Monday, July 18, 2011

Get your music out of my fiction

I try so hard to keep real life out of blogging, but I can't hold back any longer.  I'm not a musicologist nor do I have a DMA.  A meager bachelor's and master's degree in piano performance.  Outside of a very high proficiency in being able to play the instrument I also had to take many classes that I will sum up as "How western classical music came to be, and how it works." 
Good writers do research on the topics they choose to write about.  If your main character is a surgeon and you plan on talking about surgery in the book, you have to write convincingly enough as to be realistic to any surgeons who enjoys fiction and may pick up your book.  It's a matter of credibility, hence the research.  
Music seems to occupy a unique space when it comes to writers: it's not so esoteric as surgery--after all who hasn't had piano lessons and if you can play open chords on the guitar then yes, you can perform damn-near every song by Bob Dylan--but the auto-didactics armed with a superficial amount of knowledge or those who took 'singing lessons' from that old lady in the church choir are really starting to get on my nerves.  I wish, I truly wish, I had kept a log of all the offenders I've come across in the past year's worth of reading.
Perhaps it is because music is such a basic and integral part in so many peoples lives, but whatever the reasons, far too many authors indulge in overwrought, self-indulgent, and more often than not, erroneous analogies and metaphors that may sound nice and poetic, but to one who knows can kill the prose and story being told faster than the sixteenth notes of an Allegro or faster Chopin etude.  (See?  Even when a likeness if properly made, it's still obnoxious… or at least to me it is.)
I'm happy that so many writers, at least in my reading, seem to make mention of sonata allegro form, rondeau, or a baroque French overture, but if you should feel the need to dwell on these topics make sure you are studying up on the matter to the same degree you would if you were talking about what it takes to get a space shuttle into orbit and not merely relying on those band or orchestral lessons from seventh grade.  
I think I'll keep my log of offending writers ( and critics and bloggers ) in my head as to not have a concrete list of negativity.  The words already printed can't be taken back but there is hope for new writers!   Heed my words!  Know what you are talking about before you commit the crime of ignorance in your novel.  Such a crime not only makes me mildly angry, but also speaks to your quality as a writer.  So next time you are feeling the urge to make an analogy about your characters in fugue or hexachordal combinatoriality, unless you really know what you're talking about; don't.   

9 comments:

Terry Weyna said...

I know the feeling. I just read Tower Hill by Sarah Pinborough, who uses the Catholic Mass as a key plot point, but has apparently never attended one. She has no understanding of the ritual at all.

And some years ago, I stopped reading Perri O'Shaugnessy's Nina Reilly legal thrillers because Nina keeps doing stupid, unethical, terribly bad lawyer things, despite being a supposedly ace attorney. In fact, lawyer books are the worst if the author hasn't done the research -- or even if he has, but just hates a certain sector -- like John Grisham writing about an insurance bad faith lawsuit. Argh!

cdbohannon said...

As a fellow Master of Piano Performance I can say with a modicum of credibility that hexachordal combinatoriality is the musical equivalent of two grossly unattractive, awkward people gettin' it on. From a scientific standpoint the aforementioned "miracle of life" is a fascinating phenomenon. It's amazing what these people's bodies are capable of producing, but I still don't want to hear or see it.

Chad Hull said...

Terry, I'm glad to hear that I'm not out of line with a complaint like this. I'm sad to hear that there are other areas of life that writers ignorantly abuse to their own ends without knowing what they are talking about.

Carrie, I could further expound upon that likeness, but I won't and lets just said I did. Ditto...

Anonymous said...

Thank you!! As a violinist it always drives me crazy when authors can't do a minimum of research in music, it pulls me right out of the book. I read an arc last month by a really reputable writer where he describes the Trout by Schubert as having a piano, viola, violin and cello. I almost gnashed my teeth. For someone who really knows how to use music in writing try Richard Powers.

Chad Hull said...

Thanks, Anon.

I'm always up for suggestions. I'll look into Mr Powers.

Marion said...

Oh, no! I just posted some comments on my blog about Embassytown, and I used two musical comments!

Marion said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chad Hull said...

Marion, you're a very smart lady. As long as you weren't making mention vector analysis or Buxtehude you are probably safe.

yolana said...

My favorite Powers is, "The Time of Our Singing". "The Goldbug Variations" is also phenomenal.