January 4th, 2006
Question for non-musicians
I plan to use notated musical examples in my book, although I know many interested readers do not read music. It is my hope that they can look at the lyrics to guide them through the shapes of the notes and try to understand whatever point is being made. My question to those of you who are in this category is this:
1) would musical examples deter your from reading or buying the book? or reading a chapter where there are short musical examples?
2) would having web-based playback of the musical examples be of help?
January 4th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
[Posting made by overthehill on rw.com\
Really interesting Blog and website! There are many musicians on this board who I am sure will be able to offer suggestions. I hope you do include examples in music notation as many of us read music although are not musicians.
I think there are loads of us on RWMB who would buy this book! I know I will!
http://bb.dreamworksrecords.com/rufuswainwright/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=291562&Main=291534#Post291562
January 5th, 2006 at 4:56 am
I think this depends on the aim of it. Is this more for musician fans or just fans? Are you going into complex theory or just explaining patterns and themes and such?
January 5th, 2006 at 7:16 am
It’s not a fan/coffee table book with glossy photos or tell-all stories, but a book that tries to aid non-musicians in hearing and perceiving 1) how phrase structure builds form, and 2) the compositional techniques used in RW’s songs. For musicians, and especially song-writers/composers, I want them to realize that many techniques found in Classical music are present in RW’s songs. I want musicians, especially those with piano skills, to play through his songs at the piano and discover them as they would a Schubert or Cole Porter song. “Complex theory?” no thanks, I’ll leave that to people who analyze Boulez, Stockhausen, or Webern. Music analysis should aid in our hearing and appreciating music: if it doesn’t, I’m unclear what it’s value is.
January 5th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
I’m amazed by your efforts and your BEAUTIFUL site. So wonderful pictures. In love with beauty? Obviously you are, and thank you so much for sharing that.
To your question on which kind of “ideal reader” you should write for… mmmh… it sure isn’t easy, I understand that very well.
As someone not trained formally in music myself, I can say that I would buy and read the book anyways, but I would probably get lost somewhere on the way through it, if it’s too much filled with music sheets and very technical explanations. On the other hand, I think it is important for the Classical Music world to get the book about RW that they (and he, not forgetting!) deserve - i.e. one that deals with his music in a serious way.
Would you also do some literary analysis, too? If so, I think a lot of us music illiterates could feed on that instead. At least I know I would love if that was part of the book, and especially if you could show how words and music intertwine, and tell the world about the genius of Rufus, the way he really expresses in his voice what both music and words are saying.
January 5th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Berlioz, good friend, this book sounds so wonderful! As a fan I would a thousand times rather be reading a book examing the music, the lyrics and the inspirations of the artist I adore than some silly tell-all.
I’m not a musician but I do read music to some extent thanks to a bit of singing - I’m decidedly not a professional but I think I would get a lot from a book composed as you’re proposing. It would be very exiting if you could somehow incorporate a streaming audio experience either through a website or a cd-rom of examples. For the people who aren’t as wonderfully acomplished at reading music as I am that is…:-)
January 6th, 2006 at 6:41 am
First of all I must confess I would probably buy it anyway, because I am that obsessed.
Having gotten that off my chest…
1) would musical examples deter your from reading or buying the book? or reading a chapter where there are short musical examples?
I´d say much would depend on the way the examples are used. If you say they´re short, and if they´re really examples, that is to say, they illustrate something you already explained, maybe even the musically (semi-)illiterate (I can read the voice part) might pick up a few things.
2) would having web-based playback of the musical examples be of help?
Personally I would probably listen the passages in the music anyway. But in these clips you could single out exactly what you’re talking about, so in that way they would be very useful. And I suppose not every reader can be expected to have every song you refer to. Therefore I think it would be very useful.
January 6th, 2006 at 10:38 am
I think musical examples - short ones, a few bars - and web links would be fine.
It might be a good plan to use extremely familiar examples - classical and popular - where possible
I also think that while you seem most interested, understandably, in composition, some attention to lyrics and singing style, as suggested by some of the other commentators, would be attractive to readers (I’m guessing your publishers would appreciate a wider remit also)
I came across one classical reference to Rufus Wainwright on a harpist’s blog, while looking for something completely different - it’s about singing technique. I imagine it’s a fairly well-rehearsed argument. It moves from breathing technique into the ‘problem’ (or value?) of singing a bit flat!
http://harpist.typepad.com/twangtwangtwang/2005/03/the_emperor_has.html
For me the issue of ‘quoting’ other work is interesting - I’m assuming there’s a whole lot of writing about this around classical music although it’s not that much addressed in popular music (and is it just me, or does ‘Leaving for Paris’ rather directly repeat the opening of ‘April in Paris’?)
Good luck with your book and sabbatical
jan2
January 7th, 2006 at 9:39 am
hi, you’ve probably seen my around RWMB…just to say that i will help as much as i can possible..although i’m rubbish at writing explanations and reviews..
i think this book is going to be great! especially as i’m verrry interested in this, a Rufus fan and a pianist. i definitely like the sound of this book!!
*i wish you all the best with this book!
January 7th, 2006 at 11:39 am
I can’t read music, so I don’t expect to understand everything that will be exposed in your book. I will approach your work knowing that I am not the intended reader and accept it as such. Musical parts will not deter me from reading the book, because I will have the music at hand to understand what is being discussed. I hope, however, that there will be enough descriptions or non notational comments to help me perceive what I can’t read. Of course, web-based playback would be great.
What I hope to find in this book is an educated perspective that will help me put more vocabulary on what I mostly “feel” when I hear Rufus Wainwright’s music. There are basic musical concepts that I understand. I also understand very well the comparisons that are made with other people’s works or the “borrowings” that have been made in several pieces.
I have read with great interest the comments you have made in the RWMB concerning Rufus’s music, if they are hints to the work you intend, it’s a good sign.
January 7th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
Roger, I think this whole project is so exciting. As someone who can read music a little but knows very few of the technical terms, I think it would be very interesting and helpful to have musical examples within the text. And like Kae above I would love to know why and how Rufus’ music works the way it does. His harmonies seem to be very distinctive, for example, and I don’t know why.
January 9th, 2006 at 10:20 pm
Regarding analyzing the lyrics, I may do some of that, but I’m primarily a musician, teacher, and composer. Leaving that focus might be weird. And so often, lyrics are not always rational, and the interpretation of lyrics is not a cut and dry thing. When the meaning of the words infuses the music, it will be important to discuss how this happens.