Musicals Books

no question about it, this book is everything it's cracked up to be! i highly recommend the book for any player, young or old, beginner or in my case,a 35 yr comeback player.

This book is not only enjoyable and info-packed it will remain in my music library as a great reference book. I have been buying a lot of trumpet books lately and, thanks to Amazon reviews, have been very fortunate in my selections. This one,though, is a standout.
One of the threads through a number of the books I have read is that,as in this book, the writers realy project a love for the instument.

I have played the trumpet, as an enthusiastic, largely self-taught amateur, for many years and own a whole variety of trumpet tutor books; most are incredibly daunting, immediately too demanding and are, all-in -all, not much fun!

This book is quite different - it has a very attractive, friendly approach, is extremely well presented (although I do wish it had been spirally bound), deals with all the basics and more and has plenty of tips and simple, attractive 'how to do,' 'how to approach' ideas. The book is thorough and covers all the basic techniques of playing and the usual pitfalls and problems, but in an attractive, friendly way. There are also, within its pages, pentatonic chord charts, listening suggestions, further sources of study and music, suggested practice routines and charts etc. and even instructions on how to correctly clean and maintain the instrument!

This book will be useful to both the beginner and the more experienced player, is excellent value, and I give it my highest recommendation, but do so wish that it had been in print 30 years ago!!

This book is the most thorough treatment of the various aspects of trumpet playing that I have seen. Very informative and helpful. Even my current teacher, who has played with the Metropolitan Opera (NYC), was impressed.

All you want to know about the trumpet. Not a method book, but a great reference book. It gives much information that method books leave out. Recommend for all trumpet players.

i loved this movie. its got almost every charcter except 4 maybe the newer onse but still fun 2 watch.
if u dont decide 2 buy it they play it on comedy central a couple times a month i think. but dont worry they air it un-edited and nothins blurred or cut out so buy it or watch it on tv but either way u wont be dissapointed.

should they make a sequal? im not sure they can out do it,but would be interesting still maybe its better they dont any wayz (just to be safe).

This book is definitely a must-have if you require the notes to play the tunes. However, if you're only trying to figure out the lyrics, the best way to go about this is to play the "South Park: BLU DVD" with the English subtitles on (or captions on if you have it on VHS). Then you can sing along with the movie! Neat, huh? Unfortunately, there's no 'bouncing ball' to follow when the kids do break into song, but hey, you can't have everything!

'Late

Let's face it, when you first heard the soundtrack or saw the movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut ... you HAD to know the words. So I sat and meticulously wrote out what I thought were the words. So my question to Trey Parker & Marc Shaiman is ... WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?

This is a great book, especially for the musically inclined who may want to actually play the music to the best, most insane movie of all time. I don't play an instrument but I got hours of entertainment singing such classics as Uncle F*cka and It's Easy, Mkay!

And I'm thrilled to say I had the lyrics pretty much correct on all except the end of Mountain Town. But that's okay. I've got the words now. :)

This score is accurate and thorough in its likeliness to the actual movie, although don't expect the pieces to sound nearly as full as they do with the full orchestral accompaniment of the album. The piano part is thin, but it is more than enough to accompany any singer (or yourself, if you like to sing while you play.) My favorite piece is "La Resistance (Medley)", which pieces together a number of different tunes. For the guitarists out there, each piece contains printed chords and tablature. I love playing through the score and have had great fun with it! I recommend it to any South Park fan/musician, or even anyone who's been wanting to know the full lyrics (but don't waste the music - invite a musician over!)

This movie is hilarious, and it really is hard to make someone laugh reading......it still hilarious. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are genius. This movie is just plain hilarious. This book is hilarious and a must get book for all you south parkatiers..Even if you dont play an instrument, it is still hilarious.. This book shows images of the movie. For the music stuff they show the notes tunes and the lyrics, McKay. The guitar tunes, which I play and now I can play the south park songs on my guitar. You cant too if you buy this hysterical music thingy......P.S. this book is cool to show off to people....viva la resistance!!!!!

