Write a 1000-1200-word essay (double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 pt. font) applying the musical concepts and themes discussed in this course to a specific album. (Avoid soundtracks or greatest hits albums to concentrate on specific musical statement from one artist/band.) Discuss three contrasting songs in detail.
ALBUM “What a Wonderful World” Louis Armstrong
Requirements and point breakdown:
Album background information (10 points): Give background information on the album: release date, record company, highest sales chart position (if applicable), producer or executive/key producers, main performing personnel. This should be a maximum of 150 words.
Album song #1 analysis (10 points): Discuss the relevant musical and lyrical (if the song has lyrics) elements of the song such as riffs, hooks, singing/performing styles, instrumentation and arrangement, and song form.
Album song #2 analysis (10 points): Repeat for your second song choice, which should be substantially different from your first song choice (one is uptempo while the other is a ballad, for example). If all the songs on the album are very similar, choose a different album.
Album song #3 analysis (10 points): Repeat the above for your third contrasting song choice.
Discussion of music and technology (5 points): How is music technology used on this album? What technology was used to record/create this music? What technology was used regarding instrumentation, if applicable?
Discussion of music and identity (5 points): What is the gender/sexual/racial identity of the performer(s) and how does this affect the music (possibilities: what the song topics are, song genres that are relevant to people with this identity, etc.)?
Discussion of music and peripheries (5 points): Where is the artist/band from, where was the music recorded, and what effect did either or both locations have on the music (possibility: a sound from the area of recording that found its way into the song)?
Discussion of music and business (5 points): How was this album marketed and distributed (online campaigns, music videos, surprise releases, etc.)? Did thoughts about this affect the creation of the music itself?
Format/grammar (10 points): The essay must be organized as an essay rather than a checklist or homework assignment (see the Sample Midterm Essay below). There should be a new indented paragraph for each new main idea, usually containing between 3-5 sentences.
Citations/bibliography (10 points): There should be a Works Cited section listing your sources at the end of the paper. You must use at least three sources including the textbook. Avoid using Wikipedia or any other open-source (coursehero.com, for example) as a source so you don’t lose points. Cite these sources in the essay using MLA format (link to an MLA format guide: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html) One citation per paragraph is required.
