Books

Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking

Average customer rating:

so good for electronic musicians and composers
Let's make music!
Rediscovers the simple facts of electronic music
Excellent
Go Beyond Circuit Bending

Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking
Nicolas Collins
Manufacturer: TF-ROUTL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Circuit-Bending: Build Your Own Alien Instruments (ExtremeTech)
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ASIN: 0415975921

Book Description

Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking provides a long-needed, practical, and engaging introduction for students of electronic music, installation and sound-art to the craft of making--as well as creatively cannibalizing--electronic circuits for artistic purposes. Designed for practioners and students of electronic art, it provides a guided tour through the world of electronics, encouraging artists to get to know the inner workings of basic electronic devices so they can creatively use them for their own ends.
Handmade Electronic Music introduces the basic of practical circuitry while instructing the student in basic electronic principles, always from the practical point of view of an artist. It teaches a style of intuitive and sensual experimentation that has been lost in this day of prefabricated electronic musical instruments whose inner workings are not open to experimentation. It encourages artists to transcend their fear of electronic technology to launch themselves into the pleasure of working creatively with all kinds of analog circuitry.

Customer Reviews:

so good for electronic musicians and composers.......2007-01-18

Ah ! this book is one of the best i bought.
I just love it !!

Let's make music!.......2007-01-10

This is a great book if you are a electroacoustic composer, you can make cheap sensors and rare instruments... ready - if you want - to plug to Max/MSP or Ethersense...or Teabox... Thanks to Gregory Taylor from Cyclin'74.

Rediscovers the simple facts of electronic music.......2007-01-07

Ever since products such as GarageBand took over the low-level tasks of producing electronic music and turned us all into application users, much has been forgotten about making music with low-level electronic components. In the case of younger electronic musicians, this may be an art form they never even knew in the first place. Although there is an advantage is computer musicians speaking a common language through a common application, something fascinating in the realm of experimentation has been largely lost. This book returns to the days of yesteryear with some projects in making your own electronic music with basic devices.

The book starts with some brief information on the tools you'll need plus the author's seven rules for experimentation. Part two is dedicated to listening. He shows you how to use radios and coils to find hidden electronic music, how to use the speaker as a microphone and vice versa, and how to use piezo disks to pick up tiny sounds, among other topics. Part three, on touching, shows you how to transform a portable radio into a synthesizer, change the clock circuit in toys to produce new sounds, and use photocells and pressure pads to "play" the modified toy. Part four, Building, shows the reader how to breadboard up some oscillators along with some controlling circuitry and produce gating, ducking, tremolo and panning effects. Part five, Looking, concerns translating video to audio using commonly found devices. The final section goes into depth on mixing circuits, how to build a good but cheap amplifier, connecting sensors to computers via game controllers, and a section on power supplies.

The book is written such that you should proceed from beginning to end, since the devices in earlier sections are used to assemble the devices in later chapters. By the time you finish you should have entire experimental musical instruments that you have assembled yourself.

Excellent.......2006-11-10

Great great book - covers a lot of ground and is very accessible for someone with a fairly technical mind. Just enough information to spark some ideas of what could be done with this technology.

Go Beyond Circuit Bending.......2006-10-14

Circuit Benders - if you are ready for something different get of a copy of Collins' informative book. It covers a wide variety of approaches for creating unusual sounds (and sights) in a low tech, user friendly manner. For example, the chapter on making an oscillator uses photos of the breadboard as well as schematics. As someone who finds electronic diagrams intimidating, Collins' approach made construction a snap. It also helped me better understand how to read schematics. Creating visuals with LCDs and by altering video cameras further expand the realms of hacking. The included CD features work by artists and musicians using devices found in the book. What a great idea. Very inspiring. I wish the Ghazala book (which is also great)had a similar CD. Sources for parts, websites and additional information galore make this a must have item.

Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand

Average customer rating:

Story of a Steinway Concert Grand Piano
A Very Nice Book for What it Is
Last minute gift for the piano enthusiast.
I read it twice - differently
Still the best

Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand
James Barron
Manufacturer: Times Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

People and Pianos: A Pictorial History of Steinway and Sons
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2006-2007 Annual Supplement to The Piano Book: Buying & Owning a New or Used Piano (Annual Supplement to the Piano Book)

ASIN: 0805078789
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Book Description

Like no other instrument, a grand piano melds engineering feats with the magical sounds of great music: the thunder of a full-throated bass, the bright, delicate trill of the upper treble. Alone among the big piano companies, Steinway still crafts all of its pianos largely by hand, imbuing each one with the promise and burden of its brand. In this captivating narrative, James Barron of The New York Times tells the story of one Steinway piano, from raw lumber to finished instrument. Barron follows that brand-new piano -- known by its number, K0862 -- on its eleven-month journey through the Steinway factory, where time-honored manufacturing methods vie with modern-day industrial efficiency. He looks over the shoulders of men and women -- some second- and third-generation employees, some recently arrived immigrants -- who transform wood and steel into a concert grand. Together, they carry on the traditions begun more than 150 years ago by the immigrants who founded Steinway Sons -- a family that soared to prominence in the music world and, for a while, in New York Citys political and economic life. Barron also explores the art and science of developing a pianos timbre and character before its first performance, when the essential question will be answered: Does K0862 live up to the Steinway legend? From start to finish, Piano will charm and enlighten music lovers.

