By combining Indigenous and classical music, Cree composer and cellist Cris Derksen creates works that reflect the diverse cultural landscape...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
By combining Indigenous and classical music, Cree composer and cellist Cris Derksen creates works that reflect the diverse cultural landscape of Canada. For her album Orchestral Powwow, Derksen composed new songs in the style of traditional powwow music that were accompanied by classical arrangements played by an orchestra. But where an orchestra would normally follow the directions of a conductor, the musicians on Orchestral Powwow are led by the beat of a powwow drum.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To examine how Derksen's musical compositions blend cultures
To argue that Derksen should be recognized for creating a new style of music
To describe the difficulties Derksen encountered when producing her album
To establish a contrast between Derksen's classical training and her Cree heritage
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| By combining Indigenous and classical music, Cree composer and cellist Cris Derksen creates works that reflect the diverse cultural landscape of Canada. |
|
| For her album Orchestral Powwow, Derksen composed new songs in the style of traditional powwow music that were accompanied by classical arrangements played by an orchestra. |
|
| But where an orchestra would normally follow the directions of a conductor, the musicians on Orchestral Powwow are led by the beat of a powwow drum. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The text describes how Cris Derksen creates innovative musical works by blending Indigenous and classical traditions.
Argument Flow: The passage opens by establishing Derksen as a composer who combines two distinct musical traditions to reflect Canada's cultural diversity. It then provides a concrete example through her album Orchestral Powwow, showing exactly how this blending works in practice. Finally, it highlights a specific innovation where she reverses the typical orchestra hierarchy.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? A statement that captures what the author's primary goal was in writing this passage
Any limiting keywords? Main purpose tells us we need the overarching reason the text exists, not just a detail or secondary point
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage is fundamentally about Derksen's approach to music-making
- The author introduces her as someone who combines two distinct musical traditions
- The text gives us a specific example of how this works
- It shows us an innovative detail about how she does it
- The right answer should focus on her method of blending or combining different musical cultures
To examine how Derksen's musical compositions blend cultures
✓ Correct
- Correctly captures that the text examines how Derksen blends cultures through music
- Matches our passage analysis showing Indigenous + classical combination
To argue that Derksen should be recognized for creating a new style of music
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the text argues Derksen should be recognized for creating new music style
- The passage describes what she does without arguing she deserves recognition
To describe the difficulties Derksen encountered when producing her album
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the text describes difficulties Derksen encountered
- The passage never mentions problems or challenges she faced
To establish a contrast between Derksen's classical training and her Cree heritage
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on contrasting her classical training with Cree heritage
- The passage never mentions her training background