Any topic (writer’s choice)

3) Genres such as enka or kay-kyoku provide interesting sites to understand cultural change in terms of musicology (how certain melodies, scales, instruments are adapted or commercialized for mass media consumption). Choose a song from either an enka or kay-kyoku and discuss its aesthetic qualities, appeal, and emotional significance.

1) Music, as a form of media, is always more than a mere assembly of notes and tones. It is inherently an interaction between people, and as such, creates certain characteristics associated with the people who listen to that music, with particular attention paid to the generation or age-group of people who constitute the main listenership. Choose a particular artist or song and discuss how that music contributes or constitutes the values, ethos, or style of a certain generation.