Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with writing and music

Publishing a book on rivethead culture

velvet winter — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:51:33 -0800

I want to write and publish a book on the industrial music scene from a feminist perspective. I’m a decent writer, but I have no photography, graphic design, marketing, or publishing experience, and no industry connections. Where do I start? I have a long-standing interest in the harsh distorted music, extreme fashion, dystopian military aesthetic, and apocalyptic culture of the industrial/dark electro/EBM/powernoise underground music scene. I want to write and publish a book focusing on the people who are involved – bands, artists, fans and supporters.

There are a few books on industrial music and culture out there already, but I want to approach my project from a different angle. I envision the book as an affectionate portrait of a selected group of unusual people, focused on certain aspects of the subculture that I particularly appreciate. Rivethead culture is commonly seen as overwhelmingly male-dominated, but I see it as much more feminist-friendly than it might appear at first glance. It’s very accepting of LGBT folks, geeks, and body types that don’t fit conventional standards, for example. It’s also one of very few places (aside from a few others like goth, riotgrrl and punk culture) where women’s anger and aggression are accepted, and even encouraged.

What I want to do is shine the feminist spotlight on rivetheads of various genders, ethnicities and sexual identities. I want bold, insightful feminist analysis. I want to feature photos of real people with a variety of body types, rather than professional fashion models. I want to highlight older people involved in the scene, to counter the mistaken idea that this is just a youthful phase that everyone outgrows. And hey…it certainly doesn’t hurt that gritty settings featuring men in eyeliner and utilikilts, or women with purple hair and spiked leather jackets, are inherently interesting to me.

Inspirations for this project include:
* AxWound: Gender in the Horror Genre
(I found this while searching for one of my childhood heroes, Lt. Ellen Ripley in Alien!)
* The work of Kyle Cassidy, author of Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes (previously on MeFi)
* The work of UK journalist Mick Mercer
* The Origins of Industrial Music by Jennifer Onativia

I’ve never done anything like this before. I don't know any of the people I mentioned whose work inspires me. Though the scene is fairly small, I’m not well-connected at all – I’m not a musician, DJ, or promoter. I'm just a fan with an abiding interest (and an introverted one at that). I’m definitely not a photographer. And although some of my writing has been published in small-press zines, I’m hardly a professional writer, editor, marketer, graphic designer or publisher. So I really have no idea where to start. And furthermore, I just finished a post-bac in accounting and am currently looking for a job, which means I’m cleverly camouflaged as a semi-normal middle-aged woman and would not be able to devote myself to this book project full-time.

In any case, I would not want this to be a fly-by-night kind of thing. I'm organized, hard-working and responsible, and I’d prefer to take a professional approach. I realize that the market for a book like this is very limited, and that it would be more a labor of love than a profitable venture. But beyond that, I'm clueless. What kind of budget would I be looking at, and would I have any realistic funding options aside from tapping my own pocketbook? Would it even be worth trying to pitch this idea to a traditional publisher? Are there any specific people I should talk to, and if so, what would be the most appropriate way to approach them about a project like this?

What else should I know that I probably haven’t considered?

Any advice would be very much appreciated, particularly from those who've successfully completed projects of similar scope. Thanks!

Who are the best feature writers out there?

reenum — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:21:10 -0800

Who are the best magazine and newspaper feature writers, past and present? I've been on a magazine and newspaper kick lately. I've gotten tons of articles by Michael Lewis, William Langewiesche and Jack Hitt. For sports, I love Gary Smith. I also like to read the in-depth articles put out by ProPublica.

Could you suggest others who write deep, delving pieces about a subject? The subject itself doesn't matter; I care more that the writer have the ability to engage a reader and explain a situation or subject in an interesting way.

Thanks!

Music that Taps your Creativity/Motivation?

roundrock — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:00:33 -0800

I need some recommendations for music to unleash the creative writer within. I get my best writing (indeed, my best work of any sort) done when I put on massive headphones and close out the rest of the world. That said, silence makes me sad, so I need a soundtrack to drive the creative process. I'm not looking to be inspired by the music's message, per se. In fact, I'd probably prefer something non-English (foreign language or instrumental). Carmina Burana and Axelle Red got me through late night college writing/studying ... but I want something new!

So tell me - what music breaks down the walls of writer's block and keeps your momentum going strong during the creative process?

January, it's just this month, you know?

