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What My Musical Instruments Have Taught Me

By Jaron Lanier

“Waves Only Get Real When They Break,” by Colin Farish (piano), Jaron Lanier (guzheng), and Jhaffur Khan (flute).

It started after my mother died. She was a concentration-camp survivor—a prodigy concert pianist in Vienna who was taken when she was only a girl. She taught me the piano by holding her hands over mine, bending my fingers into arches above the keys. When I was just a boy, she died in a car accident. Afterward, I was both boundlessly angry and attached to the piano. I played it with extreme force, sometimes bleeding onto the keys. I still feel her hands when I play. I feel them even more when I’m learning a new instrument.

As I write this, on a laptop in my kitchen, I can see at least a hundred instruments around me. There’s a Baroque guitar; some Colombian gaita flutes; a French musical saw; a shourangiz (a Persian instrument resembling a traditional poet’s lute); an Array mbira (a giant chromatic thumb piano, made in San Diego); a Turkish clarinet; and a Chinese guqin. A reproduction of an ancient Celtic harp sits near some giant penny whistles, a tar frame drum, a Roman sistrum, a long-neck banjo, and some duduks from Armenia. (Duduks are the haunting reed instruments used in movie soundtracks to convey xeno-profundity.) There are many more instruments in other rooms of the house, and I’ve learned to play them all. I’ve become a compulsive explorer of new instruments and the ways they make me feel.

I keep a small oud in the kitchen, and sometimes, between e-mails, I improvise with it. Ouds resemble lutes, which in turn resemble guitars. But where a guitar has a flat back, an oud has a domelike form that presses backward against the belly or chest. This makes playing one a tender experience. You must find just the right way to hold it, constraining your shoulders, moving mainly the smaller muscles below the elbows. Holding an oud is a little like holding a baby. While cradling an infant, I feel pretensions drop away: here is the only future we truly have—a sacred moment. Playing the oud, I am exposed. The instrument is confessional to me.

But that’s not how all players experience their ouds. The most famous oud player of the twentieth century was probably the Syrian-Egyptian superstar Farid al-Atrash, who was both a respected classical musician of the highest order and a pop-culture figure and movie star. (Imagine a cross between Jascha Heifetz and Elvis Presley.) His playing was often crowd-pleasing, extroverted, and muscular. I have an oud similar to one Atrash played; it was created by a member of Syria’s multigenerational Nahat family, whose instruments are often described as the Stradivariuses of the oud world. In the nineteen-forties, my Nahat was savaged by a notorious Brooklyn dealer who tried to claim it as his own by covering the original label and marquetry. Later, an Armenian American luthier tried to remake it as an Armenian instrument, with disastrous results. After I bought the oud out of the attic of a player who had given up on it, two remarkable luthiers restored it, and the oud started to speak in a way that possessed me. Listeners notice—they ask, “What is that thing?”

Nahat ouds can be especially big. My arms have to travel more in order to move up and down the longer neck; the muscles around my shoulders become engaged, as they do when I’m playing the guitar. Moving this way, I become aware of the world beyond the small instrument I’m swaddling; I start to play more for others than for myself. The cello also makes me feel this way. You have to use your shoulders—your whole back—to play a cello. But cellos summon a different set of feelings. Playing one, you’re still bound up in a slightly awkward way, bent around a vibrating entity—not a baby, not a lover, but maybe a large dog.

The khaen, from Laos and northeastern Thailand, is the instrument I play the most in public. It’s a mouth organ—something like a giant harmonica, but with an earthy, ancient tone. Tall bamboo tubes jut both upward and downward from a teak vessel, angling into a spire which seems to emerge, unicorn-like, from the forehead of the performer. I first encountered one as a teen-ager, in the nineteen-seventies, during a time when I was exploring Chinese music clubs in San Francisco. These were frequented mainly by older people, and often situated in the basements of faded apartment buildings. The khaen isn’t Chinese, but I noticed one resting against a wall in a club and asked if I could try it. As soon as I picked up the khaen I became a rhythmic musician, driving a hard beat with double- and triple-tonguing patterns. The old men applauded when I finished. “Take it,” a woman holding an erhu said.

Later, I learned that my instant style was completely unrelated to what goes on in Laos. It emerged, I think, from how the khaen works with one’s breathing. On a harmonica, as on many instruments, the note changes when you switch between inhaling and exhaling—but on a khaen, one can breathe both in and out without changing pitch. Breathing is motion, and so the khaen and its cousins from Asia, such as the Chinese sheng, are liberating to play. I’ve been lucky enough to play khaen with many great musicians—with Jon Batiste and the Stay Human band on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” for instance, and with Ornette Coleman. When I played the khaen with George Clinton and P-Funk, Clinton stood facing me, leaning in until we were just inches apart; he widened his eyes to make the channel between our beings as high-bandwidth as possible, breathing ferociously to transmit the groove he was improvising. It was the most physically demanding performance of my life.

If playing the khaen turns me into an extroverted athlete, then the xiao—which is held vertically, like a clarinet or an oboe—invites me to explore internal dramas. This isn’t just a mind-set but a physical sensation: while playing xiao I feel a rolling movement in the air just behind my upper front teeth, and a second area of resonance in my chest, and I seem to move these reservoirs of air around as I use the instrument. I’m not the only one to have this kind of sensation: singers often say that they experience air in this way, and flute teachers I’ve known have talked about “blue” or “yellow” air flows. I’ve had long conversations with wind players about how we seem to be painting the flow of air inside our bodies. I have to suspend my skepticism when this sort of talk starts—I don’t think we’re really doing what we describe, but I do think we’re describing something real. It’s possible to shape tone by adjusting the mouth, tongue, lips, jaw, throat, and chest. When I find my tone, I even feel the presence of a structure in the air between my lips and the flute—a tumbling, ineffable caterpillar, rolling rapidly on its long axis. The caterpillar collaborates with me, sometimes helping, sometimes pushing back, and by interacting with it I can explore a world of tone.

Did the xiao players of the past perceive invisible caterpillars like mine? Maybe they did. Xiaos have come in many shapes and sizes over the centuries, but, judging by the illustrations that have been preserved, they’ve all been recognizably xiao. On the other hand, there are many ways to play a flute. Perhaps xiao notes used to end in elegant calligraphic rises; maybe the breath was emphasized so that the sound of the flute seemed continuous with nature; or possibly ancient xiao tones were lustrous and technical, with perfect stability. Perhaps the sound that xiao players sought was deceptively transparent but filled with little features, or maybe they were show-offs, playing high, fast, and loud. These descriptions fit contemporary flute-playing styles, and it seems possible that historical styles resembled them—or not.

