Full Description
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--and also 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.
Contents
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
