Ornette Coleman (1930-2015): Fort Worth, saxophonist, avant-garde jazz
I. The purpose of this assignment is to research and learn about Texas musicians who by their artistry make Texas music unique. The list of artists (see the musician file in this module) runs the gamut from obscure to popular. The vast list highlights musicians of swing, jazz, country, hip-hop, gospel, folk, blues, rock and roll, and even an accordion artist.
2. This must be in your own words and the assignment should be grammatically correct. Follow all the instructions.
II. Sources:
1. Select at least two credible research sources. If you are unsure if your source is credible, please ask me.
2. Do not use these websites for your research sources: Wikipedia, thestickfacts.com, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, sunsigns.org, thefamouspeople.com, Spotify, IMDb, or blogs. A note about Wikipedia: because anyone can edit a Wikipedia entry, it is not considered to be a credible research source.
3. When looking for sources, get creative. Start with a Google search and scroll down the page for a variety of sources. Obituaries are also good sources.
4. Albums, books, and movie titles are italicized. Song titles are in quotations.
III. When researching, here are just a few question examples:
1. Hey Google, what instrument(s) do they play? Were they only a vocalist?
2. Did they act in television, film, or even Broadway? Give details.
3. Did they play in a band?
4. Were any of their albums one of the top-grossing albums of all time?
5. If they were in one of the American wars, which one and which branch of the service?
6. Did they inspire other musicians? If so, who and how?
IV. Citations:
1. Parenthetically cite ALL of your facts, and at the end of the assignment include the name of the web source and the web address.
2. Parenthetical citation example: On many Saturday evenings, Elton John likes to take his children out for pizza (theguardian.com). Notice that the period is at the end of the parenthetical citation and not at the end of the sentence.
3. -20 points for not parenthetically citing your facts.
4 a. What needs a citation?: All direct quotations require a citation. For example: In Glen Campbell’s obituary, the author noted, “In 2011 Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, after which the album Ghost on the Canvas was released and he made a farewell tour of North America and Europe” (theguardian.com). At the end of your paper, include the actual web link for all sources.
4 b. Facts that are not a direct quotation require a citation. Glen Campbell’s received his first Academy Award nomination for the theme song in the 1969 film True Grit (wideopencountry.com). At the end of your paper, include the actual web link for all sources.
V. Artist category:
Select ONE artist from the provided list (Texas Musicians list) who is from a genre that you do not listen to. For example, if you listen to Country Music but not jazz or rock-n-roll, perhaps select a jazz musician or a rock-n-roll musician. Step out of your music “comfort zone!” The purpose is to learn about a new musical artist and perhaps grow your playlist. Do not select an artist who is currently on your playlist.
VI. The questions (prompts): Number each of the answers/paragraphs. -5 points for not numbering the answers.
1. 1st Paragraph (50 points):
IMPORTANT: Your first paragraphs (or paragraphs 1a, 1b, 1c, etc…) will have NUMEROUS parenthetical citations. EACH fact requires a parenthetical citation.
a. If you find that your first paragraph is rather long, you may divide it into two paragraphs. For two paragraphs, please label them as 1a. and 1b.
b. For each of these prompts, you will conduct research about the artist you select. Next, in your own words, write a biography about the selected artist. Include their full name and if they have a nickname, where they were born, date of birth and if they are dead, their date of death, and their music genre.
c. What instrument(s) do they play? Are they a vocalist? Are they in a band or did they appear on a television variety show? Did they receive any awards, and if so, which ones? Did they perform on Broadway?
Important: for the first question, you must include what instrument(s) they play, and if they are a singer or songwriter (or both).
d. Next, include any other facts that you find interesting about the musician. Did she/he excel in sports or have an amazing art collection? Include the name of the website and web address from your research. To reiterate, do not use Wikipedia, IMDb, Spotify, or blogs for your research.
e. When writing about the artist, please do not refer to them by their first name only. Doing so suggests a personal relationship with the artist. Here is an example of using their name in the essay: Joni Mitchell’s album Blue made NPR’s prestigious list of the 150 greatest albums made by women (theatlantic.com/JoniMitchell). In the recent film CODA about children of deaf parents, it was moving to watch the main character sing Mitchell’s iconic song “Both Sides Now.”
2. 2nd Paragraph (15 points): After the biography, 1. is there anything in particular that you liked or perhaps disliked about the artist? Give specific answers. 2. Now that you completed the research for the artist, will you add them to your playlist? Why or why not?
3. 3rd Paragraph (15 points): Now that you completed your research, how did the musician uniquely contribute to Texas music? Did they inspire other musicians and if so, how? This should be a minimum of four sentences.
Here is an example: The musician Billy Ray Cyrus lamented the passing of Glen Campbell. Cyrus explained that Campbell was a huge influence on his music and career, and before Cyrus was famous, he studied Campbell’s writing style and songs (cowboysindians.com).
4. 4th paragraph (10 points): Last, go to YouTube or another music streaming website and listen to a song or three of the artists. Attach a link to the song to your assignment. Give the artist’s name, song title, and when it was published. If it’s an MTV video, concert, etc.…, tell me about it. Did you like or dislike the song you selected? Why or why not?
VII. Works cited (10 points):
1. The last page is a Works Cited page. This is a list of all the sources that you used/referenced in your paper. Include the YouTube or streaming website on the works cited page.
2. There should be a minimum of three research sources on the Works Cited page.
3. You may use MLA, APA, or the Chicago Manual of Style for the Works Cited page.
VIII. Deductions:
1. syntax: numerous syntax errors could be the difference between an A and a B on this assignment. For example, if I see “texas” or other glaring syntax errors, it’s clear that the assignment wasn’t proofread. Proofreading tools catch errors such as “denton”, “i believe”, etc…
2. not following instructions
3. Not parenthetically citing your facts (-20). See the how-to above.
4. Number each of the answers/paragraphs. -2 points for not numbering the answers.
5. Using only one source (-15). The music video/song does not count as one of the two research sources (YouTube or streaming website).
