FYS 21 Songs To Save Your Life: Writing About Music
Music lovers of all genres, styles, and eras, unite and take over! In this course we will explore different ways to write critically and powerfully about music. Students will learn how to engage and guide readers’ ears, hearts, and minds by entering current cultural conversations, responding to provocative critical assessments, and championing work that has been overlooked by the public and/or the critics. By reading and discussing some of the greatest music writers from the past few decades, students will learn how to incorporate technical terms and socio-historical context into their arguments while sharpening the sensitivity of their own observations and honing the quality of their own personal voices. We will also consider other music-related topics such as the effects of technology (streaming, generative AI), the value of print media (album artwork, zines), the impact of local college radio stations (KOXY, KXLU), and more. Open only to first-year frosh.