This product is one of the few cleaners I've ever purchased that actually does what it says it's supposed to. It's powerful, yet completely safe! I would recommend it to any and everyone for all types of purposes!

great excercises for dexterity. it's no wonder this book is recommended.
this book will make you a better trumpeter/cornetist.

A must have for cornet/trumpet players. Make sure the studies are ingrained and technical passage problems should become a thing of the past.
Would also recommend buying direct from Amazon, great service guys!

Not much fun, but must master if you want to achieve technical profiency.

This book is THE standard book for developing technical facility on the horn. The key to playing any instrument well is learning your way around the instrument, and this book is the best way to get there. Every serious trumpet player I have every met, including myself, has used this book and continues to use it. You will literally never outgrow this book. Go all the way through it, and then start over at the beginning at a faster tempo, and then do it again, and so on. If you use this book faithfully you will be astonished at how quickly your playing will improve. This book is one of the fundamental building blocks of playing the trumpet, no matter what style you play.

I picked this book up when I started learning how to play bass. Tony Kanal (the bass player in No Doubt) is really amazing. This book has helped me to learn a lot of no doubt songs, as well as quite a bit of music theory. It really makes you appreciate No Doubt all the more. A must have for any guitar of bass players.

This book basically taught me how to play guitar. Youll learn heaps of stuff if ur not too advanced already: tapping, hamonics etc. No songs on here are boring to play, not one is just power chords all the way through and theres quite a few really good solos.

No Doubt is my favourite band ever and I'm comletely in love with just about every peice of music theyve ever made. I know this is the sort of band a lot of people are obsessed with. If u are (or arent, doesnt matter) and ur thinking of learning guitar or bass, this books pretty spot on i think, and it really makes u appreciate the band so much more.

This book is cool!! The first thing I looked at was the pictures and was stoked to see Adrian in an Iron Maiden shirt!! GO EDDIE GO!!

Anyway as far as the tabs are concerned, well I'm a drummer not a guitarist, but thankfully my brother is. This book pretty much got my band started (not long after catching ND live!), our singer Simonna had it and leant it to my brother to learn a bunch of ND's songs and that was that!! NOW WE ROCK!!! hahaha

As far as I could tell the tablature is quite accurate, the songs we learnt were Just a Girl, Excuse Me Mr, Sunday Morning, and Don't Speak I believe???? Who cares? It's just a cool book!!! SO BUY IT DAMN IT!!!!

i though it was great of you to say that they are a great band around and what i think is that that is so true and i love that band so much and i am glad you wrote the review

thanks john

I have found this book to be no less than what I expected of Hal Leonard books. It was very accurate and if you want to learn some No Doubt music, Pick it up! I highlyrecommend it.

The only problem I had with this book is that I was on a short vacation with my family and was constantly being dragged away to go have some fun. I couldn't wait to get back to it.
Brian Gari is a terrific writer and storyteller. I felt as if I were right there with him and could almost taste the pain, joy, heartbreak and excitement as he navigated his way through that incredible experience.
One of the best things about this book is that it tells a great deal about what the theater on Broadway is like. I would say that almost all of us out here in the hinterland have no idea how a play gets to Broadway. If you're interested in that aspect, this book will enlighten you.
If you want to read a good book, try this one.

When Brian Gari goes into reminisce mode, two things happen: You feel like you were there, and you feel his joy/pain/frustration/laughter/amazement at how the Broadway business worked back then, and frankly not much has changed except the budgets. Brian has crafted a wonderful book, that frankly, would make a great movie, or Broadway show itself. If you love the innerworkings of show business, you will love this book.

