The essay should include the following:

1.    A summary of the chosen culture including a short history.

2.    A brief explanation of some beliefs and traditions of the culture.

3.    Description of the instruments used in that cultures music.

4.    Explanation of the key attributes of the cultures music, including melody, harmony, timbre, texture, rhythm and form.

5.    Specific introduction to one piece of music from the culture. Include at least one example of the music, such as through linking to YouTube performances. Be sure to include a description of the musical example.

Your choice of world music must be a style of traditional music that is non-Western or not from the Western tradition of music, therefore avoid choosing styles of music from the U.S., Canada, or Europe, including Jazz or any type of pop music (including hip hop). For example, a pop or rock band from Europe or Japan would not be appropriate for this assignment. Celtic or Irish music are also not appropriate styles of music because these are European styles of music. Also, because most students are already familiar with Reggae music, do not choose Reggae for your topic.

There are hundreds of styles of music from each continent that are not covered in the course materials. For example, Dagomban and Ewe music is covered in the Africa section of our e-text. This music is from Ghana, but there are other tribes in Ghana, who have a unique style of music. Another example is Southeast Asia. Javanese and Balinese music is in the course reading, but there are many Southeast Asian countries and cultures that are not addressed in the course materials. If you are not sure if your chosen topic is a style of non-Western music, contact your instructor, who will provide guidance on your topic selection.

Sources must be valid, academic sources (i.e. Please do not use non-academic websites, such as Wikipedia or About.com). Your website should not contain more than 15% direct quotes and direct quotes must be in quotation marks. Direct quotes and paraphrased material must be cited in the body of the text and in a reference section.