SOC 380
Assignment 2: A Short Academic Presentation About Live Performance
The Micro-Interactional Magic of Live Musical Performance (5 minutes)
Background & Task
You have been invited to give a brief academic talk about the micro-interactional “magic” of live musical performance. In 5 minutes, analyze a live performance video and focus on the specific interactional techniques the performer uses to engage their audience. Then compare and contrast those techniques with what Jooyoung Lee describes in Blowin’ Up: Rap Dreams in South Central. In what ways are the techniques in this video similar to or diferent from those used by underground rappers at Project Blowed?
Instructions (what to include in your 5-minute presentation)
1. Explain one key idea from Blowin’ Up that helps illuminate the interactional work that goes into a live performance.
2. Analyze a live performance found online (YouTube, TikTok, concert footage) using these ideas. Focus on two diferent interactions in which the performer attempts to engage the audience. Provide two time-stamped moments you analyze (e.g., “1:32–1:45: …”) in the video.
3. Evaluate how and why the performer succeeds or fails at engaging the audience. Use visible/audible evidence. Suggest one way audience reactions might be measured in future research.
4. Conclude: what does this reveal about the craft of live performance that most people overlook?
Required submission artifacts (all uploaded/pasted at submission):
• 5-minute video/audio file or shareable link (unlisted Youtube or MyMedia).
• Planning note (100–150 words). Paste into the text box: how you chose this performance, include all steps that you went through while organizing your talk.
• Raw observation notes (plain-text file or screenshot) with time stamps and brief descriptive observations for the two moments you analyze.
Academic integrity & verification
By submitting, you confirm this work is your own. You may not use AI to generate your spoken or written content. Instructor/TAs may request a brief 5–10 minute verification meeting (Teams or Zoom) if a submission seems inconsistent with the student’s usual speaking voice or the evidence provided. Failure to attend or to explain your work may lead to grade reduction or an academic integrity review. A random sample of submissions will be selected for a short verification conversation to ensure work authenticity.
Submission Instructions
• Upload your 5-minute video into an unlisted YouTube link). The only other acceptable submission format is via the University of Toronto’s MyMedia Studio. Raw video files requiring downloading will not be graded and will receive a 0.
• Videos are due on November 6 on Quercus. Late submissions will follow the standard course policy.