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A Research Guide
Research Paper Topics

120 Music Research Paper Topics

How to choose a topic for music research paper:.

Music Theory Research Paper Topics:

The influence of harmonic progression on emotional response in music
Analyzing the use of chromaticism in the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach
The role of rhythm and meter in creating musical tension and release
Examining the development of tonality in Western classical music
Exploring the impact of cultural and historical context on musical form and structure
Investigating the use of polyphony in Renaissance choral music
Analyzing the compositional techniques of minimalist music
The relationship between melody and harmony in popular music
Examining the influence of jazz improvisation on contemporary music
The role of counterpoint in the compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven
Investigating the use of microtonality in experimental music
Analyzing the impact of technology on music composition and production
The influence of musical modes on the development of different musical genres
Exploring the use of musical symbolism in film scoring
Investigating the role of music theory in the analysis and interpretation of non-Western music

Music Industry Research Paper Topics:

The impact of streaming services on music consumption patterns
The role of social media in promoting and marketing music
The effects of piracy on the music industry
The influence of technology on music production and distribution
The relationship between music and mental health
The evolution of music genres and their impact on the industry
The economics of live music events and festivals
The role of record labels in shaping the music industry
The impact of globalization on the music industry
The representation and portrayal of gender in the music industry
The effects of music streaming platforms on artist revenue
The role of music education in fostering talent and creativity
The influence of music videos on audience perception and engagement
The impact of music streaming on physical album sales
The role of music in advertising and brand marketing

Music Therapy Research Paper Topics:

The effectiveness of music therapy in reducing anxiety in cancer patients
The impact of music therapy on improving cognitive function in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
Exploring the use of music therapy in managing chronic pain
The role of music therapy in promoting emotional well-being in children with autism spectrum disorder
Music therapy as a complementary treatment for depression: A systematic review
The effects of music therapy on stress reduction in pregnant women
Examining the benefits of music therapy in improving communication skills in individuals with developmental disabilities
The use of music therapy in enhancing motor skills rehabilitation after stroke
Music therapy interventions for improving sleep quality in patients with insomnia
Exploring the impact of music therapy on reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
The role of music therapy in improving social interaction and engagement in individuals with schizophrenia
Music therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention for managing symptoms of dementia
The effects of music therapy on pain perception and opioid use in hospitalized patients
Exploring the use of music therapy in promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety during surgical procedures
The impact of music therapy on improving quality of life in individuals with Parkinson’s disease

Music Psychology Research Paper Topics:

The effects of music on mood and emotions
The role of music in enhancing cognitive abilities
The impact of music therapy on mental health disorders
The relationship between music and memory recall
The influence of music on stress reduction and relaxation
The psychological effects of different genres of music
The role of music in promoting social bonding and cohesion
The effects of music on creativity and problem-solving abilities
The psychological benefits of playing a musical instrument
The impact of music on motivation and productivity
The psychological effects of music on physical exercise performance
The role of music in enhancing learning and academic performance
The influence of music on sleep quality and patterns
The psychological effects of music on individuals with autism spectrum disorder
The relationship between music and personality traits

Music Education Research Paper Topics:

The impact of music education on cognitive development in children
The effectiveness of incorporating technology in music education
The role of music education in promoting social and emotional development
The benefits of music education for students with special needs
The influence of music education on academic achievement
The importance of music education in fostering creativity and innovation
The relationship between music education and language development
The impact of music education on self-esteem and self-confidence
The role of music education in promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity
The effects of music education on students’ overall well-being and mental health
The significance of music education in developing critical thinking skills
The role of music education in enhancing students’ teamwork and collaboration abilities
The impact of music education on students’ motivation and engagement in school
The effectiveness of different teaching methods in music education
The relationship between music education and career opportunities in the music industry

Music History Research Paper Topics:

The influence of African music on the development of jazz in the United States
The role of women composers in classical music during the 18th century
The impact of the Beatles on the evolution of popular music in the 1960s
The cultural significance of hip-hop music in urban communities
The development of opera in Italy during the Renaissance
The influence of folk music on the protest movements of the 1960s
The role of music in religious rituals and ceremonies throughout history
The evolution of electronic music and its impact on contemporary music production
The contribution of Latin American musicians to the development of salsa music
The influence of classical music on film scores in the 20th century
The role of music in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States
The development of reggae music in Jamaica and its global impact
The influence of Mozart’s compositions on the classical music era
The role of music in the French Revolution and its impact on society
The evolution of punk rock music and its influence on alternative music genres

Music Sociology Research Paper Topics:

The impact of music streaming platforms on the music industry
The role of music in shaping cultural identity
Gender representation in popular music: A sociological analysis
The influence of social media on music consumption patterns
Music festivals as spaces for social interaction and community building
The relationship between music and political activism
The effects of globalization on local music scenes
The role of music in constructing and challenging social norms
The impact of technology on music production and distribution
Music and social movements: A comparative study
The role of music in promoting social change and social justice
The influence of socioeconomic factors on music taste and preferences
The role of music in constructing and reinforcing gender stereotypes
The impact of music education on social and cognitive development
The relationship between music and mental health: A sociological perspective

Classical Music Research Paper Topics:

The influence of Ludwig van Beethoven on the development of classical music
The role of women composers in classical music history
The impact of Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions on future generations
The evolution of opera in the classical period
The significance of Mozart’s symphonies in the classical era
The influence of nationalism on classical music during the Romantic period
The portrayal of emotions in classical music compositions
The use of musical forms and structures in the works of Franz Joseph Haydn
The impact of the Industrial Revolution on the production and dissemination of classical music
The relationship between classical music and dance in the Baroque era
The role of patronage in the development of classical music
The influence of folk music on classical composers
The representation of nature in classical music compositions
The impact of technological advancements on classical music performance and recording
The exploration of polyphony in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach

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The Top 10 Most Interesting Music Research Topics

Music is a vast and ever-growing field. Because of this, it can be challenging to find excellent music research topics for your essay or thesis. Although there are many examples of music research topics online, not all are appropriate.

This article covers all you need to know about choosing suitable music research paper topics. It also provides a clear distinction between music research questions and topics to help you get started.

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What makes a strong music research topic.

A strong music research topic must be short, straightforward, and easy to grasp. The primary aim of music research is to apply various research methods to provide valuable insights into a particular subject area. Therefore, your topic must also address issues that are relevant to present-day readers.

Also, for your research topic to be compelling, it should not be overly generic. Try to avoid topics that seem to be too broad. A strong research topic is always narrow enough to draw out a comprehensive and relevant research question.

Tips for Choosing a Music Research Topic

Check with your supervisor. In some cases, your school or supervisor may have specific requirements for your research. For example, some music programs may favor a comparative instead of a descriptive or correlational study. Knowing what your institution demands is essential in choosing an appropriate research topic.
Explore scientific papers. Journal articles are a great way to find the critical areas of interest in your field of study. You can choose from a wide range of journals such as The Journal of Musicology and The Journal of the Royal Musical Association . These resources can help determine the direction of your research.
Determine your areas of interest. Choosing a topic you have a personal interest in will help you stay motivated. Researching music-related subjects is a painstakingly thorough process. A lack of motivation would make it difficult to follow through with your research and achieve optimal results.
Confirm availability of data sources. Not all music topics are researchable. Before selecting a topic, you must be sure that there are enough primary and secondary data sources for your research. You also need to be sure that you can carry out your research with tested and proven research methods.
Ask your colleagues: Asking questions is one of the many research skills you need to cultivate. A short discussion or brainstorming session with your colleagues or other music professionals could help you identify a suitable topic for your research paper.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

A research topic is a particular subject area in a much wider field that a researcher chooses to place his emphasis on. Most subjects are extensive. So, before conducting research, a researcher must first determine a suitable area of interest that will act as the foundation for their investigation.

Research questions are drawn from research topics. However, research questions are usually more streamlined. While research topics can take a more generic viewpoint, research questions further narrow the focus down to specific case studies or seek to draw a correlation between two or more datasets.

How to Create Strong Music Research Questions

Strong music research questions must be relevant and specific. Music is a broad field with many genres and possible research areas. However, your research question must focus on a single subject matter and provide valuable insights. Also, your research question should be based on parameters that can be quantified and studied using available research methods.

2. Hip-hop Culture and Its Effect on Teenage Behavior

In 2020, hip-hop and RnB had the highest streaming numbers , according to Statista. Without a doubt, hip-hop music has had a significant influence on the behavior of young adults. There is still the need to conduct extensive research on this subject to determine if there is a correlation between hip-hop music and specific behavioral patterns, especially among teenagers.

3. The Application of Music as a Therapeutic Tool

For a long time, music has been used to manage stress and mental health disorders like anxiety, PTSD, and others. However, the role of music in clinical treatment still remains a controversial topic. Further research is required to separate fact from fiction and provide insight into the potential of music therapy.

4. Contemporary Rock Music and Its Association With Harmful Social Practices

Rock music has had a great influence on American culture since the 1950s. Since its rise to prominence, it has famously been associated with vices such as illicit sex and abuse of recreational drugs. An excellent research idea could be to evaluate if there is a robust causal relationship between contemporary rock music and adverse social behaviors.

5. The Impact of Streaming Apps on Global Music Consumption

Technology has dramatically affected the music industry by modifying individual music consumption habits. Presently, over 487 million people subscribe to a digital streaming service, according to Statista. Your research paper could examine how much of an influence popular music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have had on how we listen to music.

6. Effective American Music Education Practices

Teaching practices have always had a considerable impact on students’ academic success. However, not all strategies have an equal effect in enhancing learning experiences for students. You can conduct comparative research on two or more American music education practices and evaluate their impact on learning outcomes.

7. The Evolution of Music Production in the Technology-driven Era

One of the aspects of music that is experiencing a massive change is sound production. More than ever before, skilled, tech-savvy music producers are in high demand. At the moment, music producers earn about $70,326 annually, according to ZipRecruiter. So, your research could focus on the changes in music production techniques since the turn of the 21st century.

8. Jazz Music and Its Influence on Western Music Genres

The rich history of jazz music has established it as one of the most influential genres of music since the 19th century. Over the years, several famous composers and leading voices across many other western music genres have been shaped by jazz music’s sound and culture. You could carry out research on the influence of this genre of music on modern types of music.

9. The Effect of Wars on Music

Wars have always brought about radical changes in several aspects of culture, including music styles. Throughout history, we have witnessed wars result in the death of famous musicians. If you are interested in learning about music history in relation to global events, a study on the impact of wars on music will make an excellent music research paper.

10. African Tribal Percussion

African music is well recognized for its unique application of percussion. Historically, several tribes and cultures had their own percussion instruments and original methods of expression. Unfortunately, this musical style has mainly gone undocumented. An in-depth study into ancient African tribal percussion would make a strong music research paper.

Music Research Questions

What is the relationship between country music and conservationist ideologies among middle-aged American voters?
What is the effect of listening to Chinese folk music on the critical thinking skills of high school students?
How have electronic music production technologies influenced the sound quality of contemporary music?
What is the correlation between punk music and substance abuse among Black-American males?
How does background music affect learning and information retention in children?

Choosing the Right Music Research Topic

Your research topic is the foundation on which every other aspect of your study is built. So, you must select a music research topic that gives you room to adequately explore intriguing hypotheses and, if possible, proffer practically applicable solutions.

Also, if you seek to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Music , you must be prepared to conduct research during your study. Choosing the right music research topic is the first step in guaranteeing good grades and delivering relevant, high-quality contributions in this constantly expanding field.

Music Research Topics FAQ

A good music research topic should be between 10 to 12 words long. Long, wordy music essay topics are usually confusing. They can make it difficult for readers to understand the goal of your research. Avoid using lengthy phrases or vague terms that could confuse the reader.

Journal articles are the best place to find helpful resources for your music research. You can explore reputable, high-impact journal articles to see if any research has been done related to your chosen topic. Journal articles also help to provide data for comparison while carrying out your research.

Primary sources carry out their own research and cite their own data. In contrast, secondary sources report data obtained from a primary source. Although primary sources are regarded as more credible, you can include a good mixture of primary and secondary sources in your research.

The most common research methods for music research are qualitative, quantitative, descriptive, and analytical. Your research strategy is arguably the most crucial part of your study. You must learn different research methods to determine which one would be the perfect fit for your particular research question.

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500+ Music Research Topics

Music is a universal language that has the power to evoke emotions, bring people together, and express complex ideas and feelings. As a result, it has been the subject of extensive research and analysis across a wide range of fields, from psychology and neuroscience to sociology and cultural studies. Whether you are a music student, researcher , or simply a curious enthusiast, there are countless fascinating and important topics to explore within the realm of music research. From the history and evolution of different musical genres to the impact of music on human behavior and cognition, the possibilities for investigation and discovery are virtually endless. In this post, we will highlight some of the most interesting and relevant music research topics that you can explore in your own studies or simply as a way to deepen your appreciation and understanding of this rich and diverse art form.

Music Research Topics

Music Research Topics are as follows:

The impact of music on memory retention.
The evolution of hip-hop music and its influence on popular culture.
The relationship between music and emotions.
The role of music in religious and spiritual practices.
The effects of music on mental health.
The impact of music on athletic performance.
The role of music in therapy and rehabilitation.
The evolution of classical music through the ages.
The impact of technology on music creation and distribution.
The relationship between music and language acquisition.
The cultural significance of music in different parts of the world.
The influence of popular music on politics and social issues.
The impact of music on academic performance.
The role of music in film and television.
The use of music in advertising and marketing.
The psychology of musical preferences.
The effects of music on sleep patterns and quality.
The impact of music on creativity and productivity.
The influence of music on fashion and style.
The impact of music education on childhood development.
The role of music in memory recall and nostalgia.
The effects of music on physical health.
The relationship between music and brain development.
The impact of music on the immune system.
The influence of music on social behavior.
The evolution of jazz music and its impact on society.
The role of music in cultural preservation and identity.
The effects of music on stress levels and anxiety.
The relationship between music and social movements.
The impact of music on language learning and pronunciation.
The effects of music on learning and cognition.
The influence of music on political ideologies and movements.
The impact of music on academic achievement.
The relationship between music and cultural assimilation.
The role of music in international diplomacy.
The effects of music on physical performance and endurance.
The impact of music on memory consolidation and recall.
The influence of music on fashion trends and subcultures.
The role of music in socialization and identity formation.
The effects of music on perception and attention.
The impact of music on decision making and judgment.
The relationship between music and romantic attraction.
The role of music in social justice movements.
The effects of music on motor skills and coordination.
The influence of music on cultural exchange and globalization.
The impact of music on language and cultural barriers.
The relationship between music and cultural appropriation.
The role of music in community building and activism.
The effects of music on motivation and goal setting.
The influence of music on fashion advertising and marketing.
The impact of music on social inequality and discrimination.
The relationship between music and cultural hegemony.
The role of music in political propaganda and manipulation.
The effects of music on physical therapy and rehabilitation.
The influence of music on cultural diplomacy and international relations.
The impact of music on the environment and sustainability.
The relationship between music and social hierarchies.
The role of music in cultural exchange and intercultural communication.
The effects of music on creative thinking and problem solving.
The influence of music on consumer behavior and product preferences.
The impact of music on social mobility and economic inequality.
The relationship between music and cultural diversity.
The role of music in intergenerational communication and conflict resolution.
The effects of music on mood and emotional regulation.
The influence of music on cultural authenticity and representation.
The impact of music on memory in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
The impact of music on recovery and rehabilitation in individuals with physical injuries.
The role of music in promoting cultural exchange and understanding in international education.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international relations.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international human rights.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with ADHD.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the food and beverage industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-sexual orientations.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the finance industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international development.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the transportation industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-abilities.
The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in college students.
The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in international cooperation.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the entertainment industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-language backgrounds.
The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the tech startup industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international peacekeeping.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with traumatic brain injury.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the travel industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-socioeconomic backgrounds.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in the education industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international cooperation.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the home appliance industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-culture backgrounds.
The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in graduate students.
The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in international diplomacy.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with attention deficit disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the construction industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-spiritual backgrounds.
The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the healthcare industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international justice.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the hospitality industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-political backgrounds.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the automotive industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international diplomacy.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with major depressive disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the telecommunications industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-ethnic and racial backgrounds.
The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in high school students with disabilities.
The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in international trade.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with borderline personality disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the fashion industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-heritage backgrounds.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with schizophrenia.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the technology industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-race identities.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the hospitality industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in global development.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with social phobia.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the toy industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-faith backgrounds.
The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in high school students.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with oppositional defiant disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the beauty industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-ethnicity backgrounds.
The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the fashion industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international aid.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with dementia.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the fitness industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-gender identities.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in the technology industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international tourism.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with anxiety disorders.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the pet industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-education backgrounds.
The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in middle school students.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the home decor industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-sex identities.
The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the gaming industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international conflict resolution.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with bipolar disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the sports industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-nationality and mixed-linguistic backgrounds.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the retail industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in global governance.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with panic disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the electronics industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-citizenship backgrounds.
The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in elementary school students.
The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in international security.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with conduct disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the agriculture industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-religious backgrounds.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with traumatic brain injuries.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with disability identities.
The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in the healthcare industry.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with LGBTQ+ identities.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in the gig economy.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in education policy.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-age identities.
The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the advertising industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in urban planning.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the food industry.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the nonprofit sector.
The role of music in promoting cultural understanding and acceptance in international business.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with chronic pain.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the gaming industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-sexual orientation identities.
The role of music in promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding in foreign policy.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with social anxiety disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the craft industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-disability identities.
The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the media industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in corporate social responsibility.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with substance use disorders.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the automotive industry.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in the education sector.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international law.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the wellness industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-nationality backgrounds.
The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in adult learners.
The role of music in promoting cultural understanding and acceptance in global governance.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the furniture industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-generational backgrounds.
The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the film industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural integration and social cohesion in diverse communities.
The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with multiple sclerosis.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the tech industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in second-generation immigrants.
The role of music in promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding in diplomacy.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and self-esteem in individuals with eating disorders.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the publishing industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in biracial and multiracial families.
The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the workplace.
The role of music in promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity in the criminal justice system.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with schizophrenia.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with refugee backgrounds.
The role of music in promoting cultural understanding and acceptance in global marketing.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed religious backgrounds.
The impact of music on academic achievement and retention in community college students.
The role of music in promoting cultural exchange and understanding in international development.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with bipolar disorder.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the luxury goods industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with immigrant parents.
The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the tech industry.
The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in journalism.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the wine industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with non-binary gender identities.
The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in remote workers.
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international relations.
The role of music in promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity in diplomacy.
The effects of music on emotional regulation and self-esteem in individuals with body dysmorphia.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with immigrant grandparents.
The role of music in promoting cultural understanding and acceptance in global advertising.
The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with borderline intellectual functioning.
The relationship between music and cultural representation in the fragrance industry.
The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-citizenship status.
The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the creative industries
The relationship between music and social cohesion in diverse communities.
The role of music in social justice movements and protests.
The effects of music on pain management and perception.
The influence of music on cultural hybridity and globalization.
The impact of music on social identity and self-esteem.
The relationship between music and cultural imperialism.
The role of music in therapeutic settings for children and adolescents.
The effects of music on language development in bilingual children.
The influence of music on cultural representation in the media.
The impact of music on interpersonal relationships and communication.
The relationship between music and cultural hegemony in the digital age.
The role of music in community-based initiatives for social change.
The effects of music on mental health in marginalized communities.
The influence of music on cultural identity and self-expression.
The impact of music on academic engagement and success in at-risk students.
The relationship between music and cultural appropriation in popular culture.
The role of music in cultural diplomacy and international relations in the 21st century.
The effects of music on cognitive processing in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The influence of music on cultural hybridity and transnationalism.
The impact of music on social justice advocacy and awareness-raising.
The relationship between music and cultural resistance in marginalized communities.
The role of music in the negotiation of cultural identities in the diaspora.
The effects of music on language processing and learning in second language acquisition.
The influence of music on cultural exchange and intercultural communication in the digital age.
The impact of music on academic achievement in students with disabilities.
The relationship between music and cultural hegemony in the music industry.
The role of music in the socialization and empowerment of girls and women.
The effects of music on physical health in individuals with chronic pain.
The influence of music on cultural authenticity and representation in the tourism industry.
The impact of music on the construction of gender and sexuality in popular culture.
The relationship between music and cultural appropriation in the fashion industry.
The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and empathy.

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216 Awesome Music Topics That Will Inspire Your Thesis

On this page, you will find the ultimate list of 216 brand new, 100% original music topics for high school, college and university students. No, it’s not a trick! You can use any of our topics about music for free and you don’t even have to give us credit. Many of these research topics on music should work great in 2023.

In addition, we have the best step by step guide to writing a research paper right here on this page. Just like the topics, you can read the guide for free. It will help you stay focused on what’s important and ensure you don’t miss any steps. And remember, if you need assistance with your academic writing tasks, our native English-speaking writers are the most reliable on the Internet!

Writing A Research Paper About Music

So, what is music? Music is a form of art that uses sound and rhythm to create an emotional or aesthetic experience. It can be created by combining different elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre. Music is a universal language that can be found in all cultures and has been an important part of human history for thousands of years. It can evoke emotions, tell stories, and communicate ideas. Music can take many forms, including vocal or instrumental, solo or ensemble, live or recorded, and can be classified into various genres such as rock, pop, classical, jazz, and many more.

But how do you write a research paper about music quickly? Well, we have a great step by step guide for you right here.

Choose a music topic. Select a topic that interests you and that you have enough background knowledge on to research and write about. Conduct research. Use a variety of sources to gather information on your topic, including books, academic journals, online databases, and primary sources such as interviews or musical recordings. Organize your research. Once you have gathered enough information, organize your research into an outline or a mind map to help you visualize how your paper will flow. Write a thesis statement. Your thesis statement should be a concise statement that summarizes the main argument of your paper. Write a rough draft. Begin writing your paper using the information you have gathered and the outline or mind map you created. Focus on creating a clear and coherent argument, and be sure to cite all sources using the appropriate citation style. Help with coursework services can aid you in succeeding with this part. Revise and edit. Once you have completed a rough draft, revise and edit your paper to improve its clarity, organization, and coherence. Check for grammar and spelling errors, and make sure all citations are correct and properly formatted. Create a bibliography or works cited page. Include a list of all sources you used in your research, including books, articles, interviews, and recordings. Finalize your paper. After making all necessary revisions and edits, finalize your paper and ensure that it meets all the requirements set by your instructor or professor. Proofread everything and make sure it’s perfectly written. You don’t want to lose points over some typos, do you?

Easy Research Topics About Music

The history and evolution of hip-hop culture
The impact of classical music on modern composers
The role of music in therapy for mental health
The cultural significance of jazz in African-American communities
The influence of traditional folk music on contemporary artists
The development of electronic music over the past decade
The use of music in film to enhance storytelling
The rise of K-pop and its global popularity
The effects of music on our learning abilities
The use of music in branding in the fashion industry
The influence of the Beatles on popular music
The intersection of music and politics in the 1960s
The cultural significance of reggae music in Jamaica
The history and evolution of country music in America
The impact of music streaming on the music industry

Opinion Essay Music Topics

Music piracy: Should it be considered a serious crime?
Should music education be mandatory in schools?
Is autotune ruining the quality of music?
Are music awards shows still relevant in today’s industry?
Should music lyrics be censored for explicit content?
Is it fair that some musicians earn more money than others?
Is classical music still relevant in modern society?
Should music festivals have age restrictions for attendees?
Is it fair for musicians to be judged on their personal lives?
Is the current state of the music industry sustainable?
Should musicians be held accountable for the messages in their lyrics?
Is the role of the record label still important in the age of digital music?
Should musicians be able to express their political views in their music?
Does the use of music in movies and TV shows enhance or detract from the storytelling?

Interesting Music Research Topics

The impact of music on athletic performance
The use of music in advertising and consumer behavior
The role of music in enhancing cognitive abilities
The effects of music on stress reduction and relaxation
The cultural significance of music in indigenous communities
The influence of music on fashion and style trends
The evolution of protest music and its impact on society
The effects of music on Alzheimer’s disease
The intersection of music and technology in the music industry
The effects of music on emotional intelligence and empathy
The cultural significance of hip hop music in the African diaspora
The influence of music on human behavior and decision-making
The effects of music on physical performance and exercise
The role of music in promoting social and political activism

Research Paper Topics On Music

The effects of music on the brain and mental health
The impact of streaming on the music industry
The history and evolution of rap music
The cultural significance of traditional folk music
The use of music in video games to enhance the gaming experience
The role of music in religious and spiritual practices
The effects of music on memory and learning
The development of rock and roll in America
The intersection of music and politics in the 21st century
The cultural significance of country music in the South
The use of music in autism therapy
The impact of social media on music promotion and marketing
The influence of music on the LGBTQ+ community
The effects of music on social behavior and interaction

Argumentative Essay Topics About Music

Does music have a negative effect on behavior?
Is streaming music harming the music industry?
Can music censorship be justified in certain cases?
Is cultural appropriation a problem in the music industry?
Should musicians be held accountable for controversial lyrics?
Is autotune a helpful tool or a crutch for musicians?
Should music education be a required part of the curriculum?
Is the use of explicit lyrics in music harmful?
Should music festivals be required to have safety measures?
Does the use of profanity in music undermine its artistic value?
Can music be used to promote political messages effectively?
Should musicians be allowed to profit from tragedies?

