Gray Turley

Professor Kent
English 1020
11 March 2016
Outline:
I.

Working Title: Inspiration Beyond Words

a. My goal with this title is to convey a unique way of
exposing music, primarily country music, as an inspiration to people. I did
not want to be too blunt or direct in coming out and stating, Country
Music and its Inspiration. I want to lead the reader into the topic, rather
than come straight out with it, in order to help build keenness.

II. Working Introduction: Quotation

a. I was thinking about starting my paper off with a
quote from Plato, on music and its effects on the human mind and body. I
feel that this would be a strong way to begin the paper due to the tone and
demeanor of the quote. I was considering using Platos quote, Music is a
moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the
imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. I feel that
this will be a prevailing quote to spark this paper.

III. Working Thesis: I want to prove that country music is far more than just love, trucks, and
alcohol, but in fact, it is far deeper and more emotional than that.
a. It is not the strongest of all thesis statements;
however, I feel that this could turn into a strong thesis if I am able to
provide critical and crucial sources. I know I will need to do a little more
digging in order to prove and convey a deeper, more emotional meaning
behind country music and its hidden messages and agendas. I feel that I
may be struggling in regards to pushing and conveying the deeper
meaning of music beyond its words and lyrics.
IV: Entry One: Internet Source
a. I want to use an internet source for my first entry
due to its variety amongst different viewers and authors of websites. I
know it would be better to have a newspaper article or a different piece of
evidence, rather than a website due to it being more factually based and
less biased; however, I do feel that an internet source may not be a bad
idea due to how one can tie in many different songs and ideas, along with
how they contribute to peoples emotions and spirits.
b. I feel that if I can find an article online that can tie
in or incorporate many different songs and how they profoundly impacted
people, that it will help provide me with a stronger argument on how

music is simply far more than just words, and more specifically, country
music is more than your typical idea of: love, trucks, and alcohol.
V: Entry two: Picture/Photograph
a. For my second entry, I wanted to possibly use a

picture with a country music quote on it. I feel that this will help reach
personal levels, which you have to target in order to gain peoples
attention to your ideas or beliefs. This will provide personal affiliations
that can help make a stronger, more reflective argument/counter-argument.
Though it may not be easy to find a piece similar to what I am looking for,
this will definitely help me with my argument on how music is more
spiritual and emotional.
VI: Entry 3: Timeline of Inspirational Songs
a. For my third entry I plan on creating a timeline of inspirational songs
over the past decade to even century. I feel this would be a plus to the
overall magnitude of the essay, given the fact that it will help strengthen
my claim that music is inspirational to the mind and soul of an individual.
VII: Entry 4: Diary
a. For my fourth entry, I am planning
on writing a diary entry on how a song helped inspire me and
turned my day around. The overall goal of this entry is to convey

how much music means to me and how much help it could have on
any individual.
VIII: Entry 5: Letter to inspirational artist
a. For the fifth entry, I plan on writing a
personal letter to an artist explaining how much their work means
to me and how inspiring they prove to be beyond their musical
capabilities. This somewhat coincides with the journal entry, due to
the fact that it will help intensify my point that music in
inspirational and can sway your mood from one spectrum to the
other.