Music for writing

James Lamb writes: We began Elektronisches Lernen Muzik by inviting students and tutors to share personal playlists that accompanied or inspired their learning. The compiled soundtracks, and accompanying liner notes and cover artwork, provided fascinating insights into the different ways that music can influence learning.

What this first exercise lacked however was a focus on musical styles or songs that promoted specific learning activites, rather than studying in a more general sense (which of course is the sum of varied and contrasting activities). As a result, the assembled sound, words and image of each artefact offered a glimpse into the creator's learning space, without necessarily producing a soundtrack that might be synchronised with a single dedicated learning task. 

In our second exercise then, it is our intention to collect music that can promote individual learning activities. We are going to be begin by inviting suggestions for music tracks that assist the task of academic writing. By academic writing we are talking about activities such as drafting an essay, report or paper, making an entry in a blog, preparing a script for a lecture or presentation, and other examples of what might be seen as 'essayistic composition' (and I acknowledge that traditional notions of the essay are problematised in digital learning spaces).

You can nominate tracks by replying to this post. Feel free to suggest as many tracks as you like, just as long as you listen to them whilst engaging in some form of academic writing. When replying, we would like you to indicate your area of academic study, research or teaching. You can also add a commentary or rationale as desired.

We will do our best to (legally) acquire the nominated tracks before compiling them within a 'music for writing' extended soundtrack which will be made available on this site to assist other learners. Depending on whether this proves to be a useful exercise and resource, this could be followed by 'music for reading', 'music for reflection' and so on. 

We look forward to hearing the music that accompanies your writing.