Music
As we come to the end of class (and essentially rock music up until now), you’ve seen
(and hopefully also learned) a few things. We’ve looked at musicians and bands, seen
different genres through the decades, and how music it affects culture, and vice-versa.
But for this essay, you’re going to look at something a bit grander in scale in order to tie
it all together. You have two broad questions to pick from:
Why does music matter or How do we consume music?
In a minimum seven-page paper, you will explore one of these two themes. Your job will
be to come up with a focused thesis, and defend it through a well-structured paper that
utilizes logical argument using sources from reputable journals, articles and books.
There are countless options here – as long as you touch on one of these two ideas. But
make sure your thesis concentrates on a narrow topic that can be explained in depth
within your page limit. Some examples of thesis titles that contain a strong idea:
These are all valid thesis ideas (and an actual thesis statement that would follow), but
remember: You must show the importance of the music. Meaning you need to look at:
● The What: The music you are examining.
● The Who: Who is affected by this music?
● The How: How is the music implemented?
● The Why: Why is it important? And again, to Who?
So if your thesis revolves around Why Does Music Matter?, you should ask yourself:
Who is the music important to? How is important? Why is it important? And if your
thesis revolves around How Do We Consume Music?, you should ask yourself: Who is
affected, and Who is doing the affecting? How do they manage to do it? And Why do
they do it?
Once you have your thesis idea, you need to support it with academic sources. And if
your research ends up changes your thesis statement, that’s okay! Check with the
library if you’re not sure where to start. And remember that academic sources can deal
with anything in the whole essay. For instance, in Sarah McLachlan Saved My Life:
Music and Mental Health
Links to an external site.
, you might look to a Medical Journal to find out how music helps with depression. If
your thesis was Setting the Rude Mood: WWE Wrestlers and Their Entrance Songs
Links to an external site.
, you might look to a sports journal to understand how music works in conjunction with
hyping people up at sporting events. Finally, in T-Shirts & Tunes: What Music They Play
at the Gap, and Why
Links to an external site.
, you might look at a retail sale industry journal (yes, they do actually exist) to see what
type of music they play in store to get the consumer to buy more. But of course, you
also can look directly as music journals as well. A good place to start:
researchguides.library.syr.edu/musicresearch/sourcetypes
Links to an external site.
● At least five academic sources (not including your textbook).
● At least four other related sources, including but not limited to, relevant
information from music magazines or industry leaders. These can also be
academic sources, but are not required to be.
● Be sure to cite any music that you talk about in the essay.
Your Works Cited should be on a separate page after the essay. Finally, you will have
another separate page after that with a reflection of the essay. Please share about what
you learned about that you did not know before, or perhaps something interesting that
simply couldn’t fit in the essay. This is invaluable for both of us – for you, it gives you the
opportunity to reflect on what you may have learned, or any struggles you encountered.
For me, if gives me data on what is working and what’s not, so that I may produce a
better course!
