Try Whistling This: Writings on Music (Andrew Ford, Black Inc.)

8 June 2012 Unlocked content from the archive. Books+Publishing

Andrew Ford is a composer, critic and broadcaster—he presents The Music Show on ABC Radio National—whose knowledge of and passion for music is evident in the 34 essays collected in this volume. Try Whistling This is a highly informative, erudite, entertaining and sometimes droll collection. Most of the essays have appeared previously in the likes of the Monthly and the Australian Financial Review, while the opening (and longest) essay, ‘Music and Fashion’, began as a radio series by the same name, and is a rollicking trip through music’s history. In this essay, among other things, Ford explores the idea that dirty dancing has been around since the 1600s. Classical music and musicians are the focus in this collection and Ford’s familiarity with his subject will have the reader reaching for (or longing to seek out) the described piece of music to experience it as an informed listener. While Try Whistling This is classical in focus, the closing essays concentrate on songwriting and songwriters, covering the likes of Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Bob Dylan and Randy Newman. This collection will appeal to music and history lovers and anyone with a yearning to learn more about classical music and musicians.

Deborah Crabtree is a Melbourne-based writer and bookseller

Category: Reviews