Customer Reviews:

Story of a Steinway Concert Grand Piano.......2007-05-12

Excellently and diligently written, this little book tells the story of one Steinway concert grand piano from conception to adolescence. Barron loves the piano, respects the Company, and is dilgent in showing the evolution of Steinway, as well as the creation of one, new opus - a 9 foot concert piano. Barron introduces us to the barons of Steinway and the individual craftsmen who hand make these excellent instruments. To me, the quality and individual character of each Steinway piano are no longer a mystery.

Each time I play my own small grand piano (a quality A B Chase, close replica of the Steinway model S), I think of the efforts that went into it. Unlike Yamahas and such, the Steinway is an almost hand-built piano from a Company which has never relented in its determination to produce the best.

The book also explains why age is not all that becoming in the tonal life of a piano. The instrument has a birth, a development, and an aging process which are measured in tonal character progress, not just years. The aged Steiway seems a time integral of all that has come before - including hundred year old designs and techniques, and all the way up to its last tuning.

If you think a piano is a piano, is a piano, Barron's book will change your outlook.

A Very Nice Book for What it Is.......2007-04-18

The writing style is very engaging and readable. It is more about the people who build the pianos and the history of Steinway than it is about building a piano, but still a nice read.

After reading this you might be interested in: The Violin Maker: Finding a Centuries-Old Tradition in a Brooklyn Workshop by John Marchese, and then perhaps Guitar: An American Life by Tim Brookes (these two books a longer and more detailed then Piano but are similarly styled).

Last minute gift for the piano enthusiast........2007-04-11

pricey, but less expensive than giving lessons to someone who thinks they have talent. :D

I read it twice - differently.......2007-04-11

My first reading: I had built a harpsichord 42 years ago. I studied each chapter - amazed at the similarities of the building process - and loving it. My second reading was non-stop. Leave out Chapter 7 and you're involved all the way through in this great adventure story. I almost want to beg for a sequel - who played, when, where.

Still the best.......2007-02-14

An excellent chronicling of the making of what is still the best piano available. Being a pianist and organist, and having worked in the organ-building business, I was quite interested in understanding more about the building of a piano. This book helped me understand what goes on in the building process, and also helped me understand that Steinway is probably still the best. I had the personal use of an Austrian piano, well known, for over 17 years as the keyboard man in a major church. That piano never lived up to its expectations, and never really filled the room. This book helped me understand why. Good stuff.

Average customer rating:

The Pianist's Bible
Very interesting
A classic....
Fantastic, very entertaining!
Tolstoy of the Piano

The Art of Piano Playing
Heinrich Neuhaus
Manufacturer: Kahn & Averill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1871082455

Customer Reviews:

The Pianist's Bible.......2006-07-11

The Art of Piano Playing such a terrific book that every pianist should have it. I've read it through and will read it again and again. The information in this book is to the point. You can't help but come away with a better understanding of the art of piano playing

Very interesting.......2006-05-13

His uncle Felix Blumenfeld was a Horowitz teacher.
Some of Neuhaus students among many others:
- Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels, both considered top 10 world pianists.
- The first teacher (the mother) of Andrei Gavrilov.
- Radu Lupu.

This book is funny as exemplified below by some excerpts:

"Thinking about art and science, about their mutual relationship and contradictions, I came to the conclusion, for some reason or other, that mathematics and music are situated at extreme poles of the human spirit, that these two antipodes limit and determine the whole spiritual and creative activity of man and that situated between them is everything that mankind has created in the field of science and art".

I found his above childish thoughts very interesting, perhaps meaning that everything is a linear combination of pure logic (math) and pure emotion (music). As I work with math and like to play piano I will tend to be a "complete" human being :-)

Other of his "jokes":

"When Emil Gilels came to study with me in the Moscow State Conservatory, I was once forced to say to him: You are already a grown man, you can eat steak and drink beer but so far you have been fed with a baby's bottle"

"I remember that when Glazunov was about fifty his mother used to tell the washerwoman to be careful with the child's linen"

"To play the piano is easy. I mean the physical process, and not the summit of pianistic art.It is obvious that to play the piano very well is just as difficult as to do anything else very well, for instance to pull teeth or macadam a road".

