Update: Term Paper Subject

For anyone who cares, I sat down with the wacky prof of my Hx of the U.S. thru Music course, and we agreed to a topic for my paper. I'll be writing about why human beings seem compelled to make music, and ways in which they use music. I'm not sure that relates specifically to U.S. history, but I'll discuss ways in which groups of people have used music as a tool throughout U.S. history. Anyway, the prof agreed to it, so I guess I'm good to go. He probably gets sick of reading papers about the same topics over and over again: Elvis, big band, R&B, blah, blah, blah. These are all subjects we've covered in class and I don't want to just regurgitate the info he already gave us. It can be boring enough to write the paper in the first place, so covering some different ground might make it more tolerable.

Anyway, I've always been fascinated by why people need to make music. Is it biological? I just keep wondering why?

Thank you to everyone who responded to my desperate plea for subject ideas. I appreciate your input...it helped to inspire!!! And if any of you is dying for North Dakota tchotchke (that's really the correct spelling - I looked it up) I'll be happy to send you something.

Help!

This is an unabashed solicitation for assistance.

I'm taking a class entitled, "History of the U.S. through Music." It is a complete and utter waste of my time. The instructor is certifiable, and I'm not learning jack from the class, but I need the credit to finish up my minor so I can graduate in a month and a half.

Here's my problem: I have to write a paper for this class. And I'm absolutely clueless what to write about. I'm drawing a blank. I've got nothing. Nada. Zip.

So I am now literally begging anyone who will read this for ideas. If you had to write a paper for a class called "History of the U.S. through Music," what would you write?

I'm even willing to turn this into a contest, the winner of which will receive a coveted North Dakota trinket of some sort or another. Now who wouldn't want tourist crap from a state you'll probably never visit? A giant pencil? A snow globe? A refrigerator magnet?

Please, throw me a bone. I'm dying here.