The Shortest History of Music

An entertaining and thought-provoking trip through the fascinating history of music

From award-winning broadcaster and composer Andrew Ford, The Shortest History of Music is a lively, authoritative tour through several thousand years of music. Packed with colourful characters and surprising details, it sets out to understand what exactly music is - and why humans are irresistibly drawn to making it.

This is not a traditional chronological account. Instead, Andrew Ford focuses on key themes in the history of music and considers how they have played out across the ages. How has music interacted with other social forces, such as religion and the economy? How have technological changes shaped the kinds of music humans make? From lullabies to concert halls, songlines to streaming services, what has music meant to humans at different times and in different places?

About the Author

Andrew Ford OAM is an award-winning composer, writer and broadcaster. He has been composer-in-residence for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Australian National Academy of Music and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, his music played from Hong Kong to Helsinki, from Bogota to Bradford. He has written widely on all manner of music and published ten books, most recently The Song Remains the Same with Anni Heino. Since 1995 he has presented The Music Show each weekend on ABC's Radio National.