Writing in Music A Brief Guide

Writing in Music demystifies music writing conventions and methods by offering strategies for the types of writing that students most often encounter in college courses on music. The book offers guidance through the writing process and, for research assignments, through the research process. Geared for an audience of music majors and other students taking undergraduate music-major courses--as well as for master's students in music desiring more training in academic writing--Writing in Music covers the two approaches common to academic coursework in virtually all music-major programs: the study of music with a focus on its cultural and historical contexts, and the exploration of works using the tools of music analysis. Whether students want to apply a specific approach or take a broader, interdisciplinary stance, this guide prepares them to think and write about music.

Lynne Rogers is the Edward Aldwell Professor of the Techniques of Music at the Mannes School of Music at The New School.

Karen M. Bottge is Associate Professor of Music Theory at the University of Kentucky.

Sara Haefeli is Associate Professor of Music History at Ithaca College.

Preface

About the Authors

Acknowledgements

MUSICIANS AS THINKERS AND WRITERS

Chapter 1. Introduction
Genres of Writing in Music
Musicians as Researchers
The Research Process in Music

Chapter 2. Writing in the Academic Genres
Interpreting Your Assignment
Choosing a Suitable Audience
Starting to Writ
Editing and Revising
Seeking Feedback
Reflecting on the Process

HISTORY RESEARCH PAPERS

Chapter 3. Research Questions in Music History
Music Historical Questions
Getting Started: Creating a Research Question

Chapter 4. Strategies for Working with Academic Sources
Locating Sources
Evaluating Print Sources: Credibility, Relevance, and Accuracy
Organizing Sources
Reading Academic Sources
Summarizing Scholarly Writing

Chapter 5. Writing Historical Research Papers
Analysis and Interpretation
Responding to Results: Synthesis, Objection, or Discovery
Using Freewriting to Help You Discover Your Findings
Deciding on Which Evidence to Use
Drafting the Paper: Putting Your Findings in Writing
Revising Your Historical Research Paper

ANALYTICAL RESEARCH PAPERS

Chapter 6. The Research Process in Music Analysis
Selecting a Topic
Choosing a Score and/or Recording
Investigating the Topic and its Context
Formulating a Research Question in Music Analysis
Collecting Data Through Analysis
Analyzing Your Results
Interpreting Your Results

Chapter 7. Writing the Analytical Research Paper
Creating a Working Thesis and Working Outline
Drafting Your Analytical Research Paper
Writing Effective Titles
Revising the Analytical Paper
Writing Longer Analytical Research Papers

WRITING FOR THE PUBLIC

Chapter 8. Program Notes, Reviews, and Interviews
Program Notes
Concert and Media Reviews
Interviews

CONVENTIONS OF WRITING IN MUSIC

Chapter 9. Incorporating Illustrations: Musical Examples, Tables, and Figures
When to Use an Illustration
Ways to Introduce Illustrations
Where to Place Illustrations
Musical Examples
Tables
Figures
Practical Matters for Incorporating Illustrations in Formal Papers
Checklist for Musical Examples, Tables, and Figures

Chapter 10. Style
Rhetorical Conventions in Music
Practical Matters of Music Terminology
Concise Writing is Persuasive Writing
General Prose Conventions

Chapter 11. Acknowledging Sources
Respecting Your Sources
Conventions for Formatting Source Citations from The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed.
Model Music Source Citations: Print, Sound, and Online Materials

Endnotes

Bibliography

Index