will result in successful Talent Management and firms prosperity in the future. Detailed Implementation Plan provided in Appendix 2. Also it is important to control and shape the implementation of current Development Framework. The future researches on the results of implementation have to be carried on as well. Bibliography Case study. Baker McKenzie (A): A New Framework for Talent Management. MPO lectures. Goffee, R. and Jones G. (1996). What holds the modern company together? Harvard business review, November-December. Mullins, Laurie J. (2005), Management and Organisational Behaviour. 7th ed. Pearson Education Limited, Essex, England. Green, Richard, (2003), Business Environment: An MBA Study Guide. University of Hull, Hull, UK. Palmer, Adrian and Hartely, Bob (2002), The Business Environment. McGraw-Hill, New York, USA. Graeme Martin (2006), Managing People and Organizations in Changing Contexts. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK.

Modern Technology and the Use of Electronics Essay

Modern technology and the use of electronics, especially computers have changed drastically over the last century. While many feel that there is a major advantage for the frequent use of computers, especially for the youth; there are some who oppose the constant use of them and feel as though they can be a bit of a downfall to the learning process overall. While we may all have our personal opinions on how computers impact the youth on writing and also reading. Clive Thompson and David Gelernter, who are both authors have strong opinions on how computers effect students. While Clive feels as though the use of computers encourage the youth to read and write more; David does not agree with the constant use of technology. Both authors have made very strong and valid points on the topic. Clive Thompson, who is a science and technology writer for the New York Times Magazine feels that since computers, text messaging and different social sites have come available to everyone, it offers kids the opportunity to write more. In this generation kids are constantly texting one another and engaging in various social networks, compared to older generations who only wrote when it was required for them to do so. He makes points by explaining that social media and status updates encourages kids to write more to their audience explaining their daily tweets and online blogs. On this topic, Thompson discusses a lot of research by Professor Andrea Lunsford and finds himself agreeing with her studies; stating that, â€Å" I think we’re in midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven’t seen since Greek civilization,† she says. A lot of socializing starts online and sometimes involves texting, status updates and blogging. It’s giving the young people the ability to express themselves more through their writing, where they effortlessly communicate back and forth with their peers. Clive Thompson makes a great point by explaining how computers effect the young generation into writing to their peers and not just their professor for an assignment. In conclusion, he agrees with Lunsford, stating that,† Technology isn’t illing our ability to write. It’s reviving it and pushing our literacy in bold new directions. † David Gelernter, who received his undergraduate degree from Yale University in classical Hebrew literature and is a professor of computer science at Yale; feels exactly the opposite. Unlike Thompson, he feels that computers should be in the schools and could help accomplish great things in subjects that he feel are being neglected as art and music. The difference is that Gelernter feels as though, â€Å"Computers make our worst educational nightmares come true,† he says. He makes a point on how the software on computers computes auto-spelling and also arithmetic. He explains that multimedia blinded students from the fundamentals of actually reading a book, and understanding what the author is conveying to the audience. David explains his theory on his conditions on how a computer should be used. First he states that there should be a new software for children that ignites the child’s imagination to get them to become more involved. Second, he wants to limit the use of computers for only recess and relaxation periods, for the purpose of kids not becoming dependent on it. Most important, he feels like educators should learn what parents and teachers already know: you cannot teach a child anything unless you look him in the face. The computer’s potential to do good is modestly greater than a book’s in some areas. It’s potential to do harm is vastly greater, across the board. † The two authors have stated strong opinions about their beliefs on computers, and how they affect the younger generation. The similarities the share, is that computers do offer different opportunities to help them both academically and socially, but we should not ignore that the basics is what students need to be successful and not a short cut.