In recent years, a heightened spirit of experimentation in xiao-building has developed. Most of the experiments have to do with the shape of the blowing edge—the place where one edge of a flute’s tube has been thinned, forming a tiny ridge that’s positioned against the bottom lip to receive the breath. At the blowing edge, the air alternately flows more to the inside or the outside of the flute. This oscillation radiates as sound. Flutists of all cultures are vulnerable to debilitating fascinations with the tiniest design choices in blowing edges and the nearby interiors of their flutes. In Taiwan, a small cult has arisen around the idea of combining an outside cut in the form of a letter “U,” which is typical of some schools of xiao design, with an inside form that’s more like a “V.” Debates about the new cut run rampant in online forums.

After reading some of them, I finally ordered a flute with the new cut. (That I could do this so effortlessly made me feel momentarily better about how the Internet has turned out so far.) When I played my “U”/“V” xiao for the first time, I made the futile blowing sound familiar to beginning flutists. Eventually, though, I managed a few weird, false notes. I was surprised but also delighted. Some of my favorite moments in musical life come when I can’t yet play an instrument. It’s in the fleeting period of playing without skill that you can hear sounds beyond imagination. Eventually, I cajoled the caterpillar and found a tone I love, solid yet translucent. When that happens, the challenge is remembering how to make those fascinating, false notes. One mustn’t lose one’s childhood.

I’m a computer scientist by profession, and I started travelling to Japan at the beginning of the nineteen-eighties, when I was developing the first virtual-reality headsets and searching for business partners and technical components. I was surprised to find few young people there interested in traditional Japanese music. Precious and playable antique instruments like the shakuhachi, a traditional bamboo flute, could be bought at flea markets for less than the price of breakfast—and they were being snapped up not by Japanese students but by young Westerners who worshipped the remaining teachers. Meanwhile, interest in European classical music, which was declining in the West, was growing in Japan. I met many Japanese musicians who found Mozart as appealing as the Beatles , and who played violin and piano along with rock and roll. In Western countries, the social institutions that kept classical music alive—conservatories, instrument builders, teachers, contests—were being sustained by an influx of stunning musicians from Asia. A kind of cultural trade was taking place.

My experiences studying music in Japan were often astonishing. I chased down a teacher who claimed to be the holder of an ancient Buddhist shakuhachi tradition that had been suppressed by the mainstream musical world; his lessons were fused with a tea ceremony. I met another teacher who would only accept a student who could walk into the forest and choose a stalk of bamboo that, when it was cut down, would turn out to be in tune as a flute. (He gave me only one chance to get it right, and I failed.) In one of the main shakuhachi “lodges” in Tokyo, I came across a culture of male-dominated locker-room talk, in which some styles of playing were approved as sufficiently macho while others were denigrated as “gay.” Much of what I encountered startled me—it didn’t reflect what I’d read in books back in America about the shakuhachi.

Music operates on a plane separate from literature, and a lot of information about it isn’t written down. Most of the world’s compositions were never notated, and what was written down is often minimal; although scores do exist for very old Chinese music—some of the oldest are for the noble guqin, a kind of zither—they amount to mnemonic devices, lists of strokes and playing positions. The earliest European scores are similar, with lists of notes. What we now call “early music” is largely a modern stylistic invention. I tend to learn the rudiments of my instruments and then develop my own style; I’m an eternal amateur. But I console myself by noting that there are very few musical conservatories structured enough to preserve musical styles over long periods of time. We can study how Bach’s music might have sounded, or how the shakuhachi was actually played, but we can never really know. What would it have sounded like to be at court in ancient Egypt, Persia, India, China, Greece, Mesopotamia? The truth has been lost to time.

The exquisite skills involved in making instruments can seem to hover just beyond the edge of scientific understanding, and can easily be lost when war, plague, and famine break the chains linking masters and apprentices. And yet the traditions of a lost musical culture can sometimes be revived. Modern instrument makers can copy preserved examples of old instruments, or even work from illustrations. In the case of the xiao, much was lost through the centuries, and then again in the Cultural Revolution —but xiaos are small and easy to hide. Some musicians are said to have buried them in secret locations, in hopes of escaping Mao Zedong ’s attempts to engineer culture from scratch. This complex history means that, today, there are contrasting contemporary approaches to playing the xiao. Some players see learning and performing with the instrument as a spiritual quest to reconnect with the past; others play what sounds to me like a Hollywood composer’s idea of Chinese music from the early twentieth century—a musical genre that’s aged surprisingly well. There’s no verifiably authentic way to play such an ancient instrument.

As a technologist, my work has often focussed on the creation of interactive devices, such as head-mounted displays and haptic gloves. It’s sobering for me to compare the instruments I’ve played with the devices that Silicon Valley has made. I’ve never had an experience with any digital device that comes at all close to those I’ve had with even mediocre acoustic musical instruments. What’s the use of ushering in a new era dominated by digital technology if the objects that that era creates are inferior to pre-digital ones?

For decades, researchers have been attempting to model acoustic instruments with software. Simulated saxophones and violins can sound impressive but only within an artificially constrained frame. Listen to one note at a time and the synthetic instruments sound good. Connect the notes together and the illusion fails. This may be because the experience of interacting creatively with such models is sterile, vacant, and ridiculous. One is usually clicking on little dots on a screen, or pushing buttons, or—in the very best case—adjusting variables with physical knobs and sliders. From a commercial point of view, this doesn’t make simulated instruments useless; embedded in the mix, splashed with reverb and other effects, they sound just fine. But physical instruments channel the unrepeatable process of interaction, a quality lost with modern production technology.

Human senses have evolved to the point that we can occasionally react to the universe down to the quantum limit; our retinas can register single photons, and our ability to sense something teased between fingertips is profound. But that is not what makes instruments different from digital-music models. It isn’t a contest about numbers. The deeper difference is that computer models are made of abstractions—letters, pixels, files—while acoustic instruments are made of material. The wood in an oud or a violin reflects an old forest, the bodies who played it, and many other things, but in an intrinsic, organic way, transcending abstractions. Physicality got a bad rap in the past. It used to be that the physical was contrasted with the spiritual. But now that we have information technologies, we can see that materiality is mystical. A digital object can be described, while an acoustic one always remains a step beyond us.

