Professor Ziemann
HUM 100 Intro to Music
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Intro To Music
Final Prompt – Music With a Social Purpose
Analysis essay: 2 pages
Choose one of the following social topics:
LOVE | GENDER | SPIRITUALITY | POLITICS | RACE | WAR | DEATH |
(If you have a different topic that you are particularly passionate about which does
not fall under one of these categories, run it by me first!)
Choose a piece of music that relates to the topic that you chose.
The music must have lyrics or a text of some kind (i.e. it needs to have either
spoken word or singing). The only other rule is that it cannot be a piece we’ve
already discussed or that you’ve brought into class before. Be creative!
Answer the following prompts to the best of your ability:
1) Describe how this song is related to the topic you chose. Go deeper! What is it
saying about this topic? This is a persuasive essay: you are attempting to convince
me that what you think is correct. Use the lyrics as well as any background facts
that you found in your library research, including written or recorded interviews,
articles, music video content, scholarly articles, biography, documentaries, etc, to
support your claim.
2) Describe how the musical elements (Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Timbre,
Texture, Dynamics, and Form) of the song support the meaning of the song.
Use the 7 dimensions of music terminology we’ve been discussing all semester.
You don’t have to use all of them: choose carefully and discuss only a few
elements which stand out as important to the meaning of the music.