Current Music Topics To Write About In 2023

The rise of TikTok and its impact on music promotion
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK music
The use of virtual concerts and live streaming during COVID-19
The influence of social media on music consumption and trends
The emergence of new genres and sub-genres in popular music
Talk about cancel culture in music
The debate over the use of explicit lyrics in music
The impact of climate change on music festivals and events
The use of artificial intelligence in music production and composition
The influence of music on political and social movements
The rise of female and non-binary artists in the music industry
The effects of globalization on the diversity of music around the world
The role of nostalgia in the popularity of music from past decades

Musical Topics About Famous Musicians

The life and legacy of Beethoven
The impact of Elvis Presley on rock and roll
The career and contributions of Bob Dylan
The influence of Michael Jackson on pop music
The musical evolution of Madonna over time
The enduring appeal of the Rolling Stones
The career of Prince and his impact on music
The contributions of David Bowie to pop culture
The iconic sound of Jimi Hendrix’s guitar
The impact of Whitney Houston on the music industry
The life and career of Freddie Mercury of Queen
The artistry and impact of Joni Mitchell
The groundbreaking work of Stevie Wonder in R&B
The musical legacy of the Beatles and their influence on pop music

Music Research Paper Topics For College

The cultural significance of the accordion in folk music
The use of sampling in hip-hop and electronic music production
The evolution of the drum kit in popular music
The significance of Taylor Swift in contemporary country-pop music
The effects of drug abuse in the music industry
The role of music in shaping political movements and protests
The impact of streaming services on the music industry and artists’ income
The significance of the Burning Man festival in music and culture
The emergence and growth of Afrobeat music globally
The role of musical collaboration in the creation of new music genres
The use of autotune and other vocal processing tools in pop music
The effects of social and political issues on rap music lyrics
The significance of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in pop culture
The impact of music on emotional regulation and mental health

Our Controversial Music Topics

The controversy of the “cancel culture” in US music
The impact of music piracy on the industry and artists
The ethical concerns of music sampling without permission
The controversy surrounding lip-syncing during live performances
The debate over the authenticity of auto-tune in music
The controversy surrounding the use of profanity in music
The debate over the cultural appropriation of music styles
The controversy surrounding music festivals and their impact on local communities
The debate over the role of music in promoting violence and aggression
The controversy surrounding the ownership of an artist’s discography
The ethical concerns of musicians profiting from songs about tragedies and disasters

Captivating Music Thesis Topics

The role of music in promoting social justice
The impact of music streaming on album sales
The significance of lyrics in contemporary pop music
The evolution of heavy metal music over time
The influence of gospel music on rock and roll
The effects of music education on cognitive development
The cultural significance of hip-hop music in America
The role of music in promoting environmental awareness and activism
The impact of music festivals on local economies
The evolution of country music and its impact on popular music
The use of music in advertising and marketing strategies

Classical Music Topic Ideas

The influence of Baroque music on classical music
The history and evolution of the symphony orchestra
The career and legacy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The significance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
The evolution of opera as an art form
The role of women composers in classical music history
The impact of the Romantic era on classical music
The use of program music to tell a story through music
The significance of the concerto in classical music
The influence of Johann Sebastian Bach on classical music
The contributions of Antonio Vivaldi to the concerto form
The use of counterpoint in classical music composition
The role of chamber music in classical music history
The significance of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah in classical music

Interesting Music Topics For High School

The history and evolution of the piano as a musical instrument
The significance of Beethoven in classical music
The impact of Elvis Presley on US music
The emergence and growth of the hip-hop music genre
The role of music festivals in contemporary music culture
The effects of technology on music production and performance
The influence of social media on music promotion and distribution
The effects of music on mental health and well-being
The role of music in popular culture and media
The impact of musical soundtracks on movies and TV shows
The use of music therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder
The significance of the Coachella Music Festival in modern music culture
The cultural significance of the ukulele in Hawaiian culture

Awesome Music Research Questions For 2023

Should musicians be required to use their platform to promote social justice causes?
Is music piracy a victimless crime or does it harm the industry?
Should music venues be required to provide safe spaces for concertgoers?
Is the Grammy Awards selection process biased towards mainstream artists?
Should music streaming services pay musicians higher royalties?
Is it appropriate for music to be used in political campaign advertisements?
Should music journalists be required to disclose their personal biases in reviews?
Is it ethical for musicians to profit from songs about tragedies and disasters?
Should music education be funded equally across all schools and districts?
Is it fair for record labels to own the rights to an artist’s entire discography?
Should music festivals have more diverse and inclusive lineups?
Should musicians be allowed to use drugs and alcohol as part of their creative process?

Fantastic Music Topics For Research

The evolution of the electric guitar in rock music
The cultural significance of the sitar in Indian music
The impact of synthesizers on contemporary music production
The use of technology in the creation and performance of music
The influence of Beyoncé on modern pop music
The significance of Kendrick Lamar in contemporary rap music
The effects of misogyny and sexism in the rap music industry
The emergence and growth of K-pop music globally
The significance of Coachella Music Festival in the music industry
The history and evolution of the Woodstock Music Festival
The impact of music festivals on tourism and local economies
The role of music festivals in shaping music trends and culture
The effects of music piracy on the music industry
The impact of social media on the promotion and distribution of music
The role of music in the Black Lives Matter movement

Catchy Music Related Research Topics

Is hip-hop culture beneficial or harmful to society?
Is it ethical to sample music without permission?
Should music streaming services censor explicit content?
Is auto-tune a valid musical technique or a crutch?
Does the music industry unfairly exploit young artists?
Should radio stations be required to play a certain percentage of local music?
Is the practice of lip-syncing during live performances acceptable?
Is music education undervalued and underfunded in schools?
Does the use of profanity in music contribute to a decline in society?
Should music venues be held accountable for the safety of concertgoers?

Informative Speech Topics About Music

The history and evolution of jazz music
The cultural significance of classical music in Europe
The origins and development of blues music in America
The influence of Latin American music on American popular music
The impact of technology on music production and distribution
The role of music in expressing emotions and feelings
The effects of music therapy on mental health and wellbeing
The cultural significance of traditional music in Africa
The use of music in films and television to create mood and atmosphere
The influence of the Beatles on popular music and culture
The evolution of electronic dance music (EDM)
The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and unity
The impact of social media on the music industry and fan culture

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Princeton University Library

Renaissance music (ca. 1430–1600): a guide to research and resources, about this guide, surveys of renaissance music: books, surveys of renaissance music: bibliographies & dictionaries.

Search Strategies
Genres & Repertoire
Books & Catalogs
Journal Articles
Sources & Editions
Composers & Publishers
Performance Practice & Performers

Mendel Music Librarian (on leave)

This guide presents basic and specialized resources for researching the music composed during the Renaissance period, roughly from 1430 through 1600. The guide broadly covers all the styles, genres, cultures, creators, and social aspects of music that flourished in Europe. Coverage includes all formats of music research and performance: books, essay collections, articles in scholarly journals, critical editions, recordings, electronic resources, and key websites. This guide also provides specific tips for searching Renaissance music in the library catalog and key online resources.

"Renaissance" in Oxford Bibliographies Online by Kate van Orden Publication Date: June 2011 Includes recommended sources: General overviews, Journals, Festschrifts, Manuscript sources and printed sources of polyphony, Theoretical sources, Letters, and more.
Next: Search Strategies >>
Last Updated: Feb 7, 2024 10:39 AM
URL: https://libguides.princeton.edu/renaissance-music

An introduction to music research

Introduction

In this free course we have gathered together materials to allow you to explore the ways in which music may be researched. After thinking about different kinds of musical knowledge and their relationship with various musical practices (including performance, composition, and listening), you’ll be introduced to some of the digital resources and methodologies that inform music research. The next section, which constitutes the main part of the course, explores a variety of different resource types that can be the focus for music research – including diaries, composer manuscripts, images, and instruments – before the final section introduces you to a contentious area of current scholarship: the relationship between music and politics.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University MA in Music (A873 and A874) .

Learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

understand the ways in which musical knowledge may shape certain musical practices

identify the role digital methodologies play in music research

use, and make sense of, a number of online databases

understand the relevance of various different kinds of document for the study of music

understand something of the contentious relationship between music and politics, and its implications for the study of music.

1 Musical knowledge

Any type of research rests on a balance between what you already know and the potential it brings for developing new knowledge; and this section explores briefly a number of different ways in which musical knowledge shapes certain musical practices.

We've provided three musical extracts (Tracks 1–3). Listen to them first without being told what they are.

What sorts of information might help us to understand these pieces and their performance? Make notes before opening the discussion.

An appreciation of all three examples would benefit from awareness of the contextual and cultural background to the music.

The first piece was Sibelius’s ‘Karelia’ Suite, a much-played orchestral work. Putting this piece into a research framework, your lines of enquiry could revolve around the national context against which it was composed and its relationship with the Finnish landscape (Karelia is a region of Finland as shown in the image below). Other topics might include its reception, its relationship with the composer’s biography, and the sources that led him to write this work.

If you are aware of the Anglican tradition, the second item may have sounded familiar as it is an adaptation of ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’, sung by the Ntaria Ladies Choir in the Aranda (or Arrernte) language of central Australia. They live and perform in the village of Hermannsburg, close to Alice Springs.

The version presented here thus raises all sorts of questions:

Who is singing it, and where?
How might we write about the particular and unique vocal sound?
What language are they using?
How is the music harmonised?
How does it sit within a religious context?

The third piece was a short march from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme , a 1670 opera by the French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. Questions you might ask include:

What were the circumstances of its composition?
Where were such operas produced and what resources would have been required? What was their audience?

A piece like this also raises questions about the performing forces required.

How do we determine the makeup of the orchestra in a situation where the score contains ambiguities?
How should seventeenth-century notation be interpreted, and what do we know about the instruments of the period?
What sources are available to enable us to probe these issues?

1.1 Knowledge and performance

You probably won’t be particularly surprised by the idea that musical knowledge might influence the way in which music is performed. As an introduction to the act of observing music in performance, section 1.1 focuses on an example of social music making. This way of thinking belongs in part to the broad field of music sociology, as articulated in an article in the Annual Review of Sociology :

Music is a mode of interaction that expresses and constitutes social relations (whether they are subcultures, organizations, classes, or nations) and that embodies cultural assumptions regarding these relations. This means that sociocultural context is essential to understanding what music can do and enable. Indeed, when the same music is situated across these contexts, it can work in dramatically different fashions (as sociologists would expect).

The communication seen in the following video clip operates on the ‘micro-social’ level (face-to-face interactions on a small scale). Here, though, it relates to the ways in which musicians work together as an ensemble, drawing on musical knowledge to create a piece of music. This piece is an example of a musical style called kwela , meaning ‘to climb up’, ‘to rise’, that has become traditional to South Africa and surrounding countries, although it emerged as recently as the 1950s. Originally kwela was an expression of dissent against an apartheid government, inspired by American big band jazz, while mixing this sound with traditional African musical styles and metal pennywhistles.

In video 1 a classical string quartet led by a South African musician, Samson Diamond, put together a piece of kwela . Watch the clip now and comment on the ways in which the players take up their roles.

Samson teaches the simple melodic lines using traditional terminology, referring to key and time signatures. The cellist, Jeremias Sanz, appears remarkably relaxed and confident. He has never heard this tune before, but plays it straight back without error, reproducing it by ear. In contrast, the viola player, Carmen Craven-Grew, focuses on Samson’s fingers and learns it as much by looking as by listening. You can observe for yourself the last member of the group, Birgit Seifart, in the process of learning her line, and the group putting the parts together. Notice that they all slow down together at the end of the piece, by a combination of watching and listening. This clip shows you one method of passing on musical knowledge through interpersonal communication.

1.2 Knowledge and listening

Just as musical knowledge can inform or shape performance, it also changes the way in which we listen and understand music. One interesting kind of document to study in this regard is the concert programme note.

In his book Musical Meaning: Toward a Critical History , Lawrence Kramer notes astutely that, in the context of concert genres like the symphony, the explosion in written explications of music’s meaning in programme notes of the nineteenth century occurred at the very point where music was apparently proclaiming its autonomy from text (2002, p. 13). In other words, these programme notes may be interesting to historians of criticism for the way they engage with a range of critical concepts like ‘absolute’ music. Similarly, they may be useful for music historiography – the writing of music history. In particular, they may illuminate aspects of the reception history of a work or composer.

The collection of concert programme notes held in the New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives is a fascinating resource (if still relatively limited at this time). It provides valuable documents for all kinds of reception history projects, since tracing how programme notes change over time can be a remarkably useful indicator of prevailing attitudes to composers and works.

Read the following programme notes from the New York Philharmonic’s archive:

performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 in the 1948–49 season
performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 in the 1961–62 season .

As you read, think about how the two sets of notes differ. How are they structured? What kinds of audience do you think they are written for, and what assumptions are made by the authors about the knowledge that audience possesses?

There are many answers to these questions. Here are a few points of interest:

The two music examples in the 1962 programme; these assume musical literacy, but nonetheless accompany quite approachable descriptions of the symphony’s movements.
The need to apologise for using descriptive imagery in the 1948 programme. It appears to emphasise the classicising aspects of the symphony and its structure even as it admits that the question of whether Mahler’s symphony is ‘absolute’ music is open to debate.
The use of quotations from a contemporary critic of Mahler’s time (Paul Stefan) in the 1948 programme note, and reference to the Mahler scholar Dika Newlin.
The emphasis in the 1962 programme on Mahler’s biography is striking, especially in that it focuses on the composer’s health. Seeing Mahler’s symphonies in terms of the composer’s humanity is a critical tradition that Leon Botstein identifies in the post-1960 era (after the composer’s centenary celebrations triggered an increased interest in the man and his music – see Botstein, 2002).

1.3 Composition and knowledge

The teaching of composition in the eighteenth century, at least in Germany, was a matter of praeceptum, exemplum, et imitatio (learning the rules, studying examples and imitating the masters). In other words, it was considered largely a craft that could be taught rather than an intuitive skill shaped solely by an aesthetic vision. To some extent, of course, it still is; many contemporary composers study at universities and may become adept at a variety of compositional techniques, including functional harmony, species counterpoint or serialism. Yet, composers do not stop learning once their formal training is over. They may continue to study music in a variety of ways throughout their career.

Fred Karlin and Rayburn Wright, for instance, offer the following advice for contemporary film music composers: ‘You must know what the authentic sound is for each ethnic or historical project, but you can’t necessarily count on that sound to be perceived as authentic by the audience’ (2004, p. 86). Equally, they acknowledge that a strong period flavour is not always necessary when scoring film and television, especially if it is to communicate with a contemporary audience. Nonetheless, the film composer is expected to be stylistically flexible enough to produce ‘period flavour’ if asked.

Many television and other media productions now use production music, or library music. This is music held in large libraries to which composers may submit their compositions. Production companies then pay the library to license the use of the music. To some degree, this is nothing new (indeed, a number of film companies in the 1930s used stock music to cut back on their music production costs). The internet, however, allows anyone to search the contents of a library and to sample for free.

In this activity, you will look at a production library to see the variety of music that is available to production companies looking for stock music to accompany a period film or television programme. Some of this music is by recognised historical composers; much of it, however, is historical pastiche written by more recent composers.

Using SONOfind find something written by a living composer that is appropriate to accompany the opening titles of an Tudor- or Elizabethan-era historical drama series – perhaps a piece of music lasting 90 seconds or so. It needn’t necessarily be something that is historically accurate, of course – though you may choose something that uses period instruments. Searching by category and choosing existing keywords is a good way to start.

For some inspiration, you might search a website like YouTube for opening titles sequences to series such as Elizabeth R (BBC, 1971) or The Tudors (BBC, 2007). How easy is to find something appropriate? In what ways are pieces of music categorised, and do you find that categorisation useful? What is it in each piece of music that lends it its antiquated air, and how do some compositions negotiate between creating a sense of the past and the present (perhaps to appeal to a younger audience?)

2 Music and the digital humanities

The term ‘digital humanities’ means the use of computing for creating and processing data for research and dissemination in the humanities, an area which is growing and developing at incredible speed, transforming the field of music research. This section explores a number of digital projects centred on music, including the Open University’s own Listening Experience Database, and some of the new methodologies such resources demand.

An important point about these projects is that, while they use digital humanities tools for analysis and dissemination, their activities are not restricted to a virtual environment. On the contrary, they run seminars, conferences and performances.

Take some time to look at some of the major institutional projects that have used digital humanities techniques. Abstracts and links to them can be found on the Digging into Data Challenge, List of Data Repositories web page.

How many of these do you think might be useful for the areas of music research that interest you?

2.1 SALAMI and CHARM

Two projects that use the techniques of digital humanities to aid music research are SALAMI and CHARM.

The SALAMI project (Structural Analysis of Large Amounts of Music Information) is an inter-university project involving institutions in the UK, Canada and the USA. There is a helpful overview of SALAMI and what it is intended to achieve. The SALAMI project is feasible because of the existence of free datasets that include a body of music that can be the subject of analysis. An important resource in this respect is the Internet Archive (mentioned in the project description). This is one of several free sites. Another is Project Gutenberg , which includes a number of important books about music.

Musicians have used sound visualisation software to analyse musical performance as revealed in audio recordings. The value these programmes add to simply listening to music is that they can capture precise and scientifically accurate information about different performance parameters, such as tempo, phrasing and articulation. The Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music (CHARM) used such a programme in one of the strands of its project. It is also worth exploring this site and the site of the second phase of the project, The Centre for Musical Performance as Creative Practice (CMPCP) .

2.2 Databases

All digital humanities projects use databases of some sort. These may vary in their content and the way they can be interrogated, but they are all based on the idea of assembling a large body of digitised data that can then be subjected to whatever processes its designers choose. These can be used for research, but also to provide answers for everyday musical questions. For example, the Aria Database is a practical tool used by singers and others working in the world of opera.

The allegro Catalogue of Ballads is part of the Broadside Ballads Project at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, and aims to make original documents available to researchers through digitisation.

As the website explains:

Broadside ballads were popular songs, sold for a penny or half-penny in the streets of towns and villages around Britain between the sixteenth and early twentieth centuries. These songs were performed in taverns, homes, or fairs – wherever a group of people gathered to discuss the day’s events or to tell tales of heroes and villains. As one of the cheapest forms of print available, the broadside ballads are also an important source material for the history of printing and literacy. Lavishly illustrated with woodcuts, they provide a visual treat for the reader and offer a source for the study of popular art in Britain.

(Bodleian Library, 2011)

2.3 Exploring ballads

The Bodleian library has a collection of over 30,000 ballads, and these have been gathered together into a single catalogue that, crucially, provides a digital image for each item. This allows researchers to compare multiple copies of the same ballad, or to consult the illustrations (which have themselves been catalogued using the ICONCLASS classification scheme). Sometimes a score is provided, and the catalogue provides an accompanying MIDI file. This is a very basic tool to give researchers who do not read music an indication of the tune to which these ballads were sung.

Spend some time using the browse and search facility of the allegro catalogue . For whom is this kind of catalogue intended? Note in particular the variety of indexes that can be browsed and the distinction made between browsing an index and searching. How useful or intuitive do you find the browse or search functionality? Make sure you look at some records to see the digital copies of the manuscripts.

Then try to use the search function to locate a song sung by Mrs Abingdon in a production of Twelfth Night .

It seems pretty clear that this catalogue is intended primarily for researchers, and its interface is not all that easy to use. In particular, the search functionality requires specific practice to master, since it asks users to select appropriate indexes to search. How did you get on locating the song? If you simply searched for ‘Twelfth Night’ in the index devoted to ‘Titles, first lines, tunes’ or the index called ‘Title, first line, tune keywords’ you would not have found the song. If you searched for ‘Abingdon’ in ‘Authors, performers, venues’ you would not have found it either! It seems this performer is listed in the index as Frances Abington (1737–1815). The only way, it seems, to find this particular song in the search facility is to search for ‘twelfth’ AND ‘night’ as two separate search terms in ‘2 Title, first line, tune keywords’. You will also have had to use all lower-case letters to get any results at all (something that is only mentioned in the help guidance on using the database, accessible from the menu on the left of the screen). The last entry in the list it produces is the document you are looking for: ‘a new song, sung by Mrs Abingdon [Frances Abington], in Twelfth Night ’ with the first line ‘How imperfect is expression’. When you look at the image, you will see that her name is spelled ‘Abingdon’.

Highlighting the difficulty of finding this one item should have given you some idea of the potential pitfalls that await you if you rely on searching databases without understanding how the search functionality operates. A casual look for ballads related to or sung as part of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night , which might be the basis for an extended piece of research, may not have revealed this item.

The catalogue is undoubtedly a powerful tool, and in bringing together documents housed in different physical locations and making them accessible to external researchers, it has clearly made researching broadside ballads far easier. What is also clear is that it requires patience and time to use properly. Moreover, any user would benefit from a period of experimentation with the resource to understand better how it operates before relying on the outputs of an initial and hastily conceived search.

2.4 The Listening Experience Database

The Listening Experience Database (LED) is one of the most ambitious of the Open University’s digital humanities projects. The main purpose of the project is to design and develop a database, freely searchable by the public, which will bring together a mass of data about people’s experiences of listening to music of all kinds, in any historical period and any culture.

The project was conceived in the Music Department of the Open University and commenced at the start of 2013. It was inspired by an OU English Department project that had been launched in 2006, the Reading Experience Database (RED) , which sought to capture a mass of evidence about the responses of individuals to reading. The RED project has been extremely successful; following its first phase, it branched out from its original UK remit to be taken up by international partners. It has become the major resource of its type in the world.

The big idea underpinning the equivalent music project was that there exists in the world a body of evidence that reveals the personal responses of individuals to the experience of listening to music. If a mass of such evidence could be captured it would provide a unique resource that many others could benefit from. For periods before about 1900, this evidence would be found in writings, both published and unpublished, in paper or electronic form. Material from later periods could also be drawn from other types of source, such as broadcast media.

3 Resources

Many different resource types play a role in the study of music, for example:

Documents – different types of writings that inform musical scholarship
Images – iconographical sources (visual images) and moving images that are associated with musical practices and that cast light on the performance and reception of music
Places – environments and landscapes and their musical associations
Repertories and musical sources – manuscript and printed sources, musical repertories and genres
Instruments – issues concerning organology and performance practice
Performances and recordings – the study of music as performed, and in particular the use of recorded sound as a source for music research.

In this section you will explore examples of all these resource types, before looking at ‘west gallery’ music to see how study of a particular topic may draw on a number of these.

3.1 Documents

One of the great joys of music research is looking at documents and unravelling the history to which they contribute. Through historical sources you can uncover new biographical information about a composer, patron, instrument maker or performer. Documentary research can contribute to the writing of the history of a musical institution, such as a music festival, concert society, opera company, publishing house, orchestra or town band. It can also shed light on musical performance. The sources you will encounter range in size and shape from huge multi-type archives such as those of the Metropolitan Opera – Metopera Database – and the Mozart: New Documents site to tiny, but possibly important, miscellanies. In recent years, one of the most extensive undertakings in this field is the large-scale Handel Documents Project , based at The Open University.

Newspapers can play an important part in the study of music. Apart from their concern with national and international affairs, broadsheets such as The Times , the Manchester Guardian and The Scotsman record for posterity the cultural life of a city or country, and there are many digital collections such as Welsh Newspapers Online . The reception of works and their performances can be gauged from contemporary newspaper reviews of premieres and subsequent performances.

3.2 Diaries

Diaries can also be very revealing. To take one important example, the daily thoughts of Samuel Pepys shed light on the performance and practice of music in seventeenth-century England – something that potentially might constitute important material for the Listening Experience Database. You can read his accounts in the excellent digital site, The Diary of Samuel Pepys , which in addition to its clear layout annotates the letters with explanations of the references within them.

An entry from the diaries of Frederick Kelly (1881–1916), an Australian composer killed during the First World War, is shown below. Why might this be considered an important source?

Wednesday 14 June 1911 Wentworth Hotel, Sydney

I went to the Sheffield Choir concert at the Town Hall after dinner. It was a miscellaneous program of choruses, part-songs and solos. The Sheffield chorus opened with Bach’s eight-part Motet, ‘Singet dem Herrn’, which they sang magnificently, kept the pitch tune as far as I could judge. They also did Elgar’s ‘Go Song of Mine’ which I heard at its first performance in London a year or so ago in the Queen’s Hall. It is a beautiful work, I think. Parry’s ‘There Rolls the Sleep’ and ‘The Bells of St Michael’s Tower’ (Knyvett-Steward) were also sung – the latter being a clever imitation of chimes. The Sydney Madrigal Society (conducted by W. Arundel Orchard) contributed ‘Thine Am I, Dearest’ (Monteverde) [sic] and Parry’s ‘Prithee Why’, and made an excellent showing – in fact I could find no fault with their singing. Lady Norah Noel’s singing left an unpleasant taste in my mouth. She sang a rather commonplace song as an encore and made the most of her gallery top notes. The bass Mr Robert Chignell was also up to the same game. It was interesting to have practically the only two characteristic sides of English music represented side by side – the part-song which is its pride and the drawing-room song which unfortunately is equally characteristic.

(Radic, 2004, p. 215)

This detailed diary entry contains a wealth of information, here particularly concerning musical life in Sydney in 1911, which interestingly is dominated by British music. It also serves as a type of musical criticism, given Kelly’s judgements on the singers.

Images of interest to musicologists encompass a wide variety of sources, and may include items as varied as abstract art, illustrations in a medieval manuscript, stage decorations, photographs of composers and their working environments, or the covers of records and compact discs (to name but a few).

