Music has been a way to feel connected to the world beyond my existence. This comes in the form of singing in the car too. Some of my favourite memories with my people are singing loud in an off-key voice or humming soothingly while staring out the window. Sometimes, we feel like islands that only come together in the waves of a familiar sound flowing between us. Lending music to words also increases their impact. A lot of lyrics end up casually scribbled or earnestly penned in my many, many notebooks. However, music’s most defining quality, for me, is that it isn’t always something I have to ponder. It is something I can simply rejoice in or be comforted by even without actively listening. Everything that music means to me has led me to wanting to read about it. So here’s a list of diverse and brilliant nonfiction books about music. For more interesting music recs, check out 50 Must-Read Books About Music and our Music Archives. In one of my favourite lyric essays titled “Defiance, Ohio Is the Name of a Band,” he writes, “And the band with the cello and the band with the banjo strings stood thick and heavy in the airNo one seemed to mindIt’s like if we all try hard enough in the same roomEveryone can remember what it is to lose somebody at the same time” That line brings out the solidarity and togetherness that music can bring even without having to lend each other words for it. All of his essays are insightful and written in a rhythm entirely his own. Also check out his more recent essay collection about music, A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance. In this memoir, Rob Sheffield writes, “Every mixtape tells a story. Put them together, and they add up to the story of life.” This is exactly what he tries to do. These mixtapes range from them courting each other, going on road trips, and doing dishes to him mourning her loss. Pick this up if you’re looking for a heartfelt memoir that leads you to moving music.
