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A Listener's Guide to Free Improvisation
by John CorbettImprovisation rattles some listeners. Maybe they’re even suspicious of it. John Coltrane’s saxophonic flights of fancy, Jimi Hendrix’s feedback drenched guitar solos, Ravi Shankar’s sitar extrapolations—all these sounds seem like so much noodling or jamming, indulgent self-expression. “Just” improvising, as is sometimes said. For these music fans, it seems natural that music is meant to be composed. In the first book of its kind, John Corbett’s A Listener’s Guide to Free Improvisation provides a how-to manual for the most extreme example of spontaneous improvising: music with no pre-planned material at all. Drawing on over three decades of writing about, presenting, playing, teaching, and studying freely improvised music, Corbett offers an enriching set of tools that show any curious listener how to really listen, and he encourages them to enjoy the human impulse— found all around the world— to make up music on the spot. Corbett equips his reader for a journey into a difficult musical landscape, where there is no steady beat, no pre-ordained format, no overarching melodic or harmonic framework, and where tones can ring with the sharpest of burrs. In “Fundamentals,” he explores key areas of interest, such as how the musicians interact, the malleability of time, overcoming impatience, and watching out for changes and transitions; he grounds these observations in concrete listening exercises, a veritable training regime for musical attentiveness. Then he takes readers deeper in “Advanced Techniques,” plumbing the philosophical conundrums at the heart of free improvisation, including topics such as the influence of the audience and the counterintuitive challenge of listening while asleep. Scattered throughout are helpful and accessible lists of essential resources—recordings, books, videos— and a registry of major practicing free improvisors from Noël Akchoté to John Zorn, particularly essential because this music is best experienced live. The result is a concise, humorous, and inspiring guide, a unique book that will help transform one of the world’s most notoriously unapproachable artforms into a rewarding and enjoyable experience.
A Little Bit of BTS: An Unofficial Celebration of the Biggest K-Pop Band
by Summersdale PublishersStep into the magic shop of BTS and follow them into this delightful book of meaningful quotes, stan-level facts and in-depth trivia for any diehard ARMY. Known for their dynamite stage presence, smooth-like-butter dancing skills and angelic voices, BTS are a K-pop boyband with a message of self-love at the heart of their music.
A Little Bit of Lady Gaga: An Unofficial Celebration of the Queen of Pop
by Summersdale PublishersPut your paws up for this show-stopping little book of inspiring quotes, incredible trivia and iconic facts about the one and only Lady GagaEver since her noughties debut, it's been clear a star was born! Pioneering, profound and outrageous in equal measure, Lady Gaga has stunned the world with her spectacular artistry and musicality, and she remains an empowering role model for Little Monsters everywhere.A Little Bit of Lady Gaga is a celebration of this queen of pop and the perfect gift for fans, taking you on a journey filled with: - Inspiring quotes on self-love, life and following your dreams - Lesser-known facts about her music, career and philosophy - Ultimate trivia to test your knowledge of Mother MonsterWhether you've been applauding from the beginning or you're just dancing for the first time, this book will give you a million reasons to love Lady Gaga even more. We were born this way!
A Little Bit of Taylor Swift: An Unofficial Celebration of a Modern Icon
by Summersdale PublishersBringing together inspiring quotes, superfan-level facts and a treasure trove of trivia, this little book is your backstage pass to the enchanting world of Taylor Swift. This heartfelt homage to Taylor, her fans and our enduring love story will make the perfect gift for any Swiftie.
A Little Bit of Taylor Swift: An Unofficial Celebration of a Modern Icon
by Summersdale PublishersBringing together inspiring quotes, superfan-level facts and a treasure trove of trivia, this little book is your backstage pass to the enchanting world of Taylor Swift. This heartfelt homage to Taylor, her fans and our enduring love story will make the perfect gift for any Swiftie.
