Listen: On Music, Sound and Us

(Michel Faber, Canongate, £20) 

Part memoir, part love letter to music, Listen covers a wide range of areas. My initial impressions of the book were that it was a somewhat random jumble of personal observations with little rhyme or reason, but it soon became apparent just how encyclopaedic Faber’s knowledge of the music industry really is. Beyond his frequent mentions of artists and songs lying far outside the mainstream, he also examines the effects of music on physiology and health, as well as the industry’s less appealing sides – particularly its historical treatment of women.

This book might not directly address obvious aspects of the music curriculum, but it can certainly give teachers access to a rich seam of facts and anecdotes with which to embellish their lessons.

Faber is nothing if not opinionated, but he does a good job of justifying his arguments. An interesting, and strangely compelling read.

This book was first reviewed in Teach Secondary magazine.