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Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist
by Liz Pelly'Passionate and rigorous... riveting' Financial Times'[a] cool-headed but powerful polemic...' Sunday TimesAn unsparing investigation into Spotify's origins and influence on music, weaving unprecedented reporting with incisive cultural criticism, illuminating how streaming is reshaping music for listeners and artists alike.Drawing on over a hundred interviews with industry insiders, former Spotify employees, and musicians, Mood Machine takes us to the inner workings of today's highly consolidated record business, showing what has changed as music has become increasingly playlisted, personalized, and autoplayed.Building on her years of wide-ranging reporting on streaming, music journalist Liz Pelly details the consequences of the Spotify model by examining both sides of what the company calls its two-sided marketplace: the listeners who pay with their dollars and data, and the musicians who provide the material powering it all. The music business is notoriously opaque, but here Pelly lifts the veil on major stories like streaming services filling popular playlists with low-cost stock music and the rise of new payola-like practices.For all of the inequities exacerbated by streaming, Pelly also finds hope in chronicling the artist-led fight for better models, pointing toward what must be done collectively to revalue music and create sustainable systems. A timely exploration of a company that has become synonymous with music, Mood Machine will change the way you think about and listen to music.
Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist
by Liz Pelly'Passionate and rigorous... riveting' Financial Times'[a] cool-headed but powerful polemic...' Sunday TimesAn unsparing investigation into Spotify's origins and influence on music, weaving unprecedented reporting with incisive cultural criticism, illuminating how streaming is reshaping music for listeners and artists alike.Drawing on over a hundred interviews with industry insiders, former Spotify employees, and musicians, Mood Machine takes us to the inner workings of today's highly consolidated record business, showing what has changed as music has become increasingly playlisted, personalized, and autoplayed.Building on her years of wide-ranging reporting on streaming, music journalist Liz Pelly details the consequences of the Spotify model by examining both sides of what the company calls its two-sided marketplace: the listeners who pay with their dollars and data, and the musicians who provide the material powering it all. The music business is notoriously opaque, but here Pelly lifts the veil on major stories like streaming services filling popular playlists with low-cost stock music and the rise of new payola-like practices.For all of the inequities exacerbated by streaming, Pelly also finds hope in chronicling the artist-led fight for better models, pointing toward what must be done collectively to revalue music and create sustainable systems. A timely exploration of a company that has become synonymous with music, Mood Machine will change the way you think about and listen to music.
Moon River and Me
by Andy WilliamsDuring a career spanning eight decades, Andy Williams has sold over 100 million albums, hosted a hugely successful TV show andworked with a roll-call of showbusiness legends. Here he tells his story.
Moondog
by Philip Glass Robert Scotto<P>The basis of a full-length documentary."Moondog is one of America's great originals."-Alan Rich, New York Magazine <P>Here is a revised edition of a book that celebrates one of the most improbable lives of the twentieth century: a blind and homeless man who became the most famous eccentric in New York and who, with enormous diligence, rose to prominence both in major label pop music recordings in addition to symphonic concerts of his compositions. <P>This edition of Moondog will soon be seen a as a feature documentary titled The Viking of 6th Avenue directed by Holly Elson and produced by Hard Working Movies.Born Louis Thomas Hardin in 1916, Moondog first made an impression in the late 1940s when he became a mascot of The New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. His unique, melodic compositions were released on the Prestige jazz label. In the late 1960s the Viking-garbed Moondog was a pop music sensation on Columbia Records. <P>Moondog's compositional style influenced his former roommate Philip Glass, whose preface appears in the book. Moondog's work transcends labels and redefines the distinction between popular and high culture. <P>A wide-ranging compilation of Moondog recordings, which includes four Madrigals played by Philip Glass, Steven Reich, Jon Gibson, and Moondog himself, are offered as free downloads for every purchaser of this biography.
Moonwalking
by Lyn Miller-Lachmann Zetta Elliott"This novel in verse, alternately narrated by two boys in 1980s Greenpoint, Brooklyn, one channeled by Elliott and one by Miller-Lachmann, eloquently tackles race, culture and life on the spectrum." — The New York TimesFor fans of Jason Reynolds and Jacqueline Woodson, this middle-grade novel-in-verse follows two boys in 1980s Brooklyn as they become friends for a season.Punk rock-loving JJ Pankowski can't seem to fit in at his new school in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as one of the only white kids. Pie Velez, a math and history geek by day and graffiti artist by night is eager to follow in his idol, Jean-Michel Basquiat's, footsteps. The boys stumble into an unlikely friendship, swapping notes on their love of music and art, which sees them through a difficult semester at school and at home. But a run-in with the cops threatens to unravel it all.From authors Zetta Elliott and Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Moonwalking is a stunning exploration of class, cross-racial friendships, and two boys' search for belonging in a city as tumultuous and beautiful as their hearts.
