In the Form of Frequently Unasked Questions.
Since every self-respecting intellectual project eventually encounters the question of methodology, I decided to begin there.
Since I have neither a clearly defined object nor a clearly defined method, these methodological notes are presented in the form of questions.
What is this blog?
For the time being, an internet problem.
Will this blog be about music?
Yes.
Then why was the first answer “for the time being, an internet problem”?
Because these statements are not mutually exclusive.
Will it be devoted to contemporary music?
Sometimes.
Existing evidence does not support the hypothesis that contemporary music will be absent from this blog.
So what will it be about?
About things that refuse to leave me alone.
That is not a topic.
It is a working principle.
Will there be choirs?
Yes.
Why?
Because a group of people gathering together to sing is a stranger phenomenon than we tend to admit.
Will there be feminism?
Yes.
Will there be BDSM?
Yes.
A lot of it?
No.
The internet has developed a somewhat inflated sense of this topic’s importance in my life.
Why are those three things listed together?
Excellent question.
I suspect that all three are, in one way or another, concerned with power, rules, and the human tendency to start experimenting with both.
Will there be cultural criticism?
Probably.
But I will make a sincere effort not to begin every post with the phrase “in contemporary society.”
Will there be academic references?
Quite possibly.
Do I need to read all the references?
No.
That would be an unreasonable demand.
Does the author have a clear plan?
No.
Then how does she know what she will write about?
She doesn’t.
That is one of the reasons this blog exists.
Will there be opinions?
Yes.
Will they be correct?
Hopefully not always.
Otherwise it would become rather dull.
Does this blog have a mission?
Not at the moment.
I tend to distrust projects that locate their mission statement before locating their subject matter.
What can be expected in the near future?
Texts about music.
Texts about choirs.
Texts about feminism.
And at least one text that begins as a text about music and ends up somewhere else entirely.
Why is all of this being written in public?
Excellent question.
In academia, this is generally referred to as dissemination.
And is that the real answer?
No.
If I ever arrived at a satisfactory answer, the blog would likely become unnecessary.