This is a ethnomusicology class for Masters and PhD students. This paper is a “final project” for the class. The class examines how music informs, creates, and challenges social identity. I have already submitted a proposal for the paper was too “wide” of spectrum. My proposal was that Music has long been a catalyst for inspiring and impacting social change. I was planning on giving a brief background of the role that the protest songs of singers/songwriters of the 1960’s transformed or influenced society. I was planning on using many different songs, but in the proposal, my instructor said I needed to “narrow my focus.” Perhaps only using one singer, etc. I was thinking Bob Dylan Blowin in the Wind, or The Times They are A Changin. Then maybe find a song from later like Lady Gaga (Born this Way), or John Mayer (Waiting on the World to Change) or Pink (Dear Mr. President). Perhaps linking President Lyndon Johnson and his unpopular stance on the Vietnam War and George W. Bush stance on Iraq/Afganistan. A full draft of the paper (With Bibliography) is due on Friday (5 days). The final paper is due in two weeks. The format is Chicago. This is the idea that I had, although I am not tied to this totally. It just needs a more indepth narrow focus and not so broad. My conclusion (per my proposal) was that I will how how music has positively influence the social and political issues in society, how these singers/songwriters have used their lyrics/voices to impact an ever changing society. A few of of my resources cited in my proposal were:
Eyerman, Ron and Andrew Jamison “Social movements and cultural transformation: Popular music in the 1960’s. Media Culture and Society 17.0 (1995): 449-465.
Also: another possible reference:
Berger, L. M. (2000) “The emotional and intellectual aspects of protest music: Implications for community organizing education’, in Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 20:1/2, 57-76.
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