Research Proposal

Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER 1
Rhetoric of Rock Music: Lyrics and their impact

Parker R. Bourassa
University of Central Florida

TITLE OF YOUR PAPER 2
Background Rationale
People listen to music and enjoy it, but when you take a deeper look into the way the
artists communicate rhetorically through their lyrics, people can interpret different meanings
from the same text. In this report, I will be dissecting how people interpret the rhetoric used in
music, and the different aspects of it that give off different meanings. Not only will I be looking
into how people feel about different meanings of songs, but I will be looking into how people
feel about the Rock genre as a whole. The Primary question is: Do people feel positively or
negatively about Rock as a genre? And why or why not? And I believe the way to find these
answers is through the Rhetoric of it.

Method- Anonymous Surveys
Participants
I will post an anonymous survey online and ask people to answer it. The anonymity
should elicit more accurate results with less likelihood of people lying due to fear of judgement.
The demographics of the group I’m reaching out to is just about everybody.
Assessments and Measures
I plan on using a social media approach with the surveys being anonymous. I will either
post a poll somewhere and record responses, or create a link to something such as
surveymonkey which is even more secure.
The Survey
Included on my survey will be the following questions:
1. Do you listen to rock music?
a. Yes b. No
2. Have you ever been inspired or encouraged by it?
a. Yes b. No
3. Do you have a positive opinion on the overall genre?
a. Yes b. No
4. Have you ever made questionable decisions because of it?
a. Yes b. No
5. Do you think that lyrics in rock music are influential?
a. Yes b. No
6. Would you say rock music has overall positively impacted your life?
a. Yes b. No
Source Content-
Cutietta, R. (1986). Rock music gets a label. Music Educators Journal, 72(8), 36-38. Retrieved
February 9, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/3396657
In the source above, Rock’s current image is implied to be questionable especially through the
quote “At a time when it looked like rock and roll was finally cleaning up its image…”
Steinholt, Y. (2003). You can't rid a song of Its words: notes on the hegemony of lyrics in Russian
rock songs. Popular Music,22(1), 89-108. Retrieved February 9, 2020, from
www.jstor.org/stable/853558
In the above source, Rock’s presence in Russian culture has led it to become a type of musically
poetry in that area, resulting in being positively looked upon. The source aims to defend rock as
a viable cultural form.
Astor, P. (2010). The poetry of rock: song lyrics are not poems but the words still matter; another
look at Richard Goldstein's collection of rock lyrics. Popular Music, 29(1), 143-148. Retrieved
In the source above, Rock’s significance in culture is discussed. People debate whether or not
the genre’s lyrics are classifiable as poetry, and the source claims that it’s not definable as
poetry, but the lyrics still matter, and that the words have weight with the listener.
Binder, A. (1993). Constructing Racial Rhetoric: Media Depictions of Harm in Heavy Metal and Rap
Music. American Sociological Review, 58(6), 753-767. Retrieved February 10, 2020, from
The source above is probably my favorite because of the way it addresses the issue of social
framing, and how heavy metal (which I consider a sub-genre of rock), is depicted as glorifying
different frowned-upon behaviors such as sex and defiance of authority. The source argues that
racial demographics are the reason for each genre’s social framing.
Lunsford, A. A., Matsuda, P. K., & Tardy, C. M. (2019). EasyWriter p. 20. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martins.
Using the EasyWriter book, I was able to optimize my project for the time I have allotted for it
using the strategies listed under 1h.
Wardle, E. (2020). Writing about writing p.319-342. Boston, MA: Bedford Books St. Martins.
In Writing About Writing, I used different strategies to help me with my organization and own
personal rhetoric for this report. Page 329, number 5 under “Language, Texts, and Values”
stood out to me because it made me think again before assuming the author’s meaning, staying
strictly to the facts, and indicating when something is merely implied.
Proposal Conclusion/Hypothesis
The Rock genre overall seems to be viewed as a form of poetry by many, and others
consider it to be a big part of culture and not quite poetry, but still consider the lyrics to be
meaningful. The rhetoric, in the genre of lyricism, conveys messages of social disruption and
bad behavior to some, and to others it conveys messages relating to focusing on yourself and
not needing to rely on anybody or anything else, (primarily other people’s opinions) to be
happy.
References
Cutietta, R. (1986). Rock music gets a label. Music Educators Journal, 72(8), 36-38. Retrieved
Steinholt, Y. (2003). You can't rid a song of Its words: notes on the hegemony of lyrics in Russian
rock songs. Popular Music,22(1), 89-108. Retrieved February 9, 2020, from
Astor, P. (2010). The poetry of rock: song lyrics are not poems but the words still matter; another
look at Richard Goldstein's collection of rock lyrics. Popular Music, 29(1), 143-148. Retrieved
Binder, A. (1993). Constructing Racial Rhetoric: Media Depictions of Harm in Heavy Metal and Rap
Music. American Sociological Review, 58(6), 753-767. Retrieved February 10, 2020, from
Lunsford, A. A., Matsuda, P. K., & Tardy, C. M. (2019). EasyWriter. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
Wardle, E. (2020). Writing about writing. Boston, MA: Bedford Books St. Martins.

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Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER 1

Rhetoric of Rock Music: Lyrics and their impact

University of Central Florida

answers is through the Rhetoric of it.

Method- Anonymous Surveys

Assessments and Measures

surveymonkey which is even more secure.

Included on my survey will be the following questions:

1. Do you listen to rock music?

2. Have you ever been inspired or encouraged by it?

3. Do you have a positive opinion on the overall genre?

4. Have you ever made questionable decisions because of it?

5. Do you think that lyrics in rock music are influential?

February 9, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/3396657

rock songs. Popular Music,22(1), 89-108. Retrieved February 9, 2020, from

a viable cultural form.

February 9, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/40541482

using the strategies listed under 1h.

strictly to the facts, and indicating when something is merely implied.

February 9, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/3396657

rock songs. Popular Music,22(1), 89-108. Retrieved February 9, 2020, from

February 9, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/40541482

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