Read a couple of the following ‘research stories’ by members of the music department, and compare the ways in which they use images in their work:

Fiona Richards, ‘John Ireland and friends’
Helen Coffey, ‘Painting instruments in the Renaissance’
Helen Barlow, ‘Images of military bands’.

(Hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab.)

3.4 Composer portraits

One kind of image that may be of particular interest to the music researcher is the portrait. Portraits of composers can be found in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery (including photographic images as well as paintings or drawings). The images themselves can be fascinating, but you could also study the ways in which they have been catalogued. When does a ‘musician’ become a ‘composer’, for instance?

Use the ‘profession’ free-text search box on the Advanced Search page of the National Portrait Gallery’s website to look for various music professionals. You might start with ‘musician’ and see what comes up; then follow with ‘composer’, ‘violinist’ or ‘bandleader’.

Based on your knowledge of the people whose images are returned by the search, what might these terms suggest about the kinds of music associated with this terminology?

You ought also to compare the numbers of male and female sitters that are returned by the various searches.

What does that suggest?
Does it make a difference if you restrict your search to living subjects?
Are there any female figures who have been painted or photographed more than others?

In addition, of course, you might look at the kinds of images that are returned by the search.

What poses are adopted?
How do the objects included in a portrait reflect the profession of the subject?

Clearly there are many questions that are presented by a simple archive of images, and you may well have thought of others.

3.5 Music for the moving image

Moving images also play a role in music study. The phrase ‘music for the moving image’ may cover a multitude of areas, including music for television programmes, music videos, websites, video games and film (which itself includes commercial narrative traditions such as those typified by Hollywood in an English-speaking context, documentary film or experimental art film). All these areas constitute a relatively new subdiscipline in mainstream musicology as it is practised in Anglo-American academic institutions.

Even so, critical attention has been focused on film music since its earliest days. Often this took the form of newspaper or journal criticism. Bruno David Ussher, for instance, had regular columns commenting on film music in the Los Angeles Daily News and Hollywood Spectator in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and the musicologist Frederick Sternfeld wrote a number of articles for journals such as the Musical Quarterly during the 1940s.

Further information

If you are interested in this, you can explore some American film music criticism of the 1940s by reading a publication entitled Film Music Notes (available on the Internet Archive), which was the official publication of the National Film Music Council. The articles often contained manuscript examples of scores reviewed.

3.6 Nature documentaries

You are now going to examine a couple of extracts from a BBC Nature Documentary, The Blue Planet , with music by George Fenton. One interesting aspect of the use of music in nature documentaries is the way in which it often ‘characterises’, even anthropomorphises, animals in ways that are familiar from feature film (or TV dramas). This might seem at odds with the stated aims of many documentaries: to present a scientific objectivity in relationship with its subject. Evidently that aim conflicts with the desire to entertain and to help audiences empathise with the documentary’s subject.

Activity 10

Watch two extracts from the ‘Open Oceans’ episode of The Blue Planet , with music by George Fenton (video 2). What effect does the music have on your view of the animals? In the case of the first extract (which presents us with a crab), what kind of characteristics are you encouraged to ascribe to this animal, and what role does music play in creating that character identity (alongside other elements such as the camerawork or the narration)? With the second extract (an attack on a shoal of sardines by striped marlin, juvenile tuna, and a sei whale), ask yourself where your sympathies lie. How does the music encourage us to side with one side or another? What does it suggest about the characteristics of the animals, and how does it accomplish this?

Here are a few thoughts about the two sequences, though there is scope to say much more:

The crab in the first extract seems to be presented as something of a maverick. This is partly achieved through the cinematography (passages with close-ups and quick edits that create a confrontational and arresting character), but the music also plays an important role. Clearly, there are suggestions of music of the Far East – or, perhaps more accurately, musical signifiers that signal ‘the Far East’ to western popular culture. This is evident in the instrumentation (gongs, cymbals and a plucked Chinese zither-like instrument that sounds like the Guzheng) and the use of parallel harmonies. The music, then, appears to link this animal with a non-western cultural perspective; it is an outsider of sorts, and thus something of a maverick.

With the second extract, our sympathies probably lie with the sardines. Fenton’s music is written in the minor mode, which has an obvious effect on our reading of the scene, but there are some particularly interesting characterisations happening here. Aside from the allusions to Debussy’s La Mer , the marlin are given a graceful theme that seems to emphasise their beauty and power – but their music also features brass snarls, which are a standard connoter of evil or menace (and great power) in Hollywood film scores. The tuna, on the other hand, are given a sprightly repeating ostinato (with the odd militaristic snare drum), which might seem to indicate a certain ‘child-like’ obsessiveness of purpose (they are, after all, juveniles). When the whale appears, the musical movement slows down markedly. In fact, you might have observed how the music’s surface activity throughout the sequence parallels the size of the creature on screen: slower music seems to equate with more massive body weight. The whale’s appearance triggers a distinctly ‘tragic’ register in the music, as it appears to finish off the poor sardines who are seemingly obliterated. The music, in combination with Attenborough’s emotive narration, encourages us to sympathise with their fate.

One growth area of musical research concentrates on the ways in which composition and performance are shaped by the environments and institutions with which they are, or have been, associated. Research around music and place might look at the ways in which landscape has shaped composition, or at the links between a building and its soundscape. Topics can embrace whole cities and their musics, or small performance spaces. They might range from the study of concert halls, such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus, to the conjunction of music and moving images in film scores where landscape is foregrounded, for example Philip Glass’s 1982 Koyaanisqatsi .

Often a venue might play a role in shaping performance and composition; New York’s Cotton Club, which opened in Harlem in 1920, became an influential performance space for jazz musicians, among them Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Another important performance space is New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Activity 11

Carnegie Hall’s developing database contains records of events from its foundation in 1891. Open the Carnegie Hall Performance History Search page and search the conductor Walter Damrosch (1862–1950).

What can you learn about him?
Why was he important?

Damrosch was an important figure in the history of music in America as director of the New York Symphony Orchestra, in which role he conducted the first performances of a number of works, including Gershwin’s An American in Paris in 1928. At the time of writing his name appears over 800 times in this database, his career closely linked to Carnegie Hall.

3.8 Musical sources

The study of notated musical texts takes place through:

the sources themselves – manuscript and printed music
musical editions based on the sources, which record the evidence on which the editor’s text is based
literature concerning a work and its sources.

For many years, the study of manuscripts and early printed editions could take place only in a library, and this is still the case for much western art music. However, many musical sources have now been scanned and digitised, allowing their analysis at a distance. In 2013, the Britten manuscripts in the British Library were digitised as one of the projects marking the composer’s centenary. This is an extraordinarily rich resource, from which we can learn about his composing methods. Two other good examples are:

the extensive collections in the Bavarian State Library, see MDZ Digitale Bibliothek Digital Collections: Musicsheets. music manuscripts
the Jean-Baptiste Lully Collection in the University of North Texas.

Activity 12

Working with certain types of music can come with particular problems. Read Ben Winters, ‘Using film music sources’ , which explains some of the issues.

3.9 Instruments

The study of instruments is often termed ‘organology’. This is an area of study that offers a range of possibilities in the use of digital resources – one of the reasons why it is important to digitise instrument collections is to make their images and sounds available to the widest possible audiences. It is, however, very much a developing subject, with many new projects expected in the next few years.

One of the first important collections to start to make its acquisitions available in a digital format was the National Music Museum (NMM) & Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments. Based in South Dakota, it has extensive collections of western and non-western instruments, including the Cristofori piano and the Amati violin, as well as a huge array of collected non-western instruments, some quite extraordinary. See, for example, Images from the Beede Gallery: Serpentine Horn (Nagfani) .

Activity 13

Spend a few minutes exploring the resources on the website of the National Music Museum (NMM).

Then open the page on Violin, The Harrison , which shows you one of the museum’s iconic Stradivarius violins. Focusing on this instrument, note some of the benefits of the NMM digital resources.

The instrument is available in high-resolution images, photographed on all four sides.
It can be searched by area. Thus someone wanting to study violin scrolls, for example, can focus on this part of the instrument.
There is a flexible search engine.
There are sound files that demonstrate the range and quality of this violin.
There is a bibliography directing you to further reading and other useful resources.

Activity 14

Choose an instrument and imagine you have to write an illustrated article on it. What information can you find on this site?

The NMM is not the only digital resource dealing with musical instruments. The Virtual Instrument Museum is a website showcasing the holdings of the World Musical Instrument Collection of the Wesleyan University Music Department in the USA. The site includes detailed descriptions and further reading on each instrument, and a wealth of photographs and video and audio recordings. There are also several collections in the UK that contain selections of instruments from around the world, for instance the Horniman Music Collection in London. Musical Instrument Museums Online (MIMO) is an extensive database which brings together instruments belonging to a consortium of museums and is essential browsing.

3.10 Performances and recordings

The study of performance involves looking at a number of resources, including recordings – although scores are sometimes a useful resource to look at, particularly for pre-20 th -century performance. The evidence for significant variations in performance practice that result from major revisions of certain works can often be found notated in manuscript or published notated sources. The Online Chopin Variorum Edition , for instance, is a source-based study of published editions of Chopin’s music, and reveals much about the ways in which the composer’s music was performed.

With more recent performance, we may often have a recording to interrogate. Before studying recordings of western art music, though, it is important to consider what sort of documents they are: the history of their availability; how they have been made; how performers have approached them; what they are for; what their limitations are; the conditions in which musicians have performed and ways in which those conditions may have affected the manner of performance.

To take one simple example, there are not only differences between live and recorded performances, but also between live and studio recordings. These may sometimes be striking. We may recognise, for instance, that a live performance is likely to contain more ‘errors’ than an edited recording – where perfection can be gained through multiple takes, editorial sleight-of-hand and even correction of pitch. Some artists have even forsaken live performance in favour of the control available through the recording studio. The Canadian pianist Glenn Gould is a famous example of this, referring to the recording studio as a place where ‘the most horrendously constricting force of nature – the inexorable linearity of time – has been, to a remarkable extent, circumvented’ (Library and Archives Canada, 2004).

Further listening

You might like to listen to some of Gould’s recordings at the Glenn Gould Archive .

3.11 Tipperary

Often the first step when researching recordings is to locate them – and the resources of the internet may be particularly useful in this regard.

Activity 15

Find as many online historical recordings as you can of the 1912 song ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ (also called ‘It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary’) by Jack Judge, which became particularly popular among Allied soldiers during the First World War. What search terms work best? Include home recordings in your search as well as those that were released commercially, and recordings that use the tune but change the words, or simply play the tune in an instrumental arrangement.

In what ways do the recordings differ? Do you recognise any other tunes that are interpolated in the arrangements? As part of your searching, you may find a parody song called ‘The Further it is from Tipperary’. How does that relate to the original song? You may also come across songs entitled ‘It’s a Long Way to Berlin, but We’ll Get There!’ and ‘It’s a Long, Long Way Back to the Good Old USA’. How do these compare? You may also come across an earlier unrelated song called ‘Tipperary’, which can be safely ignored!

Start with the following digital collections of early recordings, but make use of more general search engines such as Google, video-sharing sites such as YouTube or online encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia:

Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project
Belfer Cylinders Digital Collection
Discography of American Historical Recordings
Voices from the Dust Bowl .

How many separate, but relevant, recordings can you find? Don’t spend too much time on this activity (maximum 30 mins).

Here are some initial items of interest, but you may have found many more.

Of the original song, these are six commercial recordings released around the time of the song’s composition (or slightly later):

Will Thompson, released in 1913 .
Albert Farrington and chorus, released in 1914 .
Stanley Kirkby, released in 1914 .
Victor Military Band, recorded in 1914 (part of a medley of three songs).
John McCormack, recorded in 1914 .
Henry Burr, released in 1915 (seemingly also attributed to Stanley Kirkby) .

Home recordings

A home cylinder recording of the Church family singing a fragment of the song .
Another home cylinder recording featuring the Church family singing another fragment of the song .

Closely related songs

Billy Maury singing ‘The Further it is from Tipperary’, released in 1918 .
A 1940 home recording of Jim Holbert singing ‘The German Kaiser’ – a song using the same tune but with different words.

Evidently, the song has a much longer recording/social history than this. Looking at a site like YouTube also reveals much more about the broader cultural associations it has gained (in particular with a scene in Wolfgang Peterson’s 1981 film Das Boot , which was also released in an extended television version). A potential research project might take a song like this and trace both its recording history and its social and cultural significance, or subject changing performing styles to close scrutiny.

3.12 West gallery music

Studying a particular topic nearly always involves combining a number of different resource types. This is the case with the tradition of English rural church music known as west gallery music, from the eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century custom of placing the choir in a gallery at the west end of the church. Often the singers were accompanied by a village band, comprising a mixture of string and wind instruments, whose function was both sacred and secular. During the nineteenth century, many of these wooden galleries were removed, often being replaced by an organ.

This repertory and its performance traditions can only be reconstructed by drawing on a mixture of resources: books of music (manuscript and printed), images, documents and surviving instruments.

The west gallery choir and band are perhaps most familiar through many passages in Thomas Hardy’s novels, in particular Under the Greenwood Tree (1872). Hardy’s grandfather had played the cello in the Puddletown church band, and later in the Stinsford choir. Indeed, the bands for both villages were made up entirely from members of the Hardy family, playing a mixture of clarinets, piccolo, bassoon and viols.

Activity 16

The Mellstock Band have constructed and recorded repertory from Dorset. Listen to ‘Kiss Me My Love and Welcome – Drops of Brandy 1 and 2’. The bass instrument that enters towards the end of the piece is the ‘serpent’, a frequent member of the west gallery band.

4 Music and politics

In this last section, you will study some of the ways in which music and politics are linked, ranging from the reception of Wagner and Beethoven in Nazi Germany, and music’s role in the Cold War, to the protest song.

There are numerous ways in which contemporary musical practice appears to be deeply embedded in the politically-charged world around us. You may be familiar with the Eurovision Song Contest, for example, which in its voting patterns frequently appears to be less about the songs and more about international relationships between the voting countries. And you may also be able to think of other ways in which popular musics of different eras have been associated with particular political positions.

Popular musicians are courted by political parties keen to have their messages endorsed, or their images improved. Well-known examples of this include Frank Sinatra’s role at John F Kennedy’s presidential inauguration and Sheryl Crow’s endorsement of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign (she also performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention). Indeed, US presidential elections often make prominent use of dedicated campaign songs, drawing in recent years from existing popular culture – though this is far from a new phenomenon, and earlier elections could be just as sophisticated in their use of music (see Harpine, 2004 on the functions of songs in the 1896 presidential campaign of William McKinley, which frequently expressed a belligerency in their attacks on opponents that was absent from the candidate’s speeches).

4.1 Western art music and politics

In addition to popular music, Western art music is also deeply implicated in the complex world of politics no matter how often people attempt to deny it.

Activity 17

Watch these two videos, which explore different aspects of music’s relationship with politics. How would you characterise the attitudes on display?

The audience at the BBC Proms concert seem to be rather annoyed that an overtly political act has disturbed their enjoyment of the music – though, to be fair, it seems as though the protestors are not objecting to the music played, but rather the symbolism of the orchestra’s nationality. This might make you wonder how easy it is to disentangle ‘the music’ from the identity of those performing it.

As explained in the second video, the concert of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, given in Berlin just after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, makes changes to Schiller’s text in the symphony’s finale. Here a political event has prompted a musical celebration and a change to the usual words performed. It is difficult not to see this as deeply political, though one suspects many of those involved with the performance would claim this was an apolitical act that rose above politics.

Both videos, then, might seem to grapple with the ways in which music is held by some to transcend the everyday world of politics (understood broadly, rather than in its narrow party-political or ideological sense) while at the same time demonstrating how easy it is for music to be used to make a political point, or to be the focus of a political discourse.

In order to admit this kind of response to music as relevant to the study of music history, though, musicologists needed to change their attitude to a fundamental question: what is the object of study? In other words: what, exactly, constitutes music in a disciplinary sense? Where does the subject begin and end? Should studying music be restricted to the notes themselves, or might it include studying the societies and cultures in which it is practised?

4.2 Wagner and the Nazis

One composer who might be thought of as deeply implicated in politics is Richard Wagner (1813-1883). Indeed, many of you might have named Wagner if asked to think of a composer of Western art music whose music, writings, and reputation are somehow bound up with politics. His popular image is forever tarnished by his antisemitic writings and his attractiveness to Adolf Hitler and German nationalists as a cultural icon – such that many Israeli musicians refuse to perform his music. Yet, at the same time, his music is deeply admired by many who would simultaneously disavow his beliefs and the uses to which his music has been put.

Activity 18

The literature on Wagner is enormous, but to get a sense of the controversy that still surrounds Wagner’s music, read this short article by Lili Eylon on the pages of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the ‘official’ nature of the website is perhaps an indication that consideration of the question is one that carries contemporary political relevance).

4.3 Beethoven and the Nazis

You’ve already heard a little about Beethoven’s prominent position in the celebratory events surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. This is just one of a number of instances in which Beethoven has been connected with political events or ideologies, stretching back to his reported desire to dedicate the Third Symphony to the liberating Napoleon Bonaparte and his subsequent scratching out of the dedication once he learned that Napoleon had declared himself Emperor of France.

Indeed, as David B. Dennis notes, “German political leaders have consistently associated Beethoven with ideologies they promote and actions they undertake” (1996, p. 3); however, it is also the case that it tends to be Beethoven the man that is their focus, particularly in the struggle to overcome his deafness. The political views of the composer himself, however, seem to have been remarkably ambiguous, with his attitudes towards the enormous political and social upheaval of his times unclear at best, and often seeming to swing alarmingly from one position to another (1996, pp. 23-24).

Much of Beethoven’s music was interpreted by Nazi critics as serving a German national myth marked by a certain belligerency. Arnold Schering suggested that the Fifth Symphony, for example, represented a “fight for existence waged by a Volk that looks for its Führer and finally finds it” (Dennis, 1996, p. 151) and the Seventh Symphony was described as a “victory symphony” when the Berlin Philharmonic performed on tour for German soldiers in 1940 (ibid., p. 168). Soldiers were also encouraged to listen to Beethoven’s symphonies in regular radio broadcasts to provide them with the stamina to fight better (ibid., p. 166) and even children’s books suggested that Beethoven’s symphonies were nationalistic fight-songs (ibid., p. 153).

4.4 Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was subject to some particularly interesting interpretations in Nazi Germany. Its closing choral section was performed at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and it was heard in its entirety in a performance by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler for Hitler’s birthday in 1937. This was at the specific request of Joseph Goebbels and, as the newspaper Der Angriff noted, the symphony was regarded as a perfect choice because “with its fighting and struggling” the work denoted the Führer’s capacity for “triumph and joyous victory” (Dennis, 1996, p. 162).

In the Nazi propaganda film Schlußakkord (dir. Douglas Sirk, 1936), a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony broadcast on the radio reaches the ears of an ill German woman living in the United States. By the time the finale has finished, she has miraculously revived and has resolved to return to Germany to take up her duties as a mother (Winters 2014, p. 99). The music, it seems, has inspired her to re-join a group from which she has been separated – which is precisely how the Nazis hoped music would operate, drawing together Aryan Germans and separating them out antagonistically from the other races, with whom they had long lived peaceably.

What did the Nazis hear in Beethoven’s Ninth? Evidently, the triumphant and celebratory tone of its final movement, and the immense struggle apparent in the first movement easily map on to an idea of German victory after a period of conflict; however, that is equally true of many nineteenth-century symphonies. The Ninth also has a text, though, that makes it particularly susceptible to appropriation. Below, I’ve reproduced some of Schiller’s text from the choral section of the symphony. At first glance, there is little in this that might seem to support the ideological premise of Nazism.

Hans Joachim Moser, though, who was part of the Reich-Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, noted of Schiller’s text that the “kiss for the whole world” was a “glowing devotion to the notion, the dream, the simple idea of a humanity conceived in as German terms as possible” (Dennis, 1996, p. 152).

4.5 The Cold War

Music’s close association with politics did not end with the defeat of the Nazis (no matter how much the high modernists of the 1950s hoped it would). In the early years of America’s Cold War with the Soviet Union, institutions like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the House Un-American Activities Commission (HUAC) or Senator Joseph McCarthy’s committee within the US Senate investigated persons suspected of being communist agents and purveyors of communist propaganda. They were particularly interested in artists active in Hollywood, and even with musicians.

The composer Aaron Copland was called to testify to a closed hearing of Senator McCarthy’s Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in 1953 because of his involvement in a foreign exchange programme, and his state-sponsored foreign travel to Latin America and Italy. He had already been placed on a State Department blacklist banning his music from the American libraries in some 90 countries controlled by the United States Information Agency (Crist 2008, p. 491).

Similarly, the American folk musician Pete Seeger was summoned before a sub-committee of HUAC in 1955. You can read a transcript of his interview here .

Seeger was happy to answer questions about the songs he sang, but was not prepared to divulge where or with whom he sung them. It’s fascinating to read of the attempts of his interrogators to bait him in order to divulge his political beliefs. Equally, it is striking to see how Seeger attempts to divest the songs themselves from the political situations in which they may have been used.

4.6 Hanns Eisler

German composer Hanns Eisler (1898-1962) was also investigated extensively by the American authorities because of his impact as a composer of political songs in the 1920s, a sense of which might be gauged from the following comment by Michael Haas:

Hanns Eisler’s use of music as a ‘political weapon’ would be a defining element in Weimar Germany. Many from the political centre and right would claim that Eisler’s music was a factor in this shaky German Republic becoming unstable, even ungovernable.

That’s quite a claim. Yet, Eisler’s collaborations with the agitprop performer Ernst Busch in the late 1920s, and the writers surrounding Bertolt Brecht (including Brecht himself) certainly produced cultural products of undoubted political significance that reflect the composer’s deeply-held Marxist beliefs.

Eisler was eventually forced to leave the United States and ended up in the newly-formed German Democratic Republic (the Eastern part of Germany controlled by Communist authorities sympathetic to the Soviet Union). Such was the power of Cold War division of lines that David Blake noted in a 1980 Grove article that “No composer has suffered more from the post-1945 cultural cold war. As the cross-currents between Eastern Europe and the west increase, a proper international assessment of his achievement must be made.” (quoted in Wierzbicki 2008).

Activity 19

Look briefly at the FBI’s files on Eisler

What problems do they present for the casual researcher? How easy is it to navigate the file or find relevant information?

4.7 The protest song

1960s America is one of the first places many of us would associate with the protest song – and, if asked to name prominent individuals involved in the writing and performing of such songs, we might point to the singer-songwriters Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Undoubtedly, the country was a hotbed of political tension, stoked by the war in Vietnam and the pressures of Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union, while the immense social changes at home brought about by the civil rights movement ensured that race was high on the cultural agenda. Many of these themes are explored in songs that were brought to national attention as part of the enormously successful folk-music revival – a complex mixture of political activism, folk music, and commercialism, in which competing priorities are not always easy to separate.

Activity 20

Watch this film of Joan Baez performing three songs at the BBC in the 1960s. What aspects of her performance strike you as significant?

Perhaps the most significant characteristic of her first song “Troubled, and I don’t why” is the strong sense of community she seems to create amongst her audience – fostered through the act of singing together (with the audience joining in the words of the chorus). The words of this first song are topical in their apparent criticism of mainstream media (newspapers, television, movies) and without being specific to any events communicate a sense of group unease. Similarly, she asks her audience to join her in singing “We Shall Overcome”, though no tuition is necessary, such is the simplicity and familiarity of the tune and the words. Baez signals only changes to the initial words of the verses, allowing her to shape the mood of her audience. Her final song is Bob Dylan’s “With God on Our Side” which allows her to more easily showcase her obvious vocal abilities, and distinctive vibrato, though its words are perhaps less audible as a consequence: it also requires a spoken introduction while Baez picks out chords on her guitar, suggesting its message is somewhat more complex and nuanced. There is much more that could be said about these performances, including aspects of her appearance, the set design, and the ways in which she is filmed. Undoubtedly the purity of her voice and her physical beauty also play a key role in the aesthetic experience.

4.8 Ton Steine Scherben

The protest song also played a prominent cultural role in the politics of West Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As Timothy Brown states: “radical music and radical politics were mutually constitutive [in West Germany]. Not only did rock music both generate and mirror the ideas and slogans of the movement…but it mirrored, in its modes of cultural production, larger themes of the protest movements that rocked West German society in the sixties and seventies” (2009, p. 2).

As Brown’s research reveals, a significant group in this regard were Ton Steine Scherben (usually translated as Clay, Stone, Shards – a nod in part to The Rolling Stones). They had their origins in the radical street theatre of the 1960s, and in an earlier incarnation had written a Singspiel depicting the conflicts of everyday life. It featured a song that became the group’s first single, “Macht kaputt was euch kaputt macht” (Destroy that which destroys you) which speaks of the frustration of a man caught in a world of impersonal forces (Brown 2009, p. 8). It also expresses a deeply political scepticism of contemporary consumer culture, and in that sense connects with the radical politics of the left – which in West Germany at this time were even manifested in terrorist activities by groups such as the Red Army Faction (often known at the time as ‘The Baader-Meinhof Gang’).

Activity 21

Listen to this extract from “Macht kaputt was euch kaputt macht” to get a sense of the musical style.

4.9 The sound of protest

The raw sound of Ton Steine Scherben’s “Macht kaputt” is striking: it’s certainly very different from the ballad-like performances of Dylan or Baez in the United States. Significantly, the group were the first German rock band to sing in their native language (Brown, 2009, p. 8). Their songs were written in a rough vernacular German, the better to communicate with their intended audience – the working class of the Kreuzberg area of West Berlin, where the band also lived. At the time, Kreuzberg was a run-down area bordered on three sides by the Berlin Wall, and was particularly popular with students due to its cheap rents.