A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance
by Hanif AbdurraqibNATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • A sweeping, genre-bending &“masterpiece&” (Minneapolis Star Tribune) exploring Black art, music, and culture in all their glory and complexity—from Soul Train, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Dallas Morning News, Publishers Weekly &“Gorgeous essays that reveal the resilience, heartbreak, and joy within Black performance.&”—Brit Bennett, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Half &“I was a devil in other countries, and I was a little devil in America, too.&” Inspired by these few words, spoken by Josephine Baker at the 1963 March on Washington, MacArthur &“Genius Grant&” Fellow and bestselling author Hanif Abdurraqib has written a profound and lasting reflection on how Black performance is inextricably woven into the fabric of American culture. Each moment in every performance he examines—whether it&’s the twenty-seven seconds in &“Gimme Shelter&” in which Merry Clayton wails the words &“rape, murder,&” a schoolyard fistfight, a dance marathon, or the instant in a game of spades right after the cards are dealt—has layers of resonance in Black and white cultures, the politics of American empire, and Abdurraqib&’s own personal history of love, grief, and performance.Touching on Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Billy Dee Williams, the Wu-Tan Clan, Dave Chappelle, and more, Abdurraqib writes prose brimming with jubilation and pain. With care and generosity, he explains the poignancy of performances big and small, each one feeling intensely familiar and vital, both timeless and desperately urgent. Filled with sharp insight, humor, and heart, A Little Devil in America exalts the Black performance that unfolds in specific moments in time and space—from midcentury Paris to the moon, and back down again to a cramped living room in Columbus, Ohio. WINNER OF THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL AND THE GORDON BURN PRIZE • FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE PEN/DIAMONSTEIN-SPIELVOGEL AWARD ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, The Boston Globe, NPR, Rolling Stone, Esquire, BuzzFeed, Thrillist, She Reads, BookRiot, BookPage, Electric Lit, The Rumpus, LitHub, Library Journal, Booklist
A Little History of Music (Little Histories)
by Robert PhilipA lively, engaging guide to music around the world, from prehistory to the present Human beings have always made music. Music can move us and tell stories of faith, struggle, or love. It is common to all cultures across the world. But how has it changed over the millennia? Robert Philip explores the extraordinary history of music in all its forms, from our earliest ancestors to today&’s mass-produced songs. This is a truly global story. Looking to Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and beyond, Philip reveals how musicians have been brought together by trade and migration and examines the vast impact of colonialism. From Hildegard von Bingen and Clara Schumann to Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, great performers and composers have profoundly shaped music as we know it. Covering a remarkable range of genres, including medieval chant, classical opera, jazz, and hip hop, this Little History shines a light on the wonder of music—and why it is treasured across the world.
A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead
by Dennis McnallyThe complete history of one of the most long-lived and legendary bands in rock history, written by its official historian and publicist--a must-have chronicle for all Dead Heads, and for students of rock and the 1960s' counterculture. From 1965 to 1995, the Grateful Dead flourished as one of the most beloved, unusual, and accomplished musical entities to ever grace American culture. The creative synchronicity among Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, and Ron "Pigpen" McKernan exploded out of the artistic ferment of the early sixties' roots and folk scene, providing the soundtrack for the Dionysian revels of the counterculture. To those in the know, the Dead was an ongoing tour de force: a band whose constant commitment to exploring new realms lay at the center of a thirty-year journey through an ever-shifting array of musical, cultural, and mental landscapes. Dennis McNally, the band's historian and publicist for more than twenty years, takes readers back through the Dead's history in A Long Strange Trip. In a kaleidoscopic narrative, McNally not only chronicles their experiences in a fascinatingly detailed fashion, but veers off into side trips on the band's intricate stage setup, the magic of the Grateful Dead concert experience, or metaphysical musings excerpted from a conversation among band members. He brings to vivid life the Dead's early days in late-sixties San Francisco--an era of astounding creativity and change that reverberates to this day. Here we see the group at its most raw and powerful, playing as the house band at Ken Kesey's acid tests, mingling with such legendary psychonauts as Neal Cassady and Owsley "Bear" Stanley, and performing the alchemical experiments, both live and in the studio, that produced some of their most searing and evocative music. But McNally carries the Dead's saga through the seventies and into the more recent years of constant touring and incessant musical exploration, which have cemented a unique bond between performers and audience, and created the business enterprise that is much more a family than a corporation. Written with the same zeal and spirit that the Grateful Dead brought to its music for more than thirty years, the book takes readers on a personal tour through the band's inner circle, highlighting its frenetic and very human faces. A Long Strange Trip is not only a wide-ranging cultural history, it is a definitive musical biography.
