http://screencast.

com/t/YXFhLHx4w1Vd
Stephen Guillaumin
Ms. Coco
English 1001
30 November 2015

Strengths: I believe I stayed on topic pretty well. I also thought I ordered the paragraphs pretty
well.
Weaknesses: I dont have enough cited work. I pretty much typed my paper with little research. I
believe my conclusion is too short. I also believe my transitions are weak.
Roadblocks: My biggest roadblocks are finding places to add researched work and finding
research that I like.
The Meaning of Music
Millions of new songs are made each year. Most, you will never hear of. But the songs
you do hear, do you ever wonder what they really mean? I personally ask this question. I may
have my own interpretation of the song, but what does the artist actually mean. The only way
that we can truly understand is if the artist helps us. So my main question is, how do artists help
the audience identify the purpose?
To first answer this question, we must look at the artists past. At one point in their life,
there has to have been an event that affects their music. To begin you would have to understand
the artists culture. Social groups of all kinds, including powerful, as well as less powerful
groups, are understood to be bearers of meaning. (Blair 25-26) If you are able to discover an
artists culture, you can begin to understand them better. Not only does culture affect an artists
music, but so does their origin.
There are many different places one can grow up; whether it be the inner city or the
outskirts of town. Whether we know it or not, where we lived or came from affects how we

think and interpret certain events. We can see this today, just by listening to two different artists
or genres. Rap music has emerged from a distinct background of inner-city life that is
characterized by extreme poverty, violence, heavy drug use, and other crime, while country has
emerged from the rural South. (Ryan 121) Each of these genres sing about, pretty much, the
same thing. The only difference is the way they express their topic. While a rapper may be
singing about a distant memory, there would tend to be more violence and hardship in it. While
a country artists song would consist of a simpler time when life was smooth and easy. I believe
music just tends to reflect the artists background. To also identify an artists purpose in a song,
you must look at their audience.
Looking at an artists audience can you help you to understand a song. In most cases the
audience can relate to what the artist is singing about. This relationship between a song and its
audience is meant to feel familiar, therefore more likeable. Although writing to an audience can
cause an artist to lose some artistic freedom, it helps to identify the purpose of the song. One last
factor that can help you identify the artists purpose, is the music itself.
Lyrics are one of the best indicators of what the artist really means. Each song is like a
story, and the lyrics are what make it that way. If you truly sit down and listen closely to what
the artist is saying, you can almost imagine what is happening as the song progresses. Not only
the lyrics, but the background music as well, helps show emotion. Whether its an up tempo beat
or dramatic violin melody, it is put there for a reason. This background music helps create the
tone and emotion of the music which is key in an explanation of a piece of music.
A song is not always what it seems. Depending on how well the artist identifies his
purpose determines whether you truly understand it or not. By effectively communicating his
feeling and emotion, an artist helps the audience have the same passion for his music that he

does. If the artist does not allow the audience to feel the music like he does, he runs the risk of
losing them.
42/50 (You needed to state your audience, highlight the LOI, and number pages and paragraphs.)

Citation
Blair, M. Elizabeth. "Commercialization Of Rap Music Youth Subculture." Journal
Of Popular Culture 27.3 (1993): 21-33. Literary Reference Center. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Ryan, John, and Legare H. Calhoun III. "Gender Or Genre? Emotion Models In
Commercial Rap And Country Music." Popular Music & Society 20.2 (1996): 121.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2015