Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What happens when an intentional reader is also obsessed with music?
Today I’m taking on The Sound of May Tag, talking folk music, protest songs, Jethro Tull, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and some of the greatest books ever written about music - fiction & non-fiction.
I'm Mike - this is Riff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
The Tag was created by @CadenConley27 and co-hosted by Steve Donoghue @saintdonoghue celebrating the deep connection between books and music.
Caden youtube.com/watch?v=fo9BomSu0F0&t=105s
Steve youtube.com/watch?v=YYcn37eYctI
The tag prompts:
1. What are your earliest memories of music in your life? Did you have any favorite songs or musicians as a child? Is there one musical memory from your childhood or adolescence that sticks out in your mind?
2. Were you ever or are you currently in any music program (choir, orchestra, band, theater)? Do you play any instruments or sing recreationally?
3. Is there any album that you consider musically perfect or near-perfect? This can include popular music, symphonies, Broadway musical/film scores, etc.
4. Who are some musicians that you wish people knew more about? It can be from any genre. You are limited to 3. For each one you list, attach a piece/song to them.
5. Is there a novel/poem you have read that you believe captures the beauty and transformative power of music? What about nonfiction?
6. Who is a musician that everyone seems to love but you just can’t stand or understand the appeal of? You are limited to 3. The more hateful, the better.
7. Which is more important to the song: the music/melody or the lyrics?
8. What constitutes music verses noise? Where do you draw the line? Must music always have a melody or can it take on other forms?
9. If you were to introduce yourself to someone through sharing a playlist with them, what songs would be on that playlist?
10. Music itself has no practical purpose. It does not cure diseases, feed/clothe you, or protect you from being attacked. So what is the purpose of music for humans? Why do YOU listen to music?
11. Tag other people
I tag:
Gareth @bookssongsandothermagic
Shelly @Shellyish
Hannah @HannahsBooks
& anyone who plays or loves music or books about music.
In this video I talk about:
- Scottish folk music and childhood musical memories
- Playing guitar and performing folk/protest music in South Africa
- Jethro Tull and progressive folk rock
- Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Bruce Cockburn, Bright Blue and more
- The role of protest songs and folk traditions
- The transformative power of music
- My favorite books about music, music history, jazz, rock, folk, and pop culture
VIDEO LINKS
Jethro Tull Orion youtube.com/watch?v=40coItA-EJY
Jethro Tull Moths youtube.com/watch?v=NvDykbjfYfs
Jethro Tull The Whistler youtube.com/watch?v=2mBaE-K4RxI
Steve Earle Jerusalem youtube.com/watch?v=CMWBp14kUqY
Bruce Cockburn Pacing The Cage youtube.com/watch?v=ZheDhWLFcYo
Bright Blue Weeping youtube.com/watch?v=qdyu_jcLYW8
Mike & Gareth's Folk Music Chat
Live Chat youtube.com/watch?v=Lm-Jia36cIU&t=716s
Playlist youtube.com/watch?v=xcXoGTACMHA&list=PLlpN8mmVl6oHwMzqKIASwz_s47cfsdSi0
BOOKS MENTIONED:
The Protest Singer - Alec Wilkinson
Telegraph Avenue - Michael Chabon
Utopia Avenue - David Mitchell
The Time of Our Singing - Richard Powers
Sonny’s Blues - James Baldwin
The Sound of the City - Charlie Gillett
And the Roots of Rhythm Remain - Joe Boyd
Yeah Yeah Yeah - Bob Stanley
Let's Do It - Bob Stanley
A Change Is Gonna Come: Music Race & the Soul of America - Craig Werner
How to Listen to Jazz - Ted Gioia
Music: A Subversive History - Ted Gioia
Good Booty - Ann Powers
The Rest Is Noise - Alex Ross
Artists discussed:
Jethro Tull, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Bruce Cockburn, Bright Blue, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Woody Guthrie and even, briefly, Justin Bieber!
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 #1 Earliest memories - Scottish folk songs
02:38 #2 My Musical Life - Folk & Protest music legacy
05:58 A Live Music clip (Shenandoah)
07:52 #3 Is there a perfect album?
08:45 My favourite band
10:17 #4 Uncovering 3 new songs & songwriters
15:49 #5 Capturing music in words
17:40 Music in Fiction (Chambon, Mitchell. Powers)
20:06 The greatest written description of creating music
21:43 Non-Fiction Music Must Reads
30:06 #6 Musicians I Don't Get
31:48 #7 The importance of melody vs lyrics
33:28 Listening to the 20th Century - Music or Noise?
36:40 Personal Playlist
37:43 Why Music Matters
38:30 Tagging some music lovers
40:19 Two Questions for you
If you love BookTube, Folk music, Protest songs, Music history, Progressive rock, Singer-songwriters then this tag is for you.
For the almighty algorithm:
#BookTube #MusicBooks #FolkMusic #JethroTull #PeteSeeger #BobDylan #MusicHistory #ReadingCommunity #ProgressiveRock #ProtestSongs
What happens when an intentional reader is also obsessed with music?