Evidently, the protest song is also a genre with a wide appeal – and this course has aimed to suggest the possibility of looking beyond Anglo-American culture for pertinent examples. What’s significant is the variety of musical styles evident and the difficulty in pinning down precisely where the element of protest lies. Most would probably point to the lyrics, but undoubtedly the style of the music (and the way that style is interpreted in the context of prevailing music-making) plays an important part in a song’s status as a ‘protest song’, as do the identities of the performers, and the contexts in which the music is heard.

This free course has introduced you to different kinds of musical knowledge and their relationship with various musical practices (performance, listening, and composition); and to some of the methods and resources for studying music, within the context of the digital humanities.

It has also introduced you, though, to an area of music study (music and politics) that raises some interesting issues about what exactly we mean by studying ‘music’. Looking at the way in which music and politics can be connected calls into question the assumptions we may have about the identity of music - about the boundaries and edges of what constitutes ‘the music itself’. From the activities of performers, listeners, composers, and musicologists, it seems that it is frequently difficult to divorce discussion of ‘the music’ from its worldly contexts. Although (some) music analysts or music aestheticians may still maintain that there is such a thing as ‘the music itself’ or argue that music has no meaning beyond its aesthetic meaning as music , there can be little doubt that to ignore these interactions between music and politics is to close the door on rich and fascinating areas of study.

Appendix 1 John Ireland and friends

Fiona Richards

Knowledge of the life and music of John Ireland (1879–1962), like any biographical work, can be greatly enhanced by images that reveal places and people that were important to the composer. Our understanding of the time when he was producing his most personal music, roughly speaking 1918–30, is hampered by the fact that so few biographical sources have survived. There are many reasons for this, among them the destruction of Ireland’s property both during the Second World War and after his death. It was therefore very exciting for me to discover two hitherto unused and unknown resources relating to people who played a significant part in Ireland’s life and works. Both of these were young people, one a boy from Chelsea (Arthur Miller), the other a young woman pianist (Helen Perkin). Until 2000 there were no pictures in print of either of these figures, yet Ireland dedicated his Piano Concerto to Perkin, who premiered the work at the Proms in 1930, and wrote several piano, vocal and chamber pieces for Miller. Until only recently they remained enigmatic, known only through reviews and through Ireland’s music itself.

The first source was in the care of Perkin’s youngest son in Sydney, and consisted of a number of photographs, as well as many programmes, reviews and suchlike. Seeing Helen Perkin (Figure 1) perhaps helps to reveal why it was that Ireland should choose such an inexperienced performer to play the solo role in one of his biggest works.

The second source was if anything even more fascinating. Owned by the John Ireland Trust, a little bundle of undeveloped negatives was accompanied by a list detailing their contents, even dating them very precisely. These included several photographs of Arthur Miller (see Figure 2), but also supplied invaluable missing biographical material, even down to the fact that we now know exactly where Ireland was on 22 August 1922!

Appendix 2 Painting instruments in the Renaissance

Helen Coffey

Archival records provide details of the wind bands which were employed in many cities and courts in western Europe from the mid-fourteenth century. Payment lists confirm that these ensembles typically numbered between two and five members, and generally consisted of two or three reed instruments (shawm, bombard) together with a brass instrument. Although payment lists provide valuable information about these ensembles, scholars have turned to iconography (such as the image presented here), to gain further insights into the performances and instruments of these musicians.

This picture of c. 1470, believed to be by the Flemish painter Barthélemy d’Eyck, is one of sixteen miniatures that illustrate a French translation of Boccaccio’s epic poem of the legend of the Ancient Greek hero Theseus. This particular miniature depicts Theseus’s triumphal procession through Athens. Despite the subject of the miniature, the artist obviously drew on his everyday experiences in his work: we therefore see the reed and brass instruments of the civic and court wind bands at that time, as well as the ensembles’ customary practice of performing without reference to written music.

Scholars have used images such as this to determine the form of the brass instrument used in these ensembles, as archival references can be ambiguous in their descriptions. Many fifteenth-century images show trumpeters playing on s-shaped or folded trumpets (as here) in which the players appear to be moving a slide, placed after the mouthpiece. The instrumentalist’s left hand seems to hold the mouthpiece near the lips while the right hand supports the main body of the instrument, pulling and pushing the instrument towards him and thus enabling performances in more than one harmonic series. The evidence for the development of the slide trumpet (the precursor to the trombone) during the early fifteenth century is mainly based on images such as this – there is little mention of this instrument in archival records before the end of the century. Scholars such as Keith Polk (1989) have used these pictures to demonstrate the instrument’s popularity during this period, even after the trombone gained prominence in later years.

Appendix 3 Images of military bands

Helen Barlow

Having trained originally as an art historian, my instinct is to ask not only ‘what does the image show?’, but also ‘why and how was it made?’

Figure 1 shows a drawing from the sketchbook of a minor artist, George Scharf (1788–1860). An artist uses a sketchbook for preparatory work – often on the spot as an aide memoire for future paintings. For that reason, a sketch may be far from ‘sketchy’ – it may be a detailed record. Here, Scharf has taken pains with the uniforms and instruments, and the location and occasion are clearly identified in his own hand – ‘Marine Officers Mess Room at Woolwich, during Dinner’. The details tell us something about the transitional nature of the instrumentation of the military band in the 1820s, with trombones coexisting alongside serpents, which they would soon replace.

The image also gives us clues to several other avenues. What about the boys who are holding the music? Military music education was only centralised and formalised in 1857, so perhaps this image gives us an insight into the role of boys in bands and how they received musical training before then. From the instrumentation and from the occasion, dinner, we might deduce that sophisticated instrumental repertoire was being played. And this image also strongly indicates the gentlemanly, socially exclusive culture of the officers’ mess of that period, and identifies one of the distinctly unwarlike performance contexts in which regimental bands played.

Appendix 4 Using film music sources

Ben Winters

In my work as a film music scholar I often face a number of challenges when engaging with a film’s score, not all of which may be apparent to the casual reader when faced with the published outcomes of my research. I want to highlight some of these using examples of my own publications. Usually, music written especially for a film tends not to be published (see Winters, 2007a for a discussion of these issues) and as a result if I want to engage with and discuss the musical content of such a score in an academic publication, I am faced with three options, all of which I have used at some point:

Option 1. Consult manuscript sources held in archives, and publish extracts from these sources as musical examples in a publication. I did this with my work on Erich Korngold’s score for The Adventures of Robin Hood (Winters, 2007b), but had to gain permission from Warner Bros. to do so (both to access the archive, and to reproduce manuscript sources photographically or re-set music examples in music notation software).
Option 2. Often, however, it’s not possible or practicable to get hold of such manuscript sources (for many different reasons, including the access policy of copyright holders, and the costs involved in this kind of research). In such cases, I might rely largely on my own written descriptions of the music’s content, augmented with aural transcriptions from the film (see Winters, 2012a, in which I transcribe motifs from John Williams’s score to the 1978 film, Superman: The Movie ). I often choose this option when presenting papers at conferences if I particularly want to discuss musical content in a modest amount of depth. In the case of the Superman score, Equinox Press was happy to publish these short motifs without seeking permission from the copyright holder, citing fair dealing under copyright law.
Option 3. For various copyright or cost reasons, or the timidity of publishers, often it’s simply impossible to include any musical extracts from the score under consideration. As a researcher, I’ve sometimes been forced to present research without any musical examples at all (e.g. Winters, 2014a). Often, of course, such an approach is entirely suitable for the publication’s argument, which may focus on music’s interaction with narrative strategies, rather than any in-depth exploration of the ‘nuts-and-bolts’ of the way the music is constructed.

There are other instances, though, in which the music used in a film may be published already. Sometimes, existing scholarship will present extracts that can be quoted in a new context. This was certainly the case when I engaged closely with Hugo Friedhofer’s score to The Best Years of Our Lives (see Winters, 2012b). I drew on published extracts from this score in Burt, 1994 so that the reader could gain some sense of the style of the score and the music to which it alludes. Alternatively, films may draw on existing published works in the western art music tradition, in which case it becomes relatively easy to quote them as examples, perhaps with added information about the content of the image or dialogue at various points. I adopted this strategy when discussing a scene in Double Indemnity (dir. Billy Wilder, 1944) in which Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 is playing in the background, with the scene functioning almost as an example of nineteenth-century melodrama (see Winters, 2014b, pp. 165–70). I reduced the Schubert extract to piano-score format, and annotated it to give readers a sense of the way in which the musical gestures operated alongside the dialogue heard in the scene:

Extract from Schubert, Symphony No. 8 (reduced to piano-score format), as used in Double Indemnity

In all these cases, the decisions I make about my research questions, methodology, and dissemination of my research may be affected fundamentally by the availability of the sources and the likelihood of copyright problems.

Burt, G. (1994) The Art of Film Music: Special Emphasis on Hugo Friedhofer, Alex North, David Raksin, Leonard Rosenman , Boston, Northeastern University Press.

Winters, B. (2007a) ‘Catching dreams: editing film scores for publication’, Journal of the Royal Musical Association , vol. 132, no. 1, pp. 115–40 [Online]. Available at http://www.jstor.org.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/stable/30152960 (Accessed 28 February 2014).

Winters, B. (2007b) Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s The Adventures of Robin Hood: A Film Score Guide , Lanham, MD, Scarecrow Press.

Winters, B. (2012a) ‘Superman as mythic narrative: music, Romanticism, and the “oneiric climate”’, in Halfyard, J.K. (ed.) Magic, Myth and Monsters: Music, Sound and Fantasy Cinema , Sheffield, Equinox Press, pp. 111–31.

Winters, B. (2012b) ‘Musical wallpaper? Towards an appreciation of non-narrating music in film’, Music Sound and the Moving Image , vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 39–54 [Online]. Available at Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCO host (Accessed 28 February 2014).

Winters, B. (2014a) ‘Swearing an oath: Korngold, film and the sound of resistance?’ in Levi, E. (ed.) The Impact of Nazism on Twentieth-Century Music , Vienna, Böhlau Verlag, pp. 61–76.

Winters, B. (2014b) Music, Performance, and the Realities of Film: Shared Concert Experiences in Screen Fiction , New York, Routledge.

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Library of Congress: Performing Arts Encyclopedia The Performing Arts Encyclopedia is a collection of performing arts materials located at the Library of Congress.
Rock's Backpages 1960-present; Rock's Backpages is a database of rock music writing, sourced from the pages of the music and mainstream press. Thousands of articles (reviews, interviews, features and more) for over 2,000 artists are available.
MusicID This link opens in a new window Provides access to perpetually-updated charts information, including Billboard charts, iTunes downloads, Spotify and Apple Music streams, and Shazam searches. Also includes a revenue calculation tool. more... less... Current; Music ID is an academic research tool that utilizes powerful analytics to compile global music industry data. Incorporating 5,452 different charts spanning 74 countries, Music ID Data provides access to perpetually-updated, week-to-week information on iTunes downloads, Spotify and Apple Music streams, and Shazam searches, as well as contemporary and historical data from Billboard, the Official Charts Company, GfK, and more.
RISM (Répertoire internationale des sources musicales) RISM's catalog is a finding aid for music manuscripts and prints; the online catalog includes Series A/1 and A/II (Music Manuscripts after 1600) and parts of B/1 as well as a list of library sigla. Other components can be found in print in the Orwig Music Library. more... less... http://www.rism.info/en/publications.html
RIdIM: Répertoire International d'Iconograpie Musicale (International Repertoire of Musical Iconography) The RId'IM database contains descriptions of visual objects that depict music-making, musical instruments, and similar related objects. Where possible, there are links to online images of the artwork.
Online Resources for Music Scholars (Harvard University) The electronic research guide from Harvard's Loeb Music Library, with many free resources covering musicology, music theory, composition, ethnomusicology, and more.
MusRef (Brigham Young University) MusRef, a portal from the music library at Brigham Young University, includes an online bibliography of reference sources for music, both print and online, as well as guides for getting started with music reference sources. This site includes a huge collection of links to the vast world of freely available information about music on the web.
Digital Resources for Musicology (DRM) A portal to open-access projects that may be of use to musicians and musicologists.
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Diverse Music Essay Topics for Students and Music Enthusiasts

Table of contents

1 How to Write an Essay on Music
2.1 Argumentative Essay Topics about Music
2.2 Topics for College Essays about Music
2.3 Controversial Topics in Music
2.4 Classical Music Essay Topics
2.5 Jazz Music Essay Topics
2.6 Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics
2.7 Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Music is a magical world of different sounds and stories. When we talk about music, there are so many things we can explore. Writing essays about sound lets us share our feelings and thoughts about this wonderful art. In this collection, you will find 140 music essay topics.

These topics are carefully chosen to help you think and write about sound in many exciting ways. Whether you love listening to music or playing an instrument, these topics about music for an essay will spark your creativity. They cover everything, from your favorite songs to the history of music. So, get ready to dive into the sound world with these fun and interesting essay ideas!

How to Write an Essay on Music

Writing an essay about sound can be a fun and exciting way to express your thoughts and feelings about this amazing art form. Whether you are working on college essays about music, or research paper topics on music, here are some steps to help you create a great piece of writing.

First, choose a topic that you are passionate about. It could be anything from your favorite musician to a specific sound genre. For a college essay about sound, you might want to share a personal story about how music has impacted your life. For argumentative essay topics about sound, consider issues like the importance of sound education or the effects of music on the brain. If you’re working on a research paper on sound, explore the history of a certain music style or the role of sound in different cultures.
Once you have your topic, start with some research. Look for interesting facts, stories, and opinions about your topic. This will give you many ideas and help you understand your topic better.
Next, create an outline for your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and keep your writing clear and focused. Start with an introduction that introduces your topic and grabs the reader’s attention. Then, write a few paragraphs that explain your main points. Each paragraph should focus on one main idea or argument. In your writing, explain things in a way that’s easy to understand. Use simple words and short sentences.
Also, try to include examples and personal experiences to make your essay more interesting and relatable.

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List of Topics about Music for an Essay – 40 words

Discover a world of music topics to write about in this list! From fun ideas to controversial topics in music, these essay suggestions will inspire you to explore the diverse and exciting universe of music.

Argumentative Essay Topics about Music

Dive into the world of melodies and rhythms with these essay topics about music! Whether you’re passionate about different genres or curious about the impact of sound, these argumentative essay topics will guide you to explore and express your views on various musical aspects. So, let’s get ready to write and debate about the diverse and vibrant universe of sound.

Is Melody Essential in Every School’s Curriculum
The Impact of Melody on Mental Health
Should There Be More Support for Local Musicians
The Role of Songs in Cultural Preservation
Does Modern Melody Lack Originality
The Effects of Sound on Productivity
Are Music Award Shows Biased
The Importance of Lyrics in Songs
Should Songs Be Used in Advertising
The Influence of Music on Fashion Trends
Does Melody Promote a Better Global Understanding
Should Explicit Sound Be Censored
Are Songs Festivals Beneficial for Local Communities
The Role of Technology in Melody Production
Is Classical Melody Still Relevant in the Modern Era
The Impact of Social Media on Musicians’ Success
Should Music Be Included in Workplace Settings
The Role of Melody in Political Movements
Are Music Streaming Services Fair to Artists
The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody

Topics for College Essays about Music

Step into the rhythm of words with these research paper topics about music, perfect for college essays. These topics offer a wide range of ideas, from personal experiences to cultural impacts, inviting you to explore the profound influence of sound. They are designed to inspire deep thought and passionate writing, helping you connect your academic skills with your love for melody.

How Sound Influences Fashion Trends
The Role of Melody in Different Cultures
Personal Growth Through Learning a Musical Instrument
The Evolution of a Specific Melody Genre
The Impact of Songs Streaming Services on Artists
Music as a Form of Social Protest
The Psychological Effects of Melody on the Human Mind
The Importance of Songs Education in Schools
The Relationship Between Melody and Memory
How Technology Has Changed the Way We Experience Music
The Representation of Women in Music
Music’s Role in Personal Identity
The Influence of Melody on Mood and Behavior
The Resurgence of Vinyl Records in the Digital Age
The Globalization of Music and Its Effects
The Economic Impact of the Songs Industry
Melody as a Tool for International Diplomacy
The Ethics of Music Sampling and Remixing
The Role of Melody in Film and Media
The Future of Live Music Performances

Controversial Topics in Music

Embark on a journey through the provocative and often debated realms of music with these 20 topics on controversial topics in music. These topics are designed to stir thought and conversation, challenging you to explore the music world’s more contentious and complex aspects. From ethical dilemmas to cultural controversies, these subjects offer diverse perspectives for deep exploration and spirited discussion.

The Impact of Song Piracy on the Industry
Censorship in Songs and Its Effects on Artistic Freedom
The Portrayal of Women in Popular Song Videos
The Commercialization of Indie Melody Genres
The Role of Auto-Tune in Modern Music
Melody as a Tool for Political Propaganda
The Influence of Corporate Sponsors in Melody Festivals
The Ethical Considerations of Posthumous Melody Releases
Cultural Appropriation in the Song Industry
The Decline of Traditional Songs Forms
The Relationship Between Melody and Substance Abuse
The Effect of Digital Streaming on Melody Quality
The Representation of Minority Groups in Mainstream Music
The Debate Over Explicit Lyrics and Parental Advisory Labels
The Rise of AI in Songs Creation
The Impact of Reality Song Shows on the Industry
The Role of Gender in Melody Award Nominations
Melody and Its Influence on Youth Behavior
The Sustainability of the Music Tour Industry
The Shift in Melody Consumption From Albums to Singles

Classical Music Essay Topics

Go on an enlightening journey through the world of melodies and harmonies with these 20 music topics to research, perfect for crafting compelling college essays. These topics delve into music’s vast and varied dimensions, from its historical roots to its modern-day impact. They are designed to ignite your curiosity and inspire in-depth exploration, blending academic rigor with a passion for music.

The Evolution of Melody Through the Decades
The Influence of Classical Song on Modern Genres
The Psychological Effects of Melody Therapy
The Role of Women Composers in Song History
The Impact of Social Media on Emerging Musicians
The Significance of Folk Song in Cultural Heritage
The Development of Electronic Melody and Its Future
Melody Censorship and Its Implications for Artistic Expression
The Role of Song in Film and Storytelling
The Globalization of Songs Genres and Styles
The Relationship Between Music and Fashion Trends
The History of Rock Melody and Its Cultural Impact
The Use of Songs in Advertising and Consumer Behavior
The Effects of Song Streaming on the Melody Industry
The Intersection of Melody and Political Movements
The Role of Songs in Shaping Youth Culture
The Cultural Significance of Melody Festivals Worldwide
The Preservation and Revival of Indigenous Music
The Impact of Technology on Songs Production and Distribution
The Contribution of Music to Mental Health and Wellbeing

Jazz Music Essay Topics

Step into the soulful and vibrant jazz world with these music topics for essays. Jazz, a genre rich in history and innovation, offers a treasure trove of fascinating themes for exploration. These essay topics will guide you through jazz’s intricate rhythms and stories, from its early beginnings to its modern interpretations. Delve into this mesmerizing music style’s legendary artists, iconic performances, and cultural impacts.

The Origins of Jazz and Its Early Influences
The Evolution of Jazz Through the 20th Century
Key Figures in the Development of Jazz Music
The Role of Improvisation in Jazz
The Influence of Jazz on Other Melody Genres
The Cultural Significance of Jazz in the Harlem Renaissance
The Globalization of Jazz Melody
The Impact of Technology on Jazz Recording and Production
The Fusion of Jazz With Other Musical Styles
Jazz as a Form of Social and Political Expression
The Portrayal of Jazz in Cinema and Literature
The Future of Jazz in the Digital Age
The Role of Jazz in Education and Music Therapy
Women in Jazz: Contributions and Challenges
The Jazz Scene in Different Parts of the World
The Preservation of Classic Jazz in Modern Times
The Influence of Jazz on Fashion and Lifestyle
Jazz Clubs and Their Role in Cultural Development
The Impact of Jazz Festivals on Local Communities
The Relationship Between Jazz and Modern Dance Forms

Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics

Rock and pop music, with its pulsing rhythms and catchy melodies, have captivated audiences for decades. This collection of 20 unique essay topics explores the depth and diversity of these influential genres. From the electric energy of rock to the widespread appeal of pop, these topics invite you to delve into the history, evolution, and cultural significance of these dynamic music styles. Whether examining iconic artists, groundbreaking albums, or the social impact of these genres, each topic offers a fascinating avenue for exploration and discussion in your essays.

The Evolution of Rock Songs From the 1950s to Today
The Influence of Pop Melody on Global Culture
The Role of Songs Videos in Shaping Rock and Pop
The Impact of Digital Streaming on the Rock and Pop Industry
The Significance of the Beatles in Music History
The Rise and Fall of Glam Rock
The Role of Women in the Development of Pop Music
The Influence of Rock Melody on Fashion Trends
The Changing Face of Pop Songs in the 21st Century
The Impact of Social Media on Rock and Pop Musicians
The Fusion of Rock With Other Melody Genres
The Role of Rock and Pop Music in Political Movements
The Evolution of Live Performances in Rock and Pop
The Significance of the Grammy Awards in Rock and Pop
The Depiction of Rock and Pop Songs in Movies
The Influence of Technology on the Production of Rock and Pop Music
The Cultural Diversity in the Rock and Pop Melody Scenes
The Role of Indie Labels in the Rock and Pop Industry
The Impact of Fan Culture on Rock and Pop Song
The Sustainability of Rock and Pop Songs in the Streaming Era

Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Take a trip through melody and argument with these 20 music-related persuasive essay topics. Each topic, chosen for its ability to inspire compelling arguments and deep research, falls under the umbrella of musical topics for research papers. These prompts will challenge you to explore various facets of music, from cultural significance to technological impacts. As you delve into these topics, you’ll be encouraged to form strong opinions and support them with well-researched evidence, making your essays informative and persuasive.

The Necessity of Melody Education in Schools for Overall Development
The Impact of Classical Songs on Cognitive Abilities
Song Streaming Services and Their Effect on the Industry
The Role of Melody in Maintaining Mental Health
Songs as a Universal Language Bridging Cultural Divides
The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody Forms
Music’s Influence on Fashion and Lifestyle
The Ethical Implications of Auto-Tune in Song Production
The Role of Social Media in the Success of New Artists
The Power of Songs in Social and Political Activism
The Benefits of Attending Live Music Performances
Songs as a Tool for Improving Concentration and Productivity
The Evolution of Melody Genres and Its Cultural Impact
The Effects of Background Song in Public Spaces
The Role of Songs in Advertising Effectiveness
Music’s Influence on Youth and Teen Development
The Relationship Between Melody and Emotional Intelligence
The Future of Virtual Reality Concerts in the Melody Industry
The Impact of Songs Piracy on Artists and Producers
The Role of Melody in Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication

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Musical Myth-Busting: Teaching Music History with JSTOR Daily

Harnessing the power of quirk to engage students and inspire research in an online learning environment.

Three women and five men gathered in a room which opens up to classical architecture, the group on the left is making music while the others are engaged in conversation; representing the continent of Europe.

In Fall 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I taught my first asynchronous, online class: Myths, Music, and Manipulated Realities (1750–1880). This was the course description:

The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries brought renewed interest in ancient myths, fantastical magic, and otherworldly experiences. Music was increasingly harnessed to manipulate perceptions of everyday life. In this course, we will dwell in the space between myth and reality, traveling from CPE Bach’s new worlds of interiority to the devilish legends of Paganini and Liszt, from Gluck’s austere portrayals of ancient gods to Wagner’s obsession with the dramatically mythical. Over the course of the semester, we will ask: how is music used to evoke feelings of the fantastic and manipulate perceptions of the “real”? What does this reveal about social, political, and cultural landscapes of the time? And finally, what myths of Classical and Romantic tradition persist even today?

A survey of the Classical and Romantic eras, the course introduced foundational concepts of music history to conservatory students at the Eastman School of Music. Teaching at a conservatory comes with its own unique challenges. The students are musicians and composers, training to join a competitive profession. In the conservatory mindset, every minute spent in the classroom or on homework (or eating or sleeping…) is a minute lost in the practice room (this mindset is found in music schools throughout the world and is a legacy from the German Romantics, who often equated musical genius with poor health and general suffering ). Students must therefore be incentivized to keep their attention on classwork.

T-shirts and stickers with "Eat, Sleep, Music" are sold in the Eastman bookstore

The pandemic only compounded the usual challenges of teaching . Like educators everywhere, I had concerns about student engagement as I designed my class. Even in the best of times, music history is often viewed as unmeaningful , a conglomeration of esoteric “facts” through which one must begrudgingly trudge to get to the beautiful sounds beyond. Moving discussions from the classroom to the unwieldy landscape of digital learning systems (Blackboard, in our case) and ensuring asynchronic access increased the likelihood that students would be disinterested and avoid classwork, especially in light of higher priority activities like rehearsing and performing.

This is where JSTOR Daily comes in, offering entertaining and thought-provoking topics for my lectures. I directed students to the website during the planning stages of their final project, an argumentative research paper that students delivered in either written or podcast form. Throughout the semester, Daily served as an important teaching tool, a versatile reference for how history can be interesting and why we should care.

Myth-busting and the Classical Canon

The goal of my class was to “myth-bust” music history. Every week, my students watched a set of three, short asynchronous lectures focusing not only on mythical topics (like the tale of Orpheus, Arthurian legends, or the haunting story of the Flying Dutchman), but also the myths of classical music itself that still persist to this day— the myth of musical genius , for example, or the fictions surrounding musical child prodigies like Mozart . This goal emerged from a broader shift in education to “ decolonize the curriculum ,” to cover subjects beyond the canon while emphasizing the social, political, and economic conditions that led to the creation of the canon in the first place.