Rinku — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:57:55 -0800

I have a month in which to do a project. What kind of project, you ask? Good question. Perhaps something fun, perhaps something educational, perhaps something mind-expanding. The options, they are endless. The college I attend has a "winter term" between fall and spring semesters. It lasts through most of the month of January. The three official options for winter term are as follows:

1. Academic Study: a faculty-sponsored, academically-focused research, study, or performance project that can be conducted on- or off-campus, individually or as part of a group project.

2. Field Experience: a learning activity that could include career exploration, social or political action, community service, or an unpaid internship.

3. Personal Growth and Development: an opportunity to learn a skill, try something new, or pursue subject matter outside of traditional academic disciplines.

As you can see, the possibilities are endlessly broad, especially the third - under its banner of "personal growth and development" a student in the seventies (it is told) once etched the word "potato" into every tray in the dining hall. I'm wouldn't be surprised if this was true, considering how every single tray in the dining hall has the word "potato" etched into it. Given, these were the Seventies, and if I were to propose this to a teacher today (your project must be approved and sponsored by a teacher) I doubt they would accept.

Still, you can do pretty much anything, as long as it's more or less worthwhile. Last year I did a private study of Buddhism, where I read books and went to Buddhist services at a local shrine, but the shrine's only monk was gone on a tour of India for three weeks out of the month, and the books, they were long, they were dry, and the project devolved into me attempting to win every achievement from the Orange Box.

This January, I'm hoping for fewer gnomes in fewer rockets, that is, less boredom. Not that my project last year wasn't interesting, it was, I really enjoyed attending the few services I did, and the books were interesting, even if I didn't read as much of them as I probably should have. I am aware that no matter what project I choose, I will be a little bit bored, just because January is a long time. The exact dates you're supposed to be doing the project are January 2nd - 27th, weekdays, supposedly about 5 hours a day, but most people don't do quite that many hours. It can be all at once, too - I've heard of a group project that only took a week, but the kids were working almost solid, save sleep, during that time.

So, what do I do? I'll have access to a computer and the internet, (obviously), a good reading couch, a kitchen, and Seattle (an hour away) if I choose to do it at home, which I'm leaning towards. Travel is an option - I could go somewhere and write about it, propose it to a Journalism teacher - that works but it costs money. What projects can I do at home, on a relatively limited budget? Seattle specific recommendations would be cool (oh hey you should totally just go volunteer at ___) but, more generally... what kinds of projects could I do in a snow-locked cabin for the winter? That's really not too far off from what I'm talking about here.

The only thought I've had so far is of an "Ambient Music History and Appreciation" kind of thing, which sounds interesting in one way but also devastatingly dull in another. I've also thought of learning to play the guitar, or writing a comic of some kind, or writing songs in Reason, and while those might be fun I'm sure there are more creative ideas out there. Oh, also: I cannot get paid.

There are sponsored projects and team projects and things like that, but they haven't really started to be advertised yet. I'm asking this early because I've been thinking about it the last couple of days, and on the off chance there's some awesome program I have to apply for now, or what have you.

This is a really awesome opportunity, MeFites. Help me make the most of it. Thanks in advance.

I need a novel-writing soundtrack

changeling — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:07:20 -0800

Can you help me set the writing soundtrack to my novels? Hi! I've avoided asking this forever -- I've gone through and sampled the songs from every related ask thread. I've used Pandora, iTunes and Rhapsody's similar music detectors, but I'm sick of artificial intelligence. I want metaintelligence.

So I write books, and I write to a soundtrack, master-planned for each book. Problem is, books take a long time to write. By the revision stages, I'm sick of the (hours-long) playlist, and what originally set the tone becomes grating. So I'm always switching out, seeking new artists that fit. But because I'm so particular on a song-by-song basis, doing so becomes another method of vacuuming the cat. I'm looking for song and artist recommendations that somehow match the tone of these books & existing songs below. I know some of the songs don't seem to match, but there must be a common thread, because they work.

Book1: Western setting. Confused (young, possibly ff) love. Lonely, moody, poignant. "Golden" by My Morning Jacket, "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell, "Crimson and Clover" by Joan Jett, "Lydia" by Staid Cleaves, "Waiting on the Stairs" by Pela. Lots of Band of Horses.

Book2: Travel abroad. Soft adventure. Flight from an unpleasant past. Learning to let go. So obviously, "Let Go" by Frou Frou. Lots of The National. "Run" by Snow Patrol. "Don't Become the Thing You Hated" by Destroyer. "All Mixed up" by Red House Painters.

