Note: the page links in the pull down menu are for your convenience to find specific aspects of the assignment as you work on your essay.  However, I suggest you read through the entire page first, to get a good overview of what you're to do.  Furthermore, I imbed mini-lectures throughout the page.  I want you to learn from and reflect upon the assignment page, not just find out what you need to do.

*If you want to hear a snippet from the song "Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, just click on the link above.

Introduction

Picture this:

Writing in an academic setting is similar to this rather exaggerated scenario.

You are in essence joining a conversation that has been going on in our society for quite some time. In order to join the conversation, you want to  find out what has been said and then when you have done so, add your insight.

If you don't first listen in for a bit, you will sound something like our friend who likes bunnies--out of touch, and no credibility.

Consequently, you want your writing in this academic setting to give us insight, based on our conversations and the reading that you do.

Moving on, with this essay, we are going to continue our exploration of popular culture by investigating the world of music.

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Topic Questions

So based on your reading from chapter 4 of Common Culture (CC), I'd like you to develop a discussion about your point of view concerning some aspect of popular music. Come up with a question that you would like to explore, something that you wonder about, and through which your reading and writing can ultimately bring us insight into the world of popular music. Here are some examples of ways to approach the subject:

1. Alex Ross, in "I Hate Classical Music," finds music labeled as classical maligned by attitudes brought on by audience members over the last one hundred years, that it's actually passionate, youthful, vital much beyond the way it is portrayed. Do you have a favorite style of music, or even better, a particular artist, who is disparaged in some way, but that you find significant value, joy, meaning from the music?

2. Ross uses his own experience to show how his introduction to classical and popular music developed, suggesting that his introduction to both types of music was quite different than is typical, giving us a fresh look at both. Has there been an approach to a genre of music or even better a particular artist in your life that counters the typical and that would give us fresh insight into the value of the artist's music?

3. Critic James Blandford (in Gary Burns's article "Marilyn Manson and the Apt Pupils of Littleton") suggests that Marilyn Manson does not "promote the illnesses of society, but forces us to confront them." Burns then suggests that such is what many contemporary musicians do. He even suggests that music that deals with the illnesses of society have been lifesaving for listeners (287). Do you agree? Focus upon a specific artist who deals with a negative aspect of our culture such as drug abuse or violence. Analyze the positive or negative influence that the lyrics have on listeners. I suggest you focus on an artist that you are very familiar with because you listen to him or her regularly, or because someone close to you does. And again, plan on presenting examples from song lyrics that back up the insight you're focusing on.

4. Note that our editors have several suggestions at the end of the "Music" section of the book (334-35). Feel free to consider these as possibilities. However, make sure that you clearly connect your discussion to the article(s) you read from Common Culture.

Note: some students have fallen into the trap of writing a my-musical-preferences essay. In other words, they have simply told us about music they like to listen to. Starting with what you like to listen to can be an excellent place to explore what you would like to write about as part of your prewriting.

• But remember SWWC--so what, who cares?
• In other words, what is significant, interesting or curious about your topic for us, your audience? See the next section.

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Remember your audience

We, the members of this class, are your audience. As I mentioned above, your goal is to bring us insight into your point of view concerning popular music.

To do so, you need to convince us that your point of view is credible and interesting.

• Of course, there are many ways to do so that ID discusses throughout the text. However, there are three ways to reach your audience that is specific to us.

1. Consider the points of view that class members make in class or on the Writer's Café.

• For example, if you notice that a class member says he or she just loves Shania Twain, and you lambaste the country singer in your essay, how effectively have you reached your audience? 

• Of course this doesn't mean you can't disagree with each other.  Doing so is inevitable.

• But doing so respectfully will get your audience to consider your position valid and worth listening to even if they disagree.

2. Another way to convince us of the validity and significance of your point of view is by specific, detailed examples from your own experiences and observations.

• If you can show us expertise--

• by sharing an anecdote about playing in a band or
• by showing us the intricacies of Kanye West's style--

• then we are more likely to consider your point valid.

• And more likely to consider it interesting.

• See part 3 of the virtual lecture on academic essays about developing paragraphs.

3. Finally, you can convince us of the validity and significance of your point of view by using  the shared knowledge of your audience.

• We've read together one article from CC on popular music. And you will have read and shared another in the online activities for week 5. You would do well to use one or more of the articles  we’ve read together.
  • Remember our conversation scenario in the introduction?

Again, think of the authors we read as other voices that participate in the conversation about the topic you are giving us insight into, voices that you spring off in agreement, disagreement, qualification and such.

• Doing so broadens your credibility and shows us that your point of view is based not only on your perceptive observations, but also on your consideration of a community of writers and thinkers in our broader society.

• Plus using articles we've read together places your topic into a context that we are familiar with and can give us more insight into your point of view.

• And as I suggest above, you don't necessarily have to agree with those we read.

• But you do need to disagree respectfully, as you would with one of us.

• Just remember that some in your audience may agree with the position you disagree with. If you insult the author, you may be insulting your audience, who may then disregard what you are asserting.

So, again, you would do well to use support from one or more of the selections we've read together.

• Just remember that if you make a point that could be supported by our reading and you don't, your discussion will be less effective for us. 

Also, make sure that when you do quote or paraphrase from someone you put the page number in parenthesis. (See LPH 65+.)

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Using Sources

Therefore based on the discussion above, this essay must include as support for your discussion the following:

• One or more articles from CC chapter 4.

• You also may find it necessary to support your discussion with other sources, such as a newspaper or magazine article you found or very often song lyrics.
  • Just remember that you have to back up everything you say, either from your own experience and observations, or from someone else's.

Also, make sure that when you do quote from or paraphrase someone, you put the page number in parenthesis. Again, see LPH 65+.

And try a works cited page that presents the sources you use, whether from CC or elsewhere.

• Do note that any essay placed in the portfolio that uses any sources--including CC--will need to include a works cited page. See LPH 65+.

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Requirements

This paper is to be

• 800-1000 words in length,
• formatted with MLA style guidelines (LPH 94 and sample in Course Files>Samples from Dan) and
• in RTF format.

And again, it must include support from at least one of our CC articles.

Also, don't forget that it needs to include a works cited page presenting information about the sources you use.

And remember: strive to accomplish the maximum number of words allowed on papers--shorter papers typically are not developed effectively with sufficient detail or with sufficient complexity of thought for a college level audience.

Also, make sure to keep everything you do in working this paper, including hard copies of the drafts you produce, because I will need to see all of it if you choose the essay for the portfolio.

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There are four steps that need to be completed as described below to receive full credit for this essay.

Due dates:

• Step 1--prewriting: 9/29/07, Saturday midnight
• Step 2--draft: 9/29/07, Saturday midnight
• Step 3--audience response: 10/4/07, Thursday midnight.
• Step 4--revised draft: 10/6/07, Saturday midnight.

Step 1: Prewriting