For my paper, I chose a topic that directly effects me and my future as a musician, the categorization of a useless job. Many people think that there are jobs that are more or less important in society. Recently, musicians have gotten the short straw when it comes to jobs and job security. With the many articles I've read and the people I have talked to, it seems to me that a lot of people think that being a professional musician is a useless job. My intended audience are people who believe that being a musician does nothing to benefit society. I chose an article from the Los Angeles times as my secondary source for thispaper. I believe that is it a credible source because large scale publications like the Los Angeles Times cannot risk a bad publication or else they face repercussions.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/21/news/la-heb-mental-benefits-music-lessons-20120821
In this article, it is explained how music lessons at an early age help improve mental function later in life. This article is backed by evidence from the Journal of Neuroscience. I think the intended audience for this article are the people who believe that music does nothing to benefit society. The source used is very reputable and I believe anyone reading if would believe it simply because it is the Journal of Neuroscience! As a newspaper, they obviously report on other events, but arts are a very big part of the Los Angeles culture which is why I think they chose to report on something like this.
A skeptical reader might ask why the study groups were not equal in size? They might also ask what else could give a person the same outcome of increased mental capacity other than music?
What else could a skeptical reader say about this article?
Healy, Melissa. "Mental Benefits of Music Lessons Echo Years after Practice Ends." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2012. <http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/21/news/la-heb-mental-benefits-music-lessons-20120821>.
Awesome idea for your argument of definition essay! I took a music class last year because I have never played an instrument before and I was so eager to learn. It was so interesting to learn all the different instruments and notes that music had to offer. I think your idea of "the categorization of a useless job" is perfect because people that do not understand where you are coming from can learn more about the statistics and research you will find about musicians. The source of LA Times is also great because it is reliable and show credibility throughout your essay. Good luck, awesome start!
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