I have some Tegan and Sara and Sigur Ros on both.

So please, go crazy! Popular, obscure, any genre (though obviously different species of rock fit best). I have Rhapsody. Thanks!!

Wring music? How hard can it be?

grumblebee — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:33:27 -0800

Can I learn to create melodies? I love music, but I can't play an instrument. I can't read music. I don't understand the first thing about music theory. Though my life contains plenty of music listening, I've always been sad that it doesn't contain any music making.

I know that music-making is a hard thing to take up, especially for a middle-aged guy, but I have an impulse to make it even harder for myself: I want to compose. While -- in my wildest dreams -- I'd like to compose symphonies, I know that's not even close to realistic. I'd be overjoyed if I could gain the skill to compose "simple" melodies. Not for fame and fortune -- just to amuse myself and to learn a little about what it's like to "be on the inside" of music.

My guess is that even this is a pipe dream. Is it? One thing I've always wondered is whether people who come up with songs had melodic ideas before they ever learned about the mechanics of music -- just like someone might make up a story without knowing anything about the mechanics of writing. I certainly know of plenty of people, like The Beatles and Charlie Chaplin, who had melodic ideas without knowing how to read music. But what about people who have never even played an instrument?

I've never had an original song pop into my head -- or even a snippet of melody. Even if I learned how to read music and play an instrument, is there any reason to believe I'd be able to write music? I understand that to write music WELL, you have to be gifted. But is it more binary than that? Do you either have it or you don't? Can you become a music creator -- even just a so-so one -- by learning some mechanics?

(By the way, I know there are all sorts of looping programs out there. I've played with them. They don't interest me. I want to create original melodies. I don't want to mix a bunch of riffs and beats together.)

So have any of you ever go from having zero musical ideas to having some musical ideas? If so, what brought you from point A to point B?

I've got the "crap" part down, but...

loiseau — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:38:31 -0800

I'm looking for Web sites premised on the production of "crap art", structured art projects for non-artists, inspiration and instructions. I know about Album-a-Day, 24-Hour Comics, NaNoWriMo and the RPM Challenge.

I'm looking for more sites that instruct, encourage and/or showcase art by non-artists. Communities are helpful, but pages with instructions or blogs are also good.

I'm interested in writing-related, visual-art-related and/or music-related projects and challenges to embark upon. The sites I list above are based on a time-limited format but suggestions don't necessarily need to be. What's good is a project aimed at production rather than perfection, with some manner of timeline or milestones so that there is structure built in. I can have a hard time with follow-through in the early part, so accountability to others or peer pressure would probably serve me well.

The point isn't to make bad art, but to regularly make art in order to enjoy the process, gain confidence and build skills.

What are tomorrow's avant-garde monuments

jayder — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:20:35 -0800

What are tomorrow's avant-garde art/film/writing monuments that are being done today? What are the contemporary avant-garde works that will be regarded as classics in twenty years? What are the works being done right now, or in the last couple of years, that everyone will know in twenty years, but that few know about today? I'm talking about works in literature, film, music; things like Einstein on the Beach, Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle, Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, the art and sculpture of Bruce Naumann, James Joyce's Ulysses, the films of Ernie Gehr and Stan Brakhage, etc.

(I realize that it requires a large element of conjecture to answer this question, but I think that people "in the know" often have a pretty good idea what works of art will eventually be widely known.)

What does a band sound like?

xo — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:07:17 -0800

I need help writing a bio for an indie band. I know all the "bios for dummies" stuff -- that the bio should include what the music sounds like, where the band is from, etc. But what I don't know is how to write descriptively about music in that jaunty way that makes the reader get a real sense for what the music sounds like. Anyone have tips for doing this well?

Alternatively, where would I find good writers who can listen to music and come up with such descriptions? People who are talented and enthusiastic enough to do the job better than I could, yet who are willing to write something as unglamorous as a band bio?

Music for writing academic works in a frenzy

Anything — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:59:00 -0800

Music for writing academic works in a frenzy You know that scene where the rising young genius sits furiously in his desk chair, flails his fingers against the typewriter, producing the manuscript that will transform thousands of minds; a near-empty vodka bottle is almost rolling off the table, and dramatic music is playing in the background? I want that.

I've got the rest of it worked out, but I still need to find the music. I'm probably going for classical, perhaps jazz, but I know very little of either. I took some discs from the library half-randomly, and now I'm listening to String Quartet No. 2 by Dmitry Shostakovich, which sounds pretty good. I like the lurking madness in this piece, but I think I need something even more, I don't know, majestic, so maybe a symphonic work would be more suitable.