Beethoven glaring at students from above an exit sign (“you should be practicing!”). One of the several busts of canonical figures distributed throughout Eastman’s campus

The mission of decolonizing is tricky in the modern-day conservatory. At its core, the conservatory is an institution indebted to the creation and maintenance of the classical music canon (pdf). This indebtedness expresses itself in different ways. Many conservatory buildings are quasi-shrines to canonical figures. In several locations at Eastman, for instance, marble busts and likenesses of composers like Bach and Beethoven gaze sternly at students. Some members of the classical world have more systemic objections to moving beyond the canon in the classroom, voicing discomfort with having conservatory students finish their undergraduate tenure without in-depth knowledge of Beethoven’s three periods or the theoretical underpinnings of a classical cadenza . According to some members of my institution, the purpose of my class is to prepare students for the multiple-choice music history entrance exams they might take at the start of their performance-degree graduate programs. For music history educators, the line that must be navigated is thin: how do you sufficiently prepare your students to encounter these mindsets, to take these exams, while simultaneously moving beyond the increasingly outdated notion of the classical music canon?

Mining the Archives

My solution to these problems was to teach the core subjects my students had to learn by contextualizing the works and composers we covered within the socio-political world around them—and for this, JSTOR Daily’s mission of blending scholarship and current events with a quirky spin proved invaluable. Rebecca Rego Barry’s article on Paganini and his bloodletting kit became a lecture on the important role that active marketing strategies played in skyrocketing virtuosos like Paganini and Liszt to fame. Amelia Soth’s piece on professional applauders in the Paris Opera House offered context for a discussion on the myth of objectivity in musical taste. Karen Rile’s article on whether or not it’s okay for audiences to distract performers became a discussion on how certain conditions thought to be inherent to classical music are instead the result of economically and politically motivated individuals hundreds of years ago. (You can thank figures like Christoph Willibald Gluck , who wanted audiences and performers to stop interrupting and modifying his operas, for the fact that composers are now seen as ultimate “owners” of a musical work. His ego is also a reason for why modern audiences are now passive listeners instead of active participants in a performance.)

“But What Should I Write About?”

Some students need more direction and topical guidance while generating potential topics for their projects. For this, too, Daily was a useful tool. During one-on-one brainstorming sessions with students, I directed them to the Daily articles for inspiration and research. For example, inspired by Emily Zarevich’s article on Tchaikovsky’s epistolary patron , one student wrote an essay exploring the connection between parasocial relationships, modern-day stalking, and nineteenth-century patronage. The Daily website and article structures were ideal for students who otherwise had difficulty selecting historical topics that interested and excited them.

Students regularly noted that the surprising and “quirky” nature of my weekly lectures made it significantly easier for them to concentrate in an asynchronous context. One even commented that the lectures seemed more like podcast episodes and that she was looking forward for the new “season to drop” (i.e., for Blackboard to release the new module). Daily’s archives and signature style made it easier to source interesting takes on core topics of music history, which in turn made it easier to write entertaining (yet still rigorous) lectures. During a chaotic and stressful semester for educators and students alike, JSTOR Daily felt like a secret weapon, an ever-reliable support on which to lean for inspiration and topics to excite a general love of learning.

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25 Most Popular Music Research Paper Topics for Writing

Research papers aren't just for history class or the social sciences. Research papers can be assigned in any course, and that includes music class. The world's musical traditions are fertile ground for research, but because we have been conditioned from childhood to think of music as entertainment rather than a subject for academic research, it is often difficult to come up with interesting and effective topics for a music research paper. Fortunately, music research papers are often more fun to write than other types of research paper because they have such a wide range of interesting topics to explore.

Choose from these stellar popular music research paper topics

Are you stuck looking for a music research topic? Well, you're in luck. We have twenty-five music research paper topics that will spark your creativity and get you started with your next paper. You can pick up one from this list, you can combine several of them, or maybe you will get inspired by this list and come with several topics on your own. In any case, make sure that the popular music topic for your research paper is interesting to you personally, and doesn't just sound potentially easy to write about.

1. How is music marketed by demographic? Explore the different ways music companies target various demographic groups such as age and gender. 2. How does the categorization of music affect consumer purchasing decisions? Examine how the emphasis on genre either enhances sales or limits consumer interest. 3. Does the album have a future in the streaming era? Consider whether the album can survive in an era when singles are streamed in customized playlists. 4. How has music changed over the past half century? Explore some of the major themes and developments that have shaped popular music since the dawn of the rock-n-roll era. 5. Research the most influential musicians of a specific era. By comparing and contrasting the careers of key figures from a particular era, you can pain a picture of a moment in time. 6. What makes music "classical"? How we define "classical" music says a lot about power and privilege. Explore who decides and what criteria get used. 7. Does music have an impact on our bodies? Research medical evidence whether music can impact human health. 8. Does music have an impact on our mental health? Examine research on the use of music for mental health and therapeutic purposes. 9. Music and children: Is the Mozart effect real? How can music education impact children's academic and social development? 10. Can music education aid in memory training and memory development? Consider the current academic research and evaluate the validity of claims for music as a memory aid. 11. How does music impact dance? Music and dance are inextricably linked. Look at some of the ways that music impacts the development of dance. 12. How does a musician become successful? Examine key routes to success and what a music student can do to set themselves up for a career. 13. What other careers does a music degree prepare a student for? Research how music degrees can set the stage for careers beyond the music industry. 14. How does music impact fashion? Look at how rock-n-roll and hip hop have shaped fashion trends. 15. How is music used in advertising? Look into the reasons that artists are licensing hit singles to sell products and how that impacts consumers' views of music. 16. Classical music vs. rock-n-roll: Which has been more influential? Examine the arguments for both sides and take a position. 17. Look into the sociology of tribute bands and consider the reasons that people would dedicate their lives to imitating other musicians. 18. It is often said that "music soothes the savage beast," and farmers often use music to calm livestock. Is there truth to the notion that music has a positive impact on animals? Explore the research and draw conclusions.

19. Music has been an important part of war throughout history, both martial music meant to rally the troops and anti-war songs. Examine the role of music in supporting and opposing war. 20. Music vs. poetry: Can song lyrics be considered a form of poetry? Why or why not? 21. How does hip-hop support African American culture and heritage? 22. Is there a problem with the close association of country music with political conservatism? 23. Select your favorite piece of music and research the influences that played a role in its creation and development. 24. Research the processes that archaeologists have used to reconstruct the sound of ancient music. 25. How do covers transform songs? Explore how covers are created now meaning.

After choosing the topic you like the most, save this list or this page to bookmarks for further references. It is good to have a library of resources at your fingertips.

Let experts rock when you are stuck

If these topics aren't enough to get you started, there is another trick to help you succeed. You can always find someone to help you with your research paper. You can contact a paper writing service online like WriteMyPaperHub and ask a professional essay writer, "Can I pay you to write my paper like an expert?" Once you do, a writer will determine what you need for your project and will begin writing a high-quality music research paper that will address your essay topic quickly, effectively, and with exceptional research and writing. You should feel free to take advantage of services like this whenever you get stuck so you can be successful with each and every music research paper.

Learning from the best and the brightest is more than beneficial. You have an opportunity to see how professional writers elaborate on a particular topic, which references they use, how they structure the whole thing. One ordered paper can be an example for your further works for months. Also, it is proven that students these days are overwhelmed with the number of assignments, and due to continuous lockdowns and limitations have less access to libraries and other necessary resources. If you feel like the pressure is too high, don't hesitate to delegate this assignment.

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Music: Research Methods

Popular Music
Databases and indexes
Call numbers

Research Methods

Dictionaries and encyclopedias
Composition and Creative Music Technology
Music, culture and place
Music history
Music in Australia
Teaching Music
Drumming Traditions of West Africa
Digital collections
Special collections
Academic writing
Introduction
Qualitative and Quantitative Methodology
Artistic Research
Autoethnography
Creative Practice
Ethnography
Indigenous Methodologies
Narrative Inquiry
Practice as Research
Oxford Handbooks
Methodology of Music Research

Many books about research methodology introduce the reader to a range of existing methods. This page selects online resources relevant to music and interdisciplinary studies and some books only have a chapter, or a case study, that applies to music, performance or creative practice. If you are seeking a particular kind of research methodology, you can meet a librarian online , or email [email protected].

SAGE research methods online SAGE Research Methods Online (SRMO) is a research methods tool created to help researchers, faculty and students with their research projects. Researchers can browse by methods to help them design research projects, understand particular methods or identify a new method. Since SRMO focuses on methodology rather than disciplines, it is best to use music as a keyword in order to find applications to music research. You can also use the Methods Map to read definitions of key terminology, or to find narrower definitions for qualitative data analysis or research design.

Sage research methods foundations SAGE Research Methods Foundations provides a concise introduction to methods and research terms for those who are new to research in general or to that particular method. While a general search can provide an overwhelming number of results, SAGE Research Methods Foundations offers a targeted list of entries to guide users through the content. The navigation menu puts the entry in context, so users can easily find more general topics related to a method or continue on to more specific sub-topics. There is an A-Z section on the innovators of methods, with profiles that evaluate their contributions. The content ranges from Participatory and Arts-Based Research, Analysis of Material Culture, Narrative Research, Autobiography to Sampling.

The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods includes the following entry: Music in Qualitative Research

The SAGE Handbook of Digital Dissertations and Theses includes the following chapter: Practice-as-Research in Music Performance

The Orpheus Institute Series aims to enhance and advance discourse in the field of artistic research in music and to generate future work. A number of titles in the series are found below. The library has access to all the titles through JSTOR .

Oxford Handbooks Online brings together the world's leading scholars to write review essays that evaluate the current thinking on a field or topic. You can search simultaneously across all handbooks by keywords. Methodologies are discussed in the following selectied chapters:

Toward a Methodology for Research into the Revival of Musical Life after War, Natural Disaster, Bans on All Music, or Neglect by Margaret Kartomi from The Oxford handbook of music revival (2014) Music-Making As Data: Collection and Analysis by Kristen Pellegrino from The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research in American Music Education (2014) Creating a Framework for Music Making and Leisure: Max Kaplan Leads the Way by Marie McCarthy from the Oxford handbook of music making and leisure (2017) Introduction: Situating Country Music Studies by Travis D. Stimeling from The Oxford handbook of country music studies (2017)

Methodology of Music Research is a series published by Peter Lang in Switzerland.

Research Catalogue A non-commercial, collaboration and publishing platform for artistic research provided by the Society for Artistic Research which is free to use for artists and researchers. It aims to provide resources for teaching purposes, student assessment, peer review workflows and research funding administration.
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Best 100 music research topics (just updated).

If you are reading this, you are probably looking for the best music research topics for your next essay. Truth be told, choosing the right topic is very important. It can make the difference between a B and an A, or even between an A and an A+. Unfortunately, choosing the best topics is not as simple as you think. Even though the internet is full of music research topics, most of them are plain and, quite frankly, boring.

Your professor wants more than this. Let’s see why you need the most interesting topics and where you can find them. Of course, you are free to use any of our 100 topics for free and even reword them as you see fit. Read on!

Choosing Good Music Research Topics

By now, you are probably wondering why everyone keeps telling you to come up with the best music topics. The truth is that there are many, many benefits to choosing an awesome topic. Here are just some of them, so you can get a better idea of the importance of a great idea:

Excellent music research paper topics show your professor that you really did your best to get a top grade.
A good topic is one that you know much about. It should be relatively easy to you to research it and to write about it.
An awesome topic will pique the interest of your professor and will keep him or her reading. You will often get bonus points for this.
Great topics make you stand out from your classmates. Your professor will notice you, and the grade will reflect this.

Where Can You Find Decent Music Topics?

Finding amazing music research topics is easier said than done. Yes, the Internet is full of websites that are offering ideas. There are even websites where you can buy bundles of topics. However, the music argumentative essay topics you will get from these websites are not of the highest quality. Most of them are actually quite boring. And remember, you classmates are probably searching for music history research paper topics on the same websites as you do. You want your research topics on music or book review topics to be original, so your professor can have a reason to award your paper some bonus points. The best place to get excellent music topics to write about is this page. The list of ideas is updated frequently, so you can get an original topic for free right now.

Music History Research Topics

Are you looking for the most interesting music history research topics? If you do, just pick one from our list for free:

How did the Catholic church influence Renaissance music?
Social issues described in Baroque-period music.
Analyze the evolution of Romantic-era music.
How did the Baroque Opera come to be?
Who invented Medieval music and when?
Why has western music almost disappear in the last 10 years?
Analyze the evolution of music in the Classical era.
Analyzing violin music performance during the Romantic Era.

Music Argument Topics

Are you looking to find an argument and support it? Then you absolutely need to check out our exceptional list of music argument topics:

Music today is better than music in the 90s.
The most lucrative career for a musician.
Music helps you memorize faster.
The most popular kind of metal music.
The evolution of blues songs over the last 30 years.
Music helps children develop faster.
Hip-hop is a misunderstood music genre.
Jazz music is not obsolete.

Music Theory Topics

Interested in writing about music theory? Our amazing academic writers have put together a list of music theory topics for you:

Analyze the most important aspects of modern music.
Classical music has specific medical applications.
Hidden symbols in Renaissance-period music.
The unique features of Baroque-age music.
Analyze the evolution of music in the Baroque era.
The best music compositors in the Romantic era.
Remarkable characteristics of Romantic-age songs.
The peculiarities of Asian modern music.

Music Industry Topics

Writing about the music industry can be fun and entertaining. Your professor will love it. Pick one of our music industry topics and start writing:

What do you associate rock music with and why?
Should the music industry pay songwriters more?
How does illegal pirating of songs affect the music industry?
Do music sharing sites help new artists become famous.
Analyze the evolution of music labels in the US.
What differentiates a music label from all others?
Music talent shows and their effects on a musician’s career.
The difficulties of signing a contract with a major music label in the US.

Research Paper Topics on Music for High School

Are you a high school student? In this case, you will need our research paper topics on music for high school:

The best compositors of the Baroque Era.
What differentiates modern music from classical music?
Notable women in classical music.
Analyze the evolution of music in the Modern age.
How was Beethoven’s music influenced by his loss of hearing?
How would our world be without music?
Does music cause negative effects on US teens?

Music Thesis Topics

Writing a thesis about music is not easy. In fact, it can be one of the most difficult projects in your academic career. Start right now by choosing one of the best music thesis topics:

What made a musician stand out in the Baroque Age?
The most notable musical experiments in the Classical age.
Comparing Renaissance and Medieval music styles.
Analyze the evolution of music in the Renaissance age.
How did royalty in the UK benefit from music in the Renaissance era?
Discuss a folk song from the Renaissance age.
Differences between Asian and European classical music.

Music Controversial Topics

Music, like most other disciplines, has plenty of controversial topics you can talk about. Don’t waste any time and pick one of these music controversial topics:

Does digital music cut the profits of musicians?
Who owns the intellectual property to a song?
The difficulties of getting songwriting credit.
Illegal downloads are changing the music industry.
Should music education still be included in the curriculum?
Analyze medieval liturgical music.
Music should be free for everyone to download and use.

Persuasive Speech Topics About Music

Are you required the write a persuasive speech about music? If you are, you may need a bit of help. Pick one of these persuasive speech topics about music (updated for 2023):

Music has a significant effect on advertising.
The changes rap music has brought to the US culture.
Indie is a term that should not apply to music.
Metal music should be banned from the US.
Does listening to music have a great influence on mental health?
The amazing evolution of music in the Medieval age.
People should be free to listen to the music they like for free.
The fashion industry wouldn’t be where it is today without music.

Easy Topics About Music

Perhaps you don’t want to spend 5 or 6 hours writing the research paper . You need an easier topic. Choose one of these easy topics about music and write the essay fast:

How can one become a symbol of modern music?
My favorite singer today.
Which musician from the past would you bring back to life and why?
Do politics influence modern music?
Compare and contrast two music genres.
Analyze the evolution of music in the modern age in the United States.
The side effects of turning the volume too loud.
How is classical music used in Disney movies?

Music Education Research Topics

Are you interested in talking about music education? Perhaps you’ll have some suggestions to make after you’ve done the research. Just choose one of the music education research topics below:

Can E-Learning be applied to music education?
Can music teachers offer distance learning services?
The advantages and disadvantages of Zoom music lessons.
Why are music worksheets so important for high school students?
How did the Internet change music education?
Why are modern music studies so important?
Should we learn more about Asian music in school?
How can students learn music while respecting COVID19 measures?

Highly Interesting Music Topics

We know you want a top grade on your next music research paper. We advise you to select one of these highly interesting music topics and surprise your professor:

How did pop music came to existence and why?
Analyze the history of hip-hop music.
Compare metal music with classical music.
Why is rock music so popular in the United Kingdom?
Which song would best present our species to aliens?
Compare and contrast Korean and Chinese music.
Analyze the popular themes of Japanese music.
The stunning rise of K-pop bands.

Informative Speech Topics About Music

It’s difficult to find good informative speech topics about music these days. If you want to stand out from the rest of your classmates, choose one of our topics:

Discuss the ideas presented in romantic music.
What do people who appreciate classic music have in common?
Analyze the most popular Bach music.
Describe the role of market music in the Baroque era.
Analyze the evolution of European music.
Ways to make classical music popular with teens in the UK.
Discuss the most popular musical instrument in the Classical age.

Music Essay Topics for College

Are you a college student? If you want an A+ on your next research paper, use one of these music essay topics for college students:

Does modern music contain medieval themes?
Analyze a song from the Renaissance age.
Why is blues music so important for our culture?
Who invented the blues genre and when?
Analyze the evolution of American folk music.
Most popular names in Baroque-age songs.
Modern interpretations of medieval songs.
Listening to blues music can lead to depression.

Need some more music history paper topics? Or perhaps you need a list of music related research topics to choose from for your thesis. Our best paper writer can help you in no time. Get in touch with us and we guarantee that we will find the perfect music topic for your needs. You will be well on your way to getting the A+ you need. Give us a try and get an amazing research topic on music in 10 minutes or less!

206 Best Music Research Topics That Rock The Stage

Music is one of the greatest sensations in human life. If you are writing a music research paper, you have to make sure that the topic is eye-catching. Most importantly, it should move and make you dance yourself. The topic that you are not interested in will not only make you weary, but the results would be unsatisfying too. That is why our writers have found music research paper topics for you to save the day. We love music very much, and so our team offers an Academic paper writing service , so you can trust word.

Table of Contents

Music Research Topics: History, Technical Music, Contemporary And More

Although our writers mainly offer research paper writing services , they did not hesitate for a bit when we asked them to come up with some music research topics for you. You can use any of these 206 topics for free and modify them to fit your needs and match your taste. Read on!

Music History Research Topics

Use of songwriting in relation to the political and social situations in Nazi Germany and the French Revolution
Musical Education between two centuries
Evolution in the definition of music over the centuries
Birth of Music in Mesopotamia
Impact of Arab-Andalusian music on renaissance
Folklore bands of wind music, a cultural manifestation of the people and for the people
Harmonic implications studied by Pythagoras
Music from Ancient Greek
Importance of Music in Greek Mythology
Song of the Sirens in the evolution of music
Greece, music, poetry, and dance
Athens was a center of musical poets in BC era
Classical Greek Style Music
Yanni: A Musician that fuses Modern and Classical Greek Music into one
Role of Music in Greek Tragedy
Famous musical-dramatic pieces
Heroic poets: Arab poets that formed the bases of European music
Performances in amphitheatres by singers-actors-dancers
Classical musician considered himself more of a performer than an author
Ritual dance with kettledrums around the fire: Musical Traditions of Pagan cultures
Classification of primitive musical instruments
Music in China
Music in Mayan Tradition
Apache and Native American Music
How Africans and Columbians formed the modern American music
The musical theory and the instruments used in Japan
Bagaki for Japanese Emperor ceremonies
Evolution of Indian Music
Music in the Mughal Empire
Anarkali: A musical myth with a royal background
Christian Music, Hymns and Choirs

Read More: Psychology Research Paper Topics

Technical Music research topics

Similarity measures, including rhythmic and melodic similarity.
Phylogenetic analysis of music.
National Center for Music Diffusion
Mathematical measures of rhythmic complexity and syncopation
Musical transformations of rhythm and melody
Automatic analysis of traditional music, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and African music
The mathematical theory of rhythm
Musical constructivism
Model models (MM) and counter models (CM)
The role of sound design in video games and its application to contemporary independent works
Mathematical and computational modeling of musical phenomena (grouping, phrasing, tension, etc.)
A mathematical theory of tuning and temperament systems
Teaching mathematics through art
Music visualization
History of Modern Columbian Music
Acoustic-instrumental composition, electroacoustic and sound art
Interpretation and musical investigation
sound production
Transcription and music editing
Recovery of musical heritage
Studies of music, literature, culture, and colonial anthropology
Music by European composers of the 16th century (Renaissance)
Education and technology in educational scenarios of musical training

Music Argument Topics

Visual Media Music Studio
Music as an important expression in the history of the world
Conversations about music, culture, and identity
The architectural space as a link between music and the citizen
Music Schools for children and young people with limited resources
Role of practice and need for devotion in learning and acing the musical skills

Contemporary Music research topics

Impact of Coke Studio: From Pakistan to take over the world
Effects of Modern Music on Youth
Musical Martyrs: Freddie Mercury, Amy Winehouse, Elvis Presley
Music of Hans Zimmer
Production and exhibition of contemporary music
Entertainment and music centres
Non-formal music schools
Music and education today
Contemporary Mexican music
Satanism movement in modern music
Western musical history and “modern” music
Journey of Music: From the Medieval Family to the Modern Family
Importance of Opera in the modern age
Evolution of music over time: From orchestra to electric
Self-management and promotion of independent music
Music of electric musicians: Alan Walker, Serhat Durmus, Chain Smokers
Modern Music, A Wonderful Expression
The idiomatic reality of the English language
Modern Music in the United States
Current music pedagogy
Music education in the twentieth century

Classic Music Research Topics

Classic music of South Asia
Classic music of Africa
Classic Arab music, the influence of Soad, Um Kalthum
What makes classic music so important and why do we still have to reserve it?
Music of Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms
Use of classic music in the film
Beethoven: How he lived, composed and died
Life and music of Mozart
Classical music by Afro-American women
Music in classical films
Greatest compositions of 19-20th centuries
Style and compositions of Einaudi
Music during the classical period
Classical Music Criticism

African music research topics

The Effects of Slave Music on American History and African-American Music
The use of Afro-Caribbean rhythms for the construction of jazz musical moments
African folk music of Cuba
History of African-American Popular Music
African diversity in music
The study of the oral and musical traditions of the Afro-Mexicans
Studies of African Musical History and Its relationship with modern society
South African influences on American music
African music in Mali
African music: South Africa
Music of the Middle East and North Africa

Pop Culture Music Research Topics

The pedagogical models of popular music
Music throughout the decades of musicals
Brad Paisley and Country Music
The Effects of Music on the popular culture
Hip-hop/rap music: One of the most popular musical genres
The influence of rap music on teenagers
Irish Music: Music and Touch Other Irish Dance Music

Music Theory Topics

Genre and music preferences
The effect of instrumental music on word recall memory
Sample Music and Wellness
The music industry
The Theme of Death in a Musical
The Effects of Globalization on MusicMusic psychology research topics
The potential of music therapy to develop soft skills at the organizational level
Listening to music as a way to relieve stress for teens
The impact of theatricality within contemporary popular music concerts of the psychedelic, glam, and progressive rock genre
Trying music as therapy
How music can help students with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder)
How can music help reduce work stress and maintain a healthy work environment
Musical manifestations of man consist of the externalization

Music Education Research Topics

New pragmatism in music education
Importance and effects of musical education
Philosophy of Music Education
Music, a tool to educate
Competencies in music education
Music as a strategy to encourage children’s effective learning
Interconnection between music and education
Philosophy of musical education

Read More: High School Research Paper Topics

Persuasive Speech Topics About Music

The music is a true reflection of the essay of American society
Music and Its Effects on Society
Matter Of Metal Music
Beethoven’s Twelfth Symphony: the second movement of the symphonic essay
Messages in music
The benefits of music trial
Does music affect blood pressure?
Music Industry Research: An Epic Battle With Youtube
Entertainment and education Via music
Whitman’s music as a means of expression
Music and its Effect on the World
Music: Essay on Music and Learning Disabilities

Read More: Political Science Research Topics

Music Controversial Topics

Whether or not profanations in music corrupt our youth
Drugs and rock and roll
Piracy and the music industry
Music censorship is a violation of freedom of expression
Music censorship
The use and overuse of the music

Read More: Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

Music Industry Topics

Freedom of expression and rap music
Censorship in the music industry
Influence of music on culture
Analysis of Iranian film music
Analysis of the Turkish Music Industry
Analysis of the South Asian Music Industry
Coke Studio Making and Global Impact
The digital revolution: how technology changed the workflow of music composers for media
Video music as matter in motion
Acoustic and interpretive characteristics of the instruments
The study of musical composition based on pictorial works
Musical prosody of the interpretation

Arab Music Research Paper Topic

Arab music industry: Evolution after colonialism
Music of Middle
Umm Kulthum: Effects on global music
How the Arab music still impacts Asian and American Music
Effects of Arab music in popular French music
Turkish and Arab Music: A Beautiful cultural fusion
Arab Heroic Poets of Andalus and how they formed modern European music
Revival of Arab music through electrical genre

Music Thesis Topics

Film Industry Classical Music
Finding Meaning in a Musical
Music and its effect on my interpretation
How music can interact with politics
Musical phrases and the modal centres of interest of the melody
Effect of ambient music on sleep trials
Main characteristics of the musical organization
Study Of Cadences And Other Harmonic Processes In The Light Of Consonance And Dissonance Theories
Theoretical-experimental Study Of Percussion, Wind And String Instruments
Recognition Of The Instruments Of The Orchestra
Compositive Algorithms Using Unconventional Musical Magnitudes
Development Of A Microtonal Harmony As A Generalization Of The Common Practice Period
Mechanism related to the recognition of specific emotions in music
Musical emotion (emotion induction)

Read More: Biology Research Paper Topics

High School Research Paper Topics on Music

Correlation Between Personality and Musical Preferences Essay
Effects of Rock Music on Teenagers
Does popular music stay popular?
The effect of music on the interpretation of a musical
Musical activities in a spiral of development
Adolescents in the understanding of contemporary processes of music
Musical activities in the content system
Music and the value of responsibility
Presentation of musical fragments, Performance of live or recorded musical instruments
Life stories of composers and musical personalities such as Mozart and Beethoven
Presentation of music related to tastes and socio-educational reality
Exhibition of musical fragments and execution of instruments
Presentation of different types of music, the performance of musical instruments live or recorded
Experience composing music, with lyrics, instrumental or with sounds from the environment, what musical genre or type of sound production does it represent?
The practice of the studied musical instruments, record the meanings that guide your performance and preparation as a student and for life
Why is compliance with the vocal techniques of singing a duty that must be assumed consciously?
Does all music express sound? Does every sound express a genre or type of music?
Practice sound emission and tuning techniques
Why is it important to make movements according to the type of music you listen to?