Moral Fire: Musical Portraits from America's Fin de Siècle
by Joseph HorowitzJoseph Horowitz writes in Moral Fire: "If the Met's screaming Wagnerites standing on chairs (in the 1890s) are unthinkable today, it is partly because we mistrust high feeling. Our children avidly specialize in vicarious forms of electronic interpersonal diversion. Our laptops and televisions ensnare us in a surrogate world that shuns all but facile passions; only Jon Stewart and Bill Maher share moments of moral outrage disguised as comedy." Arguing that the past can prove instructive and inspirational, Horowitz revisits four astonishing personalities--Henry Higginson, Laura Langford, Henry Krehbiel and Charles Ives--whose missionary work in the realm of culture signaled a belief in the fundamental decency of civilized human nature, in the universality of moral values, and in progress toward a kingdom of peace and love.
Morality and Viennese Opera in the Age of Mozart and Beethoven (Ashgate Interdisciplinary Studies in Opera)
by Martin NedbalThis book explores how the Enlightenment aesthetics of theater as a moral institution influenced cultural politics and operatic developments in Vienna between the mid-eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Moralistic viewpoints were particularly important in eighteenth-century debates about German national theater. In Vienna, the idea that vernacular theater should cultivate the moral sensibilities of its German-speaking audiences became prominent during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, when advocates of German plays and operas attempted to deflect the imperial government from supporting exclusively French and Italian theatrical performances. Morality continued to be a dominant aspect of Viennese operatic culture in the following decades, as critics, state officials, librettists, and composers (including Gluck, Mozart, and Beethoven) attempted to establish and define German national opera. Viennese concepts of operatic didacticism and national identity in theater further transformed in response to the crisis of Emperor Joseph II’s reform movement, the revolutionary ideas spreading from France, and the war efforts in facing Napoleonic aggression. The imperial government promoted good morals in theatrical performances through the institution of theater censorship, and German-opera authors cultivated intensely didactic works (such as Die Zauberflöte and Fidelio) that eventually became the cornerstones for later developments of German culture.
Moravian Soundscapes: A Sonic History of the Moravian Missions in Early Pennsylvania (Music, Nature, Place)
by Sarah Justina EyerlyIn Moravian Soundscapes, Sarah Eyerly contends that the study of sound is integral to understanding the interactions between German Moravian missionaries and Native communities in early Pennsylvania. In the mid-18th century, when the frontier between settler and Native communities was a shifting spatial and cultural borderland, sound mattered. People listened carefully to each other and the world around them. In Moravian communities, cultures of hearing and listening encompassed and also superseded musical traditions such as song and hymnody. Complex biophonic, geophonic, and anthrophonic acoustic environments—or soundscapes—characterized daily life in Moravian settlements such as Bethlehem, Nain, Gnadenhütten, and Friedenshütten. Through detailed analyses and historically informed recreations of Moravian communal, environmental, and religious soundscapes and their attendant hymn traditions, Moravian Soundscapes explores how sounds—musical and nonmusical, human and nonhuman—shaped the Moravians' religious culture. Combined with access to an interactive website that immerses the reader in mid-18th century Pennsylvania, and framed with an autobiographical narrative, Moravian Soundscapes recovers the roles of sound and music in Moravian communities and provides a road map for similar studies of other places and religious traditions in the future.