"I must once more apologize for this excessively long history about myself; that is always somewhat indecent. But what can one do?"

"Carl Czerny, the "dry and methodical genius" who has tortured generations of pianists wih an inexhaustible stream of studies and exercises..."

And many more...

His jokes are almost everywere. Otherwise the book has several useful recommendations and analysis about the art of piano playing and has chapters on "artistic image of a musical composition", on tone, on technique and on teaching activity.

But be advised: Sometimes the book is a bit verbose, repetitive and philosophical. It is not directed only to technical problems.

A classic...........2005-12-03

Lets put it this way.... this is not light reading (is the slang word an airplane book?). It is though one of the best books on playing the piano. Neuhaus is concise, to the point and likes to put out interesting anecdotes, some humorous.
This is also pretty advanced so I doubt non musicians could find any utility apart from historical tidbits. Neuhaus taught Richter who taught many others.... and just like we do with other disciplines - we have to pay tribute to the forefather of this lineage/legacy, especially since he helped produce Richter.

Fantastic, very entertaining!.......2005-04-01

I havent heard anything bad about this book. Neuhaus is a very cultural and wise man, and great sense of humor. After reading this book I have found myself quoting it quite often.
Its not perfect, but nothing is so... Just read it and you will know what I mean, Its very well worth the read, and it will make you laugh several times.

Tolstoy of the Piano.......2003-06-04

I'm sure anyone shopping for this book knows that Heinrich Neuhaus was the mentor of such giants of the piano as Richter, Gilels and Lupu. Well, here between these covers you'll find the reason why. Neuhaus possessed a great mind and an ability to express himself like no other pedagogue I have read. While reading his book I kept thinking I was reading Tolstoy, not for any similarity of style or substance but because I got the same feeling from both their works, that here is a great man who had lived a full life, and then had the patience and wherewithal to sit down and commit it to paper, thereby enriching piano posterity. This book deserves pride of place on any pianist's bookshelf. I thank the previous reviewer who said that it was a crime that this book is out of print. I paid a hefty amount for what looks like a slim volume, but it is packed with such profundity that I have to consider this a seminal addition to my library. Get it wherever you can, this is one for the ages.

Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould

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Terrific biography of Glenn Gould
A Worthy Biography
The Enduring Fascination of Gould
Well-balanced biography of a phenominal artist
the mysteries of a perfect art

Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould
Kevin Bazzana
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195182464

Book Description

When Mikhail Baryshnikov defected in Toronto in 1974, he admitted that he knew only three things about Canada: It had great hockey teams, a lot of wheatfields, and Glenn Gould. In Wondrous Strange, Kevin Bazzana vividly recaptures the life of Glenn Gould, one of the most celebrated pianists of our time. Drawing on twenty years of intensive research, including unrestricted access to Gould's private papers and interviews with scores of friends and colleagues, many of them never interviewed before, Bazzana sheds new light on such topics as Gould's family history, his secretive sexual life, and the mysterious problems that afflicted his hands in his later years. The author places Gould's distinctive traits--his eccentric interpretations, his garish onstage demeanor, his resistance to convention--against the backdrop of his religious, upper middle-class Canadian childhood, illuminating the influence of Gould's mother as well as the lasting impact of the only piano teacher Gould ever had. Bazzana offers a fresh appreciation of Gould's concert career--his high-profile but illness-plagued international tours, his adventurous work for Canadian music festivals, his musical and legal problems with Steinway and Sons. In 1964, Gould made the extraordinary decision to perform only for records, radio, television, and film, a turning point that the author examines with unprecedented thoroughness (discussing, for example, his far-seeing interest in new recording technology). Here, too, are Gould's interests away from the piano, from his ambitious but failed effort to be a composer to his innovative brand of "contrapuntal radio." Richly illustrated with rare photographs, Wondrous Strange is a superbly written account of one of the most memorable and accomplished musicians of our times.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific biography of Glenn Gould.......2007-05-14

This is a wonderful biography on one of the world's finest and beloved musicians. The writing is detailed and articulate but never boring. However, if you do not have a background in music, the writings on classical music could be difficult to decipher for the layman. An excellent read!!

A Worthy Biography.......2007-03-19

I can't exactly put a nail on why I have read so many biographies on Gould, but I dare say the story of his reclusiveness, isolation and his pursuit of his art has always intrigued me. Up to this point my favorite biography on Gould had been the Otto Fredrick "A Life in Variations", so I had a pre-conceived notion that this book may just have been be a re-telling of all the stories and interviews I heard in the past.