Music is one of the greatest inventions of the human race. All good music makes your heart beat a little faster and soothes your mind into peace. It has been evolving since the dawn of civilization, 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Whatever research you make about it, just make sure that it touches your heart.

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Music History

Music history resources, sheet music and recordings resources.

Topic Searches
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This guide covers resources for the development of music history and style from ancient Greece to the early eighteenth century (MUS292) and the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries (MUS293).

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JSTOR This link opens in a new window JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources. Forsyth Library provides licensed access to the following collections in JSTOR: Arts & Sciences I, Arts & Sciences VII, and Biological Sciences. These collections include hundreds of different titles across 71 different disciplines. Need tips on searching?
Music Index This link opens in a new window Comprehensive coverage of the music field and every aspect of the classical and popular worlds of music. Contains citations and abstracts from hundreds of periodicals, including book reviews, obituaries, news and articles. ***Search Forsyth Library or use InterLibrary Loan to access Full Text of articles***
Humanities Full Text This link opens in a new window Contains articles, interviews, and reviews of books, drama, poetry, dance, movies, musicals, radio and tv, operas, and more.
Search more Music Databases
Black Music Research Journal Black Studies; American Music
The Black Perspective in Music Regular features include articles by musicologists, ethnomusicologists, historians, composers, and performing artists; interviews with well-known personalities in the arts; listings of new books, music, musicals, films, and recordings; announcements of special events (festivals, conferences, premiere performances, symposia), and periodic surveys of bibliographic materials
Early Music Contributions from scholars and performers on international standing explore every aspect of earlier musical repertoires, present vital new evidence for our understanding of the music of the past, and tackle controversial issues of performance practice.
Folk Music Journal Journal of traditional song, music, and dance published under the auspices of the English Folk Dance & Song Society.
Intersections: Canadian Journal of Music Topics include the traditional fields of music scholarship and research, as well as studies in popular music and culture that are playing a greater role in the journal’s output.
Journal of Jewish music and liturgy. Music ; Religions And Theology--Judaic
Journal of Seventeenth-century Music. Provides a refereed forum for scholarly studies of the musical cultures of the seventeenth century.
Popular Music History Original historical & historiographical research that draws on the wide range of disciplines & intellectual trajectories that have contributed to the establishment of popular music studies as a recognized academic enterprise.
Sacred Music A resource for the professional or amateur church musician including composers, organists, choir directors, cantors, and enthusiastic amateurs interested in the world of Catholic music.
Women & Music Publication covering music and women.

Where can I browse books on Music and related topics?

Music topics can be in several places in the system. Here are some ideas for browsing, but always check the online catalog to direct you to a specific item.

For example:

ML Literature on music
ML159-3785 History and criticism
ML159-161 General works
ML162-197 By period
ML198-360.6 By region or country
ML385-429 Biography
ML430-458 Composition and performance
ML459-1380 Instruments and instrumental music
ML1400-3275 Vocal music
ML3300-3351 Program music
ML3400-3465 Dance music
ML3469-3541 Popular music
ML3544-3776 Folk, national, and ethnic music
ML3780 Music on particular topics
ML3785 Musical journalism

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Some e-books can be downloaded and read on your personal device
Some e-books can only be read in your browser window
Some e-books limit how many pages you can print or save from the book

These factors depend on how, and from whom, Forsyth Library purchased the e-book. If you have trouble accessing an e-book, please Ask Us for help, and we will try to resolve it for you as quickly as possible

ProQuest Ebook Central is a highly interactive ebook database that covers all academic subject areas. The collection currently includes more than 186,000 titles from more than 280 of the world's leading academic, STM, and professional publishers. Install Adobe Digital Editions to download and read ebooks offline on your laptop or on your iOS or Android device. You will also need to create a free Adobe ID account to read the book. *Includes Academic Complete

Reference e-books on a wide range of topics. Sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, key concepts, key thinkers, handbooks, atlases, and more. Search by keyword or browse titles by topic.

The sheet music collection is part of a larger collection amassed by Charles Templeton, Sr. which also includes music players and recordings. Digitization of the collection is part of an ongoing effort to provide broader access to titles. A large portion of these pieces are in the public domain (not copyrighted) and are available for download directly from the site. Some restricted titles are available upon request.

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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 11:34 AM
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Music Research Topics: 40 Topic Examples for Paper or Essay

Music Research Paper Topic Examples

Music is a universal language that transcends borders and cultures, touching the depths of human emotions and shaping societies throughout history.

It is a dynamic field with many facets, making it a fascinating subject for research and exploration.

This article provides a treasure trove of music research topics. Each topic offers a unique lens through which researchers can analyze the art form that harmonizes our world.

40 Topic Examples for Paper or Essay

The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Ecosystems
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities
The History and Significance of the Suffragette Movement
Cybersecurity Threats in the Age of Digital Transformation
The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health
The Role of Women in STEM: Breaking Barriers
The Economics of Renewable Energy Adoption
The Evolution of Urbanization and Its Effects on Society
The Cultural Significance of Traditional Foods
The Globalization of Pop Culture: A Double-Edged Sword
The Ethics of Genetic Engineering and Designer Babies
The Impact of Mass Media on Political Discourse
The Art of Storytelling: Its Power in Literature and Film
Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity Preservation
The Influence of Music on Emotions and Behavior
The Role of NGOs in International Development
The Future of Space Exploration and Colonization
The Psychology of Addiction: Causes and Treatment
The Evolution of Artificial Life: From Turing to Deep Learning
The Importance of Financial Literacy in Modern Society
The Historical Development of Human Rights
The Impact of E-Commerce on Traditional Retail
The Intersection of Art and Technology in the Digital Age
The Rise of Populism and Its Implications for Democracy
The Benefits and Challenges of Remote Work
The Cultural Significance of Festivals and Celebrations
The Philosophy of Mind: Dualism vs. Materialism
The Influence of Gaming on Cognitive Skills and Social Behavior
The Role of Education in Promoting Gender Equality
The Implications of 5G Technology on Communication
The Ethical Considerations in Animal Testing
The Evolution of Language and Communication
The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Health
The Cultural Exchange in World Literature
The Challenges of Cyberbullying and Online Harassment
The Role of Sports in Building Character and Leadership
The Importance of Early Childhood Education
The Psychological Effects of Color on Human Behavior
The Intersection of Religion and Science: Debates and Harmonies
The Socioeconomic Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

How to Write a Good Music Research Paper

1. introduction.

Engage the reader with a compelling start. You can use an anecdote, a thought-provoking quote, or an interesting fact related to your music research topic. The goal is to pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading.

Provide context for your research topic and explain its significance. This is where you introduce the broader issues or themes related to your case and explain why it’s worth studying.

State your primary research question or thesis. This is the heart of your introduction, where you clearly define the specific focus of your research.

Briefly outline the scope of your paper and the topics you will cover. Give readers an overview of what to expect in the coming sections.

Present your central argument or hypothesis. This statement should be concise and clear, summarizing the main point of your research.

2. Literature Review

A literature review is a critical component of research, as it provides an essential foundation for a study. It serves to summarize existing knowledge, identify gaps, and establish the context for the research.

After reviewing relevant literature, researchers can build on past work, avoid redundancy, and ensure that their research contributes new insights.

It also helps in shaping research questions, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies. A comprehensive literature review adds credibility and depth to research, making it an indispensable step in the research process.

3. Methodology

The methodology section outlines the systematic approach used to conduct the research, ensuring its rigor and applicability.

Data will be collected from a diverse sample of participants through structured surveys and in-depth interviews.

The study aims to recruit participants with varied musical backgrounds, age groups, and experiences to gain a comprehensive perspective.

Quantitative data will undergo statistical analysis, while qualitative data will be thematically coded to unearth patterns and insights.

4. Analysis and Findings

In this section, you present the outcomes of your research, for instance, on the psychological and emotional effects of music.

Your quantitative analysis reveals significant correlations between musical genres and distinct emotional responses.

Notably, participants report should elevate feelings of joy, nostalgia, and relaxation in response to specific genres.

The qualitative findings should enrich your understanding, emphasizing the significance of individual preferences and contextual factors in shaping emotional experiences.

5. Discussion

Here, you interpret the implications of your findings, demonstrating music’s profound impact on emotional well-being and cognitive processes.

The observed correlations between specific musical genres and emotional states underscore the therapeutic potential of music, offering new avenues for stress reduction and memory enhancement.

Mostly, this substantiates your central thesis that music is a potent tool for improving mental and emotional health, supporting the idea that it extends beyond entertainment.

However, it is crucial to acknowledge the study’s limitations, including potential biases in self-reporting and the cross-sectional design.

6. Conclusion

In the conclusion section, the research should shed light on the remarkable influence of music on human psychology.

Your findings highlight music’s significant role in shaping emotional well-being and cognitive processes.

Specific musical genres should evoke distinct emotional responses, indicating music’s potential for therapeutic applications in stress reduction and memory enhancement.

The study should underscore the need for a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between music and the human psyche.

After harnessing music’s emotional and cognitive effects, you can explore innovative interventions to enhance psychological well-being.

While your research provides valuable insights, it is essential to acknowledge its limitations and encourage further investigation into the multifaceted dimensions of music’s impact on the human experience.

7. References

References validate the credibility and academic rigor of your research. After citing reputable sources, you demonstrate that your work is built on a foundation of established knowledge and research within the field.

References provide evidence to support your arguments and claims. They show that your research is based not solely on your personal opinions but on existing and expert opinions.

Properly citing sources helps you avoid plagiarism, a serious academic offense. Plagiarism involves using someone else’s work without giving them credit, which can lead to academic penalties and damage your reputation.

References serve as a guide for readers interested in delving deeper into the topic. They can use your reference list to access the sources you consulted, promoting further learning and research.

References provide context for your research, allowing readers to see how your work fits within the broader academic conversation. This can help establish the significance of your research.

8. Appendices

Appendices are essential in research to provide additional information, such as raw data, charts, or lengthy explanations, without cluttering the main text.

They enhance comprehension and allow readers to explore details at their discretion.

9. Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments in research papers serve several vital purposes.

First and foremost, they express gratitude and recognition for the contributions of individuals, organizations, or institutions that supported the research.

Acknowledgments enhance transparency by disclosing financial support, resource access, or partnerships. They demonstrate ethical research practices and ensure that potential conflicts of interest are disclosed.

Acknowledgments play a vital role in maintaining research integrity, respecting intellectual contributions, and building a sense of academic community and collaboration.

Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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Music History: Citing Sources

Research Guide
Databases and Major Journals
Citing Sources

APA citation and Style Guides

Chicago Manual of Style Online, The This link opens in a new window The Chicago Manual of Style Online is completely searchable and easy to use, providing quick answers to your style and editing questions. The Q&A content is fully searchable along with the content of The Chicago Manual of Style. The Chicago Manual of Style Online also provides convenient tools, such as sample forms, letters, and style sheets.

Quick examples of Chicago/Turabian citation style:

Kahn, Ashley. Kind of Blue . New York: Da Capo, 2000.

Anthology/Book Collection: Burkholder, J. Peter, and Claude V. Palisca, eds. Norton Anthology of Western Music . 5th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006.

Journal Article from an Online Database: Takahashi, Takiko. "Long-Term Effects of Music Therapy on Elderly with Moderate/Severe Dementia." Journal of Music Therapy 43, no. 4 (2006): 317-317-333. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1097403?accountid=8581 .

Audio : Run-D.M.C. “Walk this way.” Raising hell . Profile, PCD-1217. Compact disc.

Video : Acrassicauda. Heavy metal in Baghdad , DVD. Directed by Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi. New York: Arts Alliance America, 2008.

Website sources :Powers, Ann. “Country’s New Guard Gets Back to Basics.” National Public Radio , August 11, 2011. http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/08/11/139421156/countrys-new-guard-gets-back-to-basics (accessed August 17, 2011)

Additional Sources and Tools for Citation

Citation Guide by Stacey Snyder Last Updated May 24, 2022 93 views this year
Purdue OWL: Chicago Formatting and Style Guide Popular guide for Chicago style. Use the navigation links on the left-hand side of the page.
<< Previous: Databases and Major Journals
Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 4:08 PM
URL: https://guides.library.berklee.edu/MusicHistoryResearch

Music History

About the Area
Graduate Degree Program
Graduate Courses
Undergraduate Courses
Kevin Mooney
Ludim Pedroza
Holly Wissler
David Catchpole
Nico Schüler
Research Conferences
Research Support

Thesis Topics

Distinguished Lecture Series
Musicology Area Spotlight 2022-2023
Current Students
Faculty & Staff
Family & Visitors

The following titles show the broad variety of theses completed by graduate students as part of the requirements for the master of music--music history concentration:

David A. Catchpole (2018) “Victor Kolar (1888-1957): A Czech Musician in Early Twentieth-Century America,” John Schmidt, supervisor.

Jorge Adan Torres (2016) “Ordo in Choro Servandus: Rules for the Choir in Colonial México,” John Schmidt, supervisor.

Robert Akers Zipp (2016) “Doom and Gloom: The Function of Music in Disney's Education for Death--the Making of a Nazi,” John Schmidt, supervisor

Kimberly Burton (2015) “Pavel Haas (1899-1944) and His Four Songs on Chinese Poetry (1944),” Nico Schüler, supervisor.

Claire Richardson (2015) “Stockhausen's Influence on Popular Music: an Overview and a Case Study on Björk's Medúlla , ” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

Joseph Vecchio (2014) “ ‘I was in a position to dismantle it’: Industrial Music Appropriations of William S. Burroughs,” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

Joshua Zarbo (2014): “James Jamerson: from Jazz Bassist to Popular Music Icon,” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

Kevin McClarney (2013) “A Cambridge Mass by Ralph Vaughan Williams: a History, Context, and Analysis," John C. Schmidt, supervisor.

Shao Ying Ho (2013) “A Historiography of Musical Historicism: the Case of Johannes Brahms,” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

Laura Jones (2013) “Dan Fogelberg's The Innocent Age : Poetics, Analysis, and Reception History,” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

Sarah McNair (2012) “Women Jazz singers of the Big Band Era (1930-1945): an Annotated Bibliography and Research Guide,” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

Lauren Lyman (2011) “‘Go with Yourself’: Evaluating the Creativity and Control of Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart,” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

F. Grace Burgess (2011) “ Susan Parkhurst (1836-1918): Biography and Complete Works List,” John C. Schmidt, supervisor.

Janina Vela (2010) “Is Ziggy Startdust Camp?: David Bowie as a Case Study in Music and Camp,” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

Christopher Hanson (2009) “A Survey of Sources Related to Edmond Dédé: Nineteenth-Century New Orleans Violinist, Composer and Conductor,” Kevin Mooney, supervisor.

Amy Puett (2009) “The US-American Perception of Music from the GDR (German Democratic Republic) : Case Studies on Hanns Eisler (1898-1962), Paul Dessau (1894-1979), and Kurt Schwaen (1909-2007),” Nico Schüler, supervisor.

April Heather Stephens (2008) “Stephen Lias (Born 1966): His Life, Works, and Analytical Discussions of Songs of a Sourdough, ” Nico Schüler, supervisor.

Tara L. Mayorga (2006) “On Music and Choreography of Three Ballets by Ludwig Minkus (1827-1917),” John C. Schmidt, supervisor.

Win Alison Lee (2004) "Elements of Romanticism in Selected Piano Sonatas by Jan Ludislav Dussek: Historical and Theoretical Aspects," Nico Schüler, supervisor.

Gary P. Doby (2004) “Stylistic Characteristics of Selected Soviet Marches of World War II,” John C. Schmidt, supervisor.

Music Research Topics

Published by Boni on October 31, 2022 October 31, 2022

Music is a highly influential aspect of our society today. It has been part of our lives for a long time now. As music evolves, everyone has their specific taste for a given genre, musical instrument or song. Some common genres may include hip-hop, rock, reggae or roots. The evolution of music has led to the subject being incorporated in the school curriculum.

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For any student pursuing a career in music, one of the important aspects of the degree is the research paper. Getting the right topic for your research essay is always a challenge to most students however, this article will have relevant examples you can get inspiration from.

Tips on how to Select the Best Music Research Paper Topic?

Choosing a good topic for any research paper is essential, especially if you aim to attain good results in your paper. The following tips will guide you in choosing the most appropriate music research topic.

1. Be clear on your topic

Be sure of your topic before starting to write your paper; this means that you should have adequate knowledge of what type of research you are planning to conduct. For example, if you plan to include information about the impact of music on criminal behavior, then be sure that you have sufficient knowledge about music in criminal behavior.

2. Use sources

Make sure that you have sufficient material to use in your paper. You should use sources such as books, journals, and websites containing information on the topic you plan to write about. These sources will help with your research, as they will provide well-written articles to develop your topic.

3. Develop sources

If you do not have any material to use in your paper, there are many places where you can get sources. In this case, you have to develop your sources. For example, if the topic is about the effect of music on plastic surgery, you can use research papers on medical concepts and statistics about plastic surgery performed by newspapers and magazines. You can also conduct interviews with experts in these areas of study; however, make sure that they are reliable.

4. Seek help from a professional

The professional help you should consider getting is that of a reviewer. A music research paper is more challenging than other academic papers; it requires greater attention to detail and a deeper understanding of your research topic. Therefore, you should get a professional from a reputable service to help you review your work before submitting it. Gudwriter has the best research paper essay writing service that gurantees you quality music research papers from our qulified team of experts.

Music Research Topics Examples

Below are some of the most popular music research topics:

Music History Research Topics

History is known for its accurate records, and this is also applicable to music research. For example, if you want to write a paper on the history of Broadway musicals, you should have information about the different shows produced in the past and their influences on performers. This will ensure that you get your paper done properly.

A list of topics relating to music history would include:

1. The history of the synthesizers

2. The history of music in the United States

3. The evolution of classical music

4. The history of pop music styles

5. The evolution of folk music in America

6. How technology has influenced the evolution of music styles

7. The development and influence of hip-hop

8. The history of European classical music

9. The history of African-American music

10. The history of Latin American music

11. The effect of the digital age on the evolution of music styles

Music Therapy Research Topics

These are brilliant essay topics that research on how therapeutic music can be in the society. Examples of these topics could be:

How does music treat psychological conditions?
How can you calm an individual using the theme?
What do people love most about classical music?
Does listening to music affect your effectiveness?
What is the impact of music as a subject in schools?
Can music help reduce stress?
Can an individual use music to heal eating disorders?
Why do most psychologists prefer using music when performing their work?
Can music lyrics help enhance your brain capacity?
Music and therapy
How does music help students in education?
Scientific research and music
How does music help learn psychology?
What music genre is written in different countries?
How music affects student’s productivity

Music Theory Topics

This music category is for the music theory lovers. It may help investigate the theories in music such as characteristics of music in different eras and crucial aspects of music in societies. Great examples may include:

Brilliant characteristics of Romantic-age songs
How music evolved in the Baroque Era
Who were the top compositors during the Romantic era?
Remarkable features of Baroque-age music
Uncovering symbols during the Renaissance-period music
How classical music relates to medical applications
Major music directions during the 20 th century
What are the crucial aspects of music?
History of modern hip-hop
Why is it that most intellectuals prefer rock music?

Music History Research Paper Topics

This is another field where you can find plenty of research topics to work on. History offers us the chance to examine and understand the origin of a particular music genre or issue related to music. You can pick any of the following topics for your music history research paper:

Origin of black music
History of musical instruments
What is the female impact on the jazz music genre?
Imperial Japanese and Chinese Music
Who created the music?
Music as it was used in the Holy Roman Empire
Main aspects of modernism music
How politics influenced music back then?
Modern music culture
Why are music studies important?
Conventional archetypes in music
How is music connected to important functions and events?
Genius of Bach
Folk music and how it impacts the population

Music Psychology Research Topics

Connecting psychology and music is not something new. However, the category has not been researched as it should be. Researchers have barely scratched the ground on the music psychology research topics. That is why this is a good topic to research on. Consider the following suggestions:

Are sound therapies efficient?
Does music education impact our abnormal activities in the brain?
Does music impact our state of mind, mood, and overall mental health?
How tones affect mental development in teens, children, and toddlers
How does playing a piano enhance communication skills of individuals with communication issues?
What are cultural differences in music?
Changes in music consumption patterns in young people
How has music changed how students think and act?
Can music enhance your sleep at night?
Does a specific genre of music champion for drug abuse that affects our psychology?

Classical Music Research Topics

For the classical sounds’ lovers, this is the category to research on. You can research on how this music works, when it started, its history, and the traits of the listeners. Below are some common example topics to pick from:

What songs fall under the classical genre?
What is the history of the classical music category?
Is classical music impactful today?
What role does classical sound play in Disney production?
Most impactful classical projects
Character traits of classical music listeners
Role of women in the classical genre
Are classical sounds and metal the same?
How modern melodies differ from classical music
Why is Mozart different from other composers in the classical genre

Music Thesis Topics

Other excellent research topics you can handle include the music thesis topics. These topics typically cover a wide range of areas in the music field from analysis of specific genres to examination of cultural implications. Examples may include:

A comparative study of traditional music practices in different ethnic communities
The psychological effects of listening to music on emotional well-being and mood regulation
What is music’s role in the LGBTQ+ community?
Examining how music is a catalyst for change in the Hip-Hop culture
Investigating effects of music training on neural development and cognitive abilities
The impact of live music performances on audience emotional response and engagement
Use of music as a mnemonic device
What role does music play in promoting cognitive development in children?
A comparative study of traditional and digital distribution models
Tracing the origin of jazz music and its influences from African Roots to modern interpretations
Examining female empowerment in pop music lyrics

Music Controversial Topics

Popular music is always being criticized and is often the focus of research discussions. While this is normal and not uncommon, such criticism can also be turned into a paper used in studies. Below are some examples of topics related to popular music research:

1. The use of information technology (IT) in today’s music industry

2. The politics behind the use of the word “pop” in mainstream U.S. pop culture

3. The effect of hip-hop on today’s society

4. The origins of dance music

5. The use of metaphors in today’s music

6. The role of the internet in pop music

7. The effect of lyrics on the music style

8. The impact of sex and drugs in the creation of pop music and its stereotypes

9. The influence of the Beatles on other bands and musicians

10. How racism affected black musicians during the 1960s and has affected them today

Music Argument Topics

This type of music research focuses on the use of statistical analysis, as well as on other methods such as opinion surveys and field studies. Below are some examples of argumentative research topics:

1. The evolution of music piracy over time

2. The impact of digital piracy on the evolution of music and other elements related to it

3. How access to free, illegally downloaded music has affected the sales of CDs and records

4. The effect of parental guidance on censorship in music lyrics

5. The role that education systems worldwide play in the promotion or censoring of certain genres

6. The importance and effectiveness of copyright laws in preventing illegal downloads

7. The impact of music piracy on the global music market

8. How the evolution of technology has affected the sales of CDs and records

9. The effect of global warming on musical genres

10. The dangers that peer-to-peer networks pose to the online security of users’ computers

Learn the basic steps to follow in writing your research paper .

Hip-Hop Research Topics

Hip-hop is a music style that originated in the United States. Its popularity has spread globally, and its music is easily recognized nowadays. It is based on African American tradition and culture, and its roots can be traced to the blues music of the 1960s. The strong beat in hip-hop music was influenced by the funk music that was popular then.

Depending on your interest, you can conduct research on a wide range of topics related to hip hop; these include, but are not limited to:

1. The history of hip hop

2. The origins of hip-hop and its influences on the world’s culture

3. The impact of hip-hop on various aspects of society, including politics, music, and language

4. How hip hop has influenced the evolution of music styles around the world

5. The effect that hip hop and other forms of music have had on other aspects of culture around the world

6. The effect that social change, technology, and political powers have had on hip-hop culture

7. The effect of hip-hop on the body image of women

8. The impact of hip-hop on the culture around the world

9. How hip hop has affected the media and its portrayal of women

10. The use of sampling in pop music genres

Debatable Music Topics

Debatable topics are those that people have different feelings about. For example, while some people think rap music is harmful to children, others believe it’s a positive influence in their lives. The same applies to other genres of music.

