How to Write a Music Essay? Music Analysis Essay Sample, Music Essay Topics

So, you’ve been assigned to write an essay about music. It might seem a bit confusing at a glance. After all, musicians are more used to dealing with notes, not words. But in actuality, music is a very rich topic that can be approached from a great multitude of various perspectives.

Every person has some degree of passion for music. And as such, every person can muster at least some inspiration to address this sort of assignment.

What Is a Music Essay

There is little sense in googling “What is music essay” or similar prompts. At its core, a musical essay has very little difference from your plain old essay writing assignment. It follows the same principles and structure. And you still have to make an adjustment for the essay type.

Any essay writing music enthusiast can come up with a dozen interesting topics off the top of their head. It can be about the abstract and the feeling certain melodies or instruments provoke within you. Or it can be as dry and technical as possible, discussing the intricacies of musical theory.

Music Essay Outline

A 5 paragraph essay setup is the golden standard of essay writing. In case you are not familiar with the basic essay writing music structure, let’s go over it again. Here’s how it looks:

• Intro
• Thesis
• Body paragraphs (3-5)
• Counterpoint paragraph
• Conclusion

You always start with a general introduction to the subject of your essay and an explanation of why you've chosen this particular topic. You don't usually go into details here, but it depends on your target audience. You follow it up with a thesis - a factual statement that serves as a foundation for the rest of the essay.

Body paragraphs contain your arguments. It’s usually one paragraph per argument. You can then dedicate a separate paragraph to an overview of possible counterpoints. Finally, you make a short summary in conclusion, reiterating your points and stressing your thesis once again.

Types and Formats

There are many different types and formats of a music essay. And it’s not just the genre that makes the difference. Apart from basic types like an explanatory essay and argumentative essay that you are familiar with - there are many variations. We will go over some of the most common and interesting types of music essays. We will also provide some music analysis examples for you to draw inspiration from.

Music Therapy Essay

A music therapy essay deserves its own spot on the list of types and formats. It's a very interesting type of music essay that overlaps with clinical psychology and its applications. Music therapy and its effects on people have been studied for a long time. Yet as music changes, students get an opportunity to explore different effects of it on the human psyche. 

Concert Report

A concert report is a pretty straightforward choice if you are a fan of these sorts of events. But even if you are not  - visiting one out of interest is an experience in and of itself. There’s nothing like being in the middle of a crowd united in their passion for music.

You may like the band, and you may dislike the noise. Whatever your personal feelings may be, they are guaranteed to be strong enough for you to be able to easily work the essay writing music. And this, in turn, will help you structure your thoughts showcasing all the benefits of music essay writing.

Song Analysis

Song analysis is probably the best choice for an essay on music, especially if you have never done essay writing music analysis before. You have definitely done something like this in your head before - listening to the song, thinking about what it makes you feel, analyzing the melody, the drums, the lyrics. A song analysis essay is pretty much the same thing. When dealing with the lyrics alone, you might find that a poem analysis has the same flow. Just this time, you’ll have to put it in writing.

Pick a familiar song, put it on, and start working. You’ll notice that thoughts form themselves, and the process is almost seamless. Below you will find the first of our music essay examples.

Song Analysis Sample

Performance or Media Comparison

When you write an essay on music and don’t want to focus on one composition (or a single version of a composition) - you can opt for performance or media comparison. It will allow you to work with several sources at the same time. For example, you could compare two covers of a single song.

If you are making a comparison for the first time, it might be a good idea to pick tracks that are very much different from each other. A rock and a lofi version of the same composition is a great place to start.

Historical Analysis of a Piece

For this type of essay on music, you’ll have to be a bit of a history buff. Some people prefer to enjoy the sound itself without getting too much into who performs the composition. On the other hand, hardcore music fans frequently dive deep into the personal life of their favorite singers and musicians. And it doesn’t really matter whether you prefer rock songs or classical music.

If you are one of the latter, you’ll have no trouble writing a historical analysis essay on one of your favorite tracks. And even if you're not - you might find yourself uncovering some interesting facts about your playlist that add to its charm. That’s another one out of the long list of benefits of music essay writing.

How to Write a Music Analysis Essay?

When you are writing a music analysis essay, your best bet is to take your source material and break it down into separate components. It’s much easier to do when you are familiar with how music theory works. But even if you don’t - it’s not that hard to do. Try to look for aspects you understand well.

For example, you could break it up by instruments. Vocals, strings, keys, drums, etc. Each part of a band contributes to the overall sound of the composition in its own unique way. And if you dissect the song, you might find that even when analyzed separately from each other, each instrument creates its own melody.

