Writing About Music

Build writing skills and expand your view of music

Music is everywhere – but what is it telling us?

Join the experts at the University of Leeds on this online short course to explore the world of music from new perspectives. Through engaging exercises and guided discussions, you’ll develop critical thinking skills that take you beyond just listening to music and confidently express your views on it.

You don’t need to be a music expert to get started. In just four weeks, you’ll quickly sharpen your research abilities and writing practice, setting you up for further study in the field and music industry.

Develop your critical listening skills

You’ll begin this course by diving into critical listening and exploring how to evaluate and describe musical sounds.

You’ll expand your technical vocabulary and figurative language, helping you analyse music and express your views with clarity.

Describe what you hear with musical stylistics

Next, you’ll explore the art of describing music by examining different voices and writing styles.

You’ll learn how to analyse music through others’ perspectives and use your expanded vocabulary to create detailed descriptions of musical pieces.

Craft a compelling argument

The second half of this course will focus on helping you develop a strong, persuasive argument about a piece of music.

You’ll analyse primary sources, formulate a research question, and craft a thesis that clearly expresses your perspective.

Write a music review and explore future pathways

By the end of the third week, you’ll be equipped to use evidence effectively, setting the foundation for your final assignment, where you’ll write a review of a musical work or artist, using evidence to support your argument.

You’ll receive feedback from peers and facilitators, while also exploring academic and professional pathways in music.

This course is ideal for music students, writers, and enthusiasts who want to deepen their ability to analyse, critique, and write compellingly about music across genres. No prior knowledge is needed to join.

This course is ideal for music students, writers, and enthusiasts who want to deepen their ability to analyse, critique, and write compellingly about music across genres. No prior knowledge is needed to join.

• Develop skills in critically evaluating music.
• Identify reference materials that help shape your opinions about music.
• Explain your own views about music confidently.
• Apply transferable academic skills of critical listening and academic writing about music.