Below are several examples of debatable music topics:

1. The impact of MP3s and peer-to-peer networks on the sales of CDs and records

2. The effects of hip-hop on society and its stereotypes

3. The psychology behind the creation of pop music

4. The use of sampling in pop music genres

5. The impact of sex and drugs in the creation of pop music and its stereotypes

6. The role that education systems worldwide play in the promotion or censoring of certain genres

7. The effect of media censorship on hip-hop culture

8. The influence of the law on music genres, such as hip-hop, rap, and rock-and-roll

Music Appreciation Research Topics

Many people enjoy music and want to learn more about worldwide music styles. If you are interested in pursuing a music appreciation research topic, here are some additional topics that you may explore:

1. The history of music and how it has changed the world

2. How pop music styles differ from one country to another

3. The effects of global warming on musical genres

4. How hip-hop has shaped modern culture, such as language and fashion

5. The impact of social change on the emergence and development of new music styles and genres

6. How the internet has influenced the evolution of music styles

7. The use of metaphors in music

8. How technology has influenced the evolution of music styles

9. The impact of hip-hop on modern society, including politics and language

10. How African-American music has shaped modern cultures, such as language and fashion

Music Education Research Topics

If you are a student in a music program, you can research your music skills and improve them. Here are several ideas for topics that you could discuss:

1. The effect of hip-hop on education and its impact on the language spoken by children

2. The history of rap music, from its roots to modern times

3. The composition of rhythm and blues songs and their histories

4. The musical arrangement of rap songs throughout history

5. The role that race plays in the creation of rap music

6. How sex and drugs affect the creation of pop music and influence its lyrics

7. The influence of rock-and-roll on other genres, such as jazz, blues, and country

8. The history of sampling and its importance in the creation of hip hop

9. The history of copyright laws and their impact on musical piracy

Pop Culture Research Topics

You can research pop culture’s appeal, from films and television shows to music. Below are examples of topics that may interest you:

1. The history of film, including horror and action movies

2. The psychology behind the creation of pop music and its components

3. The impact that different types of music have had on society, such as race and sex

4. How technology has influenced the evolution of music styles throughout history

5. The role that education systems worldwide play in the promotion or censoring of certain genres

6. The creativity involved in the composition and arrangement of pop songs

7. How pop culture has influenced language around the world

8. The history of hip-hop and its impact on modern languages

9. How African-American music has shaped modern cultures, such as language and fashion

10. The history of sampling and its importance in the creation of hip hop

Rap Topics Ideas

Many people enjoy listening to rap music. If you are interested in learning more about this genre, here are several topics that you may discuss:

1. How rap music has evolved throughout history

2. The role that sampling has played in the creation of various hip-hop styles

3. How societal changes have affected rap music and its lyrics

4. How sampling has influenced modern music styles around the world

5. The evolution of hip-hop, including its impact on popular culture

6. How rap music has influenced the language of African-Americans

7. The political overtones behind rap music and its impact on modern society

8. The effect that sex and drugs have had on the creation of rap music and its content

If you are interested in pursuing a research topic about music, you now have several ideas to help guide you. Remember that topics should be able to answer your research questions, so make sure to explore those ideas thoroughly.

You should also remember that research is an opportunity for personal growth. If you take the time to conduct thorough research and include quality sources in your project, you will learn more about these topics and yourself.

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15 Fun Music Topics to Research Ideas for Your Music Appreciation Class

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Finding music topics to research that your music appreciation class will love can be a challenge at times. Fortunately, there are plenty of exciting and interesting music topics to research and explore when it comes to music appreciation. This blog post is jam-packed with fun music topics and ideas that make great projects and assessments for your music class.

Most music topics to research fall under the following broader categories –

Musician of Composer Biography

Music History

Music theory, music genres, music of a culture, stylistic features of a genre, elements of music analysis.

History of Musical Instruments

Types of Music Ensembles

Instruments of a Culture

Musical Techniques for Performance

Musical techniques for composing, music festivals, music and technology, music for the stage.

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Read on to find out more details for each of these categories for music topics to research, but if you are looking for some more ways to spice up your own music curriculum, then why not grab yourself a FREE copy of the 5 Ways to Makeover Your Music Curriculum. Click here to find out more.

Musician or Composer Biography

One of the easiest and most used music topics to research in the music classroom is the biography of a famous composer throughout history. This type of music research topic can be done on any number of composers throughout history – from Beethoven to Mozart to Bach. Some of the most influential composers in history have left an indelible mark on music as we know it today. Your music students can explore the works of several famous composers from different eras and consider what made them unique and revolutionary for their time period.

If you are looking to use this type of music topic to research with your classes, there are several Bundles available in my TPT store. Use the link here to check them out – all the hard work has been done for you. All you need to do is choose a composer, which pages you want to complete, and you are ready to go! This type of music topics to research make great music research assignments.

Music Composer Bundle

Female Composer Bundle

Music Research Topic idea 3- Music Theory

Although Music Theory is not required knowledge for all musicians out there, exploring musical theory will give your music students a deeper insight into why certain chords sound better than others or what makes a melody memorable! This music research topic could incorporate any type of music theory and some broad music theory research topics include:

The History of Music Notation
Different Ways that Rhythm is Notated and Counted around the World
The Development of Music Scales
Music Scales from Around the World
Chord Progressions
Musical Form of a particular style – Sonata, Symphony, Jazz, Pop, Program Music, etc…

Music Research Topic idea 2- Music History

Another commonly used music topic to research is Music History, and typically the History of European Music. Exploring different time periods of music is a great way to introduce students to the vast range of sounds and styles within the world of music. For this type of music assignment try giving each student a different musical era to research its history, development, notable artists, and influence on other time periods. This is also an effective way to get students comfortable with using various sources for research.

The different musical eras that you could use as a music topic to research are:

Early Music to 1400
Middle Ages
Renaissance
20 th Century – 1900-2000
Modern 2000-present

Using Music Genres as a music topic to research can be incredibly broad for students, especially if your study is on contemporary music! For this type of music research topic or assignment try taking a closer look at subgenres within those broader categories such as punk rock or rap/hip hop. You can have your music students research where these subgenres originated from as well as any artists who helped popularize them within their respective scenes.

There are a couple of great websites that can help with this research. Be sure to check them out and try them with your classes. A word of warning – be prepared to go down the rabbit hole and lose a few hours of your time exploring these sites – they’re very interesting!!!!

This site is a long list of different musical genres
This site has links to music samples and playlists
This is another long list of genres, it is a bit easier to navigate, but you do need to create an account
This is another list site, but has lots of sub-genres and world music
This one is my personal favorite! It has music samples all linked and mapped. You just click on a style and a music sample plays. This one would be best for comparing different styles of music
This site has music mapped into a family tree – you can see where a style has it’s origins and influences
This music map site has parts to click to get reading passages on each music genre. It would be great to use for researching.

Music Research Topic idea 5- Music of a Culture

Introducing students to different musical cultures from around the globe is one way to show them how versatile and varied music from different regions can sound. Researching individual instruments from each culture allows students to understand how instrumentation contributes to the genre-specific sounds as well as how it has evolved over time due to technological advancements or cultural influences from around the world.

A suggested list of music topics to research for different cultures is below:

East Asia and Korea
Eastern Europe
Native American
Philippines
South America
Southeast Asia
Southwest and Central Asia
Western Europe and Scandinavia

If you are wanting to incorporate these world music research topics into your music classes, try the Music in Cultures Around the World Bundle

Music Research Topic idea 6- Stylistic Features of a Genre

Writing about music can be an interesting and creative task. With numerous music genres to draw from (see the list of websites above), there are a wealth of music topics to research and music topics for research papers that can provide a substantial focus for your music students. When exploring and researching the stylistic features of music genres, it’s beneficial to go beyond surface level observations. Your students should not only research the history and evolution of their chosen style, but also look at the artists and stylistic features that define the music genre. From the influence of other genres, instruments used, and the performers who have popularized certain sounds, researching the stylistic features of a genre provides an exciting opportunity for exploration.

Music Research Topic idea 7- Elements of Music Analysis

Music analysis using the Elements of Music is an extremely important skill for music students to cultivate and perfect. This type of music research assignment that focuses on music analysis can give your music students a chance to research music topics and apply their knowledge of music theory and composition in order to write about music.

For this type of music research assignment, your music students can choose any piece of music, musician, composer or music style that they want to study. Once they have chosen their area of focus, they can use the Elements of Music to guide their analysis of the music selected for study. By focusing on how each of the Elements of Music are used, your music students will help to improve their listening skills, performance and composition skills as well as their critical thinking and writing skills.

For more information about the Elements of Music read this Blog Post.

If you would like a set of “done for you” music analysis and music appreciation assignments using the Elements of Music, use the link here to check out this best-selling resource!

Music Research Topic idea 8- History of Musical Instruments

Learning about the history of musical instruments can be a fascinating way to explore different cultures and eras. One effective way for music students to learn more about music is to complete an assignment on the history of a musical instrument. This type of music assignment requires students to research music instruments in depth and develop an extended piece of writing on their findings. Through such music topics for research papers, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the methods of sound production by each instrument as well as the many ways that music has shaped society throughout the years. Choosing a unique music instrument such as Japanese drums or stringed instruments from around the world, makes writing about music fun and interesting. When you assign each student a different music research topic, this gives each student the opportunity to explore something specific and meaningful within the larger world of culture and music.

To make it easier for you try these two different Instrument Study resources from my TPT store

Orchestra Instrument Music Worksheets

Music Research Topic idea 9- Types of Music Ensembles

Music can often be a great topic to research and write about, especially music ensembles from around the world. Everything from traditional Chinese music to Bhangra music from India can be explored. Whether it’s the different instruments utilized in an Argentinean folk music ensemble, or the incredible rhythms found within Turkish music, anyone interested in writing about music will have a wealth of music research topics to explore. Even things that you may never have thought of like Candombe music from Uruguay or Soukous music from Congo can be investigated further and provide excellent context for a music research paper. By researching music ensembles from around the world, your music students can gain exceptional insights into cultural backgrounds as well as appreciate the variety of musical ensembles that exist across the world today.

Other types of Music Ensembles to Research include:
Small Ensembles – duets, trios, quartets, quintets
Rock Ensembles – different genres from the power trio to a rock big band
Jazz Music Ensembles – Jazz quartets, quintets to big bands
Vocal Ensembles – duets, trios, barbershop quartet, a capella groups and choirs
Classical Ensembles – string quartet, chamber orchestra to symphony orchestra
World Music Ensembles – Taiko drumming, Gamelan, Chinese Orchestra to different Folk Groups

Music Research Topic idea 10- Instruments of a Culture

Musical Instruments of a Culture

Music and instruments from cultures around the world are an intriguing and fascinating field of study. From ancient music that has been passed down through generations to music created in today’s modern era, there is no shortage of music topics for research and writing about music. Your music students can explore the instruments used for various music styles and genres ranging from traditional Indian classical music to reggae music in Jamaica. Studying the use of these instruments, how they are made, and the methods of sound production can provide an understanding of how different cultures view music and its importance within their society. It is also an opportunity to discover a range of sounds, techniques, and instrumentation collected from other countries and regions. Delving into music topics like these opens a unique way to appreciate artists from around the world by examining their use of traditional instruments to express their ideas, stories, cultures, beliefs, emotions, and experiences.

Try the World Instrument Music Worksheets to help you study Instruments of a Culture with your music classes.

Music Research Topic idea 11- Musical Techniques for Performance

Different musical instruments require different performance techniques and practice methods to develop a music student’s proficiency on their instrument. Researching music topics about their own instrument is therefore key to developing a well-rounded music knowledge and building a variety of musical performance skills that your music students can draw on to use in their own performances. When researching the performance techniques on an instrument, it is important to consider the various musical elements that factor into music-making for that instrument such as the different ways to make a sound unique. Additionally, looking at different music cultures that have similar instruments can provide perspective on the essential elements of music-making for any instrument. By researching these music topics and exploring music from diverse cultures, music genres and styles, young musicians can broaden their knowledge and refine their performance techniques.

Music Research Topic idea 12- Musical Techniques for Composing

For those interested in exploring music composition techniques for songwriting, there are a plethora of music topics to research. Experimentation with chord progressions, sound selection and structure can all lead to finding creative ways of writing music. From analyzing music theory and learning more about the basics of music notation to creating unique rhythms and melodies, there might be boundless music topics for research papers that require study and practice.

Your students could choose to study the compositional techniques used within a certain style or genre, or even study more closely about a composer. There are plenty of songs to observe in order to further understand how music works, no matter what area of study the student has chosen. Writing about music involves learning these elements as well as charting any personal progress over time to move closer to using these compositional techniques in their own songwriting.

Music Research Topic idea 13- Music Festivals

A music topic to research that is a little bit unusual would be to research music festivals. Music festivals have a long and varied history. From ancient music festivals that celebrated a variety of religious and cultural events, such as the Dionysius Festival in Athens, music festivals are still vital to many cultures around the world. Music festivals have grown exponentially since then and even today they continue to fascinate people globally.

Today, music festivals can range from traditional, classical music performances in concert halls all the way to modern music performances with huge stages and pyrotechnics at large outdoor concerts drawing tens of thousands of fans. Those looking to research this topic of music have a wealth of options. From legendary music composers or artists, music industry trends and the economic benefits, to exploring how music is used as a tool for activism, research on music festivals can be incredibly rewarding for any music student to study.

Music Research Topic idea 14- Music and Technology

The history of music technology has been a fascinating area of music research throughout the years. By exploring music topics related to music technology, your music students can learn more about the music we love and how it came to be. Writing about music technology can take several approaches; from a technical breakdown of specific instruments to an exploration of its roots in social movements, there are music topics for research on music technology spanning almost any interest. Investigating music technology and its influence on music as an artform and the history can open new perspectives into how music is created, performed, and enjoyed today.

Some music technology research topics include:

History of Recording
History of the Microphone
History of Electronic Instruments
History of Amplification
Or even try a music research topic explaining “How does a …. Work”?

Music Research Topic idea 15- Music for the Stage

Writing about and researching music can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to music for the stage. Depending on the specific topic your student chooses to research, music for theatre plays or musicals could range from orchestral and classical music pieces, to jazz and rock ensembles. In some cases, music for the stage could even be used as accompaniment for spoken words, stories or even dance. Regardless of what type of music is chosen to study, researching music topics about music for the stage allows your music students to further explore genres and understand how music is used in a theatrical context. By studying different types of music from various time periods and regions, your student’s music research paper will become more well-rounded and engaging.

Some Music for the Stage topics include:

Musical Theatre
Contemporary Dance

These 15 music research topics provide plenty of ideas for creating engaging lessons, research projects, and assignments that focus on both fundamental aspects of musical theory while still allowing room for creativity within each topic itself! Letting your students explore these music topics independently gives them access to invaluable information regarding various aspects related to making and enjoying great music regardless of its musical origin. So why not try one of these 15 fun music research topics with your music classes this year. By using some of these fun music research topics with your classes, you might find teaching music this way will help to ensure your class stays engaged while expanding their understanding of music appreciation!

Until next time

Happy Teaching

Julia from Jooya

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Impact of background music on reading comprehension: influence of lyrics language and study habits.

1 Department of Applied Psychology, College of Sports and Health, Shandong Sport University, Jinan, China
2 School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
3 Department of Insurance, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China
4 School of Psychology, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
5 Zizhong Middle School, Linqing, China
6 College of Physical Education and Health, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China

Numerous studies have explored the effects of background music on reading comprehension, however, little is known about how native language (L1) lyrics and second language (L2) lyrics in background music influence reading comprehension performance for college students. The present study used a mixed experimental design to examine the effects of listening habits (between-participants variable: non-listeners or listeners), music type (between-participants variable: L1 (Mandarin) pop music, L2 (English) pop music or no music) and text language (within-participants variable: L1 or L2) on reading comprehension of college students in East China. A total of 90 participants (50 females) were screened into non- listeners ( n = 45) and listeners ( n = 45), and then were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Mandarin pop music group ( n = 30), English pop music group ( n = 30) and no music group ( n = 30). The results showed that reading comprehension performance was negatively affected by music with lyrics compared to the no music condition. Furthermore, Chinese/English reading comprehension was reduced more by pop music in the same language as the written texts. As expected, non-listeners were more negatively affected by music with lyrics than listeners. For both listeners and non-listeners, average reading comprehension accuracy rates were the lowest in the condition of music with native language lyrics. Overall, our research findings indicate that listening to pop music with lyrics reduces reading comprehension performance. However, listening to background music cause much less distraction if the students commonly listen to music while reading. The current study supports the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction.

1 Introduction

Listening to music while studying is a common and popular trend for college students. Calderwood et al. (2014) found that 59% of the college students chose to listen to music during a 3-h study session, with 21% listening for more than 90% of the time. Although several studies have demonstrated positive effects of background instrumental music on reading comprehension ( Carlson et al., 2004 ; Khaghaninejad et al., 2016 ) and second language learning ( Kang and Williamson, 2012 ), irrelevant sound from vocal music may cause auditory distraction from the task at hand ( Martin et al., 1988 ; Furnham and Strbac, 2002 ; Perham and Currie, 2014 ; Zhang et al., 2018 ; Du et al., 2020 ). Efficient learning is extremely important for college students. However, high levels of auditory distraction will not only affect efficient learning, but also impair mental and physical function and cause irritation and headaches in schools ( Astolfi et al., 2019 ). Thus, it is important to explore the mechanisms that produce auditory distraction. According to the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction, the disruptive effect can be induced by interference-by-process or attentional capture ( Marsh et al., 2008 , 2009 ). To date, previous studies investigating the impact of music on reading comprehension have primarily focused on differences between instrumental and lyrical music (e.g., Erten et al., 2015 ), as well as the influence of differences in musical volume and speed (e.g., Thompson et al., 2012 ). Notably, these studies have not taken into consideration differences in participant preferences for listening to music while reading. In contrast, the present study investigated how differences in the lyrical language of the same song differentially influence reading comprehension based on reported music-listening habits. With the aim of testing the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction, our study explored the interactive effects of native language (L1) lyrics and second language (L2) lyrics in music on reading comprehension performance in L1 and L2 for listeners and non-listeners by using a 3-factor mixed experimental design.

1.1 A duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction

According to the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction, there are two functionally different types of auditory distraction. Interference-by-process occurs when a similar process used consciously to complete a focal task competes with the involuntary processing of sound. On the other hand, regardless of the task processes involved, attentional capture occurs when the sound triggers a disengagement of attention from the dominant task ( Hughes, 2014 ). For example, semantic speech (e.g., “orange, banana, strawberry”) can cause distraction effects on semantic-based cognitive tasks (e.g., free recall of visually presented words “apple, mango, pear”) ( Marsh et al., 2008 ). According to the interference-by-process theory, semantically similar speech automatically spreads activation through a long-term semantic network, interfering with the similar process of navigating such networks to retrieve information for the focal task ( Marsh and Jones, 2010 ; Hughes, 2014 ). Interference-by-process explains the semantic distraction effects. Attentional capture falls into two categories: When a sound’s unique content (such as one’s name or one’s native language) gives it the ability to deflect attention, a specific attentional capture takes place. In contrast, when an occurrence draws attention despite having nothing inherently attention-grabbing about it, but rather because of the context in which it takes place, nonspecific attentional capture is created ( Eimer et al., 1996 ). For example, a sound “B” in “CCCCCBCC” or a sound “C” in “BBBBBCBB.” Our study focused on interference-by-process and a specific attentional capture.

1.2 The impact of background music on reading comprehension

Reading comprehension, an important and necessary skill for effective academic learning in college, refers to the active process by which individuals understand and construct the meaning of texts based on prior knowledge and experience ( Perfetti et al., 2005 ). Kämpfe et al. (2010) claimed that reading might be more disturbed by vocal music than by instrumental music ( Kämpfe et al., 2010 ). The duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction has been supported by research evidence demonstrating the disruptive effects of background speech on various memory tasks such as serial short-term memory tasks. However, little is known about supporting evidence from the distraction effects of L1/L2 lyrics on L1/L2 reading comprehension among listeners and non-listeners. According to the simple view of reading model, reading comprehension consists of only two parts, word recognition and language comprehension, and both parts are necessary for reading success ( Hoover and Gough, 1990 ). For college students, mature readers whose word recognition has attained to a level of automation, language comprehension plays the more important role in reading comprehension. Lyrics in music contain semantic information, which will interfere with language comprehension ( Martin et al., 1988 ; Oswald et al., 2000 ). Thus, we expect that lyrics will induce semantic distraction effects on reading comprehension performance. Our first hypothesis was that the accuracy rates in music conditions would be significantly lower than the accuracy rates with no music for college students (H1).

The impact of background music on reading comprehension is generally contingent on multiple factors such as music types (instrumental or lyric music with various tempos, intensity, familiarity) ( Banbury et al., 2001 ; Hallam and Mac Donald, 2009 ). In addition to music types, previous studies have confirmed that the effects of music on reading comprehension can be significantly different in various levels of individual diversity (e.g., personality and music preferences) or difficulty of the reading comprehension task ( Kiger, 1989 ; Kallinen, 2002 ; Anderson and Fuller, 2010 ). For example, Anderson and Fuller (2010) suggested that disruptive effects of background lyrical music on reading comprehension was more pronounced for 7th- and 8th-grade students exhibiting a stronger preference for the lyrical music, compared with their performance in a quiet environment. Our experimental work focused on identifying interactive effects of music (pop music with L1/L2 lyrics), individual habits (e.g., listening to music in daily study) and tasks (L1/L2 written texts), which helps test whether interference-by-process and a specific attentional capture occurs.

First, pop music is the preferred music genre for most college students ( Etaugh and Michals, 1975 ; Wang and Wang, 2015 ). For example, Wang and Wang (2015) surveyed 3,688 Chinese college students in Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Henan and Jiangxi regions of Mainland China, and found that: (1) the proportion of college students who liked pop music was as high as 65.05%; (2) 35.23% college students chose “love” as their favorite pop music theme comparing with themes “nostalgic” 33.21%, “witty/humorous” 14.27%, “alternative” 9.49%,“other” 15.73%; (3) 47.85% college student’ favorite singers are from “Hong Kong and Taiwan.” Thus, we choose a masterpiece of classic Mandarin pop music “The Goodbye Kiss” (sung by Jacky Cheung) as the music. Although the song was released in 1993, from its release to 2020, there have been covers of the song by well-known singers almost every year. Specially, this song was covered by Michael Learns to Rock (MLTR) in 2004, and the English version of this song “Take me to your heart” became a classic of international music. Comparing the lyrics of the two songs, the Mandarin lyrics of “The Goodbye Kiss” have a total of 52 sentences, and the whole song is divided into two subsections. The shortest sentence in Mandarin lyrics has a total of five Chinese words, and the longest sentence has 19 words; the English lyrics reproduce the characteristics of the original Chinese sentence well in terms of sentence length and neatness, the shortest sentence consists of four words, and the longest is only 10 words ( Wei, 2012 ). Thus, we chose the pop music with lyrics “The Goodbye Kiss” as our vocal music.

Second, Mandarin Chinese (L1) and English (L2) are the top 2 most spoken languages in the world, and belong to two different language families ( Ethnologue, n.d. ). Additionally, all Chinese students begin their English study in their third year of primary school or even earlier, and studying English is a key subject for the Chinese college entrance examination required for admission to the university. They will continue to study English to pass College English Test Band 4/6 (CET- 4/6, essential English exams for Chinese college students) in college, and have considerable exposure to English music. English is the most important and widely studied second language for most Chinese college students. Hence, we chose Chinse college students from Mainland China who learn English as a second language for the experiment. Based on the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction, when a similar process is used purposefully to accomplish a focal cognitive task and the involuntary processing of sound competes with it, interference-by-process occurs ( Hughes, 2014 ). In our experiment, interference-by-process is produced when lyrics are presented to college students who are deliberately completing a focal reading comprehension task, especially when the lyrics language is the same as the text language in the reading comprehension tasks. That is, the semantic activation of lyrics competes with the semantic access of reading comprehension tasks with the same language as lyrics. Thus, our hypothesis is that Chinese/English reading comprehension accuracy rates when listening to music in the same language would be significantly lower than that in different languages or no music (H2). To be specific, we hypothesized that Chinese reading comprehension accuracy rates when listening to music with Mandarin lyrics would be significantly lower than when listening to music with English lyrics, and English reading comprehension accuracy rates when listening to English music would be significantly lower than when listening to Mandarin music.

Third, students frequently report that listening to music while studying is useful ( Etaugh and Ptasnik, 1982 ), and these students are more likely to form the habit of listening to music in daily study. However, students without the habit instinctively think that music listening can provide a distraction that might affect reading comprehension. Individual differences in inhibitory control may exist between two groups. Inhibitory control refers to the ability to suppress an inappropriate reaction or disregard distracting or irrelevant information, and increased inhibitory control in students probably makes it easier for them to ignore distractions in their surroundings and concentrate on tasks inside and outside of the classroom ( Privitera et al., 2022b ). However, non-listeners do not develop the habit of listening to music while studying, probably because they have a low level of inhibitory control to concentrate on the focal tasks. Thus, we hypothesized that college students who typically did not report listening to music during study (non-listeners) would have lower reading comprehension accuracy rates than listeners when music was present (H3).

