Shayne Kelly
Dr. Wielgos
College Writing II
31 March 2014
Scouring
For a Topic
My previous two projects for your class have been on
music as an everyday thing as well as music being more than sound but a way of
life. Now it is obviously time to take to the next level and write a research
paper on the topic. To be honest, I did expect this to come so soon; although
I’m ready to make the decision on what my paper will ultimately be about. If
you have read any of my other design plans or other paperwork, you will
understand music is all that I have sometimes. So I decided to research
something I didn’t know existed until as of very late: music psychology.
My plan is to enlighten people on the subject, as well as
the cognitive effects the music has on the brain. In terms of what I’d like to
do about, arrangement or medium: unfortunately I am unsure of what I’d like to
do (if you have any ideas/recommendations that would be cool!). The argument I
would like to propose is: do the cognitive effects of music really affect us
emotionally? What I mean by that is does we have control over our own feelings
and actions, or does music assist in influencing every decision we make. I feel
like people could be on either side of this argument or even on the fence about
it. People that would disagree would most likely have no influence musically,
or just don’t believe it can really act upon a person. I wouldn’t call it much
of an issue, but I believe it could help people in terms of treatment of mental
illness. One in five Americans has a mental illness: diagnosed or could be
diagnosed. It has been known to assist people to make the burden they carry not
so heavy. How I want to go about research is look at either research journals
such as Music Psychology: The Building of a Community,
or The Effect of Pitch, Rhythm, and Familiarity on Working
Memory and Anxiety as Measured by Digit Recall Performance and books
like Musical Perceptions by Rita Aiello and John A. Sloboda. Any online sources
would work as well. The knowledge I hope to gain from this to gain a complete
and precise understanding of music psychology, and the cognitive effects music
has on the brain; as well as learning what music can do to help with any
situation. My stance on my current topic is I believe that music can influence
a lot of decisions we make as well as help us come to conclusions. I’m at this
stance in the argument, because I am put in the place of this happening to me.
Music doesn’t directly make me respond or act the way I do but it has
influenced me since I was very little in my decision making, and who I am this
day. Even if the people that view this essay are not as influence by music such
as me, I still think they can relate to events that have happened to them as
well. My parents ultimately are the reason my stance is sent on this topic,
because they’re both talented musicians in their own right and have taught me
that music is always going to be there for you through thick and thin.
In conclusion, I think this topic would be a good choice
for me to argue and research because it is in my element. I know so much about
the other topics of music other than this one. I think the cognitive effects
are import because it shapes who we are as people. The brain allows us to
create an identity. Music helps form an opinion of ourselves and others. Music
allows us to be us, and help form our decision making and choices.
