Before writing the essay, you have to realize what music review means. Music review is the paper that evaluates a specific song, concert, or music event. When writing it, you have to include many aspects, such as the location, the band, the song's name, its duration and genre, and other peculiarities. On top of that, you have to describe your impression of the subject. This aspect makes the review subjective. Still, you have to remain objective and refrain from being prejudiced. Without further ado, let's proceed to the writing process.
The Topic
Depending on your professor, you might get the prompt or choose it yourself. If you are assigned the topic, make sure you understand it. Read it carefully, analyzing every single word. If you know what you are asked to write, you have completed one-third of the assignment.
In turn, if you have freedom of choice, you can write about nearly anything. However, beware of selecting the topic. Picking a complicated one, you may well be stuck in the middle of writing the paper. Therefore, ensure following these steps when choosing the topic:
If you face difficulties, you are free to turn to the teacher. They will be glad to help you choose the topic.
Get Ready To Start
The pre-writing process is an integral part of a successfully written paper. Not only does it boost the quality of your review, but also it reduces the time spent composing it. The pre-writing process comprises two essential steps that you are strongly recommended to follow:
Every discourse needs to have credible data. Without it, professors are highly unlikely to put you a satisfactory grade. When you have the topic in your hands, you should start researching it. Knowing where to find such reliable data will make you better off. Try looking for authoritative data on Google Scholar, ResearchGate, JSTOR, and similar web pages. They are entirely free and provide myriads of academic articles.
Once you have sources, you can proceed to the next step. An outline is a condensed plan of your paper that helps you stick to the paper's points. Building your essay based on such a layout makes your productivity high. Professors do not usually assign an outline. Though, it depends on the paper's volume. The more extensive the paper is, the higher the chances of getting an outline as a compulsory item to complete. Nonetheless, consider writing it anytime; it is a handy element that helps you remain organized.
Ready, Steady, Go
When you have an outline, you are ready to start writing the review. Every paper has its structure and format. If you are unsure about the structure you should follow, please ask the teacher to clarify it. Many educational institutions have rules regarding the proper structure and formatting style. And they can significantly differ from widely-accepted ones.
The following will be a typical structure for music papers. If your professor has no preferences, you are free to use this one. A music essay has the same three main components: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. "What is the difference then?" one might ask. The thing is, every section has unique subsections that you have to add to your piece. Check it out:
- Introduction
- General information about the topic (band, singer, concert, etc.)
- Name of the song, album (i.e., more specific information to help the reader get aware of the subject)
- The music genre and its quirks
- A thesis statement
- Main Part
- Topic sentence and some background
- A song examination
- Reasonable evaluation and reflection (about lyrics, instruments, etc.)
- Reliable data to support your arguments
- Brief conclusion
- Conclusion
- Thesis rephrase
- Wrap up the main points stated within the paper
- Personal opinion about the topic (preferably written in a formal style)
Editing and Proofreading
All students want to get the highest grades for their essays. However, they often receive mediocre or unsatisfactory ones. Which demoralizes them and makes them think that to write an excellent paper is impossible. Writing a perfect piece is not an easy task. But it is attainable. And editing with proofreading is two crucial elements to achieve that.
The moment you complete the first draft, put away the paper, and get back to it later. Check the visible punctuation, grammar, and lexical mistakes. Correct them. Reread it out loud once again and highlight words, phrases, or sentences that do not sound right. Do that as many times as needed to get a polished paper. A small hint: ask your friends or family members to proofread the paper. It is a good idea to have a fresh set of eyes close to you.
Besides that, we encourage you to use tools to perfect your writing. Grammarly and Thesaurus are among the best helpers when it comes to essay composition. The first app helps you get rid of your mistakes and increase the entire readability. At the same time, Thesaurus focuses on synonyms and antonyms. Using it, you will make your writing style eloquent and peerless. Both apps are free, so make sure to use them daily.