Assignment:
Instructions
As you know, one of the requirements in a graduate program is to write a thesis. At this stage of your graduate experience, the thesis might seem like a tiny speck in the sky. But one day it will loom large. If you choose the thesis option, then one of the first steps you take would be crafting a Thesis Research Prospectus.
A Prospectus should include a Summary and Statement of the Research Problem, Argument, or Inquiry.
A prospectus (sometimes referred to as an Abstract in other programs) should contain a concise description of:
a) The question or topic to be examined in the research;
b) The topic's relevance, including its relevance/importance to the field of study in your graduate degree program, related disciplinary field, and any other logical audiences;
c) The topic's new, original or innovative approach/ inquiry to be used in the research.
If any of this sounds vaguely familiar, then it should. It consists of the same Topic + Question + Significance (or T + Q + S) three-step rubric described in book "The Craft Of Research" by Wayne C. Booth, 3rd Ed
Assignment:
1) Choose one of those rubrics that you have begun researching in the library and exploring in online databases for scholarly literature, journal articles, and other information.
2) Write (using complete sentences) a statement (no longer than 500 words for statement) of the problem, the procedure or method, and the results and conclusions. (The latter part might be tentative pending further research.)
Be sure to integrate into your statement index or key words or names of individuals or works related to your topic, which allows for quick retrieval by other researchers and can be used to find your thesis when searching a library's database.A research question is a statement that tells what is to be studied. There are various ways of coming up with a research question one of which includes identifying the topic of the study, the research question and the significance of the study. Given an idea, it is possible to come up with a research question that if answered will help fill up the gaps that could be present in that particular case. For this paper my thoughts are presented with an idea on Music as the universal language of subversive messaging and sexual imaging and there is need to come up with the research problem that will help answer questions regarding this concept.
Topic: The Language of Music
Music has always been thought to be a source of entertainment but then most people do not pay attention to the language used in the music to communicate its message. Different kinds of songs have different messages being passed to the audiences but these messages can be generalized to some type of language. The different kinds of music in as much as they provide entertainment they also set different atmospheres and emotions around the listeners depending on the language used in the music. Music can successfully set any kind of emotions around the listeners be it love, fear, rebellion, sex, remorse or loneliness all it takes is the language to use in a particular kind of music. The message in a song is also just a product of the language used and the atmosphere that language manages to set.
Question: is it important to understand the language of music?
We have already identified the various kinds of languages of that could be used to communicate emotions thru music genres and also come to the realization that there are common languages used in music to pass different kinds of information. The next thing is to decide whether it is important to understand all these languages used in music. Understanding the language in music does not mean that one is able to distinguish the meanings of the words used in a song, it entails a lot more, feelings and interpretation of those emotions.. The language will tell us the message in the song what the artist really wants us to know through that particular song. Depending on an individual and why they listen to music the answer to this research question will either be positive or negative. For those who care to know what the music really is about then understanding the language of the music and its contexts means understanding the message in the song however this question will not be so important to those who are interest in the beats and entertainment in music.
Significance: Why is it important to understand the language of music?
Understanding the language of music is key to understanding why one listens to a particular kind of music. Whether or not a listener understands the language of music will help communicate and define why the person is listening to that particular music of choice. An answer to this question will also help listeners understand the role language plays in adding meaning to music if at all it turns out to be that language is important in music. With this understanding they will be able to select which songs to listen to and where to listen to the the songs they select.
References
Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2003). The craft of research. University of Chicago press.