If you think you know what I'm looking for, please tell me.

Help, I just need some vocal HELP.

sindas — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 20:03:18 -0800

Help me learn/improve on vocal melody writing techniques. I've been playing guitar for 4 or so years now, I feel that I have "mastered" the whole "chord" thing. My soloing skills on my guitar are no good, but I am working on them. I can sing, but not as well as I'd like to, and I am working on every day. I am able to sing and strum simoultaniously. I play an acoustic (tacoma), and an electric (telecaster).

My musical tastes range from Wilco to Death Cab For Cutie to the Smashing Pumpkins to Radiohead to The Beatles and Bob Dylan. I want to write meaningful songs. I also want to write fun songs. I just really want to write songs.

I can write awesome (to my ear) chord progressions on guitar and piano, but I can NEVER sing anything decent to it.

I understand that most of these answers will contain the word practice. I practice every single day, for hours. I am looking for tips to speed this all up a bit... I have, and use, Ableton Live 5, with an M-Audio Axiom 25, a Triggerfinger drum controller, and an audio in-box with my guitar and mic hooked up, to make loops of my guitar work, synth stuff, drums vocals and everything, but to no avail, I fail!

(to give you an idea of my skill level, I can play and sing the Beatles' Blackbird decently, lots of Wilco songs, and some Radiohead. (and so many other songs it would take hours to count..))

Help!

What music is stuck in your head?

lhauser — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 09:29:07 -0800

You are an American female born in 1983 or 1986. What music resonates for you? For why I want to know, there's I'm writing a novel with two main characters (both female), one born in 1983 and the other in 1986. Since I'm somewhat older than this, I have no idea what music was really important to people born in these years. Help me make my characters a little more authentic! Both characters are themselves musically inclined, and live in Seattle. Thanks!

Writing a band biography

interrobang — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 08:58:48 -0800

I'd like to write a book about a band. Where do I start? I've spoken to the band before, over e-mail, and a couple of times in person. They're accessible, well-spoken, have a smallish (but highly devoted) following, and have an interesting and somewhat dramatic past. I should be able to get interviews with them, at least online.

How do I go about this? I've never published anything, but I have written a novel, so I'm not particularly worried about the writing part of this. Do I pitch this to a publisher first? To the band themselves? Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

...because the world needs another emo singer/songwriter

junkbox — Fri, 19 May 2006 07:08:50 -0800

How does a musician learn to write better lyrics? My better half is a guitarist who writes a lot of music -- extremely melodic, kind of melancholy but upbeat acoustic guitar stuff. He's written more than a dozen songs, but only a couple have lyrics.

He'd like to finish his songs so he could record some of them, but he doesn't know where to start with writing lyrics. He's extremely self-critical, feeling like everything he writes is trite and stupid. Honestly, one only has to listen to a few minutes of "new rock" radio to feel better about whatever drivel one has just written on a napkin, but he aspires to a higher standard.

A lot of indie rock bands mostly sing a bunch of post-modern incomprehensible nonsense, which is fine -- but not really mr. junkbox's thing. From what he's written already, he's more of a literal, introspective narrative kind of songwriter. So how can he a) work on developing good ideas for songs and b) craft better metaphors and other figurative songwriting goodies and c) improve the poetic, lyrical quality of the words he chooses?

Is there a book for writers/poets that other songwriters have found helpful in developing their ideas? Specific exercises or things to study? I think his problem is more a lack of confidence than anything else, but we've already got The Artist's Way.

We also have a theory that our general lack of pain, crushing disappointment and heartache may be inhibiting his creative growth, but have so far opted not to annihilate our happy marriage in a desperate attempt to inspire another critically-aclaimed breakup album.

Music Journalism: Making it Sound Good

Miko — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 08:23:29 -0800

Writin'Filter: What makes a great musician/band profile? I'm working on getting back into writing, and have just gotten an assignment to profile one of my favorite old-timey bands for our well-read local arts and culture mag. I want to do a great job and get lots more assigments. So, I'm asking: if you're a reader, what makes a great band profile? What questions do you always wish an interviewer had asked? Can you link me to a profile you thought was great? If you're a writer, how do you go about researching your profile subject? What sources would you recommend drawing on? Good questioning techniques? Any other tips?

