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Writing About Music: An Introductory Guide
Focusing on general writing issues as well as special challenges of writing about music, this practical text provides step-by-step instruction on the process of writing a paper on a musical topic.
160 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1989
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March 14, 2019
The definitive book for writing about music. An extremely useful guide to writing academically within the field. The book covers some simple/general writing and English rules, but the real meat of this book lies in the music-specific portions. This book helpfully covers:
- How to cite scores, music journals, and discographies
- Introduces how to approach the research portion (covers the importance of the New Grove!)
- Gives a good outline of how to write in Chicago-format, the accepted citation format for music and the arts
- Discusses how to write about music specifically, in a way that sounds informed and knowledgable, using the appropriate lingo of the field
- Tips and tricks for writing beyond a research essay/analysis paper - e.g. lecture-recitals, program notes, aural analysis papers.
There are a handful of small negatives - a couple of facts in the book are either incorrect or outdated (the New Grove section that includes information about the 2nd edition seems to be wrong - I believe there's some edition-related confusion about volumes and their contents). In addition, some sections of this book read as a little excessive. The parts that cover basic grammar feel out-of-place among this generally academically advanced book...either way, they hardly detract from the book's usefulness.
Highly reccomend to anyone writing about music - it's a must-have for reference use! Also, I wanted to mention that appreciate how slim this book it is; makes it easy to transport find what you're looking for! :)
4.5 stars out of 5
- How to cite scores, music journals, and discographies
- Introduces how to approach the research portion (covers the importance of the New Grove!)
- Gives a good outline of how to write in Chicago-format, the accepted citation format for music and the arts
- Discusses how to write about music specifically, in a way that sounds informed and knowledgable, using the appropriate lingo of the field
- Tips and tricks for writing beyond a research essay/analysis paper - e.g. lecture-recitals, program notes, aural analysis papers.
There are a handful of small negatives - a couple of facts in the book are either incorrect or outdated (the New Grove section that includes information about the 2nd edition seems to be wrong - I believe there's some edition-related confusion about volumes and their contents). In addition, some sections of this book read as a little excessive. The parts that cover basic grammar feel out-of-place among this generally academically advanced book...either way, they hardly detract from the book's usefulness.
Highly reccomend to anyone writing about music - it's a must-have for reference use! Also, I wanted to mention that appreciate how slim this book it is; makes it easy to transport find what you're looking for! :)
4.5 stars out of 5
Displaying 1 of 1 review