More Fun in the New World: The Unmaking and Legacy of L.A. Punk
by John Doe Tom DeSaviaSequel to Grammy-nominated bestseller Under the Big Black Sun, continuing the up-close and personal account of the L.A. punk scene, with 50 rare photosPicking up where Under the Big Black Sun left off, More Fun in the New World explores the years 1982 to 1987, covering the dizzying pinnacle of L.A.'s punk rock movement as its stars took to the national -- and often international -- stage. Detailing the eventual splintering of punk into various sub-genres, the second volume of John Doe and Tom DeSavia's west coast punk history portrays the rich cultural diversity of the movement and its characters, the legacy of the scene, how it affected other art forms, and ultimately influenced mainstream pop culture. The book also pays tribute to many of the fallen soldiers of punk rock, the pioneers who left the world much too early but whose influence hasn't faded.As with Under the Big Black Sun, the book features stories of triumph, failure, stardom, addiction, recovery, and loss as told by the people who were influential in the scene, with a cohesive narrative from authors Doe and DeSavia. Along with many returning voices, More Fun in the New World weaves in the perspectives of musicians Henry Rollins, Fishbone, Billy Zoom, Mike Ness, Jane Weidlin, Keith Morris, Dave Alvin, Louis Pérez, Charlotte Caffey, Peter Case, Chip Kinman, Maria McKee, and Jack Grisham, among others. And renowned artist/illustrator Shepard Fairey, filmmaker Allison Anders, actor Tim Robbins, and pro-skater Tony Hawk each contribute chapters on punk's indelible influence on the artistic spirit.In addition to stories of success, the book also offers a cautionary tale of an art movement that directly inspired commercially diverse acts such as Green Day, Rancid, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco, and Neko Case. Readers will find themselves rooting for the purists of punk juxtaposed with the MTV-dominating rock superstars of the time who flaunted a "born to do this, it couldn't be easier" attitude that continued to fuel the flames of new music. More Fun in the New World follows the progression of the first decade of L.A. punk, its conclusion, and its cultural rebirth.
More Important Than the Music: A History of Jazz Discography
by Bruce D. EppersonToday, jazz is considered high art, AmericaOCOs national music, and the catalog of its recordingsOCoits discographyOCois often taken for granted. But behind jazz discography is a fraught and highly colorful history of research, fanaticism, and the intense desire to know who played what, where, and when. This history gets its first full-length treatment in Bruce D. EppersonOCOs "More Important Than the Music. " Following the dedicated few who sought to keep jazzOCOs legacy organized, Epperson tells a fascinating story of archival pursuit in the face of negligence and deception, a tale that saw curses and threats regularly employed, with fisticuffs and lawsuits only slightly rarer. Epperson examines the documentation of recorded jazz from its casual origins as a novelty in the 1920s and OCO30s, through the overwhelming deluge of 12-inch vinyl records in the middle of the twentieth century, to the use of computers by todayOCOs discographers. Though he focuses much of his attention on comprehensive discographies, he also examines the development of a variety of related listings, such as buyerOCOs guides and library catalogs, and he closes with a look toward discographyOCOs future. From the little black book to the full-featured online database, "More Important Than the Music" offers a history not just of jazz discography but of the profoundly human desire to preserve history itself. "
More Precious Than Silver: The God Stories Behind the Songs of Lynn Deshazo
by Lynn DeshazoJust as every song has a story behind it, so does every songwriter. Millions of believers know the worship songs of Lynn DeShazo. most notably, her famous "More Precious Than Silver." But what they probably don't know is that this much-loved classic was written from the ashes of a fasting gone wrong. For years, the church has connected the great hymns and their composers with the stories behind them. Now, in More Precious Than Silver: The God-Stories Behind the Songs of Lynn DeShazo, the prolific songwriter offers the stories behind some of modern worship's most-sung and best-recognized music. DeShazo's rich, often transparent narrative weaves her songs, her life, and the healing love of the One who has borne her along an amazing melodic journey. And in the process, More Precious Than Silver invites readers to reflect on their own journey with Christ, and be moved to a deeper place of worship.
More Real Life Rock: The Wilderness Years, 2014†“2021
by Greil MarcusA funny, fierce, and uninhibited musical chronicle of the convulsive past six years from one of our finest cultural critics "A one-of-a-kind guide to rock music’s resonance in every aspect of our lives.”—David Kirby, Wall Street Journal “A smart set of suggestions for further reading, viewing, and listening by a most trustworthy guide.”—Kirkus Reviews For the past thirty-five years, celebrated author Greil Marcus has applied his unmatched critical apparatus to everything from music, television, radio, and politics to overheard comments, advertisements, and happenstance street encounters—an eclectic collection of what he calls “everyday culture and found objects.” This book collects hundreds of items from the crisscrossing spectrum of culture and politics throughout the tumultuous past six years of American life, an essential travel guide to the scorched landscape of recent history. Tracking the evolution of national identity during the Trump administration, Marcus spotlights the most whip-smart cultural artifacts to compose a mosaic portrait of American society, replete with unexpected heroes and villains, absurdity and its consequences, humor and despair, terror and defiance—as seen through media, music, and more. Bursting with Marcus’s effortless, no-nonsense, unapologetic verve, this book features seventy-three columns from 2014 through February 2021.