To put things bluntly, writing an informative essay is pretty time-consuming. Dedicate enough time for essay writing. Ideally, you want to be able to take your time, allow yourself some breaks, have a buffer for proofreading and editing, and then still have a safety gap before the due date. You shouldn’t be in a rush when you are writing an essay on music (or any essay for that matter). Otherwise, you will find the quality of your writing deteriorating rapidly. Below you’ll find another one of our music essay examples. It’s an example of a music review essay.

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Tips on Writing a Music Essay

Here are some tips on how to write a decent music essay. Before you even get to your music essay introduction - have another go at your subject. Listen to the song you’re going to write about. Read about the history of a band member. It doesn’t matter how well you know the subject of your writing. Refreshing the memories in your mind will put you in the right creative mood.

When looking through music essay titles, don’t think too much about which one to pick. Just choose the one that speaks to you and go with it. Time is money, and you don’t want to waste it on such a basic thing.

Once you figure things out with your music essay titles, find a music analysis essay example to reference in terms of structure and writing style.

Try not to get carried away too much. Music is a topic that inspires creativity. But you should always keep the essay structure in mind. It’s very easy to go overboard in your body paragraphs. Stick to your plan, keep it short. If you can’t fit all your thoughts into one paragraph - make it two or spend some time editing the unnecessary stuff out.

How to Choose Music Essay Topic

Normally, in an academic setting, whenever you write an essay on music history or theory, your professor will provide you with a topic. However, there are instances where you’ll be allowed free reign. This is your opportunity to show your creativity and passion for music.

Your best bet is to pick either a topic that you are knowledgeable about or one you are interested in learning more about. It can be the history of your favorite band or the musical analysis of an unusual composition you’ve heard recently. Choosing a complicated topic is probably not a good idea unless you are sure you can take it. It might sound interesting, but if it’s too much hassle - you’ll get bored pretty quickly.

Music Essay Topics: List

If you can’t muster enough inspiration to come up with a decent topic (something like “what is music essay” is probably not the best choice) - don’t worry. Here is a list of 30 cool music essay topics you can pull from essay service review or get inspired by:

30 Best Music Essay Topics

• What Influence Has Music Had on the World's Biggest Cultural Events?
• The History of Music Production
• Evolution of Music in Different Countries
• How Different Music Genres Connect
• The Difference Between Contemporary Culture and Popular Music
• How Music in Your Own Country Connect with Music in Other Countries
• How Social Class Is Connected to Music Genre
• How Has Culture Contributed to Music Production?
• The Importance of Music Theory as Far as Music Production Is Concerned
• How Is Poetry Related to Music?
• The Role of Music in Impacting the Society
• The Role of Classical Music in The Current Music Production Industry
• What Music Does to The Human Brain
• The Role of Women in Music Production
• The Hardships That Minority Groups Face in Today’s Music Industry
• The Trend of Culture That Is Propagated by Music Over the Years
• Challenges That Advancements Have Brought to The Music Industry
• How Music Creation Affects Peoples’ Way of Thinking
• Cultural Characteristics That Are Prevalent in Modern Music
• The Connection Between Modern Music and Music in The Past Time Periods.
• The Role of Music in Creating Political Propagandas
• What Is High Culture and Low Culture According to Current Music?
• The Impact of Modern Music on The Society
• The Connections Between Music and Other Media Types
• The Origin of Different Musical Instruments
• Important Processes in The Current Music Production Industry
• Why Should a Musical Artist Find Someone Else to Write Music for Them?
• Vital Components of Skilled Musicians in Music Production
• The Differences Between Music and Poetry in The Way They Influence Society
• Is It Important for One to Read Music in Order to Succeed?

Music Style Essay Topics

• Does metal music lead to violent behavior?
• How can playing a musical instrument help a person's mental state?
• The protest music of Northern Ireland
• How has rock music changed since the 70s?
• Exploring the culture of punk rock in the United Kingdom.
• The tones and scales of Middle Eastern music
• Why is “praise and worship” a separate genre of music?
• The most popular misconceptions about country music in the United States
• The songs of war and protest in the United States
• The stress relief through the lens of extreme styles of metal music

Music Argumentative Essay Topics

• How has rap music affected modern social movements?
• The role of music education in the United States
• How can cultural conflicts be settled down with the help of music?
• The role of musical collaborations during pandemic times
• John Lennon: from children of the flowers to strong political statements.
• Military matters: the presence of music in the military
• Popular music and its effect on the distorted body image model
• Copyright issues and protection of intellectual property
• The use of music education in elementary school curriculums
• Should music created by the computer be considered art?
• The use of music in political campaigns
• Can a person's character be identified by their musical tastes?
• Does playing a musical instrument lead to better writing skills?

Music Essay Sample

Here is the music essay sample from law essay writer for you to check: