The Evolution of a Popular Art: An Introduction to Rock Music Music 1220 Guidelines for the Research Paper (SUMMER 2026) TOPIC – Each student will choose a key single in the output of a solo artist or band and discuss it in detail. Examples would be “Born to Run,” the title song of the album that launched Bruce Springsteen’s career; “Stairway to Heaven,” probably the most famous single recorded by Led Zeppelin; or “Billie Jean,” a key single from the Thriller album by Michael Jackson. Suggestions on information you might include in the paper, using “Born to Run” as an example, might be: 1) Who wrote the song’s melody? 2) Who wrote the lyrics? 3) What is the subject matter of the lyrics and are they typical of the types of lyrics Springsteen was writing at this point in his career? 4) Is this song typical of Springsteen and the E-Street Band’s style? Why or why not? 5) How was the record received by the record-buying public? How well did the album do on the Billboard charts? 6) How would you describe the form of the song? Is it easy to follow by ear? 7) The quality of a singer’s voice is usually a key factor in his/her style. How would you describe the quality of Springsteen’s voice? 8) What instruments do you hear backing the singer? 9) Is there an “Official Music Video” associated with this single? Does the video consist of clips from concerts? Does it tell a story? NOTE: The above are only suggestions. You are free to take whatever approach you want in writing about the single you choose. LENGTH – The text of the paper, including introduction and conclusion, will be FOUR pages in length and should NOT exceed four pages. The title page, bibliography, and appendix (if used) DO NOT count as text pages. Your introduction and conclusion will both be about half a page in length. Music 1220—Paper—Page 2 FORMAT – The paper is to be double-spaced with 1 1/2-inch margins at the top and left side of the page and 1-inch margins at the bottom and right side of the paper. There will be a minimum of six in-text citations (or footnotes) in the paper, and they will be divided among the different sources. At least eight references will be listed in the bibliography at the end of the paper. There may be no more than four web pages in your list of references—see the sample of web page documentation on page 6 of this document. An e-book may stand in place of a printed publication. Font size should be approximately the same size as you see on this sheet (this is a 12-point font). Use a simple font that is easy to read (this is Constantia font). In-text citations (footnotes) and bibliographical references are to be consistent in form. You must follow the style guide by Kate L. Turabian (Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations) in formulating the research paper. There are several on-line sources that summarize the format of various types of citations from this manual. If you cannot resolve matters of format and documentation, I will help you arrive at a solution. Correct grammatical construction, spelling, and punctuation are important in communicating your thoughts clearly and should be taken as seriously as the content of the paper. If you need help with your research, go to the Library Services Desk on the first floor of Kirkpatrick Library. It is open during the hours the library itself is open. The paper will contain the following parts when submitted to me: 1) A title page will be placed at the front of the paper (see attached sample at the end of these guidelines). 2) The body of the paper (4 pages in length, including introduction and conclusion) follows the title page. 3) An alphabetized list of bibliographical references follows the body and will be included on a separate page. 4) An appendix, if relevant, follows the bibliography on a separate page. GENERAL PROCEDURE – The following may be helpful, especially if you have written only a few papers or have not written a paper recently (again, using Bruce Springsteen as an example): Music 1220—Paper—Page 3 1. Read about the general topic (Bruce Springsteen, for example) in the text by Starr and Waterman. There is also a bibliography at the back of the book on pp. 611-613. Also, consult the compilation of essays by Brackett to see what articles may be available in that source. Note the sources suggested for “Further Reading” after each essay in Brackett. The vast majority of modern performers have their own websites. These are usually very informative and are often a good place to begin your research. These sources will allow you to begin to compile a list of references with which you may begin your research. Oxford Music Online, Dissertations and Theses, and JSTOR are three online databases that are often helpful to students writing research papers in rock music (A recent search of the key words “Bruce Springsteen” in JSTOR produced 1217 results). These databases may be accessed from the library’s web page by any UCM student, even if you are off campus. Search for interviews of the artist or band on YouTube. An interview may count as one of your sources in the paper. Eight additional websites that are often used by students in the class are: allmusic.com, americansongwriter.com, biography.com; metrolyrics.com; secondhandsongs.com, songfacts.com, udiscovermusic.com, and ultimateclassicrock.com. 2. Consult the various reference sources in the Kirkpatrick Library to see what printed sources may be available related to your topic (do not neglect general histories of rock music). One may also skim the chapter headings on pages v-ix in the text to see if any of those suggest a topic. 3. Begin reading about your general topic (Bruce Springsteen), searching for information on the particular single you have chosen (“Born to Run”). 4. Take careful notes as you discover material relevant to the topic. 5. Arrange your notes in order and write a first draft of the paper. Double or triple space so that you can make corrections. Few students take full advantage of library resources at UCM. Go to the main page of the university (ucmo.edu). Click on “Campus Links” at the top right of the page and then “James C. Kirkpatrick Library.” You are then taken to a page with the library’s phone number (660-543-4154) and various other ways to contact library personnel. 6. Do a final draft of the paper so that it is ready to submit. 7. Leave a few extra days before the deadline in case the research does not go smoothly or other problems develop. The paper represents about 22% of your grade, and it should be planned, researched, and written in a conscientious manner. START TODAY and work on it steadily each week. I will answer questions at any point before the deadline. Music 1220—Paper—Page 4 Checklist You will enhance your grade by diligently checking off each of the following criteria before you hand the paper to me. These represent the mechanical errors I have encountered most frequently in grading research papers at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. 1) Printing is dark enough to read easily. No part of the paper is smeared or illegible. 2) The format, wording, capitalization, and punctuation of the title are exactly the same on both the title page and at the top of the first page. 3) The paper has an introduction, which is about half a page in length. Included in the introduction are one or two sentences which state concisely the main thesis of the paper. 4) The paper has a conclusion which is about half a page in length. The conclusion should briefly summarize the main points enumerated in the paper. 5) The paper contains at least six in-text citations (footnotes), and they come from at least four different sources. 6) All sources cited in the text also appear in the bibliography at the end of the paper. 7) The bibliography contains at least eight sources, which are alphabetized by the author’s last name. A multi-volume work on a single performer/band/composer is usually considered a single source. If you are unsure about such a source, ask me. 8) Font size is approximately the same size as appears on this sheet (10- or 12-point is a good choice). The font is clear and easy to read. 9) The body of the paper has been edited so that it is not longer than FOUR PAGES. More is not better!! 10) The paper has been PROOFREAD for correct sentence structure, paragraph organization, punctuation, and spelling. 11) The pages are numbered in a manner consistent with the Turabian style manual. For purposes of this class, the title page and the bibliography DO NOT count as text pages. 12) The paper does not use first-person pronouns (“I,” “We,” “Me,” or “My.”). Music 1220—Paper—Page 5 13) Musical examples, if used, are neatly reproduced and numbered consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.). Normally, examples are centered on the page. 14) Musical examples more than a single staff in length have been placed in an appendix. 15) The paper contains no contractions (can’t, won’t, it’s). 16) “Its” (possessive) does not have an apostrophe. 17) The paper has been read aloud to check for awkward language. 18) Titles of complete works (albums) are italicized (Born to Run). Also italicized are the titles of magazines (Rolling Stone), newspapers (Kansas City Star), Broadway shows (Chicago), and movies (The Last Days of Disco). 19) Titles of singles are placed in quotation marks (“Dancing Queen”). 20) Years are expressed as numerals (1967). Write out numerals that can be expressed in one or two words (one hundred, fifty-five). Numbers between 1 and 100 are usually written out. Large numbers may be expressed as numerals (. . . sold-out audience of 55,033). 21) Write out a date just as you would in a formal letter: January 26, 2026. 22) Two or more words placed together and used as an adjective are hyphenated (rock-n-roll lyrics). 23) When referring to a solo performer, composer, or other individual, use either the full name or just the last name. To use the first name is too informal. When writing about a group, use the full name of the group the first time it is mentioned. After that you may shorten it if you desire (The Grateful Dead = The Dead). 24) Avoid abbreviations (perc., U.S., fl.). 25) Commas, semi-colons, and periods all go inside of quotes, as “A section of music repeated after each verse is called a “chorus,” not a “refrain.” 26) Start a new paragraph when you shift focus or change the subject. These help organize the paper for the reader. Rarely will a page not contain at least two paragraphs. Music 1220—Paper—Page 6 SAMPLE WEB PAGE DOCUMENTATION “Music,” Bruce Springsteen, accessed September 15, 2023, http://www: brucespringsteen.net Writing Lab Unless you are an experienced writer of research papers, I suggest you take your almost-completed paper to the Writing Center. The student staff are well-trained and will help you put the final copy of your paper in the proper format. An editor does not have to know anything about rock music in order to help you improve your paper. Also, by watching an editor work, you will begin to learn how to edit your own work. The editors are easy to work with and are not judgmental. Best of all, this is a free service!! Go to the main web page of the university (ucmo.edu), click on the little magnifying-glass icon at the top of the page, and type “Writing Center” in the search box. Scroll down to “Writing Center,” and you will see a link that will provide more information about the Center. Finally, ASK QUESTIONS!!! No question is silly if you need to know the answer. See the sample title page on the next page. Urban Themes in the Lyrics of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” Music 1220 The Evolution of a Popular Art: An Introduction to Rock Music Dr. J. Franklin Fenley, Instructor Taryn Michelle Pearson October 30, 2023