“Is writing about music like dancing about architecture?”
This quote, commonly attributed to Elvis Costello, was the basis of Wednesday afternoon’s lecture “Sounds Written: The Art of Musical Prose” at Russell House. Given by Sean Gallagher, Assistant Professor of Music at Harvard, the lecture explored the struggle one faces when writing about something as ephemeral and intangible as music.
“Costello’s question – it’s a zinger of a line that sounds wonderful, but it could be dead wrong,” he said. “What gives it punch is [its implication] that dancing about architecture is nonsense. But we certainly write about architecture and dance about music, so why is writing about music seemingly nonsense?”
Gallagher pointed out that the passing of time gives music a fleeting nature, and makes it harder for a writer to definitively describe a musical experience in words.
“With a painting or a sculpture, you decide how long and where – you are shaping the experience,” he said. “With music, the composer, rather than the listener, is shaping the experience.”
He explained the role that writing can play in helping to understand music.
“The point of writing about music is that words can have a way of enriching the experience,” he said. “Writing about music does not dissipate or dilute it. Words can lend texture to recollection. Contemplating an experience [helps us] recognize what is significant about it.”
Gallagher, who has performed piano as both a soloist and chamber musician in the U.S. and overseas, demonstrated this concept by playing two short musical selections by Bach and Mozart. He asked the audience to write down words they thought of when hearing the music, but to try to avoid a dependence on showy adjectives and to treat each piece separately.
“I asked you not to compare knowing that it is impossible to not compare,” he said. “Our minds compare to that which we heard before – and it’s unavoidable when writing [about music]. Language allows us to make a discourse in our minds. Other than that, music just might float in our minds.”
Not everyone in attendance was immediately convinced by Gallagher’s theory.
“We’ve all had the experience of reading a review of a concert that we went to, and it seems that [the reviewer] wasn’t at the same concert as us,” said Neely Bruce, Wesleyan Professor of Music.
Gallagher nodded, acknowledging this universal experience. He noted that a major difficulty of writing about music is that everyone experiences music differently.
“If I say ‘dog,’ you probably all have some image of what I am saying,” he said. “If I say ‘C-major triad’…it will not carry that degree of referenciality.”
Gallagher went on to criticize what he sees as common shortcomings in writing about music.
“There’s the tendency to believe that writing a biography about someone is the same as writing about their music – you don’t make a film about Beethoven’s music, you make a movie about Beethoven’s lost love,” he said.
He did offer caution on writing specifically about a musical piece, however.
“Don’t do blow-by-blow descriptions of scores,” he said. “It’s not going to help you and it’s not going to help the reader.”
While it is likely that most in attendance had some interest in writing about music, Gallagher offered inspiration to those that might be discouraged.
“Even if you never plan to write a word publicly about music, but have been moved by music, I encourage you to try,” he said. “Even if you’re not going to enjoy the music, at least enjoy the process of writing. Capturing something about [music in words] forces you to be quite honest with yourself.”
The lecture was the first Stanley Sadie Writing About Music Lecture and was sponsored by the Wesleyan University Writing Program’s Visiting Writer-and-Editor Series.
“This was the first in a new program that will bring [together] writers and editors who write in majors and disciplines, such as music, science, and film,” said Wesleyan Writing Program Director Anne Greene.
In a reception following the lecture, it appeared that Gallagher had given those in attendance much to talk about.
“He was so open to exploring all ideas about music,” said Deborah Witkin ’06. “Everyone listens to music, so this applies to everyone.”
“I liked how he gave inspiration for a personal take on the value of writing about music,” said James Rea ’08. “He gave us something to build on, no matter what our [musical] tastes are.”
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