Bazzana appears to set himself apart here in that he was not asked to write a biography on Gould as he described in the book. There are many snippits of things I've allready knew about Gould here, but Bazzana also tries to put another angle on some of the eccentricities most have heard or read about prior. He encapsulates many different views of Gould, so much so that I feel that I have a bit more insite here. Also, Bazzana appears to set some of the record straight for other biographical sources such as Andrew Kazdin's work called "Glenn Gould At Work, Creative Lying" which is another book I gained knowledge from and did enjoy. It may not be entirely possible to have a true biographical account of Gould, but I still appreciate this additional account of his life although I am only giving it 4 stars because I feel there will never be a complete biography of an individual due to different sources and views, but this one is generally well researched. It does re-hash some of the other interview material, sources etc, but within the book there does appear to be an attempt here to rationalize his behaviour and give a better look beyond the stereotype.

The Enduring Fascination of Gould.......2007-02-18

What is it about Glenn Gould? He's been the subject of books, dvds, and one odd movie made up of a mosaic of short films. Gould's life and music has captured the attention and imagination of people who otherwise would not venture anywhere near classical performers.

"Wondrous Strange" doesn't delve deeply into opinions, or really attempt to explain why people were (and are) so affected by Gould--it simply lays out Gould's life in block-like sections, marking his attitudes and approaches to both music and life. The result is a thick book full of Gouldian lore, with many fascinating passages, that doesn't cohere quite as well as it could have. Bazzana develops themes, drops them, and then revisits them a few chapters on. Pages could have been trimmed where Bazzana is busy repeating himself. It's as if the book were trying to envelope Gould, like an octopus settling on a lobster.

Does it succeed? Mostly, yes. With repeated gleanings, Gould emerges to the reader as something of a "mutant"--a person slightly ahead of his time. He was a reclusive person, who came to hate concert limelight, and found great comfort in the controlled technology of the studio. He (probably correctly) discerned that an artist usually communicates better, and certainly more intimately, through recordings than through concerts.

Gould's belief in the classical music performer's right to interpret and reimagine great works of music put him at odds with many critics, as did his tendency to "sing" wordlessly as he played. These things only served to reinforce Gould's singularity, and mark him as a modernist. Like James Dean, or the Beatles, Gould transcended his time. He was a dreamer who continues to captivate and to inspire dreams in his legion of followers.

Well-balanced biography of a phenominal artist.......2006-09-27

This is a very well-balanced, thorough biography of the Canadian pianist/musician/composer Glenn Gould. Very well written, a joy to read (and a lot easier to read then most of the stuff Glenn wrote himself...)
Having read this book I feel I understand more about Glenn Gould the artist and the person.
A first-choice-must-buy for all interested to know more about Glenn Gould.

the mysteries of a perfect art.......2005-04-05

This unstoppably heartrending biography of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould unveils the mysteries of a perfect art more cogently and beautifully than has any other artist's biography I've ever come across. Kevin Bazzana has opened up Gould's eccentricities and placed them where finally they must sleep - merely deep in the natural whole of one of the inescapable musicians of the 20th century. Those lucky enough to know the meaning of the art of Glenn Gould will always be grateful for that achievement.

This is a tremendous book. The moments when Bazzana's utterly secure love for Gould's art shines through are the most extraordinary aspect of a completely worthy biography. With deep and glistening writing Bazzana evokes every aspect of looking-at-Gould with the same sound character found in Gould's playing - it's an amazing experience! This is biographical literature extensive and schooled, and even wise; reading is like gliding on glass, so perfect is the author's determination, and Gould lives on every page. What could be better?

Was ever a pianist's art more wonderful? Gould's playing is always extraordinary by every standard, and beyond. And not only the playing, of course; his mind, his understanding of music, his humor - these form the scaffolding of a remarkable artistic vision. For all his reclusion, his is the most giving human art, reaching to infinity. Art of the gods obtains dimensions the proof of which can be heard in everything he played. It's a consuming art, yet so freeing. The wondrous thing about it is how Gould kept so much of himself even as he spent lavishly on Bach and Byrd and Schoenberg. Music never overtook Gould - that task inevitably fell to Gould himself.

By literature of this kind, the sadness that still lingers around Gould's death seems entirely transformed. This is a great book that ends too quickly and lingers too pervasively. Afford yourself the wealth.

Average customer rating:

Quality Transcription
I'm a new RENTHEAD. ^^
Great But Slow
Worth Getting

Rent: Movie Vocal Selections

Manufacturer: Hal Leonard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Wicked - Piano/Vocal Arrangement
Rent: Vocal Selections (Essential Musicals)
Rent
Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent
The Phantom of the Opera - piano vocal Selections

ASIN: 1423406265

Book Description

The film Rent, based on the Tony-winning Broadway production, is a modern-day adaptation of the opera La Boheme. Our songbook includes 18 songs: Another Day - I'll Cover You - Rent - Seasons of Love - Take Me or Leave Me - What You Own - Without You - You'll See - Your Eyes - and more. Includes eight pages of color photos.