A Growing Epidemic Of Homelessness - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1262 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/03/26 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Homelessness Essay Did you like this example? Homelessness Homelessness is a growing epidemic that is happening all over the globe. Most people often look away when they come to a stoplight or pretend to be on the phone when they see a homeless person asking for money because they believe they wont use the money in a wholesome way. Although theres a risk that homeless people might use the money on illegal substances, we should always give homeless people money because 74% of homeless people are not drug abusers according to the National Coalition for the Homeless (1), those that are homeless need the money to support themselves and get by, and the medias stereotypes should not dictate the actions homeless people actually make.. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Growing Epidemic Of Homelessness" essay for you Create order Firstly, theres a common misconception that the homeless population is filled with drug and substance abusers. Karel Hnilica and Veronika Bartuskova are both Czechoslovakian writers that work in the editorial office of a psychological institute, and state in their journal titled Stereotypes, Moral Stands and General Priority, Theres a scale of generalized prejudice towards homeless people being drug abusers ¦ and conservatives will be of the opinion that the state should not provide assistance to these groups because they do not deserve it.(1) This explains that most of the public does stereotype these people without being fully knowledgeable that some do not do drugs. On the other hand, theres the 26% of homeless people that have admitted to using drugs (1) according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Understandably, those that have used substances have explained that it helps cope with the hunger, coldness, and the depression that comes along with homelessness. The Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing stated, Drugs that are available on the streets do have a reputation for helping to numb any emotions that one would have when undergoing any type of trauma. (1) Nonetheless, this is not giving people an excuse for narcotics abuse; however, at the end of the day people have choices that they make whether thats the right choice or the easy choice. Some might even assume that its the same and that may be the case for those that are insolvent. Additionally, there are reports of homeless people trying to quit drugs, but simply cannot because thats all they have. An article from Nicotine Tobacco Research titled Cigarette Purchasing Patterns, Readiness to Quit, and Quit Attempts Among Homeless Smokers said, Findings suggest that cigarette purchasing patterns are linked with the readiness to quit smoking among smokers who are homeless. (1526) This can possibly be the case for those that use drugs or even smoke cigarettes. Its an addiction few can overcome alone, but also adding homelessness on top of it, its very rare to hear those that can achieve sobriety. Although, theres a percentage that use drugs, there still leaves that other percentage of people that can be contributing members of society but probably arent because they arent financially stable. While there is still an amount that do, this should not decipher how others spend their few dollars that they have. These limitations are only contributing to the homeless problem allowing it to grow rather than putting a stop to this devastation. Secondly, the issue is increasing in severity because the homeless population is so isolated and shunned from society. Of course, there is homeless shelters that are in reach to some of those that are homeless; however, according to an article from the European Journal of Public Health titled, Morbidity and housing status 10 years after shelter use, they say many people do not like living in a shelter because of the risks of violence, death and stealing that comes with it. (1092) Most homeless people would rather choose living on the streets than living in a shelter. Because of their poor living conditions, they need any money that will help contribute to their needs whether thats buying food, some new clothes, or even a blanket. These people go days, or even weeks without eating or bathing and the change we find in our pockets could help contribute to their lives to make it a little better; these few dollars can give them a well-enough meal that will get them by the next time theyll be able to raise some money. However, an article titled The Homeless and Occupy El Paso: Creating Community among the 99% stated, those that are in homeless shelters or housing of that sort, some do not come from a background of addiction. (9) A director from El Pasos La Posada Homeless Shelter that wishes to be anonymous says, Since this is only a womens and childrens shelter, most of these women are housed here because they have escaped from domestic violence and abuse. The majority of these women that we take in, have not had a history of narcotics and/or they have overcome it and have been on the path of sobriety. The article also says, Some homeless people even credit the activities carried helping them recover from addiction and their eventual attainment of housing. (10) According to the director she also said that they work as a home to assist the women to get back on their feet and provide not only shelter, but solidarity and dignity too. Thirdly, medias stereotypes should not influence the society to think a certain way about something. Types of media like TV, the radio, newspapers and more may be the reason why we think a specific way towards the homeless population whether thats good or bad. This reason can be easily backed up by Housing, Care Supports article called, On the new today: challenging homelessness through participatory action research, they state, with its focus on power relations in society, is noted to be useful for analyzing local media representations of homeless people. (13) They also explained, The research provides clear evidence of the emancipatory value to challenge vital social issues like power of the local media to frame understandings of homelessness. (13) Furthermore, homeless people may be often categorized and are depicted as many negative connotations. These stereotypes prevent the population from receiving any life changing opportunities that can benefit them such as job offers, which may further contribute to the labeling problem people give out. The media portrays the homeless population as lazy, drug addicts with various mental disorders, which is unjust to the many homeless people attempting to better their lives. But there is a positive way media can influence people to view the homeless population, people can use social media to raise money to allow these people to go back to a sustainable life. This can be backed up by an article titled Readers Donation Behavior toward Refugees and Homeless Persons, they state, on the amount of money readers donate to a refugee aid organization or an organization that supports homeless people. (1) To sum up, the media has a big voice in depictions of the public and this can be a disadvantag e or an advantage to society. All aspects considered, society should make it a point to help contribute to the homeless community because theres some individuals that may be grateful for the proceed and use it loyally, this will play a part in their purchases that will help them get by each day, and this will completely bring an end to medias stereotypes towards the homeless population. Of course, people may continue to believe that they dont spend their money morally; however, if one person shows assistance to those that are receivership, this can turn into a domino effect. Take under consideration what they must go through each day and help them make it a little easier.

