CRE283H1

Writing About Music

We might assume that music, as a non-representational artform, is best experienced through listening, not through language. Yet the history of music writing reveals how the linguistic representation of music can transform the experience of listening to it. But what constitutes good music writing? How has writing about music influenced musical trends, sub-cultures, artistic movements, and technologies? This course provides students with the opportunity to explore the history of writing about music, and to engage in its practice in various forms, such as reviews, journalism, and fiction. No prior training or expertise in music is required.