Musicals Books

This book has to be the most enduring publications for the pedal steel guitar ever written. The book came out in 1975. The book now comes with a CD instead of the former flimsy record. The book is legendary among a lot of pedal steel players, and I recommend it as a "first" book of instruction for any new player.

The book arrived very quickly and in perfect condition just as advertised. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

Pedal steel guitar is one of the most beautiful sounding instruments, but also one of the hardest to learn. This book helps you get started on a very complex instrument. I was amazed how quickly I was making good sounding music. I highly recommend this book for anyone starting out on pedal steel.

Although written 30 years ago, this book is still very timely and informative. I would recommend it very highly for the person who wishes to learn to play the pedal steel guitar. It can also be very useful for the student who has started to play but has not reached the level he/she wishes.

This book is an excellent introduction and guide for anyone who is interested in learning about the pedal steel guitar.Although it is now somewhat dated,it still contains a vast amount of useful knowledge about this unusual instrument.In addition to providing a brief history of the instrument,it includes some minimal instruction,maintenance tips,choosing an instrument, and a wealth of other topics. It also offers info about the different players of the instrument,their tunings(copedants) and lots of photos. The pedal steel guitar is indeed a curious instrument and this book walks you through step by step to help you understand what it's all about.
Practically every steel player has read it or knows about it.

The book was in excellent condition, exactly what we needed and $10.00 cheaper than anywhere else.

For anyone that plays the flute, especially those that need guidance for practicing, this is a fantastic resource. When using this collection, you should have a metronome and tuner at your disposal, especially for the volume on intonation.

4 stars instead of 5 only because I haven't gone through the whole book yet. The exercizes on tone and breathing are really helpful. It is well written, easy to understand, and realistic as far as goal setting.

I recommend this book to anyone getting back into playing on their own or an experienced musician.

I purchased the omnibus version after buying the single publication on tone. The Omnibus edition comes spiral bound and the pages can be sometimes unruly...slipping out of the slots of spiral binding and giving an untidy look to your sacred sheets of flute wisdom(which is rather annoying to this already disorganized musician).

I refer to the information in the tone section more than any other. The other 'books' in the omnibus were a bit sparse in terms of content. I am glad I spent under 30.00usd on the omnibus instead of buying each book individually.

For those musicians with a sense of humor, the writing style of the author is quite fun to read. His discussions are loaded with flute-specific musings, puns, and other subtle rhetoric. His writing style is ingenious...and a relief from the monotoned, sedate style we usually encouter in method publications.

This book covers almost everything there is when it comes to developing tone, technique and skill. I'm really enjoying it. I think it is a must for beginners, and also really useful for the developing-intermediate flutist that needs a little more to get to the advanced level. my tone is better allready...

Very good vocal and piano selection, only draw back is that it does not come with accompaniment CD.

I'm so happy with this purchase. It has all the songs from Rent in it and it's fantastic to be able to play these on my piano.

I really love the music from RENT. I use this product regularly. The only thing I did not like was that not all of the songs from the movie are in the book, but most of them are. I think there were only two missing. Enjoy!

Almost bought the broadway vocal book that I saw at Borders...there were not a great amount of selections. I congratulated myself when I came home...looked on Amazon...found the movie soundtrack vocal book and there were way many more selections...and it was a better price than the first one?? so any rent fan would be very happy with this bood. THe one drawback is the "Love heals" song which wasn't part ofthe original...Just don't love that song and Goodbye Love is not there but practically everything else is....you'll be very happy with this book.

I don't know what to say. I was ecstatic to find my purchase of this product in the mail today, and I was very eager to sit down at the piano and play. I'm a little disappointed that this songbook is much like most songbooks out there. It doesn't stand out a whole lot. The melody is written in the accompaniment, but when I select music, I prefer accompaniment that sounds original, not a duplicate of what's being sung. It seems distracting.

I am however pleased that everything was kept in their original key signature as far as I can tell, even if that makes it harder for some to play. The graphics are a nice addition, and I am very satisfied with the number of songs included in this songbook.