More Songwriters on Songwriting
by Paul ZolloThe long-awaited sequel to Songwriters on Songwriting, often called "the songwriter's bible," More Songwriters on Songwriting goes to the heart of the creative process with in-depth interviews with many of the world's greatest songwriters. Covering every genre of popular music from folk, rock 'n' roll, Broadway, jazz, pop, and modern rock, this is a remarkable journey through some sixty years of popular songwriting: from Leiber & Stoller's genius rock 'n' roll collaborations and Richard Sherman's Disney songs to Kenny Gamble's Philly Sound; Norman Whitfield's Motown classics; Loretta Lynn's country standards; expansive folk music from Peter, Paul, and Mary; folk-rock from Stephen Stills; confessional gems from James Taylor; poetic excursions form Patti Smith; Beatles magic from Ringo Starr; expansive brilliance from Paul Simon; complex melodic greatness from Brian Wilson; the most untrustworthy narrator alive in Randy Newman; the dark rock theater of both Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie; the sophisticated breadth of Elvis Costello; the legendary jazz of Herbie Hancock; the soulful swagger of of Chrissie Hynde; the funny-poignant beauty of John Prine; the ancient wisdom fused with hip-hop and reggae of Matisyahu; and much more. In all of it is the collective wisdom of those who have written songs for decades, songs that have impacted our culture forever.
More Stories of Famous Operas
by Ernest NewmanThis book brings a very high-classed and intelligent art form to a new level of acceptance and understanding. Mr. Neumann brings it home, as it were -- operas such as Turandot, Gianni Schicchi (Puccini), Falstaff (Verdi), Cosi fan tutte and Seraglio (Mozart) and many lesser known operas such as those of Cornelius, Halevy, Meyerbeer and Borodin... covering 29 operas in total. Detailed and highly informative.
More Than Singing: The Interpretation of Songs (Dover Books On Music: Voice)
by Lotte LehmannAs the title suggests, More Than Singing concerns not only music and proper vocal techniques but also life and the transcendent power of art. Lotte Lehmann was among the most eminent lyric-dramatic sopranos of the early twentieth century, especially noted for her passionate and sensitive renderings of lieder. In this guide she distills a lifetime of work, research, and experience into concise, revealing lessons in the interpretation of songs by Schubert, Brahms, Schumann, Haydn, Beethoven, Strauss, Mahler, Debussy, and other masters."Only that is convincing which is truly felt," declares the author, and her insightful and inspiring manual illuminates the subtleties of tempo, phrasing, enunciation—even the proper pose, facial expressions, and gestures—that enable singers to plumb the true depths of a song and convey its deepest meanings. Lovers of lieder will particularly appreciate her inspired interpretations of complete song cycles, including Schubert's Die Winterreise and Schumann's Dichterlieber.
More Than Words: Songs for the Language Classroom (Elements in Twenty-First Century Music Practice)
by Tom Parkinson Luke VynerEnglish language teachers have long recognised pop songs' potential for engaging students and establishing positive classroom environments conducive to language learning. Educational publishers increasingly incorporate music into their coursebooks, including specially commissioned 'ELT songs', whose lyrics feature aspects of target language. This Element explores the phenomenon of ELT songs from the authors' insider perspective as songwriters. It considers the relationship between music and lyrics in songs, what this means for using songs in the language classroom, the historical developments through which ELT songs emerged, and the contexts in which they are written, listened to, and made. Through literature review and reflection, the authors derive a framework of twelve criteria and ten dilemmas to guide ELT songwriting, before applying it in an analysis of their songs and songwriting process. The final section proposes a model for multidisciplinary collaboration between songwriters and non-musician collaborators including authors, teachers, and publishers.
