Music criticism syllabus? (for real)

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But let's put it this way: what if somebody asked you to put together a syllabus for people who _do_ want to do serious, thoughtful and interesting writing about pop music, and don't want to develop bad habits? Actual answers only, please (not the catty dismissals of the other current thread). Note that the things on the syllabus don't have to be specifically music-related: for instance, I'd start them off with this.

― Douglas, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, some rudiments of music theory, and some rudiments of music praxis: how to play a guitar a little, how to use a sampler or ProTools a little. These seem necessary to me just so you know what you're hearing. I've heard people say "I don't need to know that," but I've never heard anyone say "I wish I didn't know that."

― Douglas, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Some sort of business/economics class focused on the record industry on various levels and over time. A history of why and how companies make the decisions that they do would be a useful thing to learn, while studies of everything from boilerplate contracts to copyright to tour economics also would help.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, a solid course on the material technics of music-as-sound — production and synthesis, amplification and modulation, broadcast and reception — and (like ned says) on the REALITY of commodification (as opposed to its superstitious demonology)

haha if i ever finish my book then they can put it on the syllabus...

― mark s, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ILM Archives on the reading list?

― david h(owie), Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd want to see certain ethical considerations addressed in the syllabus: namely, those surrounding the responsibility of the critic to maintain a certain amount of independence from the industry, including the media organs the critics work for.

― Michael Daddino, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It might also be a good idea to review the principles of interviewing.

― Michael Daddino, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Give them a good long shot with the stupid-music-taste-eraser lazer!

― A Nairn, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Two years of philosophy! Some history of philosophy, and some continental philosophy since we don't want them picking it up on the streets and giving it to whoever they talk to after they listen to dance music or Radiohead or whatever. Also an Area of Specialization certificate that they have to show to their editors before submitting such writing. Kind of like a gun permit.

Wait this was supposed to be serious but it turned out funny somehow. But I do think they should learn about criticism, and I think learning about that without learning some philosophy is likely to be bogus.

― Josh, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It's a good idea. For fairly snarky but also quite serious reasons, I'd like a course in effective first-person writing; something where we learn that a blow-by-blow account of your experience with something that reads Just Like everyone else's is to be avoided, and that the more idiosyncratic a personal experience the fresher the writing generally is. (well, OK, the fresher the story is, but said idiosyncrasies are a good start.)

― M Matos, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

A reccomended reading list of mainstream and underground past and present music writing including Forced Exposure,Spin,Rolling Stone,Pop Watch, The Wire, Village Voice,Yakuza,NME

― brg30, Sunday, 23 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

1. Sit in on a high school band (or orchestra) practice for 2 weeks to learn about instrument sounds, dynamics and orchestration.

2. Take elementary piano lessons and composition. (I hate the thought that most music critics can't even read music.)

3. Read: Last Night a DJ Saved my Life, The History of Stax Records, Psychotic Reactions..., Please Kill Me, The Boy Looked At Johnny (anything by Julie Burchill for that matter) everything by Greil Marcus, Meltzer, England is dreaming...lots of books could be excerpted into a course packet.

4. Buy a Lilliput cd and then throw away everything you have by Greil Marcus.

― Carey, Tuesday, 25 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Grail Marxist needs ritalin. He can't seem to write a single focussed paragraph on any subject. Sure, he's got alot of great ideas. So many in fact that he can easily fill an entire book with thousands of fascinating (incomplete) thoughts, but he can't form them into coherent parapraphs. A genious...but sadly a MAD genious.

― Lord Custos IV, Tuesday, 25 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

yes, but is he a mad genius?

― Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 26 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"yes, but is he a mad genius?" Not sure, but can he write a more definitve book about Chuck Norris than Byron Coley did???

― brg30, Wednesday, 26 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

A survey of the major recreational substances and their effects on music perception.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 26 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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