Customer Reviews:

Quality Transcription.......2007-02-13

This is a quality piano book that transcribes the orchestration to piano notation without "dumbing down" the composers musical intent. The music, as is typical with piano/vocal books, carries the melody along with the accompanyment and the bass line seems to play true to the CD/movie. If you enjoy the music from Rent and are an average to above average piano player, you will be able to sit down and play through the songs in short order.

I'm a new RENTHEAD. ^^.......2006-06-20

I'll admit up untill a few weeks ago, I didn't li,ke RENT, justy a couple songs. But then I decided to rent RENT, heh get it? Rent Ren- ah bad joke, sorry. ^^

But anyway, I just got the book, and it's greaat, and I recommend it to every Rent fan in the world.

Great But Slow.......2006-03-28

I love this movie!! So I ordered this book! I wanted it to come soon. However, it was very late. It was past the estimated delivery date. However, once it came I was obsessed with playing with it! This is a MUST BUY!!! Only if you love the movie/musical RENT!

Worth Getting.......2006-02-05

I got this book over the already published vocal selections of RENT because I noticed that this book has more selections in it. Since I don't have the original book of vocal selections, I really can't compare them- I have to speak of its own merits. I am satisfied with my purchase. The melody is written into the piano part, so that will help singers sing along. If, however, you are doing a performance, you may want a version without the melody in the piano's part... I am not sure if the other book has this or not. The book is quite thick- 150 pages. There are also 8 pages of beautiful photos from scenes in the movie: RENT, One Song Glory, Light My Candle, Tango Maureen, Halloween, Today 4 U, La Vie Boheme, et cetera.

The book includes the following songs:

Seasons of Love
RENT
You'll See
One Song Glory
Light My Candle (!!!)
Tango: Maureen
Out Tonight
Another Day
Will I?
Santa Fe
I'll Cover You
La Vie Boheme (although the lyrics in the music are a bit different...)
Take Me or Leave Me
Without You
Halloween
What You Own
Your Eyes
Love Heals

If you are a fan of RENT or a fan of the movie and are a singer/pianist, definitely get this book. You won't regret it!

Average customer rating:

Reader's Digest Festival of Popular Songs
Many of my favorite songs and yours!
Festival of Popular Songs refview
Excellent. Great arrangements. Easy for a beginner.
Great music -- easy to play -- good arangements

Festival of popular songs
Reader's Digest Editors
Manufacturer: Readers Digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0895770350

Customer Reviews:

Reader's Digest Festival of Popular Songs.......2004-04-28

Great songs to play for a party or for your own enjoyment: Georgia on My Mind, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, It's Impossible, My Funny Valentine, The Shadow of your Smile, The Way You Look Tonight, On the Street Where You Live, Honky-Tonk Train. ALL of the songs are excellent piano melodies sutable for the intermediate player.

Many of my favorite songs and yours!.......2003-12-10

From "Somewhere, My Love" to "On Top Of Spaghetti", this book has so many songs that I find myself humming and wishing I could play. Did you like Sesame Street, Dr. Zhivago, The Godfather? Do you like showtunes? There's over a hundred of them here ... the breadth is part of the fun of the book!

Festival of Popular Songs refview.......2000-02-27

Great book for the intermediate pianist. It's one of my favorites. Reader's Digest needs to reprint it. I borrow it at the public library and would buy it if available.

Excellent. Great arrangements. Easy for a beginner........1999-10-16

This songbook has many of the great songs of my youth. The chords are easy, there are guitar chords written above the treble staff and the print is large enough for those of us over 50 to see. The arrangements are outstanding. I wish Readers' Digest would reprint this book. I'd buy it in a second. I have to borrow mine from the public library.

Great music -- easy to play -- good arangements.......1999-03-13

I wish Reader's Digest would print some more of these books. It is such an excellent composite of popular music and the arrangements are fantastic. If anyone has a copy, I would love to buy it.

The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self

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The Perfect Right Book
Perfect Antidote
simply the best
Amazing ... and Healing
Wonderful book!

The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self
William Westney
Manufacturer: Amadeus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Passionate Practice: The Musician's Guide to Learning, Memorizing, and Performing
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What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body
The Inner Game of Music

ASIN: 1574671456

Book Description

In this groundbreaking book, prize-winning pianist and noted educator William Westney helps readers discover their own path to the natural, transcendent fulfillment of making music. Drawing on experience, psychological insight, and wisdom ancient and modern, Westney shows how to trust yourself and set your own musicality free. He offers healthy alternatives for lifelong learning and suggests significant change in the way music is taught. For example, playing a wrong note can be constructive, useful, even enlightening. The creator of the acclaimed Un-Master Class workshop also explores the special potential of group work, outlining the basics of his revelatory workshop that has transformed the music experience for participants the world over. Practicing, in Westney's view, is a lively, honest, adventurous, and spiritually rewarding enterprise, and it can (and should) meet with daily success, which empowers us to grow even more. Teachers, professionals, and students of any instrument will benefit from this unique guide, which brings artistic vitality, freedom, and confidence within everyone's reach.

