Peer-reviewed articles and books 

Adams, John Luther. Winter music: composing the North. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2004. Print.
"Winter Music, a collection of Adams's essays, journal entries, and other writings is poetic and inspirational and delves into the environmental and cultural awareness that creates his reflective, almost spiritual, approach to music. The accompanying audio CD includes two previously unrecorded works by Adams. Adams's music explores natural phenomena from the songs of birds, to the complex nature of chaos, fractal geometry, and elemental noise. Similarly, his writings explore "that region between place and culture, between environment and imagination," reflecting a philosophy of deep awareness that makes him one of the most original composers working today." Summary is distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Alperson, Philip, and Noël Carroll. "Music, Mind, and Morality: Arousing the Body Politic." The Journal of Aesthetic Education 42.1 (2008): 1-15. Print.

In this complex philosophical essay, Alperson (professor and chair of the department of Philosophy at Temple University, and general editor of the Blackwell series Foundations of the Philosophy of the Arts) and Carrol (Professor of the Humanities at Temple University) examine to what extent music contributes to the ‘moral life.’ Using the consideration of what defines art as Art as a springboard to the statement that most music is not absolute music but often connected with dance, poetry, rituals etc., they elaborate different areas in which music is used. The authors conclude that the song, its combination of words and music, is the most powerful musical means to communicate a moral message.  

Leyshon, Andrew, David Matless, and George Revill. "The Place of Music: [Introduction]." Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 20.4 (1995): 423-33. Print.

This article by Leyshon (Department of Geography, University of Bristol), Matless (Department of Geography, University of Nottingham), and Revill (Geography Unit, Oxford Brookes University) is an introduction to the theme of “The place of music.” It first mentions previous work on music by geographers and considers the history of the universal language of classical music, then focuses on popular music, especially rap, hip hop, and punk by elaborating how these styles can establish or create placed identities (identification with a certain lifestyle, attitude etc.). The authors’ intention is to show a variety of themes concerning geographical work on music. relevant for the introduction of my project is the subsection. Especially interesting is the subsection “National musics,” in which the authors state that national music (e.g. by Shostakovich, Wagner, Smetana) is able to carry political and social meaning. The imitation of natural sounds, folk songs, and depiction of landscapes offers “national integration and reconciliation” (426).

Knight, David B. Landscapes in music: space, place, and time in the world's great music. New York (et al.): Rowman & littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2006. Print.
In this book, geographer and musician examines the connection of orchestral music and landscapes and how composers were influenced by nature. Knight's work combines different topics such as "Time and Space," "Waterscapes," "Imagined and Mythic Landscapes," and "Landscapes of Death, Survival, and Remembrance." It is highly readable, not only for students and musical professionals, but for everyone who is interested in the topic. The book offers some innovative insights, and I really enjoyed it.

 Turner, Kate, and Bill Freedman. "Music and Environmental Studies." Journal of Environmental Education 36.1 (2004): 45-52. Print.

Beginning with a definition of the terms ‘music’ and ‘Nature,’ this article by Kate Turner, volunteer teacher and fundraiser for a rural school for indigenous Mayan people in Guatemala, and Bill Freedman, Chair of Biology and professor in the Department of Biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, serves as an overview of the connections between music and Environmental Studies by briefly discussing musical sounds in nature, natural sound and anthropogenic music, and  how nature influences music (e.g. Beethoven's symphony No. 6, "Pastoral"). Turner and Freedman further mention leading artists in the Environmental music movement such as Dan Gibson and R.M. Schafer. The authors conclude by stating that music can serve as an aesthetic means to make people aware of environmental issues.