Thanks for any help. I'm not a newbie writer, but it's been a long while since I was published, and the profile form isn't something I've done a lot.

que musica por escriba!?

delmoi — Sun, 02 Oct 2005 18:54:01 -0800

NaNoWriMo is comming up. What sorts of writin' music can you think of? I'm not personally participating in NaNoWriMo, but I am working on a novel right now. I've got the Propellerheads and Orbital on right now. I'd like some complicated, sophisticated techno with no lyrics to distract me. If you can think of some non-techno lyric free music feel free to suggest that as well.

Are you learning piano?

Tlogmer — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:51:32 -0800

Is anyone learning piano (or planning to)? If so, can I ask you some questions? I'm taking a tech writing course that requires each student to write a manual on whatever topic -- I'm writing a Learning Piano as a Second Instrument thingy. But I need some questions answered for audience analysis. (When it's finished, I'll send you a copy of the manual for your troubles, if you want):

What instrument (if any) do you currently play?
Do you have access to a piano or keyboard? Where? (And, if applicable, what kind of keyboard?)
What kind of music do you want to play, and in what context?

The Optional Personal Question *thunderclap*
How old are you?

Pen and Pencil Recommendations: Extremely Fine Points

sdis — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 10:03:22 -0800

Pen Recommendation: Finest possible point with good ink flow, will not smudge when highlighted. Pencil Recommendation: Any way to get the convenience of a 0.7mm mechanical pencil that doesn't break all the time in a <0.5mm tip? I'm looking for a pair of writing instruments to fix about 300 pages of a somewhat badly copied music score. I need to fill in faded note heads, correct 10-12point french text, etc. The lines of my pens and pencils are too big.
The perfect pen would have an extremely fine line that was deep black, never goes away, never smudges, and never ever skips. (And it will be highlighted repeatedly by various highlighters, so it needs to not smudge, and hopefully dry quickly)

Pencil: A really fine tip pencil would be nice to write in various text-notes. The problem is that I tend to crack 0.7mm leads like crazy in most pencils and I basically can't use 0.5mm leads. Oh, and I'd prefer something a bit finer than 0.5mm. What's my best bet here? Is there such a thing as an automatic pencil that resists my heavy hand? Are drafting pencils the answer, perhaps with very hard lead?(Does harder lead mean that a sharpened tip will stay sharp longer?)

Getting an Autograph

mragreeable — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 08:19:02 -0800

AutographFilter : I'm going to a concert in a few weeks time, and was wondering about the ideal pen to use (if any) on glossy paper with a dark background. [More inside] Basically, I went on ebay and looked for promotional material for the artist in question (Bill Frisell). The best I could find was a 20x12 poster, which is fairly dark, overall. To be especially clear, here's a picture of the poster in question. It's fairly glossy, like magazine paper, but heavier.

The question, then, is this : what sort of pen/marker or whatever might be capable of writing on this? I remember back in junior high a lot of girls used some sort of two-color marker-like pens... I don't know what they're called, but they had a metal ball in them like spraypaint cans do and they had to be shaken before use. Would those work?

I guess I want a website which it to pens what thistothat is to glue.

I'll probably frame it and give it to a friend, so it won't be messed with or rolled and unrolled or anything like that, but would obviously not want the signature to fade.

Music Journalism Cliches

nylon — Mon, 11 Oct 2004 17:27:31 -0800

Music journalism clichés. I'm trying to compile a list of clichéd rock journalism similes, along the lines of 'sounds like a cat being strangled', or 'sounds like a drum-kit being thrown down a stairwell'. Trawling through 40 years of archives will prove to be somewhat time-consuming. Can anyone help me out with any? Points scored for the ridiculous/absurd, points deducted for ones you've made up yourself. Thanks!

Dissing 50 critically acclaimed classics of pop music

MiguelCardoso — Sat, 20 Dec 2003 20:27:19 -0800

First Tuesday in January, I'll be starting a weekly column in Blitz the main Portuguese music newspaper, called "Revisions", where I'll be debunking, dissing and giving a thorough, admittedly exaggerated "going over" to 50 critically acclaimed "classics" of popular music which, due to excessive reverence or routine citation, have an undeserved place in the officially-sanctioned pantheon. This is a bit of a homework assignment plea, I know - but does anybody have any suggestions? I'm not just talking overhyped and overrated here - I'm talking deep historical and musicological errors, crystallized by unthinking repetition and misplaced respect. What, among the hallowed records and artists out there, is ripe - just asking - for review and revision? Thank you for any ideas you may have.