Eminem′s The Show Album

(Music Assessment Essay Summary)

Write an essay which assesses a particular musical product, e.g. a CD, a concert performance. Your assessment should include an introduction to the artist and a thesis providing your overall judgment about the CD/performance, etc. You might provide background information, about where/how your chosen subject fits into the genre, and how the particular CD/performance fits into the body of the artist’s work. The majority of the essay should be evaluation, analysis, and description of the music itself (In a CD or Concert, Analyze 5-7 representative songs). The essay must include descriptions of the sound of the music, as well as discussion of lyrics, sociopolitical elements/messages, and musical/harmonic elements, and possible comparison with similar artists. You can also describe your emotional/psychological response to the music. Your conclusion should add a final perspective. Any research sources must be direct quotes only, in MLA format, 8th edition. It is not necessary to cite the lyrics with MLA citation, since your source is clear from your chosen topic. Sources must be underlined in essay and Works Cited to ensure they are complete (See #27 and #28 in Checklist). (See paragraph model in syllabus)

· Below is a guide to the music essay paragraph structure: 

*Intro/hook thesis—makes an overall judgment about the album

b*Some background about the artist and genre, with discussion of the way in which the chosen album fits into the artitsts’ career/theme/persona

Choice:  Further continue background of artist, or talk about a media highpoint crisis/ or just go directly to your first song analysis.

*Song 1 judgment/analysis

    *2-3 sentences describing/analyzing the sound of the music in that song itself.  Include both instruments and voice

    *2-5 sentences analyzing the message of the song, quoting and analyzing lyrics

   Choice:  Comparison with other musicians, consideration of psychological/social/political media elements,

comparison with other songs, reception of song, your experience of song, etc.

*Song 2 judgment analysis (same content as above)

*Song 3 judgment analysis (same content as above)

*Song 4 judgment analysis (same content as above)

*Song 5 judgment analysis (same content as above)

*Song 6 judgment analysis (same content as above)

*(optional) Song 7 judgment analysis (same content as above)

CONCLUSION – Re-state overall judgment and provide final reflection

 

Note that a requisite part of this assignment is a description of the sound of the music itself. Such a description should comprise approximately 5-10% of the paper, or 2-3 sentences per song. There will be an assignment wherein you develop this description. It is a challenging and satisfying task to use words to describe music. You may have to listen to the music several times with a keen ear to distinguishing critical characteristics. You may need to develop a musical vocabulary appropriate to discussing your genre. However, music can also be described in terms of your reaction to it—such reactions may be emotive, intellectual, or physical, and might be described using more standardized terms. One exercise to ensure that you have adequate descriptions is to imagine the following the scenario: The person who is reading your assessment is deaf; however, he/she has an excellent vocabulary and excellent reading comprehension… Could this person get a good sense of the music by your description? The answer is yes, if your description of the sound is effective