On the Record

Choose a piece of music you know well — a piano piece you play or an electronic track you've made or love. Describe it in 200 words using only non-musical language. No words like "melody," "beat," or "chord." Use color, texture, temperature, movement, and emotion instead.

Write a complete set of lyrics: two verses (8 lines each) and a chorus (4–6 lines). Choose a specific emotion or moment — not a general theme. The best lyrics are specific: they name the street, the color of the light, the exact sound. Revise until every line earns its place.

Write a 300-word review of a piece of music. Your first sentence should be your overall judgment. Then use the rest of the review to back it up with specific evidence from the music — moments, instruments, words. End with a recommendation (to whom, and why).

Write liner notes for your original composition (or a piano piece you play). Liner notes should tell the listener: (1) what inspired the piece, (2) what emotions or images you were reaching for, (3) any technical choices you made (tempo, key, sounds) and why. Write for an audience who loves music but doesn't read sheet music.

Write a 400-word profile of a musician — a composer, a producer, a band, anyone whose music matters to you. Open with a scene that puts the reader in a moment. Weave in background and musical description. End with what makes this artist unique or important. Avoid biography-report style — write with a point of view.

Write an introduction for your writing portfolio — 150 words that explain what writing about music means to you, what you discovered about your own listening or playing by putting it into words. This is your voice, your curation, your argument for why music writing matters.