Write a 1500-2000-word essay about the story of a single song.
Write about the following song:
– “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens
I suggest you research your chosen song by doing the following five steps:
1. Listen to the song carefully. Listen again. On the third listen, take notes on what you hear.
2. Search for journalistic articles about the song in google. Consider looking at the sites for publications such as Rolling Stone, Billboard, the New York Times, Washington Post, the Guardian, the New Yorker, Atlantic, and NPR. There is quite a bit of journalistic writing about all four of these songs.
3. Search for older journalistic articles by searching the historic newspaper archives available through the library.
4. Read the articles you have found through your research. Take note of significant moments in the song’s history, as well as relevant songs, styles, music-cultures, and specific musicians that were sampled or were inspirations for the song.
5. Now research those additional relevant songs, styles, music-cultures, and musicians through the Music and Performing Arts Library website. Your research at this stage should include reading about and listening to relevant songs, styles, and so on. I expect you to check out Oxford Music Online for information on musical genres, instruments, and music-cultures.
