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Essay Available:
Pages:
3 pages/≈825 words
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Subject:
Visual & Performing Arts
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
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Topic:

How the Song "God Bless America" Expresses Personal and Social Identity

Essay Instructions:

I'll just copy the instructions from the professor so it's easier to understand. doesn't have to be professional or anything, thank you!
Write a 700–1000 word essay (roughly three-four pages) discussing a particular song or composition that you feel best expresses your personal and social identity. Include a link to a recording of the example along with your essay.
Your task is to choose ONE example of music that you feel best expresses the many facets of YOU, i.e., your identity. This will prove more difficult than you think if you put some thought into it. Don't tell me what music means to you, explain how the example you have chosen represents who you are.
For example, as an American, what one example would you choose to reflect your “American” identity? Does rap define who we are? Britney Spears? Norah Jones? Rage Against the Machine? Does the music of Mozart and Beethoven represent us, even though its origin is European? How about jazz? What kind of jazz? Which composer and from what era? Defining “American” identity through one example of music is impossible, yet in this class (and others) we only have time to focus on a few examples from countries often much larger than the USA and with histories much older than our meager 225+ years of existence as a nation. Yet, through just a few music examples the spiritual beliefs, political philosophies, attitudes, and activities of many aspects of life are revealed. We are able to learn something about the people of other cultures and gain a greater understanding of “who they are.”

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Music Identity Assignment
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Music Identity Assignment
What does it mean to be American? Is it more than being an American citizen? This is a question I have often asked myself. Finding the answer to the question took me back to the aspirations of the American founding fathers. I particularly focused on the Revolutionary War between 1775 and 1783. In unison, all the US founding fathers wanted liberty. While they did not agree on the best course of action, they all wanted a form of government that would balance liberty with order, guarantee people unalienable rights, and enable them to pursue happiness. It is on the aspirations of the founding fathers that I derive the meaning of what being American entails. There are different ways individuals have expressed their American identity, and music is one of the most profound ways. One song that expresses my American identity is “God Bless America,” a patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and later revised by him in 1938. The song is available on YouTube on this link: /watch?v=oB2_j7c0d70.
“God Bless America” elicits a sense of patriotism in me. The song opens with the words, “God bless America, land that I love.” The words demonstrate to me how I love my country, America, and as a result, I am ready to defend it. Growing up, I used to hear the song on radio and television. The simplicity of the lyrics and the catchy melody caught my attention. Initially, I took it as any other entertainment song until I learned its contribution to nationalism. The song speaks on the love that I have for America. As a country founded on the belief in liberty, I am ready to ensure that the same remains. As expressed in the song, my love for America is a wake-up call to give the country the best. As an American, I am determined to give the best for my country to ensure that it continues being in the limelight of prosperity.
Additionally, the song expresses the ideology of inclusivity, which I strongly believe. The words “From the mountains to the prairies,” “To the oceans white with foam” demonstrate the author’s intent to include every part of the country, and to an extension, all the inhabitants. The need to have an inclusive country where everyone has a sense of belonging is i...
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