Today, tech companies promise to create algorithms that can analyze old music to create new music. But music is ambiguous: is it mostly a product to be produced and enjoyed, or is the creation of it the most important thing? If it’s the former, then being able to automate the production of music is at least a coherent idea, whether or not it is a good one. But, if it’s the latter, then pulling music creation away from people undermines the whole point. I often work with students who want to build algorithms that make music. I ask them, Do you mean you want to design algorithms that are like instruments, and which people can use to make new music, or do you just want an A.I. to make music for you? For those students who want to have optimal music made for them, I have to ask, Would you want robots to have sex for you so you don’t have to? I mean, what is life for?

Much of the music we enjoy today makes use of audio loops, by means of which a note can be repeated with absolute precision. Because of my work with computers, I had early access to looping tools, and I was able to play around with loops earlier than most musicians. At first, the techniques didn’t speak to me; music is about change, I thought, while loops are about artificially preventing change. When so-called minimalist composers— Philip Glass , Terry Riley—ask musicians to play the same phrases repeatedly, what emerges from this technique isn’t repetition but an exquisite awareness of change: using a traditional, physical instrument, each repetition reflects your breath, your pulse, the weather, the audience, the light, bringing subtlety into consciousness. My understanding of loops shifted when hip-hop appeared. Here was a genre that was often angry, often a protest—the use of loops could evoke the strictures a rapper raged against. Some musicians now make their loops a little blurry, as if to suggest impermanence. For many people, of course, loops have become so commonplace that it’s hard to perceive them as a contrast to anything else.

In my own musical life, I prize the edge of chaos; that which cannot be repeated. I usually don’t record myself when I play alone; I don’t want to trick myself into a false mentality that lives outside of time, as if we weren’t time’s prisoners. I want to send music out into the universe, not into a computer’s memory. As crazy as it is to learn to play a multitude of instruments, my madness is the opposite of the loop. I’m often asked if I’ve learned all these instruments in order to make a sample library, or if I’d be willing to have someone come to the house to make such a library. Though I offer positivity from afar to musicians who like samples, I am travelling in a different direction.

If you work with virtual reality, you end up wondering what reality is in the first place. Over the years, I’ve toyed with one possible definition of reality: it’s the thing that can’t be perfectly simulated, because it can’t be measured to completion. Digital information can be perfectly measured, because that is its very definition. This makes it unreal. But reality is irrepressible.

I sometimes dwell on these ideas when I play the piano. A piano is essentially a row of keys, plus some pedals. Once a key has been depressed, a mechanism sends a felt hammer flying toward a string, which is not in direct contact with the key. In theory, this means that a piano played without the damping pedal ought to be abstract, like an electronic keyboard. The only information the hammer seems to convey from a key to a string is a single number—velocity. That’s also how much information a key press communicates in an electronic keyboard. And yet the experience of playing an acoustic piano, and of listening to one, is that more is being conveyed. When pianists trade off on the same instrument, they perform with individual touches and sounds. Pianos are somewhat abstract devices that have transcended abstraction.

My fondest hope for computing is that digital devices will become as much like pianos as possible. But the subtlest qualities of analog instruments are hard to study, in part because the controls necessary to make studies rigorous risk obscuring important elements of musical experience. There have been many studies comparing old and new violins, for instance, or flutes made of different metals, in which a player is hidden behind a screen and listeners are asked to identify which instrument is being played. The problem with this approach is that the difference between a good instrument and a great one could inhere in the player’s experience, rather than in the external sound. If an instrument inspires a musician, then the music will be more meaningful, even if listeners can’t distinguish the sound of one instrument from another. Music is an interior art before it becomes exterior.

For me, the piano has an interior aspect. The piano is one of the few instruments that’s bigger than you. Playing it, you are the baby: strike as much as you like, it remains the same. After my mother died, I became obsessed with fast arpeggios, and I zoomed between the extremes of the keyboard; I was also drawn toward the American-Mexican composer Conlon Nancarrow, who wrote superhuman piano music for player pianos, using hand-punched player-piano rolls. When I was a teen-ager, I often hitchhiked from New Mexico to visit him in Mexico City. I was determined to play as fast as the pianos automated by Conlon; his machines, in their unreality, were a flight from human frailty and trauma. I emulated them by challenging them in my own piano playing. In my fury, the piano became a chunk of reality to obliterate, though quixotically. You can caress a piano or attack it, be loud or soft, become proficient or not, make as much beauty as you can or flail in chaos—the instrument will most likely endure beyond you.

Decades have passed since that time. Today, I love to have musicians over to my house, where we can combine different instruments to see what happens. The joy that transpires when things go well is multilayered. There is the pleasure of connection with other people, and there is also the happiness of finding a new little corner of aesthetic interiority together. Music can conjure a new flow, a new pattern, a new flavor, between and inside people. And playing sufficiently obscure instruments forces a different approach to music. How can you be competitive about raw skill, or get into some other macho trap, when the task at hand is so esoteric? Who is to judge the winner in a contest that must invent itself over and over? When music made collaboratively with other musicians goes right, I feel a budding, rising warmth and comfort. Is this my mother smiling on me? Or maybe it’s me, smiling on her. ♦

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Argumentative Essay Example: All Students Should Learn a Musical Instrument

“The number of adults who wish they knew how to play the piano is more than ten times the number who actually do play” (Hidden Benefits). This is a startling statistic as many students growing up had not seen the benefits of learning an Instrument, because they never had the opportunity. Students presently have become lazy saying, learning an instrument is too hard, and have forgotten the many concealed advantages of learning an instrument. So many today are passing through Schooling learning Math, English, Science, History, and never given the opportunity to learn an Instrument. Therefore, all students should learn a musical instrument.” 

First, all students should learn a musical instrument because it builds character. 

Learning anything in life has its ups and downs, but once mastered the reward of satisfaction far outways the beginning struggles. “Hard Work” is a valued lesson for any student to learn for life. According to “The Hidden Benefits” (1985,6), in American Music teachers, teachers are now placing more emphasis on students’ “self-satisfaction” of learning more than how successful the music is. If a student feels discouraged in his training, and feels playing an instrument is not for him, then he will at least know he tried. So many Adults out there have never tried yet would love to have the knowledge now of how to play an Instrument. For students learning an instrument, will help them grow as a person, and in their life skills. 