Customer Reviews:

The Perfect Right Book.......2007-01-18

If you want to truly refresh your thinking about teaching music, this is the book. Explore with the author ways to bring enthusiasm and joy into the learning process... how to use 'honest mistakes" as tools. Be prepared to learn why traditional methods can sometimes harness creativity. This book described for me a way to help my students relax and welcome the journey into music. Whether teaching by traditional methods or not, this book is a must. Thanks, Mr. Westney, for the great read and the inspiring words.

Perfect Antidote.......2006-11-11

Not really being part of the culture to which the author is reacting, I found this book to be captivating, if a bit strident. The unfortunate tendency towards perfectionism taints a great deal more than music instruction. The expectations of deference and respect on the basis of position weaken bishops and U.S. presidents as well as maestros and music teachers. Still, the control freak element runs deep. As an adult beginner taking piano lessons, I just see it from a different perspective. Take humor in the strutting of the popinjay, no need to be alarmed by it.

Also, the man either knows nothing about golf, or else cheats on his scorecard. I suspect the former rather than the latter. But, a recorded lousy golf swing is just a lousy golf swing, while one left off the scorecard is, well, a reflection of character.

However, on his home ground, the practice room and the recital stage, the author is very strong. Texas Tech is lucky to have him. Go, Red Raiders!

simply the best.......2006-06-09

This is my favorite book about music-making (classical piano, in my case). Westney very convincingly makes the case for an overhaul of the way we approach music practice and performance. The 'juicy wrong note' idea promotes a wholistic, passionate attitude. It is NOT the idea of treating mistakes lightly...more, it's the attitude of making the mistake whole-heartedly and then learning what it has to tell you about your level of preparedness,an unsuspected weak point, etc. Westney does not cover specific how-to's (the best book on that for piano in my opinion is Berman's) but more the philosophy to bring to the practice room and to the performance. I'd give more stars if it were possible

Amazing ... and Healing.......2006-03-22

I had a difficult time reading this, only because the content was so close to my own life/story. I could've sworn that William was writing about ME, and I relived many things that I didn't realize this book would create the avenue to surface. Fortunately, this book has helped me to begin to heal old, deep, and hidden grievances that have kept me from being the musical self that my soul longs and deserves to be ... until now.

What a great way to address a very real issue. What a great way for me to finally resolve my childhood rejections of not being allowed to express myself at the very time I was creating my musical self.

Thank you, William. I can now forgive and begin new again, this time without fear of repercussion in expressing what is in my heart and my soul, even if I'm the only one that appreciates it!

Wonderful book!.......2005-09-30

This is the best self-awareness book that a student and/or teacher can read. As a non-traditional (older) music major who also teaches, this book has shed new light on many problems pianists face, teacher encounter & teachers create! A must read!

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra (Caldecott Honor Book)

Average customer rating:

"Duke Ellington" continues to jazz it up
Excellent read aloud
Put it this way. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom. - D.E.
Singin' and Swingin'
An outstanding picture book biography!

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra (Caldecott Honor Book)
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Manufacturer: Jump At The Sun
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786801786

Amazon.com

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, "King of the Keys," was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. "He was a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid," writes master wordsmith Andrea Pinkney in the rhythmic, fluid, swinging prose of this excellent biography for early readers. It was ragtime music that first "set Duke's fingers to wiggling." He got back to work and taught himself to "press on the pearlies." Soon 19-year-old Duke was playing compositions "smoother than a hairdo sleeked with pomade" at parties, pool halls, country clubs, and cabarets. Skipping from D.C. to 1920s Harlem, "the place where jazz music ruled," Duke and his small band called the Washingtonians began performing in New York City clubs, including the Cotton Club, where Duke Ellington and his Orchestra was officially born. By 1943, Duke Ellington--writer of more than 1000 compositions, including ballet and film scores, orchestral suites, musicals, and choral works--had made it all the way to Carnegie Hall.