A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album
by Ashley KahnFew albums in the canon of popular music have had the influence, resonance, and endurance of John Coltrane's 1965 classic A Love Supreme-a record that proved jazz was a fitting medium for spiritual exploration and for the expression of the sublime. Bringing the same fresh and engaging approach that characterized his critically acclaimed Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, Ashley Kahn tells the story of the genesis, creation, and aftermath of this classic recording. Featuring interviews with more than one hundred musicians, producers, friends, and family members; unpublished interviews with Coltrane and bassist Jimmy Garrison; and scores of never-before-seen photographs, A Love Supreme balances biography, cultural context, and musical analysis in a passionate and revealing portrait. .
A Mad Love: An Introduction to Opera
by Vivien SchweitzerA lively introduction to opera, from the Renaissance to the twenty-first centuryThere are few art forms as visceral and emotional as opera-and few that are as daunting for newcomers. A Mad Love offers a spirited and indispensable tour of opera's eclectic past and present, beginning with Monteverdi's L'Orfeo in 1607, generally considered the first successful opera, through classics like Carmen and La Boheme, and spanning to Brokeback Mountain and The Death of Klinghoffer in recent years. Musician and critic Vivien Schweitzer acquaints readers with the genre's most important composers and some of its most influential performers, recounts its long-standing debates, and explains its essential terminology. Today, opera is everywhere, from the historic houses of major opera companies to movie theaters and public parks to offbeat performance spaces and our earbuds. A Mad Love is an essential book for anyone who wants to appreciate this living, evolving art form in all its richness.
A Man Called Destruction
by Holly George-WarrenThe first biography of the influential musician and forebear of the indie-rock scene Alex Chilton's story is rags to riches in reverse, beginning with teenage rock stardom and heading downward. Following stints leading 60s sensation the Box Tops ("The Letter") and pioneering 70s popsters Big Star ("the ultimate American pop band"--Time), Chilton became a dishwasher. Yet he rose again in the 80s as a solo artist, producer, and trendsetter, coinventing the indie-rock genre. By the 90s, acolytes from R.E.M. to Jeff Buckley embodied Chilton's legacy, ushering him back to the spotlight before his untimely death in 2010. In the career-spanning and revelatory A Man Called Destruction, longtime Chilton acquaintance Holly George-Warren has interviewed more than 100 bandmates, friends, and family members to flesh out a man who presided over--and influenced--four decades of American musical history, rendered here with new perspective through the adventures of a true iconoclast.
A Man Called Destruction
by Holly George-WarrenThe first biography of the artist who "essentially invented indie and alternative rock" (Spin)A brilliant and influential songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, the charismatic Alex Chilton was more than a rock star--he was a true cult icon. Awardwinning music writer Holly George-Warren's A Man Called Destruction is the first biography of this enigmatic artist, who died in 2010. Covering Chilton's life from his early work with the charttopping Box Tops and the seminal power-pop band Big Star to his experiments with punk and roots music and his sprawling solo career, A Man Called Destruction is the story of a musical icon and a richly detailed chronicle of pop music's evolution, from the mid-1960s through today's indie rock.
A Mary Blair Treasury of Golden Books
by VariousFans of illustrator Mary Blair will cherish this never-before-published treasury of her Golden Books, which includes material that hasn't been in print in decades. I Can Fly is here in its unabridged glory, as are Baby's House, The Up and Down Book, and The Golden Book of Little Verses. Many of the finest pages from The New Golden Song Book are included, to round out this gorgeous collection. All of the original artwork has been digitally reproduced, and has never looked more breathtaking! Academy Award-winning animator John Canemaker—author of The Art and Flair of Mary Blair—wrote the foreword for this highly anticipated book honoring one of the most beloved illustrators of our time.
A Matter of Gravity
by Howard Scott Phyllis Aronoff Hélène VachonA Matter of Gravity is a playful and touching treatment of illness and tragedy, in which an enigmatic manuscript brings together two disparate male characters. Black humor and compassion brilliantly illuminate their tragic encounter.Hélène Vachon is the author of two novels and more than twenty works of children's literature. Her books have been nominated for many prizes, including the Governor General's Literary Award and the Mr. Christie's Book Award.Howard Scott is a Montreal literary translator who specializes in the genres of fiction and nonfiction.Phyllis Aronoff is former president of the Literary Translators' Association of Canada.