So, on that note, I still absolutely love RENT, and I am sure I will continue to. Maybe my expectations were too high? I'm not sure, but maybe it would be a good idea if a version of this songbook were released with the original accompaniment.

Fauré's Requiem is one of the most beautiful pieces of music that has ever been written. I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to sing in performance of the piece. Ever since, I have been in love with it. Sadly, I was not allowed to keep the score. Finding the full score online was an answer to prayer (figuratively speaking). I now can follow along as I listen to recordings and even sing my part.

The score itself is in wonderful condition. The printing is clear and easy to read. I was, at first, concerned that I would end up with a huge conductor's style score, but it's of normal size without compromising on readability.

Highly recommended.

This is a great deal for a well-printed score. Beware that there are a couple of different orchestrations for this piece. This is the small orchestra version and there is also a chamber group version. People tend to use the John Rutter edition of the chamber version and that has different rehearsal letters than this one.

Other than that, this is a bargain.

Gabriel Faure's REQUIEM still remains the only piece of music that has ever given me goosebumps. The music can go from bone-chilling to heart warming in the matter of a few bars. My choir that I perform with sang the piece in the spring of this year. To date, I have never sung a piece of music that was more masterfully crafted for the voices of a boy choir than I have this one. Faure's music is as inspireing as it is beautiful. I would highly suggest it to anyone eager to create beautiful music.

This is a beautifully presented score. The type-setting of the music leaves nothing to be desired. The paper it is printed on even has a sensual quality, which matches the music portrayed.
I have already used the score to arrange parts for my wind quintet, and have found the job much easier because of the clear manuscript of the score.

Este Requiem es magnifico, siento como que si estuviera en el Cielo

I wish a bit more info had been given on the site, but it was in pretty good condition considering it was 10 years old

This is a wonderful book. It's lovingly researched and was obviously put together by someone who cares about film music. It's recommended for reference and pleasure alike. Plus, the book has the courage to discriminate---we don't waste our time reading about plagiarists,..... who are not included at all.

Although clearly a labour of love by the author, this is also an entirely professionally written and produced book. Perhaps wisely, it doesn't set out to be a comprehensive, definitive guide to film music composers and their recordings - this would have been impractical both in terms of the writing and the eventual weight of the tome! But what Jon Burlingame has done is to include a mini-biography of just about every important film music composer there has been up to the present day, plus a selection of what he considers to be their best works. This provides both an invaluable reference guide not only to composers but also an interesting debating point as to which of their scores should have been included.

It was pleasing to see a large number of photos of the composers and some record sleeve reproductions. Many potential readers will doubtless be familiar with the likes of John Williams, John Barry, Henry Mancini and Elmer Bernstein, but they'll also get the opportunity to see some 'golden age' composers, like Miklos Rozsa, Alfred Newman, Dimitri Tiomkin and Franz Waxman, as well as relatively unsung heroes such as John Scott, Christopher Young and Rachel Portman, and those more associated with classical music, such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich.

The author's enthusiasm for the subject is very apparent and no stone has been left unturned in order to ensure this book becomes an essential purchase for all lovers of film music. An excellent effort, which is thoroughly recommended, not just to film music aficionados, but also to anybody with an interest in the cinema.

Jon Burlingame is nothing short of a hero to many film composers, because in addition to the astounding depth of his knowledge about composers and their work, he shares a tremendous passion for what they do and effortlessly conveys that to his readers. "Sound and Vision" is an essential book for anyone interested in film music, not only because it contains fascinating information that can't be found anywhere else, but because it's written by a greatly respected and dedicated journalist whose enthusiasm for his subject is unparalleled.

In Sound And Vision: 60 Years Of Motion Picture Soundtracks, Jon Burlingame has created an indispensable, seminal, very highly recommended reference guide featuring a detailed history of Hollywood film music on record and compact disc. Also included are up-to-date biographical sketches of soundtrack composers from the inception of the movies down to the present day. Annotated listings of the best-selling, award-winning, or otherwise memorable soundtracks of the past and present (original film scores as well as movie musicals and song-compilation scores) further enhance this marvelous compendium. Of special note is the "user friendly" and comprehensive index so that the reader can quickly reference whether a particular piece of movie music is commercially available.

