Module 2: Assignment Instructions
You'll need to read ALL of the instructions and watch the following three video clips BEFORE you can adequately address the prompt. Specific instructions on the writing prompt are in the next section.
These two shorter clips are from a documentary called Alive Inside: Music & Memory. The film explored how music affects people with degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, etc. It is incredible to watch these patients wake up from a near-vegetative state and become themselves again, just by listening to music:
Alive Inside Official Trailer 1 (2014) - Alzheimer's Documentary HD - YouTube
Sundance Film Festival (2014) - Alive Inside: A Story Of Music & Memory Featurette - Documentary HD - YouTube
This clip is also from Alive Inside. Samite Mulondo, a Ugandan musician, explains how he uses his music to calm and comfort those with traumatic incidents in their past:
Writing Prompt:
Here are the questions that I'd like for you to answer:
1. Discuss your reaction to each of the above videos. Example: Do any of these resonate with you personally (do you know anyone this program would possibly be beneficial for, etc.)? Have you ever seen music therapy have this effect with people?
2. Discuss this neurological phenomenon as best as you're able. Examples of things to think/talk about: Do you think that music could potentially function as "medicine" for patients who suffer from degenerative diseases? What about its potential benefit for those with mental illness or people who have gone through severe trauma? Does music have any major drawbacks compared to medicine?
3. Finally, I'd like to hear your opinion on the implementation of such a program on a larger scale. Example: What are the political/logistical ramifications or hurdles that would need to be addressed before such a service could be launched nationwide? Should nursing homes and other care facilities provide music to their residents if it can calm them just as effectively as medication? What do you think the reaction from the insurance industry would be?
Assignment Expectations and Grading Criteria
In order to receive full points, you must write an essay that adequately addresses each of the three prompts above. If you'd like to go beyond these prompts and discuss additional points, please feel free.
Again, please make this a prose essay with complete sentences and paragraphs.
Length requirement: at least five (5) paragraphs. FYI: a "paragraph" is traditionally defined as having at least 5 sentences.
Citations: If you do decide to draw any information from other sources in order to help support your argument, you MUST cite those sources. Please provide links to any websites you consulted or citations for any books, music, magazines, or online journals that you've drawn from. I submit your written assignments to two separate databases in order to determine if the submission is entirely yours. If it is not, and you have not provided proper citations, you will receive a 0% for the assignment in question.