Assignment Summary – Popular Ethnomusicology: The purpose of this assignment is to develop a sonic, historical, and social analysis of a popular music genre that originated in North America and was then transplanted to a different geographic and social context. This written assignment gives students the opportunity to choose a popular music genre that they like (rock, hip hop, dance music, pop, metal, punk, etc), and research how that genre has taken root in a different place using the terms and concepts we studied in this course. As an example, if a student is a fan of disco music, they could research how disco music was transplanted to Italy in the 1970s, and then explore how it was transformed through the influence of local culture to turn into a distinct style that came to be called Eurodisco.This approach is reflected in the lectures on Hip Hop and Heavy Metal around the world.
This assignment will consist of a written portion (1500 words), and a YouTube link to a representative musical example of the music culture in question that will be the subject of your analysis.The YouTube link doesn’t need to be a proper video with moving images; if the sound is clear, that is enough.
Fruitful areas to explore are:
1. The colonial or imperial connections between North America and the chosen place/ genre
2. The traditional musical culture in the chosen place, and what elements of that music have influenced how the chosen genre developed in the new environment
3. Important/influential early artists and their recordings
4. What role popular music plays in the chosen place. Is it a form of protest/rebellion? A money-making industry? Connected to youth culture? Dismissed by elders/ politicians/religious leaders? A unique take on the original style or simply a copy?
5. How the style has developed over time.Who are the recent innovators/successful artists?
6. What impact has this genre variation had on the global music community/industry?
Critical to this assignment is using terms and concepts we have explored in this class. To do so, refer to the lecture notes and test study guides to bring in as terms are you can – but be sure to use them properly.
Important Note: If you choose a musical culture that we have covered in class, please do a deeper dive on the subject by either picking different music than what was played in class or providing details that were not covered. Repeating content from the course will be penalized. Please consider this if you think it’s a good idea to write about K-Pop.
The secret to a good grade on this assignment: Before submitting the final product, ask yourself: does this work clearly demonstrate that I took this course? In other words, have you used terms, concepts, and examples from the readings and lectures to make your argument?
Please review the attached sample assignment for formatting expectations.
Your analysis should cover the following basic points:
v.
i. Introduction: give a brief overview of your chosen place and genre, and an explanation of why you chose this place/genre.
ii. Give an overview of the traditional culture and music of your chosen place, and unpack its history with and relationship to Western culture,
iii. Analyze how, when and why your chosen genre came to flourish in your chosen place, and tell the story of the important artists in the genre
iv. Pick a specific piece that you feel represents this musical culture and do an analysis of this song – be sure to include a YouTube link in your discography. Your analysis of this piece must use the musical terms we learned in the course (timbre, metre, texture, etc), and should also attend to any local variations that make the song sound different than it’s North American ancestor songs.Are there local instruments used? Does the different language change the rhythmic feeling of the vocals? Does it offer a fresh take on the genre or is it trying to replicate North American music?
Conclusion: Describe what this music means to you. How do you relate to it? What thoughts/memories does it bring up for you? What role does music like this play in your life? How does this music compare to the music that you normally listen to? Are there similiarities? What are the differences? Has anything in this course made you think differently about it, or think about the sounds in a new way?
vi. Bibliography, discography, and/or filmography in Chicago Author-Date format: you must include a reference list that has at least 4 academic sources and a properly formatted citation for the YouTube link. Articles from the course and course lectures do not count as sources. More sources are welcome. Filmography is only relevant if you discuss video content; if you do not refer to the visuals in your YouTube example – as in you just analyze the audio – then this goes under discography. Refer to the examples below for proper formatting guidelines
Please refer to the exemplary student essay in this outline as a model for proper formatting, structure, and argument construction.The rubric for evaluating your paper is also included.
Writing guides and example assignments are also included in the “Writing Resources” folder on D2L. These guides have tips on formatting, how to cite your sources within the text and in a bibliography, and suggestions on basic writing style.