Based on the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction, regardless of the quality of target tasks (e.g., Chinese/English comprehension), auditory attentional capture happens whenever a sound produces a disengagement from tasks. Numerous sound varieties (e.g., one’s own name, or her own infant’s screams for a mother) have abilities to specifically captivate attention ( Hughes, 2014 ). Native language (Mandarin Chinese) is familiar and highly dominant, and may cause a specific attentional capture. We expect that both non-listeners and listeners may be more susceptible to auditory distraction when Mandarin music is present rather than English music. That is, in general, people’s ability to understand what they read was worse when they listened to music with native language compared to music in a second language or no music at all. Thus, for both non-listeners and listeners, we hypothesized that average reading comprehension accuracy rates (without distinction between Chinese and English) would be the lowest in the condition of Mandarin music compared with the English/no music condition (H4).

1.3 Research questions

In sum, it is worth examining the effects of different habits of listening to music on reading comprehension performance, which can help clarify whether cultivating habits of listening to music while studying is valuable or not. In addition, few studies used both lyrics languages and music-listening habits while study to explore distractive effects of music on reading comprehension. To solve this problem, in this paper, we designed an experiment to explore the effects of music type, written text language and listening habits on reading comprehension among Chinese college students. Our research questions are: (1) would the accuracy rates in music conditions be significantly lower than the accuracy rates with no music for college students? (2) would Chinese/English reading comprehension accuracy rates when listening to music in the same language be significantly lower than that in different languages or no music? (3) would non-listeners have lower L1 and L2 reading comprehension accuracy rates than listeners when music was present? (4) would average reading comprehension accuracy rates (without distinction between Chinese and English) be the lowest in the condition of Mandarin music compared with the English/no music condition?

2.1 Participants

Before the experiment, we calculated the minimum sample size of each group of participants using G*Power 3.1.9.7 software ( Faul et al., 2007 ) to reach the statistical power. For observing a similar effect to relevant studies ( Peng et al., 2017 ), we use Effect size f = 0.22, ɑ = 0.05, 1-β = 0.8 as parameters, number of groups = 6, number of measurements = 2, non-sphericity correction = 1; under the F test of ANOVA: repeated measures, within-between interaction ( Faul et al., 2021 ). Hence the total minimum number of participants should be 72, and the minimum number of participants in each large group should be 36.

The participants were screened by filling out a researcher-designed questionnaire of background music listening habits. All participants were recruited randomly from Shandong Sport University in Shandong Province of Mainland China. A total of 90 participants (50 females) between 18 to 21 years of age (Mean = 19.14, SD = 0.92) were selected. Our experiment divided the participants into 2 large groups first: listeners (45 participants) and non-listeners (45 participants). Participants in each large group were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 15 Mandarin pop music group, 15 English pop music group and 15 no music group. All six groups of participants were assigned Chinese and English texts.

Participants were native Mandarin Chinese speakers who started learning English in the third grade of primary school. None of the participants were music majors and English majors, and none of the participants had any formal musical training. They were all right-handed with normal or corrected-to-normal vision. The experimental protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Shandong Sport University in China, and conducted in compliance with institutional guidelines and regulations. All participants signed an informed consent form prior to the experiment.

2.2 Experimental design

This study used a mixed factorial experimental design. There were two between-participants independent variables and a within-participants independent variable. The between-participants variables were listening habits (with two levels: listeners or non-listeners) and music type (with three levels: Mandarin pop music, English pop music or no music). The within-participants variable was text language (with two levels: Chinese or English). The dependent variable was accuracy rates for the reading comprehension tasks. Accuracy rates were defined as the mean percentage of the number of Chinese (English) reading comprehension items answered correctly in the total number of Chinese (English) reading comprehension items.

2.3 Materials and apparatus

Materials consisted of a questionnaire, pop music stimuli and written texts. The questionnaire was Researcher-designed Background Music Listening Habits Questionnaire, a self-report survey that was developed to assess participants’ habits of listening to music during study. This scale contained 15 items, each item rated on a Likert 5-point scale ranging from 1 to 5 (1 = Do not agree at all, 2 = Hardly agree, 3 = not sure, 4 = Mostly agree, 5 = Completely agree), and was scored as a continuous variable from 15 (minimum score) to 75 (maximum score). The Cronbach’s ɑ of the scale was 0.87. We used the questionnaire to screen listeners (a total score higher than 60, 60 is the average score of selecting option 4) and non-listeners (a total score lower than 30, 30 is the average score of selecting option 2) to examine distinct effects of listening habits on reading comprehension performance in the formal experiment.

Mandarin song “The Goodbye Kiss” (Mandarin name “Wen3 Bie2,” sung by Jacky Cheung) and English song “Take Me to Your Heart” (sung by Michael Learns to Rock) were used as background music stimuli, as these two songs have the same rhythm and tempo. The two songs were once popular music that are familiar to most Chinese college students. We used a music editor software Adobe Audition CS6 (Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, United States) to delete the blank space of “The Goodbye Kiss,” and the part with lyrics was kept to ensure that the participants could always be in a music environment with lyrics while carrying out reading comprehension tasks.

Chinese texts (300 character for each text) were selected from simulated tests of the College Entrance Examination; these texts are all about science and technology. English texts (150 words for each text) about education were selected from Public English Test System 3 (PET-3) tests. Preliminary tests were conducted on 120 college students, and finally 7 Chinese texts (coefficient of difficulty between 0.81 and 0.87) and 7 English texts (coefficient of difficulty between 0.85 and 0.90) were selected. There are no significant differences in difficulty coefficient of the 14 written texts. The difficulty coefficient of each text was estimated by the mean number of correct answers/4 (total number of questions). The coefficient of difficulty 0.81 indicates that, on average, three questions were correctly answered by college students. Participants read passages that were two paragraphs long, and then answered four true or false items following each passage. The items include both literal and inferential comprehension questions. Answers to literal questions involve facts such as who, when, where and what, and they can always be found in the texts. For example, “As early as 1909, Max Mow confirmed that there are some cells in the blood that can make blood, True or False.” For inferential questions, participants are required to determine a text’s meaning indirectly by using the information provided in the text. For example, “By the time most students graduate from high school, they spend less time watching TV than they do in class, True or False.” 3 Chinese texts and 3 English texts were used for assessing the levels of reading comprehension of all three groups (L1 pop music, L2 pop music and no music) of participants before the formal experiments. This was done to make sure that there were no significant differences of Chinese and English reading comprehension levels among the three groups. A different set of 3 Chinese texts and 3 English texts were used for the formal experiments. A Chinese text (difficulty coefficient 0.84) and an English text (difficulty coefficient 0.90) were selected for use in the practice phase.

The apparatus consisted of Lenovo laptops (Yoga 14 s, Lenovo Group Ltd., Beijing, China), noise-canceling headphones (SONY WH-1000XM3, Sony Corp., Tokyo, Japan) and E-prime 2.0. The music stimuli, instructions, texts and questions were all presented on Lenovo laptops using programs written in E-prime 2.0 (Psychology Software Tools, Pittsburgh, PA, United States) ( Schneider et al., 2012a , b ).

2.4 Procedure

Participants filled out the informed consent for participating in the study, then were screened by filling out the Questionnaire of Background Music Listening Habits online. Based on the questionnaire total score, the participants were divided into two large group: listeners and non-listeners. Participants in each large group were randomly assigned to one of three groups (Mandarin music, English music and no music). All three groups of participants completed Chinese and English reading comprehension tasks without music before formal experiments, and no significant differences of Chinese and English reading comprehension performance were observed among the three groups.

In the formal experiment phase, all participants were asked to complete experiment tasks in a quiet lab, with 10 participants in each group seated at individual tables with Lenovo laptops and headphones. First, participants were told to put on headphones and conduct the experiment on Lenovo laptops individually. All music was played between 60 dB ~ 65 dB(A), each participant first put on the headphones and checked to see whether the playback function of the headphones was normal. Then, Participants completed Chinese and English reading comprehension test items under each condition of music type. For each condition, half of the participants read the Chinese text first and the other half read the English text first. The 3 Chinese texts and 3 English texts were presented to participants randomly. After reading each passage, participants pressed the spacebar to end the reading (The maximum reading time for each text is 5 min), and proceeded to answer comprehension questions by pressing “T” (indicating truth) or “F” (indicating false) on keyboards. The flow chart of the experimental procedure presented using E-prime 2.0 was shown in Figure 1 .

Figure 1 . The flow chart of the experimental procedure presented using E-prime 2.0.

Participants were asked to answer questions as accurately as possible after reading the passages and to ignore the music. The accuracy rate of each participant was calculated by the total number of Chinese/English items answered correctly/12 (the total number of Chinese/English reading comprehension items). Every participant completed both Chinese texts and English texts in one of three conditions (Mandarin Chinese pop music, English pop music and no music). We tested the effects of listening to music in the same language conditions (L1 music + L1 texts, L2 music + L2 texts) or different language conditions (L1 music + L2 texts, L2 music + L1 texts). For example, participants listening to L1 (Mandarin Chinese) pop music completed L1 (Chinese) texts (the same as lyrics language) and L2 (English) texts (different from lyrics language). Music was played until all participants finished reading comprehension test items.

2.5 Statistical analyses

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS, version 23.0; IBM SPSS, Armonk, NY, United States) was used for analysis of the data. The assumptions of ANOVA (homogeneity of variances and normal distribution) were tested. Then the reading comprehension accuracy rates were analyzed using a three-way mixed ANOVA with a within-participants factor (two types of written text language) and two between-participant variables (listening habits and music type). The alpha criterion was set to 0.05. Bonferroni correction was carried out for all post hoc analyses.

One-way ANOVA revealed that baseline reading comprehension performances of three groups (Mandarin music group, English music group and no music group) have no significant difference [Chinese: F (2, 87) = 0.226, p = 0.718; English: F (2, 87) = 0.217, p = 0.806].

3.1 Descriptive statistics

Means and standard deviations of the reading comprehension accuracy rates are shown in Table 1 . A three-way mixed ANOVA for reading comprehension accuracy rates, including two between-participants factors (2 listening habit, 3 music type) and one within-participants factor (2 written text language) was performed ( Table 2 ).

Table 1 . Reading comprehension accuracy rates [mean (standard deviations)] by group and condition.

Table 2 . A three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of reading comprehension accuracy rates.

3.2 Main effect analysis and interactive effect analyses

3.2.1 main effects of music type.

We tested our hypothesis (H1) that the accuracy rates in music conditions would be significantly lower than the accuracy rates with no music for college students. We performed a three-way mixed ANOVA for reading comprehension accuracy rates to obtain the main effects and interactive effects. Significant main effects of music type [ F (2, 87) = 232.791, p < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.847] were observed as shown in Table 2 . Post hoc analyses revealed the accuracy rates in Mandarin and English music conditions are significantly lower than the accuracy rates with no music ( ps < 0.01). A mean difference of accuracy rates was −0.081 between Mandarin music and English music condition (95% CI: [−0.110, −0.051]), and was −0.175 between English music and no music condition (95% CI: [−0.205, −0.145]). Thus, the results confirmed our hypothesis H1. The result reveals that music with lyrics decreased reading comprehension performance as compared to no music.

3.2.2 Interactive effects of music type and text language

Our second hypothesis (H2) was confirmed by using a three-way mixed ANOVA. H2 was that Chinese/English reading comprehension accuracy rates when listening to music in the same language would be significantly lower than those with different languages. We observed a significant interaction between music type and text language [ F (2, 87) = 113.829, p < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.730] as shown in Table 2 . For Chinese reading comprehension, as shown in Figure 2 , post hoc analyses showed that the accuracy rates in Mandarin music group were significantly lower than English music group [ t (58) = −5.526, p < 0.001] and no music group [ t (58) = −8.420, p < 0.001]. A mean difference of Chinese reading accuracy rates was −0.286 between Mandarin music and English music condition (95% CI: [−0.392, −0.180]), and was −0.378 between Mandarin music and no music condition (95% CI: [−0.484, −0.272]). For English reading comprehension, the accuracy rates in the English music group were significantly lower than the Mandarin music group [ t (58) = −2.385, p = 0.023 < 0.05; Figure 2 ] and the no music group [ t (58) = −7.041, p < 0.001; Figure 2 ]. A mean difference of English reading accuracy rates was −0.125 between English music and Mandarin music condition (95% CI: [−0.234, −0.016]), and was −0.258 between English music and no music condition (95% CI: [−0.367, −0.150]). These results confirmed our hypothesis H2, and suggested that college students were more distracted by music in the same language as the written texts.

Figure 2 . Accuracy rates of Chinese reading comprehension and English reading comprehension for different music types. ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.

3.2.3 Main effects of listening habits and interactive effects of listening habits and music type

Three-way mixed ANOVA was also used to test our third hypothesis (H3) that non-listeners would have lower reading comprehension accuracy rates than listeners when music was present. The results in Table 2 showed that a significant main effect of listening habits [ F (1, 88) = 634.331, p < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.883]. Post hoc analyses revealed that reading comprehension accuracy rates were lower in non-listeners than listeners ( p < 0.001). The Table 2 also showed that the interactive effects of listening habits and music type were significant [ F (2, 87) = 160.672, p < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.793]. Post hoc analyses showed significantly lower reading comprehension accuracy rates in the non-listeners compared to listeners, in conditions of music as shown in Figure 3 [Mandarin music: t (58) = −138.782, p < 0.001; English music: t (58) = −99.729, p < 0.001]. A mean difference of accuracy rates between non-listeners and listeners was −0.430 in the Mandarin music condition (95% CI: [−0.464, −0.396]), and was −0.309 in the English music condition (95% CI: [−0.343, −0.274]). These results suggest that reading comprehension performance was more negatively affected by music in the non-listeners than in the listeners, confirming our third hypothesis (H3).

Figure 3 . Reading comprehension accuracy rates in different music type groups for different listening habits. *** p < 0.001.

Significant interaction effects between listening habits and music type [ F (2, 87) = 160.672, p < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.793] were observed as shown in Table 2 . For the non-listeners, as shown in Figure 4 , post hoc analyses revealed the accuracy rates while listening to Mandarin music are significantly lower than with English music [ t (58) = −45.508, p < 0.001] and significantly lower than accuracy rates with no music [ t (58) = −150.401, p < 0.001]. A mean difference of reading accuracy rates was −0.142 between Mandarin music and English music condition (95% CI: [−0.183, −0.100]), and was −0.467 between Mandarin music and no music condition (95% CI: [−0.508, −0.425]); For the listener, post hoc analyses revealed the accuracy rates while listening to Mandarin music are significantly lower than accuracy rates with no music [ t (58) = −14.524, p < 0.001]. A mean difference of reading accuracy rates was −0.045 between Mandarin music and no music condition (95% CI: [−0.086, −0.003]). Thus, the results also supported our hypothesis H4 that average reading comprehension accuracy rates (without distinction between Chinese and English) would be the lowest in the condition of Mandarin music compared with the English/no music condition for both non-listeners and listeners. These results suggested that music with native language lyrics negatively affected the reading comprehension performance of college students.

Figure 4 . Reading comprehension accuracy rates in different listening habits groups for different music types. * p < 0.05; *** p < 0.001.

4 Discussion

The main purpose of this study was to explore the disruptive effects of background music lyrics on first language (L1) and second language (L2) reading comprehension performance among Chinese college students. We also included the influence of music-listening habits by using a 3-factor mixed factorial experimental design. First, our results showed that reading comprehension accuracy rates in music conditions are significantly lower than the accuracy rates with no music. Second, L1/L2 reading comprehension accuracy rates when listening to music in the same language are significantly lower than when listening to a different language. Third, the results showed that significantly lower accuracy rates in non-listeners than listeners when music was played. Finally, for both the non-listeners and listeners, average reading comprehension accuracy rates are the lowest in the condition of Mandarin music compared with English/no music condition. Our results provide experimental evidence in support of distraction effects of L1 or L2 music on L1 and L2 reading comprehension performance among Chinese college students. In addition, our findings also offer additional evidence in favor of the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction. Overall, the results support our hypotheses.

4.1 The effect of music type

Compared to the no music condition, reading comprehension performance were reduced by music with lyrics. This result is consistent with previous studies which found disruptive effects of vocal music on reading comprehension ( Anderson and Fuller, 2010 ; Perham and Currie, 2014 ; Ren and Xu, 2019 ; Dong et al., 2022 ). Thompson et al. (2012) showed that fast and loud instrumental music disrupts reading comprehension more than slow-tempo music ( Thompson et al., 2012 ). However, though the music in our study is slow-tempo, disruptive effects on reading comprehension were still observed. Lyrics had a significantly detrimental effect on reading comprehension. The finding of the current study supports the interference-by-process in the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction. According to the interference-by-process, music with lyrics in both L1 and L2 detracted from the performance because semantically processing of the lyrics in these two languages conflicts with semantic processing and access that reading demands ( Quan and Kuo, 2023 ). For comparison, some researchers used musical excerpts in combination with meaningless words as music stimuli. The musical excerpts with meaningless lyrics were unknown to the participants to avoid any associations between the music and semantic or episodic memory. Their results showed neither an enhancing nor a detrimental effect on verbal learning when different styles of background music were played ( Jäncke and Sandmann, 2010 ). However, the present study indicated that music with meaningful lyrics interferes with reading comprehension performance. Language comprehension plays an important role in reading comprehension performance ( Hoover and Gough, 1990 ), and both lyrics and written texts contained semantic information. According to the duplex-mechanism account, from the perspective of the interference-by-process, the semantic interference effects can be explained by assuming that semantic speech triggers automatic spreading of semantic activation over a long-term semantic network that interferes with the analogous process of steering such networks for the purpose of retrieval in the reading comprehension tasks ( Marsh and Jones, 2010 ; Hughes, 2014 ). Therefore, the lyrics act as competing stimuli with written texts and impair their access to word meaning.

4.2 The interaction between music type and text language

Regardless of whether the music and texts were in their L1 or L2 language, Chinese college students were more distracted by music in the same language as the texts. This result indicates that a more detrimental effect on reading comprehension occurred when the auditory input (music lyrics) is the same as the written text language. Based on interference-by-process, the irrelevant semantic information from the speech creates competition for the primary tasks’ dynamic semantic encoding and retrieval processes. As they both vie for semantic access, impairment can therefore be explained in terms of a relative difficulty in choosing the appropriate source of semantic information ( Marsh et al., 2009 ). When lyrics language is the same as the text, the competition process becomes stronger and thus the selection process is more difficult, which causes a more disruptive effect on reading performance. We used music lyrics with L1/L2 as different potential sources of auditory distraction, and the finding provides a further strand of support for interference-by-process.

4.3 The effect of listening habits

Our results revealed that reading comprehension performance by the non-listeners were more negatively affected by music than the listeners. These findings are in line with the results of previous studies which showed that people who seldom studied in the presence of background music performed better on reading comprehension tasks in silence ( Etaugh and Michals, 1975 ; Etaugh and Ptasnik, 1982 ). These results indicate that background music caused detrimental effects for individuals who normally study without music. In contrast, college students who regularly listen to music while studying have much experience of listening to music, and the top-down features (e.g., high working memory and high inhibitory control) can lessen the interference to cognitive activities caused by shared processing of irrelevant information ( Quan and Kuo, 2023 ; Privitera et al., 2023b ). Specifically, differences in working memory/inhibitory control between non-listeners and listeners may lead the differential effects of music on reading comprehension, because working memory may generally have an impact on individual ability to carry out cognitive tasks while listening to music ( König et al., 2005 ; Christopher and Shelton, 2017 ), and it is generally observed that those with high working memory capacity are less easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli ( Hughes, 2014 ). Recent studies also revealed that differences in inhibitory and/or attentional control could predict academic performance including reading (e.g., Privitera et al., 2023b ), thus, the relatively low working memory/inhibitory control may make non-listeners were more disrupted by music compared with listeners. In other words, though listeners are negatively affected by music, they are accustomed to reading in the presence of music, thus background music sounds are less distracting for them.

4.4 The interaction between listening habits and music type

Our results indicated that for both non-listeners and listeners, music with native language lyrics negatively affected the average reading comprehension performance. The results provide support for the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction: in addition to interference-by-process, sound can also produce unnecessary distraction by attentional capture. Music lyrics with the same language as the written texts distract college students by interfering specifically with the similar semantic access processes involved in the reading comprehension task. In contrast, music with native language lyrics disengages students from reading comprehension tasks. Compared to L2 lyrics, native language lyrics are high dominant and more familiar, which may make students rely too much on music rather than keeping them from reading due to music. Thus, a specific attentional capture also caused the auditory distraction. This finding of auditory distraction in different lyrics language conditions provides additional evidence in favor of the duplex-mechanism account.

4.5 Limitations and further research

Several limitations should be noted. First, the participants’ English language proficiency, cognitive control and working memory were not assessed. In future study the L2 proficiency can be balanced to explore unique music lyrics effects on reading comprehension, because recent studies have shown that L2 proficiency are correlated to inhibition and attentional control ( Privitera et al., 2022a , 2023a ), and cognitive control has been found to have a significant impact on academic performance including reading ( Privitera et al., 2023b ). Working memory/cognitive control can be included as a key variable to explore its effect on reading comprehension while listening to music among non-listeners/listeners. Second, sound without lyrics (e.g., pop music without lyrics or white noise) was not included as one level of music type. Future study can compare reading comprehension performance differences between sound without lyrics group and music with lyrics/no music group to explore the various effects of sound. Third, questions about what music genres participants listen to and their relative frequencies were not included in the researcher-designed questionnaire of background music listening habits. The questionnaire needs to be modified, and should include questions on music genres in future study. Fourth, music type should be manipulated as a within-subject factor instead of a between-subject factor in future study. Finally, this is a behavioral experiment examining music lyrics effects on reading comprehension. With the aim of obtaining the brain and neuroscience evidence to support the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction, future studies could explore differences in brain and neural activities when students complete reading comprehension while listening to L1/L2 music, and identify the precise locus of the interference-by-process and attentional capture. These differences may indicate that interference-by-process and attentional capture obtain the functional support of different brain regions which further supports duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction.

4.6 Implications

The current study benefits from several strengths. It is the first study to explore effects of L1 or L2 music lyrics on L1/L2 reading comprehension performance among Chinese college students with different listening habits. For reading comprehension with L1/L2, L1/L2 reading comprehension performance reduced more when the music lyrics language was the same as the written texts. For example, L2 reading performance decreased more when both lyrics and written texts language is L2. In general, for average reading comprehension performance, music with native language lyrics affected it negatively more than L2 music/no music. The current study provided experimental evidence to support the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction, and revealed that the duplex-mechanism account can also be applied to auditory distraction of reading comprehension tasks other than serial short-term tasks. The novelty of our study is to distinguish effects of lyrics with native language/s language on L1/L2 reading comprehension. Reading performance difference in lyrics with L1/L2 conditions suggests that auditory distraction has two functionally distinct forms: interference-by-process and attentional capture. The contribution of our research is that choosing music and written texts with L1/L2 helps methodically separate the potential individual contributions of interference-by-process and attentional capture to the overall disruption of task performance.

Our other findings were that reading comprehension performance was reduced by pop music lyrics. In addition, non-listeners were more distracted by lyrics than listeners. These findings have practical implications. Though most college students love pop music, and they usually report that listening to music while studying is beneficial, for college students and educators, it is better not to play pop music with lyrics while students, especially students without music-listening habits, are reading articles whether in their native languages or a second language.

5 Conclusion

The present study is an important first step in examining the effects of music with L1 or L2 lyrics on L1/L2 reading comprehension performance among Chinese college students with different listening habits. By using a 3-factor mixed factorial experimental design, we showed that the results verified our hypotheses. Specifically, the key findings are: (1) reading comprehension performance was negatively affected by music with lyrics compared to the no music condition; (2) L1/L2 reading comprehension was more affected by music in the same language as the texts; (3) Non-listeners were more negatively affected by music with lyrics than listeners; (4) For both non-listener and listeners, average reading comprehension accuracy rates are the lowest in the condition of music with native language lyrics. These findings support the claim that college students’ reading performance suffers when they listen to pop music with lyrics compared to no music, and provide experimental evidence support for the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

The studies involving humans were approved by Research Ethics Committee of Shandong Sport University. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author contributions

YS: Conceptualization, Data curation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. CS: Funding acquisition, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. CL: Methodology, Writing – review & editing. XS: Investigation, Writing – review & editing. QL: Investigation, Writing – review & editing. HL: Methodology, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by Shandong University undergraduate teaching reform (grant numbers: 2023Y251; 2023YJJGND07) and undergraduate teaching reform in Shandong province (grant number: Z2022096).

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Pamela Holt for useful discussions and critically reading the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: reading comprehension, study habits, pop music with lyrics, native language lyrics, second language lyrics, written text language, Chinese college students

Citation: Sun Y, Sun C, Li C, Shao X, Liu Q and Liu H (2024) Impact of background music on reading comprehension: influence of lyrics language and study habits. Front. Psychol . 15:1363562. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1363562

Received: 13 January 2024; Accepted: 25 March 2024; Published: 05 April 2024.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2024 Sun, Sun, Li, Shao, Liu and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Chuanning Sun, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Further compounding the issue - for this topic in particular - is the fact that a large portion of research on the evolution of music is couched within the adaptation/by-product debate (see Cross & Morley, 2009; Davies, 2012; van der Schyff & Schiavio, 2017) and this is an unhelpful framework for making progress on reconstructing music's ...
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An introduction to music research

Introduction

Learning outcomes

1 Musical knowledge

1.1 Knowledge and performance

1.2 Knowledge and listening

1.3 Composition and knowledge

2 Music and the digital humanities

2.1 SALAMI and CHARM

2.2 Databases

2.3 Exploring ballads

2.4 The Listening Experience Database

3 Resources

3.1 Documents

3.2 Diaries

3.4 Composer portraits