Second, all students should learn a musical instrument because it improves cognitive function. Learning a musical instrument helps improve mental concentration, the ability to hold up under stress, memory skills, and reading ability. Frank R Wilson, a San Francisco neurologist (Hidden Benefits) unearthed that learning music had a positive outcome on both the body and the human brain, including that all kids have enough mental capacity to master any Instrument. An instrument may also have the opposite effect of stress on them. In their daily lives playing instruments allows them to take a break from daily stress and focus on something else. Music throughout time has been one of the greatest stress relievers for man to use, allowing a more positive mindset. A clear mind allows for a more efficient and effective mindset for a student during his studies. 

Third, all students should learn a musical instrument because it is beneficial for the steps of daily life. Dr. Wilson states “"Humans are special physically because of the exceptional control we have over the muscles of our hands, mouth, and face and because of the bonding of these gifts to our powers of communication," Learning an instrument helps train a student in their ability to communicate with their piers around them at such a crucial time. Once a student is able to master an instrument they will have a sense of self-satisfaction, and thankfulness that they ended up learning one. 

All students should take time to learn an instrument, so that they build character, improve brain power, and train everyday life skills. Simply as students their goal is to learn, and no better way to get started in a musical journey then a few basic lessons. Ultimately as the old saying goes you never know till you try, and the majority of adults today that never tried regret it.

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Choosing a musical instrument.

Have you ever thought about taking up a musical instrument? Here's the perfect guide for you.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first. Then read the text and do the other exercises.

Preparation

Many people would like to learn how to play a musical instrument, but they are put off by one big problem: what to play? Here are a few questions to help you decide.

What kind of music do you like?

Many instruments are versatile, but some are more suited to certain types of music. Although there is some classical repertoire for the saxophone, for example, people associate it more with jazz, and it is not a permanent feature of many orchestras. Some instruments may lend themselves better than others to the music you like, so consider this before you start.

Do you want to play with other people?

Think about your long-term future as a musician. If you want to play with other people, what sort of instrument would be most practical? The initial attraction of playing a dazzling solo instrument like trumpet, violin, flute or lead guitar might fade when you realise how many other people are competing with you to get the main part with the same instrument! If you want to play rock music, there will always be a demand for bass players or drummers, and if you fancy being part of an orchestra, the bassoon is a great bet to make sure you are always needed.

Where are you going to practise?

Many people live in flats and practising the drums, for example, will drive your neighbours crazy. Think about where and when you are going to practise, as well as the patience of the people you live with or near. Electric versions of instruments like the piano, drums, guitar and even violin give you the option of playing into the night using headphones, while your housemates sleep in peace. Alternatively, you may need to consider going to a school or a community centre to practise.

How much money can you spend?

This is quite a big factor. A lot of instruments can be purchased in different price ranges, for example, guitars. But this doesn’t alter the fact that many, such as the piano, are always pretty expensive. If you can’t afford your chosen instrument, will you be able to borrow someone else’s or hire one?

Are there any physical limitations?

If you’re small and don’t like lifting heavy objects, you won’t want to carry around a double bass. Apart from that, use your common sense, and don’t let your perceived physical shortcomings put you off. Who says small skinny people can’t play the tuba? It’s true that some wind instruments require a lot of lung power but with the right coaching, everyone can develop the right technique.

Still not sure?

Talk to people you know who already play instruments. They might even let you try theirs. It’s also a good idea to find an experienced music teacher, preferably one who plays a few different instruments, who can give you some advice and push you in the right direction.

If you find an instrument you love and that suits your needs, you’ll find the time spent choosing was well worth it. Good luck with making your choice!

Check your understanding: multiple choice

Check your vocabulary: gap fill, worksheets and downloads.

Which instrument would you like to learn?

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Guide on How to Write a Music Essay: Topics and Examples

Let's Understand What is Music Essay

You know how some school assignments are fun to write by default, right? When students see them on the course syllabus, they feel less like a burden and more like a guaranteed pleasure. They are about our interests and hobbies and therefore feel innate and intuitive to write. They are easy to navigate, and interesting topic ideas just pop into your head without much trouble.

Music essays belong to the category of fun essay writing. What is music essay? Anything from in-depth analysis to personal thoughts put into words and then to paper can fall into a music essay category. An essay about music can cover a wide range of topics, including music history, theory, social impact, significance, and musical review. It can be an analytical essay about any music genre, musical instruments, or today's music industry.

Don't get us wrong, you will still need to do extensive research to connect your opinions to a broader context, and you can't step out of academic writing standards, but the essay writing process will be fun.

In this article, our custom essay writing service is going to guide you through every step of writing an excellent music essay. You can draw inspiration from the list of music essay topics that our team prepared, and later on, you will learn what an outstanding essay on music is by an example of a music review essay.

What are Some Music Topics to Write About

There are so many exciting music topics to write about. We would have trouble choosing one. You can write about various music genres, be it country music or classical music; you can research music therapy or how music production happens.

Okay, forgive us for getting carried away; music makes us enthusiastic. Below you will find a list of various music essay topics prepared from our thesis writing service . Choose one and write a memorable essay about everyone's favorite art form.

Music Argumentative Essay Topics

Music essays can be written about an infinite number of themes. You can even write about performance or media comparison.

Here is a list of music argumentative essay topics. These edge-cutting topics will challenge your readers and get you an easy A+.

• Exploring the evolution of modern music styles of the 21st century
• Is it ethical to own and play rare musical instruments?
• Is music therapy an effective mental health treatment?
• Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Creativity in electronic music
• The Relevance of traditional music theory in modern music production
• The Role of musical pieces in the Transmission of cultural identity
• The value of historical analysis in understanding the significance of music in society
• How does exposing listeners to different genres of music break down barriers
• Exploring the cognitive effects of music on human brain development
• The therapeutic potential of music in treating mental disorders

Why is Music Important Essay Topics

Do you know which essay thrills our team the most? The importance of music in life essay. We put our minds together and came up with a list of topics about why music is so central to human life. Start writing why is music important essay, and we guarantee you that you will be surprised by how much fun you had crafting it.  

• Popular Music and its Role in shaping cultural trends
• Music as a metaphorical language for expressing emotions and thoughts
• How music changes and influences social and political movements
• How the music of different countries translates their history to outsiders
• The innate connection between music and human beings
• How music helps us understand feelings we have never experienced
• Does music affect our everyday life and the way we think?
• Examining the cross-cultural significance of music in society
• How rock music influenced 70's political ideologies
• How rap music closes gaps between different racial groups in the US

Consider delegating your ' write my essay ' request to our expert writers for crafting a perfect paper on any music topic!

