USAP Academic Pentathlon Fine Arts 2025-2026

Covers fine arts topics from the Roaring 20s.

What era is referred to as the Roaring Twenties?

The 1920s in the United States, characterized by economic prosperity and cultural change.

What is the primary focus of the United States Academic Decathlon®?

To provide students the opportunity to excel academically through team competition.

What are the main elements of art discussed in the resource guide?

Line, shape and form, perspective, color, texture, and composition.

What is the definition of music according to the guide?

Sound organized in time.

What are the key components of musical sound discussed?

Pitch, rhythm, and harmony.

What is the significance of the Armory Show of 1913?

It introduced modern art to the American public and showcased new artistic movements.

What does the term 'The Ashcan School' refer to?

An artistic movement in the early 20th century that depicted everyday life in New York City.

What is the role of jazz in American culture during the Jazz Age?

Jazz served as a form of entertainment and a means of cultural expression, influencing music, dance, and social life.

Who is known as the Empress of the Blues?

Bessie Smith, a prominent blues singer during the Jazz Age.

What is the significance of the Chrysler Building in the context of American modernism?

It is an iconic example of Art Deco architecture and represents the innovation of the era.

What does the term 'Jazzomania' refer to?

The widespread popularity and cultural impact of jazz music during the 1920s.

What is the purpose of rhythmic notation in music?

To visually represent the rhythm of a piece of music, indicating how long notes are held.

What are the three types of meter in music?

Duple, triple, and quadruple.

What is the importance of urban entertainment during Prohibition?

It provided a form of escapism and social gathering in a time when alcohol was illegal.

What is a common theme in modernist photography?

The exploration of new perspectives and techniques to capture reality.

What does the term 'common forms' refer to in music?

Standard structures or patterns used in musical compositions, such as verse-chorus form.

What is the significance of the selected work 'I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold' by Charles Demuth?

It is a notable example of American modernist painting that reflects the energy of urban life.

What is the relationship between jazz and blues music?

Jazz evolved from blues and incorporates its elements while adding improvisation and syncopation.

What is the role of music as an identifier in the Jazz Age?

Music served as a cultural marker, representing social identity and community belonging.

What is the significance of the selected work 'Woman on Sofa' by Guy Pène Du Bois?

It captures the essence of modernist themes and the changing roles of women in society.

How did jazz influence Broadway during the Jazz Age?

Jazz rhythms and styles were incorporated into musical theater, transforming the genre.

What are some characteristics of modernist painting?

Emphasis on abstraction, experimentation with form, and a focus on contemporary subjects.

What is the impact of population shifts on urban life during the Jazz Age?

Population shifts contributed to cultural diversity and the evolution of urban entertainment.

What does the term 'variation' refer to in music?

The alteration of a theme or motif to create new musical ideas while retaining its essence.

What is the significance of the selected work 'Rayograph' by Man Ray?

It exemplifies experimental photography and the avant-garde movement of the time.

What is the broadest definition of music?

Sound organized in time.

What are the two kinds of musical sounds?

Pitched and non-pitched sounds.

What primarily provides non-pitched sounds in music?

Percussion instruments.

What are the four main categories of musical instruments according to Sachs and Hornbostel?

Chordophones, aerophones, membranophones, and idiophones.

What is a chordophone?

An instrument with one or more strings that create sound when plucked, bowed, or struck.

What defines an aerophone?

An instrument that produces sound through a vibrating column of air.

What is a membranophone?

An instrument with a membrane that vibrates when struck.

What are idiophones?

Instruments that produce sound by vibrating their own body when struck.

What is the fifth category of instruments added later?

Electrophones, which create sound waves using electricity.

What is the relationship between amplitude and sound?

Amplitude affects the decibel level, determining how loud or soft the tone is.

How does frequency affect sound?

Frequency affects the pitch, determining the highness or lowness of the sound.

What frequency range can the normal human ear hear?

Between 20 and 20,000 cycles per second.

What is the standard tuning frequency for orchestral musicians in the U.S.?

A-440, which corresponds to 440 Hz.

What significant cultural era is characterized by an explosion of creativity in the 1920s and early 1930s?

The Jazz Age.

What did the Jazz Age reflect in terms of societal changes?

Rapid urbanization, evolving social norms, and new technologies.

What is the significance of jazz in American music history?

It reshaped the boundaries between popular and classical music.

What does the term 'Indigeneity and Modernism' refer to in the context of art?

The exploration of indigenous influences within modern artistic expressions.

What is the role of artists during the Jazz Age?

They captured the pulse of the modern city and explored new modes of identity.

What is the importance of the Chrysler Building in American art?

It is an iconic example of architectural innovation from the Jazz Age.

What does the term 'American Expatriates in Europe' signify?

American artists and musicians who lived and worked in Europe during the Jazz Age.

What does the selected work 'Boy Stealing Fruit' by Yasuo Kuniyoshi represent?