A Mind Full of Music: Essays on Imagination and Popular Song
by Chris ForhanA Mind Full of Music contemplates and celebrates the mysterious, powerful, dynamic relationship between ourselves and the songs we love: the way in which songs work upon our minds and in which our minds, because of the inevitable creative force of our imaginations and memories, work upon them. The book does not propose or develop a unified argument, nor does it tell, chronologically, the story of the author's life of listening. Instead, in recognition of the varied, fluid, and ultimately mysterious ways in which our minds respond to songs, it is structured associatively, with one topic inspiring thoughts of another; the book begins with a song drifting into the author's mind, and it ends with that mind still in the midst of listening, waiting for a beat that will never come.
A Mix of Bricks & Valentines: Lyrics 1979–2009
by G. W. SokA showcase of the lyrics that G. W. Sok wrote during the three decades that he was with the band The Ex, this musical compendium features more than 250 pieces: a mixture of lyrics, poetry, and political ranting. The Ex is an internationally acclaimed Dutch group that blurred the lines between indie, punk, and underground music. Fans of this influential band will gain insight into the meaning behind their provocative songs and find inspiration in these outspoken and thought-provoking words. An introduction by Sok that describes the process of writing lyrics and his development as a writer is also included.
A More Promising Musical Future: CMS Emerging Fields in Music (CMS Emerging Fields in Music)
by Michael StepniakToday’s higher education music faculty and administrators are faced with extraordinary pressure to adapt, innovate, and change. But what change is most critical to pursue – and how can it be brought about effectively? This concise volume brings together four seasoned thought leaders with distinct voices, each providing a complementary glimpse into how music faculty and administrators can help lead changes that truly matter. Making the case for transformations to better align music training in higher education with our culturally diverse society and the actual marketplace facing graduates, the perspectives collected here provide essential change management leadership strategies for music departments in the 21st century. Covering topics such as diversity and inclusion, institutional transformation, and preparing students for contemporary music careers, each chapter includes an outline of specific steps that can be taken individually and collectively towards needed change. Illuminating issues and providing practical suggestions, this book will enable both music faculty and administrators to confidently navigate change together with their communities.
A Mother's Gift
by Britney Spears Lynne SpearsHolly Faye Lovell sure can sing. Everyone in Biscay, Mississippi, knows that. And when at fourteen she becomes the youngest student ever to win a full scholarship to the prestigious Haverty School of Music, her dream of pursuing a singing career is on its way. But for the first time in her life, Holly must leave behind her mother, Wanda. Although they don't have much in the way of money, there's always been plenty of love. . . and there's always been Wanda's birthmark, an ugly red scar on the side of her face that makes people who don't know her turn away. Now that Holly's off with her posh new friends and new life, she's ashamed to find herself embarrassed by her mom and their humble background. And Wanda finds herself wanting to reveal a long-hidden secret . . . a secret that could destroy their bond forever.
A Music Transcription Method: Notating Recorded Music by Ear
by Andreas HäberlinA Music Transcription Method: Notating Recorded Music by Ear teaches how to leverage music dictation in the modern music industry. The book's four parts cover aspects of preparation, process, interpretation, and industry resources related to notating recorded music by ear.Taking a modular approach, the book guides readers from an initial subject overview to leveraging the craft for their own projects and careers. Each chapter includes an industry interview featuring diverse practitioner perspectives from Broadway, LA's film scoring scene, contemporary Jazz and Pop, orchestral and marching band styles, music educators, and music entrepreneurs. Transcribed sheet music examples, provided by members of GroundUP Music and several independent creators illustrate the transcription process, while field-relevant scholarly, educational, and professional references further illuminate the state of inquiry in music transcription. Learning outcomes, exploratory chapter activities, visual chapter maps, and further instructional visuals are included to support the learning styles of diverse readers.Supported by online resources offering a growing repository of reference materials, including sample materials and instructional videos with a focus on technology literacy, this is essential reading for undergraduates on music transcription, arranging, and orchestration courses for a variety of musical contexts and genres, as well as for musicians perfecting their music notation skills.