Today I’m taking on The Sound of May Tag, talking folk music, protest songs, Jethro Tull, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and some of the greatest books ever written about music - fiction & non-fiction.
I'm Mike - this is Riff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
The Tag was created by @CadenConley27 and co-hosted by Steve Donoghue @saintdonoghue celebrating the deep connection between books and music.
Caden youtube.com/watch?v=fo9BomSu0F0&t=105s
Steve youtube.com/watch?v=YYcn37eYctI
The tag prompts:
1. What are your earliest memories of music in your life? Did you have any favorite songs or musicians as a child? Is there one musical memory from your childhood or adolescence that sticks out in your mind?
2. Were you ever or are you currently in any music program (choir, orchestra, band, theater)? Do you play any instruments or sing recreationally?
3. Is there any album that you consider musically perfect or near-perfect? This can include popular music, symphonies, Broadway musical/film scores, etc.
4. Who are some musicians that you wish people knew more about? It can be from any genre. You are limited to 3. For each one you list, attach a piece/song to them.
5. Is there a novel/poem you have read that you believe captures the beauty and transformative power of music? What about nonfiction?
6. Who is a musician that everyone seems to love but you just can’t stand or understand the appeal of? You are limited to 3. The more hateful, the better.
7. Which is more important to the song: the music/melody or the lyrics?
8. What constitutes music verses noise? Where do you draw the line? Must music always have a melody or can it take on other forms?
9. If you were to introduce yourself to someone through sharing a playlist with them, what songs would be on that playlist?
10. Music itself has no practical purpose. It does not cure diseases, feed/clothe you, or protect you from being attacked. So what is the purpose of music for humans? Why do YOU listen to music?
11. Tag other people
I tag:
Gareth @bookssongsandothermagic
Shelly @Shellyish
Hannah @HannahsBooks
& anyone who plays or loves music or books about music.
In this video I talk about:
- Scottish folk music and childhood musical memories
- Playing guitar and performing folk/protest music in South Africa
- Jethro Tull and progressive folk rock
- Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Bruce Cockburn, Bright Blue and more
- The role of protest songs and folk traditions
- The transformative power of music
- My favorite books about music, music history, jazz, rock, folk, and pop culture
VIDEO LINKS
Jethro Tull Orion youtube.com/watch?v=40coItA-EJY
Jethro Tull Moths youtube.com/watch?v=NvDykbjfYfs
Jethro Tull The Whistler youtube.com/watch?v=2mBaE-K4RxI
Steve Earle Jerusalem youtube.com/watch?v=CMWBp14kUqY
Bruce Cockburn Pacing The Cage youtube.com/watch?v=ZheDhWLFcYo
Bright Blue Weeping youtube.com/watch?v=qdyu_jcLYW8
Mike & Gareth's Folk Music Chat
Live Chat youtube.com/watch?v=Lm-Jia36cIU&t=716s
Playlist youtube.com/watch?v=xcXoGTACMHA&list=PLlpN8mmVl6oHwMzqKIASwz_s47cfsdSi0
BOOKS MENTIONED:
The Protest Singer - Alec Wilkinson
Telegraph Avenue - Michael Chabon
Utopia Avenue - David Mitchell
The Time of Our Singing - Richard Powers
Sonny’s Blues - James Baldwin
The Sound of the City - Charlie Gillett
And the Roots of Rhythm Remain - Joe Boyd
Yeah Yeah Yeah - Bob Stanley
Let's Do It - Bob Stanley
A Change Is Gonna Come: Music Race & the Soul of America - Craig Werner
How to Listen to Jazz - Ted Gioia
Music: A Subversive History - Ted Gioia
Good Booty - Ann Powers
The Rest Is Noise - Alex Ross
Artists discussed:
Jethro Tull, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Bruce Cockburn, Bright Blue, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Woody Guthrie and even, briefly, Justin Bieber!
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 #1 Earliest memories - Scottish folk songs
02:38 #2 My Musical Life - Folk & Protest music legacy
05:58 A Live Music clip (Shenandoah)
07:52 #3 Is there a perfect album?
08:45 My favourite band
10:17 #4 Uncovering 3 new songs & songwriters
15:49 #5 Capturing music in words
17:40 Music in Fiction (Chambon, Mitchell. Powers)
20:06 The greatest written description of creating music
21:43 Non-Fiction Music Must Reads
30:06 #6 Musicians I Don't Get
31:48 #7 The importance of melody vs lyrics
33:28 Listening to the 20th Century - Music or Noise?
36:40 Personal Playlist
37:43 Why Music Matters
38:30 Tagging some music lovers
40:19 Two Questions for you
If you love BookTube, Folk music, Protest songs, Music history, Progressive rock, Singer-songwriters then this tag is for you.
For the almighty algorithm:
#BookTube #MusicBooks #FolkMusic #JethroTull #PeteSeeger #BobDylan #MusicHistory #ReadingCommunity #ProgressiveRock #ProtestSongs