I absolutely liked this devotional and you get to learn more about the CCM group Point of Grace. There are 24 chapters, its easy to read, with song lyrics, questions, etc. I'd even reccomend it to those that aren't fans of POG, because its a very well done devotional. Great for beginners and new Christians. You can use this devotional anytime of the year, since it doesn't have any calendar dates. It's also great for a small group study.

I read the book it is really good it inspires me so much.I have all their cds.I love their music so much .I can't wait to meet them.I LOVE POG.

I had been wanting this book for awhile and I got it for my birthday. I was so thrilled. It is a truly awesome book. These four girls are very talented and definetly chose the right way in which to use them! Their voices blow me away everytime I hear them. God blessed them so much. This book is SO good! Please buy it! I assure you that you will love it too!! :o)

I'm a big fan of Point of Grace, so I got this book originally because I liked them so much. When I read the book I was blown away!! The girls may not consider themselves writers but the did an incredible job on this book. I had to contain myself to only read one a day! If you are a Christian, I garuantee it will bring you closer to God, and if it doesn't touch you in any way, e-mail me:o)

Point of Grace's "Steady On" Devotional book is a beautifully written piece of literature. For individuals who may be in a "dry" spell in their walk with Christ, I reccomend you read a devotional from "Steady On" every morning- read it in the morning (do the questions through keeping a journal)and that way you have started your day on a solid foundation. Also, be sure to end your devotional time in prayer. "Steady On" is a great way to get excited about your walk with Christ. Point of Grace is a pheonomenon in the Christian music industry. With amazing harmonies and their honesty behind their words in "Steady On", it's no wonder that this group is as succesful as they are. Go out and purchase "Steady On." If you sit down and get totally honest with yourself, this devotional book can lead you into days filled with the hope, peace, and contentment that Jesus longs for you to experience. You WILL NOT be disapointed. Enjoy...

The young girl I bought this for loves it. It was the perfect gift.

I love Millie so I have wanted this for a long time. Sometimes I hesitate buying the music books for musicals. The arrangements can slaughter the real music sometimes. This one is really good though. It holds of lot of the good chords that you hear on the soundtrack. It is also really fun to sing a long with. I think this book is definately one of the best vocal books from a musical.

A bit tough at times for intermediate players, but a good choice for those wanting the V/G/P parts for the show.

I have seen many a musical, including Monty Python's Spamalot, the 25th Annual Putnam Co. Spelling Bee, Kiss Me Kate, Flower Drum Song, etc.. and I have to say that Millie is still and will probably always be my favorite. The music is just so fun. I don't know any other way to describe it. My personal favorite to listen to: the Speed Test. My personal favorite to sing along with: a toss up between I Turned the Corner and Gimme Gimme.

I am in love with this musical!! The music is spectacular, the soundtrack is amazing and the movie is cute and spunky with the fabulous Julie Andrews. I was very excited when I found out that the sheet music to Thoroughly Modern Millie was available and I just had to get it!! If you like musicals or 1920's jazz, you will defiantely love this musical!

If you are interested in writing musical theater, you must have this book. It is inspirational and instructive. I have several books on musical theater, but this one is head and shoulders above them. Very, very, good!

There is no book available now that tells you everything you need to know to write a musical, but there are several out now that can collectively give one a very good idea of how to go about it. Latest in the field is WRITING MUSICAL THEATER by Allen Cohen and Steven L. Rosenhaus. Rosenhaus and Cohen have written a very useful book that can at least get you started. As the authors themselves say, there is no better way to learn than to actually do it and to keep doing it. Other books cover some of the same material, but where this book really has something new to say is in the section dealing with the music.

