Writers about music ask questions that guide them toward analysis and interpretation. The following are some questions that would lead to topics for research papers in music:
In what ways do the symphonies of Brahms show the influence of earlier classical composers as well as the qualities of the Romantic period?
How did rock and roll develop from earlier forms of music?
How did changes in US society and mass media in the 1950s and 1960s influence the development of country music?
What techniques of music composition and instrumentation has Alison Krauss used to create her unique bluegrass sound?
What elements of blues and rock and roll does Green Day use most effectively in its hit single “September Song”?
What challenges do symphony orchestras in the United States encounter, what are the causes of those challenges, and what are some effective strategies that cities have developed or could develop to build and sustain orchestras?