This course will introduce students to the range of ways in which we use words to describe music. It is an important enabling course both for students wishing to pursue music research, and for those wanting to develop their skills in writing for the music profession. The course analyses particular examples of such writing such as music history, analysis, ethnomusicology, journalism, program notes, blogs, educational texts, and grant applications.  As well as giving practical examples and learning opportunities in these writing modes, the course also considers some of the theoretical issues in the positioning of discourse.  Learning and teaching activities will include lectures, tutorials and the preparation of a writing portfolio.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. describe various methods for writing about music in a variety of styles
2. apply these methods to a number of specific musical cases for a variety of audiences
3. demonstrate listening and observation/participation skills to discern how to write about specific kinds of musical works and events
4. demonstrate research, analysis, discussion and writing skills through written assessment tasks

Four written assignments, each exploring a different mode of writing in music,  woven together to form a “patchwork text” (each assignment 800 words; overall text c.4500 words) [learning outcomes 1-4]

Each written assignment will recieve formative feedback before the next assignment is due

130 hours of total student learning time made up from:

a)  36 hours of contact:

1. 26 hours of lectures (one per week or intensive)
2. 10 hours of tutorial/feedback

b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing

Nil

None

A reading brick will be available to all students enrolled in this course at the start of the teaching semester. Indicative texts include:

• Bringhurst, R 2005 Elements of Typographic Style. Vancouver, Hartley.
• Feld, S 1990 Sound and Sentiment. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, U Pennsylvania Press.
• Tagg, P 1982 ‘Analysing Popular Music’. Popular Music 2: 37–65.
• Tredinnick, M 2007 The Little Red Writing Book. Sydney, NewSouth.