College life demands being flexible and mature in all disciplines. Music is no exception, especially when you have a task to write a review paper on it. Then, you need not only listen to it but include charm and analytical skills to make your writing engaging.
There are many music bands among the student community, but not every student can play an instrument or knows the basics of music. This can be the main burden to being competent in writing a review on music. Actually, you don’t need to avoid any musical topic just because you lack the practice or theoretical experience. In our article, we want to share beneficial tips on how to write a music review paper if you are not a professional musician.
- Listen before writing
Listening thoroughly to the music you need to write a review about is essential for being convincing for readers. It is like reading samples of cheap term papers before starting to write your own. Dive into the world of the musical group you are researching. Find interesting information about their starting period and compare their style with other bands of that time.
The investigation is one of the most highly demanded requests when you need to analyze someone’s creativity. This helps to understand various styles. Moreover, modern groups like to experiment with new sounds so much they can invent their own.
- Research the lyrics, music style, and history of the performer
Watching a YouTube performance is an excellent opportunity today to find anything about the musicians for your paper. Trace their style on stage, analyze song lyrics, and compare with the author’s biography. Usually, famous musicians are incredible personalities that have many interesting stories besides the music.
Read more about the time period when the band had its highest years of activity. If it is a modern performer, find out more about their surroundings and the path they took to fame. Mention the singing, instruments, and special sounds that impressed you. You can also compare the exact song or album with other musicians and how their songs impact music in general. Remember to write about how the group developed and reflected the times in their music.
- Prepare outline
The outline of the collected info should be your first draft. Combine everything you have read and listened to in terms of musical genre, song, and the band you are writing about. Then reflect your personal viewpoint to make your paper unique. A concrete understanding of what you are writing about helps to create a general plan of flow.
Organize your structure according to the standard rules of academic writing: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
The introduction should include the name of the musician or group, the song or album, music genre, and a thesis statement. In the body, describe background information, the song analysis, and the meaning of the lyrics using the right citation format. While working on the conclusion, share your overall impression and opinion of this band. Try to avoid a like/dislike position; otherwise, provide your opinion.
- Find a musician among your friends
Discuss your topic and first draft with someone who knows music better than you. The best time to do this is while editing. It could also be interesting to compare your viewpoint with those who didn’t do impressive research for their music review papers. Consequently, you can see that it is not a vice to not be a professional musician.
Tell your friends that you need an objective evaluation of your work, keeping in mind that you are not a singer or instrument player. It is also good to take care of the editing process to avoid grammatical and spelling mistakes in the paper. Anyway, it is better to ask a writer than a musician to check your paper for possible improvements.
- Stay yourself
The last thing you should do is pretend that you are a professional in this field. Remember that your voice is unique, and when you load your music review paper with unnecessary criticism, it looks rather boring and nonconstructive. You are a smart person and have enough knowledge in the field. This should keep you confident while writing a music review paper.
Even experienced musicians wouldn’t write about the notes and when each instrument enters the composition. You also don’t need to include opera scores to show your knowledge of music theory.
- Discuss the instructions with your teacher
Don’t hesitate to call your teacher about clarifying some points concerning your paper. In any case, there are a lot of factors that can reveal that you are not a musician. Propose your teacher to supplement your paper’s idea if needed. Also, ask for help with the topic. Specify such details as the number of pages, materials you can use as references for citation, and formatting style.
Sometimes students who write many musical review papers are better musicians than writers. So, here is your chance to set yourself apart from the pack!