The New Era Of Musical Expression - 1098 Words

As the dawn of the 19th century approached, culture, art, expression, and society were evolving at extraordinary rates. The people were starving for a new revolutionary leap in musical expression with the age of Classical Period becoming an item of the past. With this ravenousness desire for new music came the development and creation of what is known as the Romantic Period from approximately 1810-1900. This new epoch established generations of new music advancement as composers, performers, and artists setout to create a new legacy of music development with the ideas of emotion, expression, and enlightenment through the conception of beautiful art. Referred to as â€Å"Romanticism,† this new era of musical expression vastly altered the tradition of music. With the socio-political landscape of the 19th century immeasurably transformed in comparison to the previous period, fresh revolutions of social orders, lifestyles, and thinking processes greatly impacted the progress of the Romantic Period’s culture. Due to the newly found forms of expression, composers shattered the traditional music standards set fourth by the previous generation in favor of a more emotional-based musical depth over the prevalent Classical forms. During the next century, composers and artists of all backgrounds sought to create masterful artworks based on the ideals of personal emotion expression. The term, Romanticism, thrived on its’ origin with the historic romances of the medieval times. The musicShow MoreRelatedThe Invention Of Film And Media Productions940 Words   |  4 Pages Technology, prior to the mid 1800s was not yet adva nced which was a major factor contributing to the inaccessibility of theater entertainment and the difficulty of disseminating new ideas. However, this changed with the invention of film and digital media. Film has positively impacted the world and more specifically the dance world in various ways. Both concert and social dances are popularized through exposure in film and media productions. Photographers were intrigued with the idea of reproducingRead MoreEssay on Western Music1354 Words   |  6 PagesWestern Music into periods. Some of the major periods of Western Music consist of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern Music. Each period contributed key elements that have influenced the formation of music. These key periods helped form the musical geniuses;Bach, Beethoven,Mozart,Verdi, and Copland. The Baroque period lasted from 1600-1750. The two best known Baroque composers are Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederick Handel. The music of the period is thick and complex polyphonic textureRead MoreThe Roots Of Sonata847 Words   |  4 Pageswhich the keys and the themes in the exposition and development part are repeated then combine to the final coda (Hepokoski Darcy, 2006). Moreover, the historical development of the Sonata form is divided into three parts Baroque era, Classical era, and Romantic era. Every part of the Sonata form has itself unique characteristics. Baroque music started because of the Western arts emerged. By the middle of 17th century, Sonatas are written only for violin. Also, the instrumental works often deemedRead MoreThe Classical Era Of Music1153 Words   |  5 PagesMusic throughout the eras have differed and changed since the beginning of time. Each era has something special about it that is different from the last era, which makes each era something unique from the last. Just as in fashion you see trends change sometimes over night, but in the eyes of a decade, these changes are eras of fashion, just as the eras of music. Composers took the knowledge from previous composers and put their own ideas to use and sometimes created ground breaking movements. TheRead MoreJohann Sebastian Bach : A Comparison931 Words   |  4 Pagesnoting that the layout of keyboards, high strings, and low strings can roughly be seen through to today. Next up is musical expression, and how each employs it. Bach employed music expression chiefly through dynamics, as well as key changes. By nature, his music has to speak more through these because there are no words to help with expression. Green Day s use of expression is also seen in their dynamics, but also the words of their song and Audience interaction. Audience interaction would beRead MoreEssay about Music Styles in the Renaissance Era940 Words   |  4 PagesRenaissance era or rebirth ear brought a new attitude towards music. It started in Europe, Italy to be exact, from the fourteen to the sixteen century. Italians wanted to bring â€Å"the rebirth of their past† (Kerman, p.65).This period brought the rebirth of humanism and acceptance of diversity of cultures. Music was made to be played in the church during prayer times. When church lost power and control, music moved to the courts. Artists and musicians had more freedom and individualism to create musicRead MoreAnalysis Of Claude Debussy s Musical Time Periods1519 Words   |  7 Pagesart.† No musical time period has seen, nor continues to see, so much change and innovation than the Modern period. Current artists express their own creative visions and use their ideas to suggest progressive directions for others to follow. The rejection and breakdown of all traditional guidelines unleashed complete freedom across present dimensions, including melody, rhythm, and chord progression. Some of the new music has been rejected, but some of it has been integrated creating new styles ofRead MoreDefining the Humanities Essay1179 Words   |  5 PagesDefining the Humanities Defining the Humanities The purpose of this paper is to differentiate the humanities from other modes of human inquiry and expression. I will define the humanities of a cultural event of music and how music was an expression of what I know about the humanities, art, style, genius, and culture from the 60s. I will also discuss how the music of the 60s compares with other forms I know about from the same period. One of the definitions of humanities, accordingRead MoreThe Jazz : A Music Genre1078 Words   |  5 Pagesdeveloped from the traditions of West Africa, Europe and North America. It arises specifically in New Orleans, Louisiana, home of musical style, where was a large consignments of slaves, mainly western Africa. That is why the jazz comes from the combination of three traditions: the native American, African and European. The African-American community in South America developed its musical expression through creative improvisation on the material that provided religious music, especially the dancesRead MoreCharacteristics Of The Classical Era Of Music729 Words   |  3 Pagesbetween the classical and romantic era of music. He is known for doing this because he took key aspects of the classical era and merged them with key aspects of the romantic era. The classical era of music dates from 1775-1825. The classical music era had a lighter and more clear texture (Kamien 161). The music from this era was mainly homophonic meaning that the music had one part or melody that dominated all other parts or melodies (Kamien 160). Classical era music also really focused on; how