Why I Love Music Essay Topics

We want to know what is music to you, and the best way to tell us is to write a why I love music essay. Below you will find a list of music essay topics that will help you express your love for music.

• I love how certain songs and artists evoke Memories and Emotions
• I love the diversity of music genres and how different styles enrich my love for music
• I love how music connects me with people of different backgrounds
• How the music of Linkin Park helped me through life's toughest challenges
• What does my love for popular music say about me?
• How the unique sounds of string instruments fuel my love for music
• How music provides a temporary Release from the stresses of daily life
• How music motivates me to chase my dreams
• How the raw energy of rock music gets me through my daily life
• Why my favorite song is more than just music to me

Need a Music Essay ASAP?

Our expert team is quick to get you an A+ on all your assignments!

Music Therapy Essay Topics

One of the most interesting topics about music for an essay is music therapy. We are sure you have heard all the stories of how music cures not only mental but also physical pains. Below you can find a list of topics that will help you craft a compelling music therapy essay. And don't forget that you can always rely on our assistance for fulfilling your ' write my paper ' requests!

• The effectiveness of music therapy in reducing stress and pain for cancer patients
• Does pop music have the same effects on music therapy as classical music?
• Exploring the benefits of music therapy with other genres beyond classical music
• The potential of music therapy in aiding substance abuse treatment and recovery
• The Role of music therapy in Addressing PTSD and Trauma in military veterans
• The impact of music therapy on enhancing social interaction and emotional expression in individuals with developmental disabilities
• The use of music therapy in managing chronic pain
• Does musical therapy help depression?
• Does music reduce anxiety levels?
• Is music therapy better than traditional medicine?

History of Music Essay Topics

If you love analytical essays and prefer to see the bigger picture, you can always write a music description essay. Below you can find some of the most interesting topics for the history of music essay.

• The Significance of natural instruments in music production and performance
• Tracing the historical development of Western music theory
• How electronic music traces its roots back to classical music
• How the music industry evolved from sheet music to streaming services
• How modern producers relate to classical composers
• The Origins and Influence of Jazz Music
• How folk music saved the Stories of unnamed heroes
• Do we know what the music of ancient civilizations sounded like?
• Where does your favorite bandstand in the line of music evolve?
• The Influence of African American Music on modern pop culture

Benefits of Music Essay Topics

If you are someone who wonders what are some of the values that music brings to our daily life, you should write the benefits of music essay. The music essay titles below can inspire you to write a captivating essay:

• How music can be used to promote cultural awareness and understanding
• The benefits of music education in promoting creativity and innovation
• The social benefits of participating in music groups
• The Impact of Music on Memory and Learning
• The cognitive benefits of music education in early childhood development
• The effects of music on mood and behavior
• How learning to play an instrument improves cognitive functions.
• How music connects people distanced by thousands of miles
• The benefits of listening to music while exercising
• How music can express the feelings words fail to do so 

Music Analysis Essay Example

Reading other people's papers is a great way to scale yours. There are many music essay examples, but the one crafted by our expert writers stands out in every possible way. You can learn what a great thesis statement looks like, how to write an engaging introduction, and what comprehensive body paragraphs should look like. 

Click on the sample below to see the music analysis essay example. 

How to Write a Music Essay with Steps

Writing music essays is definitely not rocket science, so don't be afraid. It's just like writing any other paper, and a music essay outline looks like any other essay structure.

• Start by choosing a music essay topic. You can use our list above to get inspired. Choose a topic about music that feels more relevant and less researched so you can add brand-new insights. As we discussed, your music essay can be just about anything; it can be a concert report or an analytical paper about the evolution of music.
• Continue by researching the topic. Gather all the relevant materials and information for your essay on music and start taking notes. You can use these notes as building blocks for the paper. Be prepared; even for short essays, you may need to read books and long articles.
• Once you have all the necessary information, the ideas in your head will start to take shape. The next step is to develop a thesis statement out of all the ideas you have in your head. A thesis statement is a must as it informs readers what the entire music essay is about. Don't be afraid to be bold in your statement; new outlooks are always appreciated.
• Next, you'll need a music essay introduction. Here you introduce the readers to the context and background information about the research topic. It should be clear, brief, and engaging. You should set the tone of your essay from the very beginning. Don't forget the introduction is where the thesis statement goes.
• One of the most important parts of essay writing is crafting a central body paragraph about music. This is where you elaborate on your thesis, make main points, and support them with the evidence you gathered beforehand. Remember, your music essay should be well structured and depict a clear picture of your ideas.
• Next, you will need to come up with an ideal closing paragraph. Here you will need to once again revisit the main points in your music essay, restate them in a logical manner and give the readers your final thoughts.
• Don't forget to proofread your college essay. Whether you write a long or short essay on music, there will be grammatical and factual errors. Revise and look through your writing with a critical mind. You may find that some parts need rewriting.

Key Takeaways

Music essays are a pleasure to write and read. There are so many topics and themes to choose from, and if you follow our How to Write a Music Essay guide, you are guaranteed to craft a top-notch essay every time.

Be bold when selecting a subject even when unsure what is research essay topic on music, take the writing process easy, follow the academic standards, and you are good to go. Use our music essay sample to challenge yourself and write a professional paper. 

If you feel stuck and have no time our team of expert writers is always ready to give you help from all subject ( medical school personal statement school help ). Visit our website, submit your ' write my research paper ' request and a guaranteed A+ essay will be on your way in just one click.

Need Help in Writing an Impressive Paper?

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FAQs on Writing a Music Essay

Though music essay writing is not the hardest job on the planet, there are still some questions that often pop up. Now that you have a writing guide and a list of essay topics about music, it's time to address the remaining inquiries. Keep reading to find the answers to the frequently asked questions. 

Should Artists' Music be Used in Advertising?

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My Favorite Musical Instrument: The Guitar Essay

Introduction, construction.

When one mentions the words musical instrument, then what comes in any person’s mind is sound. Sound may be defined as the mechanical vibrations which are transmitted by an elastic medium or the part of a transmitted signal which is audible. Guitar is one of these instruments and it has been there for along time. We have various types of guitars having different sounds. The most common are the classical, or nylon string, and the folk which has steel string. Each produces a unique sound depending on the materials from which the strings are made and their bodies’ composition, as well as the air between them.