More Tinkering: How Kids in the Tropics Learn by Making Stuff
by Curt GabrielsonTinkering is a way of learning through hands-on activity -- experimenting with materials and devices to see how they work, taking things apart, making small changes and improvements, exploring and inventing. Tinkering may seem like a form of play -- and it is -- but it is also a powerful way of discovering truths about science, engineering, and math. With this book, Curt Gabrielson follows up on his best-seller Tinkering: Kids Learn by Making Stuff with this all-new volume that features more than three dozen fun and educational tinkering projects based on his years of working with kids in the tropical island nation of Timor-Leste. Step-by-step instructions accompanied by full-color photos take you through a range of enjoyable projects that explore life sciences, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, and mathematics. You'll discover how math is used to make baskets, how fungi create fermentation, how electricity can make a magnet, how the greenhouse effect creates warming, and much more. The author also enlivens his latest batch of tinkering projects with colorful tales of his experiences in the tropic and the lives of the people he' s met there.Inside you'll find:Clear directions for making simple projects and doing activities that teach science, mathematics and engineeringProjects rooted in day to day life and experience in a small, developing nation in the Asian tropicsFull-color photographs throughoutExplicit connections to standard STEAM concepts, K-12Activities doable with less than $5 worth of common materialsThis book is perfect for parents, teachers, and students with an interest in hands-on, tinkering-based science and mathematics education, whether in traditional schools or in home-schooling situations. It will also be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about developing nations, the culture and unique history of Timor-Leste, tropical nations or Asian cultures, with specific links to Indonesia, Portugal, or Australia.
Mormons, Musical Theater, and Belonging in America (Music in American Life)
by Jake JohnsonThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints adopted the vocal and theatrical traditions of American musical theater as important theological tenets. As Church membership grew, leaders saw how the genre could help define the faith and wove musical theater into many aspects of Mormon life. Jake Johnson merges the study of belonging in America with scholarship on voice and popular music to explore the surprising yet profound link between two quintessentially American institutions. Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Mormons gravitated toward musicals as a common platform for transmitting political and theological ideas. Johnson sees Mormons using musical theater as a medium for theology of voice--a religious practice that suggests how vicariously voicing another person can bring one closer to godliness. This sounding, Johnson suggests, created new opportunities for living. Voice and the musical theater tradition provided a site for Mormons to negotiate their way into middle-class respectability. At the same time, musical theater became a unique expressive tool of Mormon culture.
Morning Glory
by Linda DahlMary Lou Williams -- pianist, arranger, composer, and probably the most influential woman in the history of jazz -- receives the attention she has long deserved in the definitive biography by a leading scholar of women in jazz.The illegitimate child of an impoverished and indifferent mother, Williams began performing publicly at the age of seven when she became known admiringly in her native Pittsburgh as "the little piano girl of East Liberty," playing one day for the Mellons at bridge teas and the next in gambling dens where the hat was passed for change. She grew up with the jazz of the early part of the century, championed by the likes of Earl Hines and Fats Waller, yet unlike so many other musicians of her time, she was open to new forms in jazz -- she was an early champion of bop, and a mentor and colleague to its central figures, such as Thelonius Monk and Bud Powell -- and in broader musical styles as well (after her conversion to Catholicism, she wrote masses and other sacred music).Most of the other famous women in jazz -- Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald -- have been singers. Williams was instead a phenomenal pianist who performed solo, with small groups and big bands, in vaudeville and clubs, and on numerous records. But she is equally well known today as a composer and arranger of remarkable versatility and power, having worked with, among others, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Her compositions have been recorded by artisits as varied as Marian McPartland, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat "King" Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and herself -- and, more recently, by cutting-edge players Geri Allen and Dave Douglas.But Williams was more than "just a musician"; her interests were catholic in both senses, and she struggled to combine her love of music with her love of God. She was a tireless humanitarian, and made ongoing attempts to help dozens of down-and-out musicians; in the 1950s, her apartment was, at times, virtually a rehab. Though she was often in emotional despair, she found comfort for her many disappointments and hurts not only in her music but in her spirituality.Linda Dahl, granted unprecedented access to the large Williams archive, has given us the whole of Williams's very full life, from her often harrowing days on the road to her tumultuous marriages and love affairs, from the ups and downs of her unique fifty-year career to the remarkable spirituality that came to inform both her daily life and her music. This is a striking protrait of one of our least understood and most important musicians.
Morrissey: Alone and Palely Loitering
by Kevin Cummins'One of the greatest music photographers of all time...this book is indispensable to anyone who is a fan of Morrissey, or of great photography 'Classic Pop magazine'Unsurprisingly, given Cummin's history, the photographs are beautifully composed, from the live shots with their webbing of shredded shirts and outstretched arms to the lyrical portraits on staircases or Japanese streets'Q MagazineTaken by renowned photographer Kevin Cummins and featuring hundreds of previously unseen images, Alone and Palely Loitering chronicles Morrissey's world as he emerged from The Smiths and established himself as a solo artist.Breathtaking photographs cover chaotic live performances, intimate portrait sessions and snatched moments backstage and on tour over a ten-year period. Cummins provides insightful commentary on the art of photography and what it was like to work and travel with Morrissey.The book also includes portraits of from fans around the world with Morrissey-inspired tattoos, featuring an essay by literary academic Dr Gail Crowther exploring how this art form is used to display devotion to a unique musician.
Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far
by Amy GrantOne of America’s most popular music artists shares beautiful pieces of an unforgettable human mosaic, revealing pieces of a life in progress. With her unmistakable voice and honest lyrics, Amy Grant has captured a unique place in American music. As the bestselling Christian music artist of all time, a crossover pop sensation, and the wife of country music star Vince Gill, Amy has lived much of her life in the spotlight, subject to adulation, speculation, and scrutiny. Now for the first time she bare...
Moscow Mule
by James YoungA marvellously funny and sharply observed account of a journey to Russia by one of Britain's most talented young writers. Moscow - a labyrinth where the humans try to keep one step ahead of the roaches. Everyone on the move, some in search of the quick buck, and others just trying to survive. All dazzled by the neon glare of the western dream. The soviet monolith has broken down in tribalism, tribes who go to war not just on the streets but in overheated rooms, with drugs, vodka and Cindy Crawford carrier bags. James Young gives an unparalleled account of today's Moscow from the bottom side up. He takes us on a odyssey through this strange no man's land where East meets West, where the old certainties have gone, the KGB men wear Italian suits, the Mafia tycoonskis style themselves on the Godfather flicks and the rest are queuing to change dollars.
Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story-How One Man and His Piano Transformed the Cold War
by Nigel Cliff“A rousing, well-researched biography” of the Texan piano prodigy who crossed the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War (Kirkus, starred review). A National Book Critic’s Circle FinalistIn 1958, an unheralded young pianist named Van Cliburn traveled to Moscow to compete in the First International Tchaikovsky Competition. The Soviets had no intention of bestowing their coveted prize on an unknown American; a Russian pianist had already been chosen to win. Yet when the gangly Texan with the shy grin began to play, he instantly captivated an entire nation.The Soviet people were charmed by Van Cliburn’s extraordinary talent, but it was his palpable love for the music that earned their devotion; for many, he played more like a Russian than their own musicians. As enraptured crowds mobbed Cliburn’s performances, pressure mounted to award him the competition prize. “Is he the best?” Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev demanded of the judges. “In that case . . . give him the prize!”Adored by millions in the USSR, Cliburn returned to a hero’s welcome in the USA and became, for a time, an ambassador of hope. In this thrilling, impeccably researched account, Nigel Cliff recreates the drama and tension of the Cold War era, and brings into focus the gifted musician whose music would temporarily bridge the divide between two dangerously hostile powers.
Moses Goes to a Concert
by Isaac Millman"Moses and his school friends are deaf, but like most children, they have a lot to say. They communicate in American Sign Language, using visual signs and facial expressions. This is called signing. And even though they can't hear, they can enjoy many activities through their other senses. Today, Moses and his classmates are going to a concert. Their teacher, Mr. Samuels, has two surprises in store for them, to make this particular concert a special event."
Mother American Night: My Life in Crazy Times
by John Perry Barlow Robert GreenfieldJohn Perry Barlow’s wild ride with the Grateful Dead was just part of a Zelig-like life that took him from a childhood as ranching royalty in Wyoming to membership in the Internet Hall of Fame as a digital free speech advocate.Mother American Night is the wild, funny, heartbreaking, and often unbelievable (yet completely true) story of an American icon. Born into a powerful Wyoming political family, John Perry Barlow wrote the lyrics for thirty Grateful Dead songs while also running his family’s cattle ranch. He hung out in Andy Warhol’s Factory, went on a date with the Dalai Lama’s sister, and accidentally shot Bob Weir in the face on the eve of his own wedding. As a favor to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Barlow mentored a young JFK Jr. and the two then became lifelong friends. Despite being a freely self-confessed acidhead, he served as Dick Cheney’s campaign manager during Cheney’s first run for Congress. And after befriending a legendary early group of computer hackers known as the Legion of Doom, Barlow became a renowned internet guru who then cofounded the groundbreaking Electronic Frontier Foundation.His résumé only hints of the richness of a life lived on the edge. Blessed with an incredible sense of humor and a unique voice, Barlow was a born storyteller in the tradition of Mark Twain and Will Rogers. Through intimate portraits of friends and acquaintances from Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia to Timothy Leary and Steve Jobs, Mother American Night traces the generational passage by which the counterculture became the culture, and it shows why learning to accept love may be the hardest thing we ever ask of ourselves.