We applaud this talented husband-and-wife team--award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney and writer Andrea Pinkney--for making music fly in this fantastic tribute to a jazz legend. Andrea does an extraordinary job of translating music into words, with blues "deeper than the deep blue sea" and "hot-buttered bob, with lots of sassy-cool tones," while her husband visually interprets the movement of music as spirals, waves, and swirls of color, prepared as scratchboard renderings with luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint. Andrea writes, "Toby let loose on his sleek brass sax, curling his notes like a kite tail in the wind. A musical loop-de-loop, with a serious twist," while Brian paints those curling notes, the loop-de-loops, and the kite sailing up to the New York City skyline. Young readers will enjoy the rhythm and beauty of the story itself, and may even be inspired to give Raffi a rest and swing with the Duke! (Great read-aloud, ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson, Amazon.com Kids editor

Customer Reviews:

"Duke Ellington" continues to jazz it up.......2007-02-20

If the brilliant colors and impressive images don't catch your attention, then the amazingly written story of Edward Kennedy Ellington will.

"Duke Ellington" throws the reader into the early 1900's with its slang talk and direct narrative. The reader becomes a part of the story as the narrator tells about how Duke started out being bored by the piano, and then grew to love it when he heard ragtime being played. Andrea Davis Pinkney makes this a fun book for readers by describing the sounds of all the instruments with such detail that one could imagine they are actually hearing Duke's music being played just for them. I became enthralled with the vivid pictures depicting jazz as one might sense it if they had been there. "Duke Ellington" has won both the Caldecott Honor award, and the Coretta Scott King Award. This book is a good, fun, imaginative read for all ages.

Excellent read aloud.......2006-02-02

As an elementary school library specialist, this is my all time favorite read aloud. I utilized music/sound files on the web to have the King of the Keys himself accompany his biography. The text itself is a story to be read out loud. A teacher commented that this was his favorite read aloud and I believe a student favorite of all the grades I read this to (grades 3-6). Students were swaying, snapping their fingers, and just tapping away. The older kids didn't do that, but when the music ended, they asked for a repeat and I obliged. Hats off to you Ms. Pinkney!

Put it this way. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom. - D.E........2005-07-04

Being a relatively new reader of children's books, I tend to go about my systematic reading of all good picture books out there in a backwards manner. Case in point, Andrea Davis Pinkney. I first came across this writer, and her talented hubby Brian, through their lovely, "Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuoso". It was through that book that I discovered that the art of scratchboard (remember having to do those in elementary school?) can produce some truly fabulous picture book art. After reading "Ella" I doubled back and found her 1999 Caldecott Honor winning baby, "Duck Ellington". The book that started it all. Also using scratchboard (and without relying on fictional talking felines ala "Ella") the book is a whirlwind biography of one of the world's jazzy greats. There are tons of picture books about jazz musicians out there today. Only one, however, has garnered both the Coretta Scott King Award and the Caldecott Honor.

In this tale we meet Duke from his baseball playing days in Washington, D.C. Children everywhere will sympathize when Duke decides that learning to play the piano is a waste of his time and that he'd much rather be out and about with his friends. Fast forward a couple years and an older pool shooting Duke hears the sweet sounds of ragtime for the very first time. Suddenly the piano doesn't sound so lame, and Duke teaches himself the rudiments of it immediately. Over time, his particular style and talents get him jobs in clubs and cabarets and at last he forms his own band. From here on in the book's a whirlwind series of visits to places like the Cotton Club (which I think illustrator Brian Pinkney probably failed to base after the real club itself) and, at long last, New York's Carnegie Hall in 1943. A matter-of-fact bio at the back as well as a complete bibliography of sources (well done there) round out this lively encapsulation of a life.

Kids are often assigned biographies in school, and "Duke Ellington" has the advantage of being both interesting and filled to the brim with sources and facts. The story is as lively as Ms. Pinkney could make it, often going into deep descriptions of individual players' talents in the Duke's band. The art is lovely as well. Using luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint and then rendering it in a scratchboard style, there's a real throbbing beauty to some of these paintings. In a final picture Duke conducts his band in a purple suit and the notes of the players curl out as almost iridescent swirls and waves. Altogether lovely.

In many ways, the book's going to be a bore to those kinds who've never heard a jazz note in their lives and don't understand the importance. If at all possible, try finding a copy of that incredibly amazing film "Cabin In the Sky" and showing it to the kids and THEN give them this book. The movie's worth checking out and Duke (with his orchestra) is wonderful in it.

Though this is perhaps not my favorite jazz picture book out there (I've still some very fond feelings for "Charlie Parker Played Be Bop") it's still quite a wonder and worth checking out. A necessary addition to any well-rounded children's biography section of their local library.

Singin' and Swingin'.......2004-09-03

Edward Kennedy Ellington, who preferred being called Duke, didn't like playing the piano at first. As the book made out, he considered piano lessons a chore, although it doesn't directly say this in the text. The boring "umpy-dumpy" noises that the piano made when he hit the keys made him soon quit lessons so he could pursue the interests of a regular boy. It would be a couple of years later until Duke would start practicing piano once more.