The most daring section of the book (and perhaps the most useful) is the part where they actually set out to write two new shows for illustrative purposes. One is an adaptation; the other is an original. Their goal was not to create great works of art, but to show how to go about writing a musical. Neither of their examples is going to set the world on fire. In the real world they would in all likelihood be flops, but they brilliantly illustrate the practical problems that arise and some possible solutions. (Bravi, guys, and thanks.)

My only real quibbles with the book are in the bibliography where they list A CLASS ACT, CLOSER THAN EVER and STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW as important musicals. (I would love to know by what logic they arrived at those pronouncements.) They also list Johnny Mercer as an important lyricist of theatre music (none of his really good work was written for the theatre and much of his reputation is a result of self-promotion through his ownership of Capitol Records) and Dorothy Fields is not mentioned. Nor do they place Sheila Davis's brilliant THE CRAFT OF LYRIC WRITING on the recommended reading list. (I consider it The Bible of lyric writing!) They do not place Bernard Grebanier's PLAYWRITING on that list either. (There is no better analysis of what makes a plot anywhere.) But despite these quibbles, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to the aspiring musical writer. It is an excellent place to start.

I've read many of the other books about writing musical theatre, and this is hands-down the best one. Not only is it thorough and informative, but it is the only book to my knowledge that has in-depth advice about the actual music element. This is an essential read for anyone writing a musical, or anyone who is curious about how they are constructed.

This book is divided in sections, and explains more about the actual creative process than any other similar book. The authors provide helpful examples and honest advice, and they are not at all about self-promotion like the other leading book on the subject. This book will be as helpful to experienced writers as it will be to novices.

This is a first class book; well worth the money. I'm writing my first musical, and I got many many tips and ideas. It was very helpful to watch the authors create their own new musicals, so that I could observe some of the process. It would be helpful for the reader to be very familiar with a broad set of musicals, or be willing to do some research; the authors draw comparisons to other shows throughout the book. Most I knew, but a few I did not. They seem to love Sondheim (thankfully I saw "George" the week before). They crack a bit on Les Mis - one of my fav shows. Outstanding book.

Allen Cohen and Steven L. Rosenhaus have written a wonderful guide to writing musical theater appropriately title WRITING MUSICAL THEATER. The book is invaluable not only for the aspiring composer, lyricist, and book writer but also for any lover of America's great art form who wants to know just how a show is put together. The experience of the authors (both active practitioners and educators) is evident on every page. I can heartily recommend this book to the student and the aficionado.

Aaron Frankel, who has directed more than 100 plays, loves the stage, especially musicals. He brings his genius to Writing the Broadway Musical by formulating an organized book, which is easy to use both as a reference and as a guide.

He fills the text with pertinent examples -- plenty of them --like chocolate chips in cookies. Frankel's book is full of encouragement for the dreamers, while it outlines the practical aspects of taking a musical play from a dream to a full-fledged production.

Frankel's concise, clear volume on writing large-scale musicals is a welcome addition to the bookshelf of anyone who wants to understand how this peculiar theatrical genre works-- when it does. By focusing on two artistically successful, well-known pieces in the canon-- "My Fair Lady" as a well-executed classic musical with linear plot, "Company" (my personal favorite) as a well-executed plotless musical whose songs move character forward--, Frankel can support his intelligent teaching points with concrete yet familiar examples. I'm very happy to see this book back in print.

This book gives a good foundation for basic elements of a musical script. I bought this wanting to write a musical script but not necessarily the lyrics/musical score and am a complete novice - was a bit lost on the different musicals it quoted. However another book that is quite "meaty" in terms of how to write a compelling gripping story/script for theatre is "The Writers Journey" surname is Vogler. What Frankel says is that the book or story needs to be written first before appropriate lyrics/musical score can be created. So I would have gone straight to this book first. Good as reference but can borrow from library, not a must have.