A guitar has six strings tied taught and are placed over a hollow large body to resonate the sounds. The strings have open notes of E 2 , A 2 , D 3 , G 3 , B 3 , and E 4 , with the corresponding frequencies of 82 Hz, 110 Hz, 147 Hz, 196 Hz, 247 Hz, 330 Hz respectively (Zachary, 1991). The frequencies listed are a representation of the root tone of each string. A guitar sounds as it does because of the overlay of various frequencies on individual string, or the overtones which are present. These overtones’ pattern and their strengths make a guitar produce different sound from other stringed instruments. The guitar also has a top plate which is usually made of spruce or a light, springy wood, about 2.5 mm thick. Inside the plate we have a series of braces which strengthen the plate and affect the vibrations of the top plate. The back plate is of much less importance musically for most frequencies. This is because it is normally held against the player’s body.

When the strings are plucked, they produce mechanical vibrations which give sound that is transferred into the guitar’s body. The vibrations produced by a guitar are known as standing waves since the strings are fixed at both ends. These waves do satisfy the relationship that exists between wavelength and frequency that originates from definition of waves where v is the wave’s velocity, f is its frequency and lambda is the wavelength (Arthur, 1990). Due to these vibrations, internal resonance is setup in the air chamber which is made by the body and causes the face plate and back plate to vibrate. These vibrations produce compressions and rarefactions which are high pressure zones and low-pressure zones respectively. Our ear interprets compression waves in the air as sound. At any given point in the air, which is near the source of sound, the molecules move backward and forward resulting in the air pressure varying up and down by small amounts.

The principal role of the body is to transmit the bridge’s vibration into the vibration of the air which is around it. Thus, it needs a large surface area to enable it push reasonable amount of air backward and forward. The top plate is made in a manner to allow it to vibrate up and down comparatively easily. The air inside the body is very important for the low range on the instrument. It can vibrate like the air in a bottle when blown across the top. When you sing a note lying between F#2 and A2 (depending on the type of guitar) while you are placing your ear near the sound hole, you will hear the air in the body resonating. This is referred to as the Helmholtz resonance and is as result of the air at the sound hole oscillating, enabled by the springiness nature of the air found inside the body. The effect of this resonance may also be experienced by one playing the A string open and as it is sounds, a piece of cardboard is moved back and forth across the sound hole. It is observed that the resonance stops or shifts to a lower frequency. When you close up the hole, you will notice the loss of bass response in the sound given out. The air inside is coupled to the lowest resonance of the top plate effectively. As a unit they do give a strong resonance at approximately an octave higher than the main air resonance. To some extent the air also couples the movement of the top and back plates. For an electric guitar, pick-ups which employ the principle of magnetic induction in relaying sound are used. The pick-ups are made of small electromagnets which do allow electric current to flow through them. They are situated closely to the strings hence induce north and south poles on the strings. They do convert motion energy into electrical energy. Plucking a string makes it oscillate or move in a wave-line manner which does affect the surrounding o f the pick-up thus causing a change in magnetic field (Neville & Thomas, 1998). These fluctuations in the magnetic field are relayed through the wires which are connecting the pick-up to the output jack. This is then transmitted to the amplifier which then sends them to the speaker which converts from electrical energy to sound energy (George, 1990).

In conclusion, musical instruments do have different constructions and designs. However, they share one thing in common which is to produce organized sound pleasant to the ear. Most sources of sound produce different frequencies or several notes at the same time. For a good musical instrument, these notes are mixed at an organized pattern to produce music, and this is clearly experienced in a guitar which is my favorite instrument.

Arthur, H. B. (1990). Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics. New York: Dover Publications.

George, B. (1990). Making Stringed Instruments: A workshop Guide. New York: Sterling Publications.

Neville, H. F., Thomas, D. R. (1998). The Physics of Musical Instruments . New York: Springer Verlag.

Zachary, T. R. (1991). Making Early Stringed Instruments. New York: Bold Strummer.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 31). My Favorite Musical Instrument: The Guitar. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-favorite-musical-instrument-the-guitar/

"My Favorite Musical Instrument: The Guitar." IvyPanda , 31 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/my-favorite-musical-instrument-the-guitar/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'My Favorite Musical Instrument: The Guitar'. 31 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "My Favorite Musical Instrument: The Guitar." October 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-favorite-musical-instrument-the-guitar/.

1. IvyPanda . "My Favorite Musical Instrument: The Guitar." October 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-favorite-musical-instrument-the-guitar/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "My Favorite Musical Instrument: The Guitar." October 31, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-favorite-musical-instrument-the-guitar/.

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IELTS Speaking: Musical Instruments Questions and Answers

It is possible to be asked about musical instruments in all parts of the IELTS speaking test. Below are some questions which mostly appear in part 1 but questions 4 to 5 can appear in part 1 and part 3. Two model answers are given below as well. This is topic currently being used in 2017.

You can vocabulary for types of musical instruments here: Musical Instruments Word List

Questions: IELTS Speaking Musical Instruments Topics

Check some possible questions for this topic:

• Did you ever learn a musical instrument as a child?
• If you could learn a musical instrument, what would you choose?
• If you had a child, what musical instrument would you encourage him/her to play?
• What traditional instruments are there in your country?
• Do you think traditional musical instruments have a place in modern society?
• How do you think traditional music could be made more popular?

Sample Answers for Part 1

Q. Did you ever learn a musical instrument as a child?

A. No, I didn’t but I always wish I had. If I had had the chance, I would have learned the guitar. The problem was that my parents thought it was more important to focus on school work than learn to play an instrument.

Q. If you could learn to play any musical instrument, what would you choose?

A. I think I’d probably go for the violin. It’s such a beautiful stringed instrument and I think the music that can be played on it, can be really haunting and moving. Yes, I’d definitely choose that one.

Sample Answer for Part 3

Do you think traditional instruments have a place in modern society?

Absolutely yes. Traditional instruments are part of our heritage and our identity. I believe that all school children should have the opportunity to learn to play one of them a part of their music lessons. For example, the tabla, which is like a pair of wooden hand drums, is a traditional instrument in our country and is part of most traditional songs. So, learning it would enable children to appreciate their country’s musical history more.

