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MU 101: History of Jazz-Fumasoli

Welcome

Welcome MU 101

Use this guide to find helpful sources for your research paper. The types of materials in this guide include:

  • Background Sources: online or in print, these include encyclopedias and dictionaries. 
  • Books: search for print an electronic books in the library catalog
  • Articles: search for scholarly or popular articles (such as newspaper or magazine articles) in library databases

Research Librarians are here to help you with your assignment so please contact us should you need any assistance. You can contact us via instant message, email, text us at (203) 295-7542, or schedule an individual research appointment. Additional information about library hours, citation help, etc. is located on the library home page.

Final Research Paper

Jazz Memoire Book List and Paper Assignment

Assignment: write an 8-10 page research paper analyzing your chosen book
DON'T RETELL THE STORY!!

Guidelines:

1. Read the book and take notes on key information that you can use to expand upon. Concentrate on the main characters and their connections to a life in jazz. Include musical, social, racial, socio-economic and gender issues that are raised in the text.

2. Paper structure:

  • Introductory paragraph: briefly describe the book
  • Body: Develop the paper by using examples from the text. Then, link the period of the main character's life to your research on that specific era of jazz. How does the context of that era connect to the life and career of the book's subject? Provide outside research on the genre and time period of the artist - such as Dixieland, Swing, Bop, Cool, Fusion, etc. 
  • Conclusion: Conclude with what you learned from the book and what it can teach us about American culture. 

3. Proofread your work - ALWAYS - Never hand in a rough draft...

4. Cite your references, illuminate your points, use outside sources for research (at least 3.)

Grading Criteria:

DON'T RETELL THE STORY! EVER!

  • Critical Analysis and Oversight 70%
  • Organization 20%
  • Use of outside research 10%
  • Students who simply retell the story risk receiving a D or an F.

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