A Musical Motley
by Ernest NewmanThis is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
A Musician Looks At The Psalms: 365 Daily Meditations
by Charles Swindoll Don WyrtzenA Musician Looks at the Psalms is like “a modern-day psalter, written by one who has grappled with the hard realities of life in the workplace, at home, and in the secret sanctuary of his own heart. Like the psalmists, he does not offer pat answers to complex problems. Rather, he strips away the superficialities he encounters in daily living and probes all one hundred and fifty psalms for the light they shed on his spiritual pilgrimage.” Foreword by Charles Swindoll
A NIME Reader: Fifteen Years of New Interfaces for Musical Expression (Current Research in Systematic Musicology #3)
by Michael J. Lyons Alexander Refsum JenseniusWhat is a musical instrument? What are the musical instruments of the future? This anthology presents thirty papers selected from the fifteen year long history of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME). NIME is a leading music technology conference, and an important venue for researchers and artists to present and discuss their explorations of musical instruments and technologies. Each of the papers is followed by commentaries written by the original authors and by leading experts. The volume covers important developments in the field, including the earliest reports of instruments like the reacTable, Overtone Violin, Pebblebox, and Plank. There are also numerous papers presenting new development platforms and technologies, as well as critical reflections, theoretical analyses and artistic experiences. The anthology is intended for newcomers who want to get an overview of recent advances in music technology. The historical traces, meta-discussions and reflections will also be of interest for longtime NIME participants. The book thus serves both as a survey of influential past work and as a starting point for new and exciting future developments.
A Natural History of the Piano: The Instrument, the Music, the Musicians from Mozart to Modern Jazz and Everything in Between
by Stuart IsacoffA beautifully illustrated, totally engrossing celebration of the piano, and the composers and performers who have made it their own. With honed sensitivity and unquestioned expertise, Stuart Isacoff--pianist, critic, teacher, and author of Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization--unfolds the ongoing history and evolution of the piano and all its myriad wonders: how its very sound provides the basis for emotional expression and individual style, and why it has so powerfully entertained generation upon generation of listeners. He illuminates the groundbreaking music of Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Schumann, and Debussy. He analyzes the breathtaking techniques of Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Arthur Rubinstein, and Van Cliburn, and he gives musicians including Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia, Menahem Pressler, and Vladimir Horowitz the opportunity to discuss their approaches. Isacoff delineates how classical music and jazz influenced each other as the uniquely American art form progressed from ragtime, novelty, stride, boogie, bebop, and beyond, through Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, and Bill Charlap. A Natural History of the Piano distills a lifetime of research and passion into one brilliant narrative. We witness Mozart unveiling his monumental concertos in Vienna's coffeehouses, using a special piano with one keyboard for the hands and another for the feet; European virtuoso Henri Herz entertaining rowdy miners during the California gold rush; Beethoven at his piano, conjuring healing angels to console a grieving mother who had lost her child; Liszt fainting in the arms of a page turner to spark an entire hall into hysterics. Here is the instrument in all its complexity and beauty. We learn of the incredible craftsmanship of a modern Steinway, the peculiarity of specialty pianos built for the Victorian household, the continuing innovation in keyboards including electronic ones. And most of all, we hear the music of the masters, from centuries ago and in our own age, brilliantly evoked and as marvelous as its most recent performance. With this wide-ranging volume, Isacoff gives us a must-have for music lovers, pianists, and the armchair musician.From the Hardcover edition.
A Natural Woman
by Carole KingThe enhanced ebook includes dozens of exclusive of photos from Carole King's childhood, her own family, and behind-the-scenes images from her performances. It also features a video of the author in the recording studio, and two classic songs embedded within the ebook. A memoir by the iconic singer-songwriter chronicling her story from her beginnings in Brooklyn through her remarkable success as one of the world's most acclaimed musical talents, to her present day as a leading performer and activist. From her marriage to Gerry Goffin, with whom she wrote dozens of songs that hit the charts, to her own achievements, notably with "Tapestry," which remained on the charts for more than six years, to her experiences as a mother, this memoir chronicles one of music's most successful and fascinating stars. The book will include dozens of photos from King's childhood, her own family, and behind-the-scenes images from her performances over the years.
A Natural Woman
by Carole KingA memoir by the iconic singer-songwriter chronicling her story from her beginnings in Brooklyn through her remarkable success as one of the world's most acclaimed musical talents, to her present day as a leading performer and activist. From her marriage to Gerry Goffin, with whom she wrote dozens of songs that hit the charts, to her own achievements, notably with "Tapestry," which remained on the charts for more than six years, to her experiences as a mother, this memoir chronicles one of music's most successful and fascinating stars. The audiobook will include a pdf of dozens of photos from King's childhood, her own family, and behind-the-scenes images from her performances over the years.