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Jackson Sirmans

Professor Gardiakos

ENC 1102

February 2023

Research Proposal

Purpose:

When brainstorming a topic to write about for a research paper I had a tough time

pinpointing a set topic with the variety of nerdy interests I have. When we first were put into

groups to begin discussing our interests for this project, I found that it was quite hard to hear

what the other people in my group were saying. This instance made the gears start turning as I

wondered if it was just me who was having this issue or if they were speaking quietly. After

finding that it was a me problem and that they could hear each other fine, I knew exactly what

to dive into.

I have recently dedicated a lot of my personal time toward the UCF gameday bands that

play for the various sporting events and found that being within that community has some

personal costs. Typically, I wear my Apple Watch to games which has a feature that warns the

user about dangerous volumes they are exposed to and every game I have ever played, I have

received a notification alerting me of high decibel levels. My friends who are usually beside me

also wear watches receive similar warnings and I wondered if they struggle with same issues.

Potential hearing loss is not the only costly part of being in the community, there are also large
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time commitments and a level of knowledge of the genre of music required to be a functioning

member. I want to really dig into what it takes to be a part of the Gameday Band community

and what it can take from a member.

Methods:

In order to gather relevant information, I am planning on compiling both quantitative

data and qualitative data including scientific information regarding safe hearing and conducting

two or three interviews with members within the community. I considered using surveys to get

a larger number of responses, but the questions can only be so specific, which would lead to

unusable information. Focusing on a few individuals willing to participate will allow me to ask

more specific questions that provide for more than just a yes or no answer. The task of

producing questions that are not biased toward a specific point may be the most challenging

task of this part of my research as finding subjects to participate in the interviews are in large

supply.

I also plan to include the research article “Tinnitus Severity Is Related to the Sound

Exposure of Symphony Orchestra Musicians Independently of Hearing Impairment” by Jesper

Hvass Schmidt, Helene Paarup, and Jesper Baelum to further develop my point of hearing loss.

Their article focuses on the severity of sound exposure within orchestras and has a graphic

within it that I would like to include regarding different instruments and their levels of

exposure. When developing the idea of a discourse community and applying it to the UCF

Gameday Bands I plan to reference James Porter’s work “Intertextuality and the Discourse
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Community.” These articles will exemplify what it means to be a part of the community and

what the cost of being a part of it really is.

Discussion and Implications:

The UCF Gameday bands have a vast community surrounding them and most people

who attend sporting events are aware of the bands. What people who are not within the bands

may not know is the full commitment a member has to abide by. They may not know what a

member experiences during their time in the group and the sacrifices they have to make to be a

part of it all. There is a lack of awareness towards the sound exposure and it’s danger towards

hearing loss that needs to light shone on it.

Without a background in music most audiences wouldn’t have a full appreciation for the

work that goes into being a part of a band of this caliber. The question of whether it’s worth it

to be a part of the community is also floating around the topic which is up to the audience to

determine once they have a better understanding of how exactly the bands function. Analyzing

the pros and cons of being a member of the community is imperative to making said

determination. With that being said, the title of my research paper will be “UCF Gameday Band:

The Personal Cost of Being a Member of the Discourse Community”.