• University of Leeds
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Writing About Music

Discover your unique take on music and learn to write about it clearly and confidently with the University of Leeds.

Illustration showing musical notation along with icons representing a pen, document, headphones and a magnifying glass.

Writing About Music

  • 4 weeks

  • 2 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more

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.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 6 seconds NARRATOR: Music is everywhere – from the rhythm of your morning alarm to the beats of your favorite songs. But have you ever thought how to capture its magic in words? Writing about music isn’t just for critics; it makes you a better musician or communicator and could open the door to a career in the music industry. In this course, you’ll first explore soundscapes, bringing music to life with words through an exciting mix of classical and contemporary songs. You’ll learn to listen critically, think creatively, and write in ways that connect with your audience. You’ll explore how to describe music with precision and emotion, ask the right questions, and make persuasive arguments, whether you’re reviewing an album or promoting a gig.

Skip to 0 minutes and 50 seconds And the best part: it’s a chance to experience what it’s like to study music at university. If you’re a keen festival-goer or budding composer, this course is your first step towards a future in music. Transform your passion for music into powerful writing by joining us today.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Sonic environments – What is critical listening?

    • Welcome

      Welcome

      This week, you explore ‘critical listening’ and are introduced to the range of technical and figurative language that you’ll encounter during this course. You begin by discussing your favourite music with other learners.

    • Activity one

      What’s that noise?

      Critical listening, or understanding and evaluating the sounds that you hear, is at the centre of musical study. In this activity, you explore this concept and engage with some everyday applications of critical listening.

    • Activity Two

      Finding the right words

      In this activity, you develop your musical vocabulary by describing and analysing musical features using technical and figurative language. You also compare ways of talking about music using academic and non-academic sources.

    • Summary

      Summary

      You have reached the end of Week 1. In this activity, you reflect on what you learned and look ahead to Week 2. You also have the opportunity to explore a glossary of terms that appear throughout the course.

  • Week 2

    Musical stylistics – Describing what we hear

    • About Week Two

      About Week 2

      This week, you focus on combining critical listening and vocabulary by applying it to describe a musical experience. You also explore texts from different writers and consider how they use language to express their own ‘voice'.

    • Activity One

      Can I stream that?

      In today’s world, we can listen to almost any music style and share our opinion of it with the touch of a button. In this activity, you explore how to find appropriate written sources that will help you understand what you hear.

    • Activity Two

      Writing about a musical piece

      In this activity, you begin to develop your own writing style by producing a short description of a piece of music. In addition, University of Leeds students and alums share their tips for writing about music.

    • Summary

      Summary

      In this activity, you reflect on Week 2 of the course. You have the opportunity to read a summary of the key topics and find out what’s coming up in Week 3.

  • Week 3

    Crafting an argument – Using persuasive evidence

    • About Week Three

      About Week 3

      This week, you focus on a single piece of music, delving deeper into writing persuasively about music. In preparation for your Week 4 assignment, you also explore guidance on using evidence to support an argument.

    • Activity One

      Getting beyond “I like it”

      In this activity, you explore how to use a primary source in practice. You also find out how listening to music, watching music videos, and reading about music can raise questions that lead to the development of an argument.

    • Activity Two

      She said, he said, they said

      Everyone has an opinion. In this activity, you develop skills in building a persuasive argument by exploring how to craft a thesis and use evidence to support it. This will help prepare you for writing your own review in Week 4.

    • Summary

      Summary

      In this activity, you reflect on Week 3 of the course. You have the opportunity to read a summary of the key topics and find out what’s coming up in the final week.

  • Week 4

    Writing about music and beyond

    • About Week Four

      About Week 4

      In this concluding week, you bring together your learning from Weeks 1-3 of the course. In doing this, you have the opportunity to write and share a short review of a piece with other learners, using evidence to support a thesis.

    • Activity One

      Everyone’s a critic

      In this activity, you reflect on the importance of elements that help you write effectively about music. Based on a model review, you use a template to structure your work, exploring a series of prompts you may choose to address.

    • Activity Two

      Next steps

      In this final activity, you consider where study at the University of Leeds might lead. You are introduced to undergraduate programmes and research opportunities, and explore careers in the music industry.

    • Summary

      Summary

      In this final activity, you are invited to participate in the end of course test to help embed your learning. You also have the opportunity to explore the opportunities available to study at the University of Leeds.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • 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.

Who is the course for?

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.

Who will you learn with?

Ariana Phillips-Hutton

Ariana Phillips-Hutton is Lecturer in Global Critical and Cultural Study of Music at the University of Leeds.

Who developed the course?

University of Leeds

University of Leeds

As one of the UK’s largest research-based universities, the University of Leeds is a member of the prestigious Russell Group and a centre of excellence for teaching.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$79/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 5 Mar 2025

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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