Syllabus Section IV: Music Essay and Assignments
The Music Essay Assignment is perhaps most similar to the film essay. Both of these essays are reviews, and both of them need to follow a specific review format, with specifically defined content type. The music essay will share many aspects with reviews of albums or concerts that you may have read online (or will read online and quote from/analyze in your essay, if desired)but the format of our music essay is distinct, just as the format of the film essay was distinct. Each of these essay types might be considered detailed, heavily structured reviews
Music Assessment Essay Summary:
Write an essay which assesses a particular musical product, e.g. a CD, or a concert performance. Your assessment should include an introduction to the artist and a thesis providing your overall judgment about the CD/performance, etc. You might provide background information, about where/how your chosen subject fits into the genre, and your should state how the particular CD/performance fits into the body of the artists work. The majority of the essay should be evaluation, analysis, and description of the music itself (In a CD or Concert, Analyze 5-7 representative songs). The essay must include descriptions of the sound of the music, as well as discussion of lyrics, sociopolitical elements/messages, and musical/harmonic elements, and possible comparison with similar artists. You can also describe your emotional/psychological response to the music. Your conclusion should add a final perspective. Sources are not required, but any research sources must be direct quotes only, in MLA format (in-text citations and a Works Cited List), 8th edition. It is not necessary to cite the lyrics with MLA citation, since your source is clear from your chosen topic. Sources must be underlined in essay and Works Cited to ensure they are complete (See #27 and #28 in Checklist). (See paragraph model below)
· Guide to the music essay paragraph structure:
*Intro/hook thesismakes an overall judgment about the album
b*Some background about the artist and genre, with discussion of the way in which the chosen album fits into the artitsts career/theme/persona
àChoice: Further continue background of artist, or talk about a media highpoint crisis/ or just go directly to your first song analysis.
SONG ANALYSES ( OR MOVEMENT/ SECTION ANALYSIS IF INSTRUMENTAL
*Song 1 judgment/analysis
*2-3 sentences describing/analyzing the sound of the music in that song itself.
Include both instruments and vocal analysis
*2-5 sentences analyzing the message of the song, quoting and analyzing lyrics
*Choice: Comparison with other musicians, consideration of psychological/social/political media elements,
comparison with other songs, reception of song, your experience of song, etc.
*Song 2 judgment analysis (same content as above)
*Song 3 judgment analysis (same content as above)
*Song 4 judgment analysis (same content as above)
*Song 5 judgment analysis (same content as above)
*Song 6 judgment analysis (same content as above)
*(optional) Song 7 judgment analysis (same content as above)
CONCLUSION Re-state overall judgment and provide final reflection
Note that a requisite part of this assignment is a description of the sound of the music itself. Such a description should comprise approximately 5-10% of the paper, or 2-3 sentences per song. There will be an assignment wherein you develop this description. It is a challenging and satisfying task to use words to describe music. You may have to listen to the music several times with a keen ear to distinguishing critical characteristics. You may need to develop a musical vocabulary appropriate to discussing your genre. However, music can also be described in terms of your reaction to itsuch reactions may be emotive, intellectual, or physical, and might be described using more standardized terms. *One exercise to ensure that you have adequate descriptions is to imagine the following the scenario: The person who is reading your assessment is deaf; however, he/she has an excellent vocabulary and excellent reading comprehension
Could this person get a good sense of the music by your description? The answer is yes, if your description of the sound is effective.
Musical dimensions: Typically, the consideration of music in the essay will have various dimensions, including analyses of the music itself (type, style, tones, rhythm, structure, vocals, sound description) and messagewhich may occur through lyrics or through the sounds/rhythms (even pauses) in the music itself.
YOUR ESSAY COULD EVALUATE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, BUT YOU WOULD STILL HAVE TO ADDRESS THE CONCEPT OF MESSAGEIN THIS CASE RELATED THROUGH ONLY THE SOUNDS. SO REVIEWING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC (CLASSICAL, JAZZ, SOUNDTRACKS, ETC) IS PROBABLY MORE DIFFICULT THAN REVIEWING MUSIC WITH LYRICS, BUT IT HAS BEEN DONE, AND DONE WELL BEFORE- BY OTHER STUDENTS IN OTHER SECTIONS OF THIS CLASS
Musical impact: It is known that music effects the human brain in a special way. You may recall an experience where you heard a song that you used to listen to quite often, 5-10 years ago. When you hear it again, you may have been mentally transported in a very powerful way back to that time in your life when you used to hear the old song. The images/feelings/ memories evoked by such a transport often are far stronger than if someone simply said, Remember when you used to listen to Song Such-and-Such
In fact, scientists have studied the effects of music on different parts the brain.