Andrew Ford's "The Shortest History of Music"

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, the multi-award-winning broadcaster, composer and author Andrew Ford chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his choices while crafting, The Shortest History of Music. A lively, authoritative tour through 4,000 years of music, this book explores music’s role in human society.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:

• Andrew Ford explains how he balanced brevity and intellectual depth while crafting a 200-page book spanning 4,000 years of musical history


• How he synthesised a multiplicity of musical traditions and cultures into a seamless narrative


• How he balanced historical accuracy with masterful storytelling


• Why he examined music from multiple angles: Its fundamental impulses; the impact of notation; music as a profession and commodity; the concept of modernism and the revolutionary effects of recording technology


• How he skilfully weaved history, culture and personal insight into a tapestry that celebrates music in all its forms.