Sample Music Essay On Nationalism in Music

Homework Question on Nationalism in Music

Write an essay of 800-1000 words answering the following question.

“Compare and contrast how nationalism was reflected in nineteenth-century music with how nationalism is reflected in 21st century popular American music? ”

Think about how American composers/ songwriters have responded to the US role in the world, 911 and the ongoing crisis in the middle east etc.

Site examples from the music literature to illustrate and support your assertions.

            Homework Answer on Nationalism in Music

Nationalism Reflected in Nineteenth-Century Music and Nationalism Reflected in 21st Century Popular American Music

Nationalism involves beliefs or political ideologies of individuals who can be identified or attached to their nation. Nationalists in music are basically patriots who employ the use of music to show their political positions and love for their nations. Since the traditional past, musicians have always used music to inform and educate the society on various cultural and economic issues, besides entertainment. The society has also responded positively from the past by embracing music and loving the musicians. In the American music history, various music artists have been able to intertwine nationalism in their work to reveal their political stances or their perceptions on various social and economic issues affecting their country. This essay explores the similarities and differences on how nationalism was reflected in the 19^th-century music and the 21^st-century popular American music.

The fact that 19^th and 21^st centuries are worlds apart is undeniable considering the differences in the social lives of the people between the two periods. The 19^th century was characterized by inferior societies striving to achieve political and economic developments while the 21^st century is characterized by huge developments plus high technological growth. The differences in time thus reveal that ideologies that musicians in the 19^th century shared may not be the same as those put on songs by contemporary artists. However, singing has evolved over time; as such, contemporary musicians are inspired by the traditional artists, thus there could be similarities between nationalism ideas in the 19^th and 21^st-century songs. Main similarities can be seen from the rendition and message in the songs; both artists in these periods involve singing based on feelings and they share a lot of musical instruments besides those advanced as a result of technology (Fordham University).