In only 192 pages, Frankel presents writing for the musical theatre from the perspective of the book writer, lyricist and composer -- and how each contributes to the whole. Enough specifics for each to gain a better appreciation of the others' unique contributions. The book would be an excellent introductory text for a musical theate workshop. Most examples from My Fair Lady are illustrative and excellent; other examples from Company were less helpful (as that show was less successful). Highly recommended for those working on musical to keep near at hand.

Many of today's top talents in musicals on and off Broadway have studied with Aaron Frankel. Now anyone can learn the ropes from this honored director and instructor in a step-by-step guide that makes for good reading whether you are a writer, composer, or simply an avid theatergoer. I enjoyed the previous edition and found this revised and updated one an even more interesting read.

Although the title is Acting for Singers, actors and directors will benefit as well from Ostwald's excellent analysis of what makes a believable character on stage. The book is full of helpful exercises and explanations of what works on stage. Acting for Singers should be on the bookshelf of every performer.

I came upon this book while preparing for the North American debut of a 1640's Baroque opera in Washington D.C. The information in it is invaluable and succinct. Great for anyone trying to extract meaning from music and convey it to an audience. Well-written and containing excellent advice and exercises, I recommend it.

I have been a professional opera singer and voice professor for many decades. This book REALLY gets to the heart of the acting delima which singers' face. The index is very thorough, allowing the singer to find exactly the topic they are looking for easily. The book should be read cover to cover many times if the singer is new to the field of acting. (I find it helpful for each singer to ponder this question: Am I a singer who acts or, an actor who sings, or both.) An opera singer MUST learn to create operatic characters with which the audience can identify. Each Mannerism and gesture will change with each new operatic role one intends to interpret. This book should be a great help for the preparation of singers who aspire to act realistically and who wish to conquor this extremely demanding and rewarding field called OPERA.

David Ostwald's new book, "Acting for Singers," is an important and helpful guide for singers-in-training, for professionals learning new roles, and for seasoned performers who wish to infuse new dramatic life into their repertory. As a former arts administrator for San Francisco Opera and Affiliate Artists, Inc., I feel that Ostwald's book is equally useful for stage directors, conductors, teachers, and coach/accompanists who strive to make their highly collaborative art form appear as seamless as possible. Ostwald covers a number of pertinent topics including the foundations of believable acting, ways to improve concentration, and how to motivate a character's actions. Having judged many auditions over the years, I found the chapter on "Getting the Part" to be especially helpful to young singers who may not know how to dress for the occasion, speak to the judges, or introduce their selections from the stage. The author's "Ten Maxim's of Believable Singing" provide a concise checklist of wisdom gleaned from his years of teaching and directing. Ostwald's analysis of how directors and teachers can help their singers grow and flourish, including the sage advice of "Always be supportive" and "Never humiliate anyone," presents a pithy list that bosses in any business should read and take to heart. The text is lively, clear and well designed, with headings, bulleted points and enough white space to make the book's insights both accessible and memorable. Each chapter contains helpful exercises, summaries or trouble shooting techniques which will enable singers and their colleagues to create superior performances. "Acting for Singers" will likely become an indispensable, dog-eared companion for any singers who wish to breathe live and artistry into their characters.

Perry-Lynn Moffitt

"Acting for Singers" speaks to the problems that most all of us share in creative situations when we are speaking to a group or preparing an article or script for publication. We do not have to be singers to use the wisdom of Ostwald's mind and experience. These challenges are inevitably concentration, trust, projection, communication, and the self-doubt that most of us sometimes experience.

If you could see David Ostwald in action, you would recognize how his life is a demonstration of his work. When the groups at my seminars would get excited and several voices were talking at once in an exercise, David (upon my request) would clearly enunciate one or two words to the whole group in a tone that instantly shifted everyone's attention to the work at hand. The whole group loved David's wit and wisdom, his power to achieve the intended focus and hold it, plus his demonstration of an open mind, the will to learn and to share knowledge gained through years of a focused mind and experience.

David's whole life is filled with the qualities of concentration, trust, projection, and communication. This is the real power of his written words. I think this book will prove so useful that it will become an essential textbook for teaching acting to singers.