musc 114
Music Technology Research Paper
One Paragraph Paper Proposal - please include a short bibliography Due October 31st
Final Paper Due December 5th
*Email materials directly to me
DESCRIPTION
The music technology research paper will focus on a particular composer, group, invention, style or genre of music where technology is used as the primary means for creating music. The topic will be appropriate only if technology is used in an original, experimental, and / or sophisticated way.
You will need to do research and analysis, and then develop your own opinion about your subject. Have a clear thesis or concept that you can support. Rather than a general paper about an artist, composer or group, try to develop a more focused analysis. What in particular is unique about the their music and their use of technology? You need to be balanced and critical as well - this is not a fan paper.
Try to stay focused on the music and the impact and influence that technology has on musical thought and creation. Although some background and biographical information is necessary, those papers that focus primarily on biographical information will receive a lower grade.
If you are having a difficult time coming up with your subject / topic, here are a few suggestions:
1. look back through our course book and web site. Do any of the topics or artists peek your interests?
2. if you are still not finding a direction, browsing some of these resources might spark an idea:
audio culture: readings in modern music
sound unbound: sampling digital music and culture
the ambient century : from Mahler to trance : the evolution of sound in the electronic age
check out some of the artists listed here or here
meet with me to brainstorm ideas together...
ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS
Four pages minimum, Five pages maximum, plus one page for references.
10 or 12 point fonts, double spaced, one inch margins.
Papers should be well organized, well written, and focused on the subject. Please proofread carefully. Please submit papers as Microsoft Word or PDF files, emailed to me as attachments.
You are expected to use a range of sources, including books, articles, interviews, web sites, and so on. All references must be properly cited using MLA conventions. If citing web sites, please include the URL in addition to the normal citation requirements.
A good source for information regarding general writing concerns is here and specifics about MLA style are here.
Alternative Media: Instead of a traditional paper, the research project may be submitted as a web page, Word or PDF document with embedded audio or other digital media, if discussed with me in advance.
Recordings: If you make reference to particular pieces of music (which you probably should) please provide access to the music. You can do this in one of two ways: you can cite the piece and then include web links (in order of appearance) at the end of the paper as a kind of web discography. You can also provide an audio CD of the pieces, in order and clearly identified in the paper.
SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Biographical Information - Please provide some background information on the group/composer. Dates, time, place. Include key musical influences on your subject, and how this music may have influenced others. This should inform your paper, but not be the central focus.
Technical Means and Processes - What technology is used to create the music / sound, and how is it used? You may need to look for interviews in technical magazines to find some of this information. You may want to check out some of the current music technology magazines, such as Electronic Musician, Sound on Sound, Keyboard, Mix, etc.
Influence of Technology on Music - How do the capabilities and limitations of a particular technology influence the way composers work and think about their music? How does the technology help to shape or enable the production?
Musical Philosophy and Purpose - If applicable, what is the philosophy or idea behind the music? What does the composer/group wish the audience to experience? For what purpose was the music created? Describe the cultural/social context where this music is found - is this concert music, dance music, is it about entertainment, confrontation, experimentation and so on...
Musical Analysis - Devote at least a portion of the paper to a detailed analysis of the music. This could be a discussion of one long work, a comparison of several pieces showing the evolution of a composer's style, or a group of works found on a single CD. Avoid blow-by-blow descriptions. Rather, give a general view of the entire work with insights derived from careful listening. Show specific musical examples to support your ideas.
Please remember, this is not a book report type of paper; your research, analysis and opinions matter, so please make this clear in the paper.