In this blog post, we will be looking at how to reference music using the Harvard referencing system. We will start by asking why it is so important to correctly reference every source you have used, then examine the format used for music in the reference list. We will also look at how to cite music in the main body of the text.
Why is referencing your work so important? There are two main reasons. The first is that it is plagiarism not to reference all of your sources in full. Plagiarism happens when you use someone else’s work in your own without citing the original source. Remember that plagiarism is not always as simple as copying things word-for-word – just taking the general ideas and using them without giving credit is enough. On the other hand, even if you are referencing them correctly, try to keep quotes to a minimum.
Everyone has the right to be acknowledged as the creator of their work. Likewise, anyone using your work as a source must credit you as the author of it. Failing to properly reference can result in your work being a product of plagiarism and you may have to redo the relevant parts of the work or the whole thing. For repeated or serious infractions, you could even be asked to leave your course. Plagiarism will also damage your professional reputation.
The second reason to reference your work is to help your readers. By referencing the sources you have used, you allow them to follow up on your research for themselves. This means that they can check the context of your writing. For example, if you have referred to a source when making a particular point, they can look this up and see how it relates to your work. They can also use your references to carry out further reading if they are interested in the topic.
In the Reference List
The format for music in the reference list is:
Surname of composer, Initial(s) of composer., Year. Title. Name of recording performers. Place of distribution: Record Label.
For example:
Coates, E., 2019. Coates: Orchestral works, vol. 1. [sound recording] performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Wilson. Colchester: Chandos Records.
We will now look at each part of this reference in turn.
Surname of Composer
Write the composer’s surname exactly as it appears on the recording details.
Initial(s)
Again, simply write the composer’s initials. If they have middle names, make sure you include all of them.
Multiple Composers
If there are multiple composers, treat this in the same way as you would multiple authors of a book or journal. All of the composers should be given in the reference list, separated by commas and an “and” as appropriate, for example:
West, R.D., Toussaint, M. and Hua, Y.
Give the composers in the order in which they are listed. If there are more than would be practical to list, ask your university if it is possible to cite only a certain number.
Year
This should be the year that the recording was first released, written as four digits, i.e., 2019 not just 19.
Title
The title of the recording should be written exactly as it appears in the details and be in italics. Remove all capitalisation except on the first word and any proper nouns. For example, “The Sounds of Africa” would become “The sounds of Africa”.
This is the medium in which the music is in, for example, sound recording or CD. Write this inside square brackets without capitalisation, with the exception of acronyms like CD which wouldn’t make sense without capitals.
Name of Recording Performers
This should be the name(s) of the artist or artists that recorded the song, which will often be the name of the orchestra that performed it. Again, write their name exactly as it is written in the recording details. Include the conductor’s name if relevant.
Place of Distribution
The recording details usually give a place of distribution to add to your reference.
Record Label
This is simply the name of the record label that released the recording, written exactly as it appears on their material.
In-Text Citation
As well as having a full reference in the reference list, you also need to do an in-text citation at the relevant point in your writing. Whenever you mention a source or use it to support a point you are making, you should put a citation that your readers can then check against your reference list to find the source you have used.
There are two ways of making an in-text citation – direct and indirect. A direct citation mentions the source creator in the text, followed by the year in brackets:
This can be heard in Coates (2019).
Alternatively, an indirect reference has both the composer and the year inside brackets, separated by a comma:
(Coates, 2019)
If there are two or three composers, list them all:
(West, Toussaint and Hua, 2009)
If there are more than three composers, name the first one, followed by the phrase “et al.”, meaning “and others”:
(West, et al., 2009)
Wrapping Up
I hope that this helps you to correctly reference music in your work. In my next blog post, we will be looking at the general format of a Harvard reference, so come back in two weeks for that!
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