Recommended for IELTS Speaking:

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Hello Liz, How are you doing? Could you guide me? Since this Covid pandemic, my IELTS preparation classes have been discontinued. So I refer to online sites like yours for my preparation. My exam was scheduled on 10th August after constant postponement. It was sudden and I was not confident with my speaking part. During my speaking test, I performed badly in part 2. I was not able to talk for 2 minutes. I stuttered and talked gibberish. I got nervous. Fortunately part 1 and 3 was good for me. The LRW modules were great as I did well. But I am afraid I might score less than 6.5 in speaking. What do you think?

I think you should relax. Why would talking gibberish affect your score in a big way anyway? IELTS speaking is an informal test, your aim is to chat, not to produce high level ideas. In fact, the ideas you relate and your task response is not even marked in IELTS Speaking. Coherence is part of the scoring, but your concept of “talking gibberish” might have been reasonably coherent with some good examples of language. For example “talk gibberish” is an extremely high band score expression. You might be judging yourself too harshly. So, my advice to you is relax, don’t worry and wait for your results. We cannot predict your score anyway without analysing the whole test. I will keep my fingers crossed that your results are better than you expect. Let me know when they arrive 🙂

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Sorry, I don’t offer any private lessons at present. All the best Liz

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Musical Instruments Question and Answers

Find band 9 sample answers to the IELTS Speaking part 1 questions about musical instruments.

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About the article

In this document, you will find sample answers to the IELTS Speaking part 1 questions about musical instruments. It is not difficult to get a band 9 score on the IELTS Speaking test, use descriptive words, and idioms, and be clear in your conversation.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Musical Instruments Question and Answers 

1. Which instrument do you like listening to the most? [Why?]

I primarily enjoy piano sounds. The sound a piano makes is so lovely and melodic. It calms my ears and renews my spirit. The guitar, which is frequently used in most music genres, is possibly my second-favorite musical instrument.

2. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument? [Which one?]

I previously made an effort to get better at playing the guitar. Even though I was admitted to a music school to learn how to play the guitar, I was unable to complete the entire program. I can play some simple guitar chords and melodies, but I'm not a very good player.

3. Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument at school? [Why/Why not?]

I think schools should have resources for students who are interested in learning to sing and play an instrument, but it shouldn't be required of everyone. A student in school should be given the option to learn something if they are passionate about doing so.

4. How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher? [Why?]

Today, it is a little bit simpler to learn to play a musical instrument like a guitar or a drum without the direct supervision of a mentor thanks to online courses and interactive video tutorials. Earlier, I believe it was practically impossible before the internet. However, having an instructor is also helpful because s/he encourages learning and can serve as a role model for developing musical instrument mastery.

5. What kinds of music do you like to listen to?

My musical preferences range greatly from classical to contemporary EDM. However, if Korean pop is regarded as a genre of music, then yes, it is my all-time favorite. I have more than half of Korean songs on my playlist, and I constantly keep up with news on Korean entertainment.

6. Have you ever been to a concert before?

Despite my love for music, I haven't had the opportunity to go to a performance because I can't afford the expensive concert tickets for my favorite musician. I can't afford a ticket because I'm a student and always on a tight budget. But if I had a chance, I would surely like to attend a Coldplay concert.

IELTS Vocabulary on Music and Musical Instruments 

You can memorise this list of vocabulary words explained in the video and use them when talking about music and musical instruments in IELTS Speaking part 1 musical instrument questions, IELTS speaking part 2, IELTS speaking part 3 and IELTS essay on music and musical instruments. These words will help you score high in IELTS speaking tests and also make your IELTS essay rich with high range vocabulary words.

The video delves deeper on the vocabulary list helping you build upon your lexical resources in an effective and productive manner. Touching upon the derivation or origin of a word, which is known as the etymology of a word, video entails how learning one word root can help predict and recall the meaning of several other terms.  You also learn about other terms that have the same root word which are: 

• musicality 

Then you learn names of few musical instruments and people who play them:

• piano 

After that the video entails some miscellaneous lexical terminologies such as 

• instrumental music

Furthermore, the video elaborates on some key terms that could be deployed while tending to questions or speech. Furthermore, the learnt vocabulary is then used to answer a few sample questions asked in the IELTS speaking test. 

You can find more IELTS Speaking part 1 questions with model answers, IELTS Speaking Part 2 and Part 3 questions with model answers. These questions have been shared by our students over years who appear in the IELTS exams. The answers are written by our teachers as samples of band 9 answers. We also offer courses to help students prepare for the IELTS exam. 

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IELTS SPEAKING PART 1: MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?  

(Answer 1)  

Yes, I tried learning how to play the guitar when I was in grade school, but for some reason, I stopped it. I guess I wasn’t so invested in learning the guitar, then. Therefore, I didn’t develop skills in playing the guitar.   

(Answer 2)  

Yes, and I can actually play the piano. I also tried learning other musical instruments but I didn’t spend so much time learning them the way I spent a lot of time learning the piano. Well, these days, I’ve been teaching kids how to play the piano as my side hustle and I couldn’t be happier (to be very happy) .     

Is music an important subject at school in your country?  

Yes, it is. Music is actually a part of the curriculum in the basic education. So, all kids have to learn music, and they have the freedom to choose the type of instrument to learn. When I was a kid, I chose to learn the guitar.   

I believe so because all graders have to study music. I mean, a music subject is taught in grade school. I studied that subject when I was in Grade 4 until Grade 6. I learned how to read musical notes, compose songs, and of course, play a musical instrument. That was really fun!  

Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument at school?  

For me, it shouldn’t be necessary. I mean, teachers can encourage their students to learn how to play a musical instrument, especially those who have the talent but it shouldn’t be mandatory (compulsory) . Instead, teachers should understand the skills of their students and do their best to give them an activity that can develop their skills fully. If their students have no interest in music but are interested in sports, then they should make them learn sports instead.  

Well, I think they should because it can help them learn so many things that are important in life such as memorization since they need to remember musical notes; patience as they need to spend a lot of time practicing; creativity because they will learn how to make their own music; confidence as they have to perform in front of people; and many more. I believe learning a musical instrument at school is really beneficial.   

Do you think music education is important to children?  

Well, even though I said that it’s not necessary for children to learn how to play a musical instrument at school, I think learning music is important. It is because music can cultivate children’s creativity. Not only that, music can help children develop social skills and confidence.   