A significant artistic contribution from the 1920s.

What is the significance of 'The Jazz Singer' in music history?

It marked a pivotal moment in the integration of sound in film.

What does the term 'Political Activism by Artists' imply?

Artists using their work to comment on and influence social and political issues.

What is the cultural legacy of the Jazz Age?

It continues to resonate in contemporary art and music.

What is the significance of the work 'Ethiopia Awakening' by Meta Warrick Fuller?

It reflects themes of cultural identity and social consciousness.

What does 'Music for Silent Movies' refer to?

The musical compositions created to accompany silent films.

What are the four families of musical instruments classified in the Sachs/Hornbostel system?

Chordophones, Aerophones, Membranophones, Idiophones

What instruments are classified as chordophones?

Violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, lute

Name three woodwind instruments.

Piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone

Which family of instruments does the trumpet belong to?

Brass (Aerophones)

What are membranophones?

Instruments that produce sound through vibrating membranes, such as timpani, bass drum, snare drum, tambourine

What is the significance of the theremin in music history?

It is one of the first electronic instruments, allowing performers to control pitch and amplitude through hand movements.

What is musique concrète?

A type of composition that uses recorded sounds, both electronically generated and live, manipulated on tape.

What are the four properties of a single musical sound?

Pitch, duration, volume, and timbre.

How is pitch defined in music?

The highness or lowness of a sound, determined by the frequency of the sound wave.

What is an octave in music?

The distance between a pitch and the next higher or lower pitch of the same name.

What is the distance between adjacent keys on a piano called?

A half step or semitone.

What is a whole step in music?

The distance between every other key on the keyboard.

What is the major third interval in terms of half steps?

It spans four half steps.

What distinguishes the natural minor scale from the major scale?

The natural minor scale features a lowered third scale degree.

What are the three varieties of the minor scale?

Natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor.

What is the relationship between C natural minor and E major?

They use the same seven pitches but have different tonics, making them relative major and minor scales.

What is the role of the black keys on a piano keyboard?

They are arranged in alternating groups of two and three, used to play sharps and flats.

What does the symbol ♯ represent in music?

It indicates that a pitch has been raised by a half step.

What does the symbol ♭ represent in music?

It indicates that a pitch has been lowered by a half step.

What is the significance of the A-440 pitch?

It is a standard reference pitch for tuning musical instruments.

What is the term for two pitches occurring simultaneously?

Harmonic.

What is the term for two pitches occurring in succession?

Melodic.

What are the basic techniques of tape music?

Looping and splicing.

What is the significance of postwar centers for electronic music?

They were locations where scientists and composers collaborated to create new forms of music using advanced technology.

What is the harmonic minor mode?

A scale created by raising the seventh scale degree one half step.

How does the melodic minor scale differ when ascending and descending?

The sixth and seventh scale degrees are raised a half step while ascending, and restored to natural pitches while descending.

What are parallel scales?

Major and minor scales that begin and end on the same tonic pitch.

What is a blues scale?

A scale that combines elements of both major and minor scales, allowing for flexible pitch adjustments, particularly for scale degrees 3 and 7.

What defines a melody?

A series of successive pitches perceived as a coherent whole, with only one pitch occurring at a time.

What is tempo in music?

The speed of the beat, which can vary and is indicated by beats per minute.

What does the term 'Allegro' mean in relation to tempo?

It means 'fast' and indicates that music should be executed in a lively manner.

What is rhythm in music?

The organization of music in time, often grouped into measures or bars.

What is meter in music?

The pattern of emphasis on groups of beats, typically classified as duple, triple, or quadruple.

What is harmony?

The occurrence of two or more tones sounding simultaneously.

What is a chord?

Three or more pitches sounding simultaneously.

What does 'key' refer to in music theory?

The world of pitch relationships within which a piece of music takes place, centered around a tonic pitch.

What is rhythmic notation?

A variety of symbols that indicate how long a note should last.

What is a whole note?

The longest note symbol used today, represented as an oval without a stem.

What is a half note?

A note symbol that is half as long as a whole note, represented by an oval with a stem.

What is a quarter note?

A solid black note head with a stem, lasting one-fourth the duration of a whole note.

What are eighth notes?

Notes that are half the duration of quarter notes, indicated by a quarter note with a flag.

What is a dotted note?

A note with a dot that adds half the original value to its duration.

What does 'ritardando' mean?

A term indicating that the tempo should slow down.

What does 'accelerando' mean?

A term indicating that the tempo should speed up.

What is unmetered music?

Music that has no steady tempo or discernible beat.

What is rubato?

A style of playing where the tempo speeds up and slows down for expressive effect.

What is the significance of the tonic pitch in a key?

It serves as the gravitational center of the key and lends its name to the entire key.

What are rests in music?

Symbols indicating silence, which follow a similar hierarchy as note values.

What is the role of the downbeat in a measure?

It is usually the strongest beat and is customarily called the strong beat.