In what looks like a pool hall, Duke discovers a new way of playing piano. His discovery is ragtime. The ragtime music isn't boring and repetitve as the type of music he had practiced as a boy. This music gives of a rythmical sensation throughout the body. Duke is soon in love with the piano. And he starts practicing with the little knowledge of the piano he has. He is soon good enough to have his own band and becomes a frequent performer at the Cotton Club. Duke records many hit songs in his life and becomes known as "The King of the Keys".

Pinkney's unusually good painting are very enjoyable and I really like the way that the musical chords showed up to let the reader know that music was being played.

An outstanding picture book biography!.......2001-09-04

This beautiful picture book biography recounts the life and career of jazz musician, Edward Kennedy Ellington -- better known to all as the Duke.

When the Duke's parents enrolled him in piano lessons for the very first time, he flat out did not want to go. At that time he had visions of playing baseball; but his parents insisted that he learn to play the piano. The music lessons were slow and not a lot of fun. It wasn't long before he quit taking lessons altogether and kissed the piano goodbye. Little did he know then that the melodious rhythms of Ragtime would draw him back to this instrument again and lead to his success as a great musician, composer, and orchestra leader!

Andrea Davis Pinkney does an outstanding job sharing the Duke's story with young readers. Her husband, Brian Pinkney, matches her wonderful text with vibrate illustrations, which translate the Duke's music into a series of bold colored spirals, waves, curls, and swirls that literally leap off of the pages of the book! Without a doubt, this husband and wife collaboration will guide readers in appreciating the rhythm and beat of the Duke's life and music. This book is truly a musician's delight!

The Keyboardist's Picture Chord Encyclopedia (Piano Book)

Average customer rating:

Did not receive product
Very complete chord encyclopedia
A review of Vogler's book

The Keyboardist's Picture Chord Encyclopedia (Piano Book)
Leonard Vogler
Manufacturer: Amsco Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0825611326
Release Date: 1988-12-31

Book Description

Every chord you'll ever need to play shown clearly in diagrams and notation. Special section on inversions, substitutions, and progressions.

Customer Reviews:

Did not receive product.......2007-03-28

I never received the book. There should be a way to notify the customer when the package should arrive without the customer having to keep reviewing the email. The mail deliver did not leave a note that he was leaving the package elsewhere. I wanted the product.

Very complete chord encyclopedia.......2003-11-23

I purchased this book because it was the most complete book of keyboard chords that I could find. The chords for each note are ordered in an intuitive way. This book has every chord that I have ever tried to find. There is a chart in the front section that shows alternate names or symbols. That is, the chart shows that 13 may also be shown as 7(add13) or 7(add6).

One thing I particularly like about the book is the simple, uncluttered, and easy to read presentation. The pictures of each chord are large enough to see easily. While they do present 78 chords for every note, there are only 8 chords per page. This book measures about 12" by 9". It's very handy to open the book to the page I need. While I'm playing, I can quickly glance over to see the chord one more time.

I have found this book to be highly useful and recommend it to anyone looking for a keyboard chord book.

A review of Vogler's book.......2001-09-11

This book is a timely resource for anyone who has to deal with chord symbols--such as is found on rhythm charts and lead sheets-- and wants to know how to play them on the piano or keyboard. It even could help an arranger who has landed on a chord he likes but doesn't know what to call it.

This book has a Chord Construction section at the beginning, consisting of a review of the role that scales play, intervals, chords, inversions, altered triads and chord names. That's just 4 pages, so it doesn't bog down there. Next follows the major section of the book, which consists of *78* major and minor chords for each of the 12 notes of the scale. Each chord is depicted with what the chord looks like on a staff, what it would look like on a keyboard (the affected keys are shaded), and what its chord symbol typically would be. In the key of C, for example, you'd see everything from a plain old "C" chord to something like "C13 b5 #9" (whew!).

The final section of the book deals with what the left hand could do against the chords (whatever they are and against whatever rhythms your RH might be playing them). It provides info about such styles as boogie-woogie, funk, jazz & blues, swing, latin, rock and shuffle. There are multiple possible LH rhythms given for each of those, giving you variety in your possible choices. There also are multiple depictions of combination RH/LH patterns for rhythm & blues, gospel, country and rock.

This is one of those resource books that you like to have handy in your music library, for when you need it you'll probably REALLY need it right then!

The Harpsichord and Clavichord: An Encyclopedia (Encyclopedia of Keyboard Instruments)

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The Harpsichord and Clavichord: An Encyclopedia (Encyclopedia of Keyboard Instruments)

Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415937655

Book Description

The Harpsichord and Clavichord, An Encyclopedia includes articles on this family of instruments, including famous players, composers, instruments builders, the construction of the instruments, and related terminology. It is the first complete reference on this important family of keyboard instruments. The contributors include major scholars of music and musical instrument history from around the world. It completes the three-volume Encyclopedia of Keyboard Intsruments.

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