Of course! With all the benefits that I mentioned earlier upon learning how to play a musical instrument, I must say that music education is really important to children. As we know, music helps us relieve stress and helps us express the things that we can’t easily express. So, when children learn about music, they will be able to communicate their emotions better and that will only make them feel good about themselves.     

Study the recent topic questions about HELPING OTHERS so you can provide better answers in the IELTS Speaking Part 1 exam.

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Author, Band 9.0 Achiever (First Attempt - IELTS Speaking)

Hi students! My name is Julius. I am the author of this IELTS website. I am a non-native English speaker who achieved the highest band score (band 9.0) on the IELTS speaking test on my first attempt. I graduated with a degree in Communication Arts from Cebu Normal University, one of the prestigious state universities in the Philippines. I am a licensed teacher and TESOL-certified. I once worked at a UK-based company teaching business English to Japanese businessmen who primarily work at Nikkei, a popular media company in Japan. I created this website to help you all achieve your desired band scores so you will waste so much money, time, and effort for retaking the exam numerous times. All of the sample answers I provided on this website are a product of my experience as a band 9.0 achiever and an experienced IELTS speaking coach. I've made sure that all of the sample answers are developed in a conversational and natural way because that is how I achieved a crisp band 9.0. Be one of the many students who achieved their target band scores by utilizing this website as one of the learning resources!

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Blog > Essay Advice , Personal Statement > How to Write a Great College Essay About Music (with examples)

How to Write a Great College Essay About Music (with examples)

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Alex McNeil, MA Admissions Consultant

Key Takeaway

Ask any admissions officer if they’ve read a college essay about music, and they’ll definitely say yes. Between music extracurriculars and academic interests in music, it’s is one of the most common college essay topics.

So does that mean that you shouldn’t write your college essay about music?

Not necessarily. But as with any common college essay topic, some approaches are better than others.

Let’s get into it.

Why you should (and shouldn’t) write your Common App essay about music

As we explained in our Stanford Items exercise , writing your college essay on a common topic isn’t off-limits. In fact, most college essays share common topics and themes. Trying to find a completely unique, never-been-done-before topic is almost impossible. And writing about a quirky topic in hopes of coming across as unique usually backfires.

In other words, it’s likely that you’ll write about the same topic as someone else.

The problem arises, however, when you write about a common topic in a cliche way . Cliches are always a danger in college essays, but in especially college essay topics that tend to surface again and again.

To avoid cliches, your college essay about music needs to be deeply personal, specific, and meaningful. You’ll want to let go of any over-generalizations or truisms and focus on the details of your own story.

Because you’ll need to write meaningfully and vulnerably, you should only write your college essay about music if you have something genuine and significant to say.

The Best Ways to Approach Your College Essay about Music

College essays about music aren’t off the table, but you should be thoughtful in how you write about them. The following two approaches will help you avoid cliches and find an authentic, meaningful story that fulfills all the requirements of a personal statement .

Writing about music as an academic interest

If you’re interested in studying music in college, then you can consider writing your college essay about music as an academic interest. A college essay about your academic interest in music can show fantastic intellectual fit with a school.

Let’s say you want to study music theory or composition. You might write about a topic you find compelling, a problem you’ve solved, or even a recounting of your journey becoming interested in the subject.

Or maybe you’re an aspiring performer planning on studying music performance. As an admissions officer, I read outstanding essays about students performing their favorite pieces, creating emotional music projects, and teaching lessons to young children.

No matter your topic, your goal with this approach is to show an intellectual spark, a curiosity and passion that will demonstrate to your admissions officers that you’ll be a great addition to the music community on their campuses.

Writing poignantly about a deeply meaningful extracurricular

The previous approach is great if you want to study music, but what if music is just an extracurricular passion of yours? Don’t worry—you can still write about it.

In that case, the best way is to focus on meaning. Remember: personal statements should be deeply-meaningful reflections on your personal strengths.

To start, reflect on your music extracurricular. Is it playing guitar in a band? Playing trombone in your school’s symphony? Learning piano from your grandma? How your love of poetry turned into a love of songwriting?

Next, think about what strengths you have to showcase. If you play guitar in a band, maybe you want to highlight your collaborative spirit. If you love poetry and songwriting, perhaps you focus on your creativity.

Writing about your love of music in a way that draws upon your strengths will make sure that your Common App essay avoids the following two approaches and gives admissions officers a reason to admit you.

Approaches to Avoid

While the following two approaches aren’t necessarily bad, they are the most cliche ways of approaching a college essay about music. You might want to consider avoiding them.

An inauthentic tale of triumph

Let me tell you a cliche story.

When I was in fourth grade, I decided to join the school orchestra. I found it exceedingly difficult at first. No matter how hard I tried, I never could seem to place my fingers correctly on the fingerboard. Every sound I made mimicked a screeching cat. But I decided not to give up. I practiced every day after school and on the weekends. By the time I was in ninth grade, I had made it into my high school’s top orchestra.

Is that a lovely story? Yes, absolutely. Is it hearty enough for a college essay? No. While it tells a good narrative of growth and progress, it remains on the surface of the writer’s life. It comes across as a convenient way to brag about your strengths instead of exploring them in a genuine way. In this example, the story also focuses on events that happened way too far in the past.

A song that changed your life

This approach is by far the most common cliche in college essays about music. We’ve all been there: a favorite song that transports you to a moment in your life whenever you hear it. It makes sense that you’d want to write about yours.

But there’s a problem with this approach. Too often, it reads as trite or unoriginal, and the end result usually doesn’t say much about the writer. And when it does, the message an admissions officer gets doesn’t typically give them any more reason to admit you. Since you want your college essay to be meaningful, even vulnerable, and strengths-based, you’re better off choosing another topic that better speaks to who you are.

Key Takeaways + Examples

College essays about music aren’t for everyone. But when you get it right, you can strike the perfect chord with admissions officers (you’re welcome for the pun).

As you go, dig deep, find something genuinely personal, and try to avoid the most common and cliche ways of approaching the topic.

Want to see some examples of college essays about music before you get started? Check out our examples, The Time Machine and The Band .

Liked that? Try this next.

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children should learn to play musical instruments. do you agree or disagree

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Fully explain your ideas

To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

• Paragraph 1 - Introduction
• Sentence 1 - Background statement
• Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
• Sentence 3 - Thesis
• Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
• Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2 - Example
• Sentence 3 - Discussion
• Sentence 4 - Conclusion
• Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
• Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
• Sentence 1 - Summary
• Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
• Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

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