The musical that I once collaborated on opened Off-Broadway and never did make it to Broadway. Mr. Gari's book reminded me of just how difficult the "process" was.
The lyricist fights with the script writers, the composer fights with the lyricist (At least Mr. Gari, lyrics AND music, didn't have to fight that fight) and everyone fights with the director - who usually wins. And, of course, EVERYONE knows how to make the show work - but no one is on the same page.
A noted Broadway composer once grinned and asked me, "How do you like the process?" He knew!
Congratulations to Mr. Gari for bulling his way through the nonsense and the egos and getting to Broadway, and congratulations for his very enjoyable book, filled with pain and laughter. All prospective Broadway writers should read this book - and then take some time to brace themselves for a roller coaster ride to the theater.......
My thanks to Brian Gari for a fine reading experience.

If you're a "Theater Queen" ( or King ! ),don't make any immediate plans once you start reading Mr. Gari's book, because you may not want to put it down for a while.
It's the engrossing tale,told from the inside, of the creation of a musical from the germ of an idea to Opening Night ( or Nite ! ) on Broadway,to, sadly, its closing not too long after. You get to see the very real people and the process behind the making of a musical.
Brian Gari documents everything so thoroughly that you just may see your own name in the book - - or at least that of a friend !
Recommended.

For everyone who thinks making it in show business looks easy, Brian Gari has provided an unusually candid and entertaining account of its highs and lows.

Brian conceived a musical called "Late Nite Comic," based on an eventful personal relationship and convinced others that the show should be produced. He recounts in fascinating detail the excitement of bringing the musical to life tempered by the many disappointments borne of competing egos and creative differences. Especially interesting is the parade of actors and actresses who were considered for roles in "Late Nite." Some names are familiar to Broadway fans. Equally compelling is the story Brian tells of pouring his heart and soul into song after song about his ill-fated love affair, some of the effort coming after it became clear even to him that "Late Nite Comic" was troubled.

The story ends on a very positive note as Brian details his efforts once the show closed to record and promote the score. The reader can't help but notice that once Brian assumed promotional responsibilities for his material, awareness of the show increased. To this day, the original cast album of "Late Nite Comic" remains available, a tribute to Brian's determination and the appeal of the music itself.

Brian writes terrific pop tunes. Reading this story and his commitment to getting his music heard is refreshing. He is one of the good guys and you can't help but pull for him. Seldom is passion pursued with such vigor. It's too bad "Late Night Comic" did indeed bomb in New London. But in its wake it at least produced this excellent, readable and informative book.

If you like Broadway and cabaret performing , you have to own this book.

Roger Schmelzer

It has been awhile since I read this book so I have to rely on my memory somewhat of the book's contents. Yes, it is a very interesting book and as a Motown fan, I certainly enjoyed it. Sometimes, though, I wonder about some of Mr. George's comments (and if you are reading this Mr. George I mean no disrespect).

Did he really have to describe the talented Kim Weston as a "dark skined woman with a tendency to put on weight?" Was she really laughed at when she got on stage? To me, Kim Weston was one of Motowns most talented female singers. Couldn't the author have spent a little more space on her vocal talents?

He dismisses the Supremes post-Diana Ross career in a few sentences. Did he ever listen to any of those records? The post-Ross Supremes made some wonderful music which is just now being rediscovered.

He writes off white singer Chris Clark as a "not very gifted singer". From the few songs I have heard, she may not be a virtuoso, but she's not that bad! I know of some rabid Chris Clark fans who would challenge Nelson George on that point.

He spends a lot of time on certain subjects such as Motown's post-70's decline, but seems to spend very little time actually analyzing the music.

A writer, of course, has a right to his opinions and I think, in all fairness, he does a very good job with the book. My biggest complaint is that he seems a little cynical about Motown. I know that not all was happy beneath the wonderful music people heard, but there is still something in his attitude that bothers me a little. Sometimes he seems a little bit mocking in his tone. He wrote a later book about hip hop (a music style I don't care for) and seemed to treat the whole subject with more respect.

I'm probably being a little too analytical about this book.

Anyway, this is still a good book. Put on some Motown music and enjoy.

One of my smartest purchasing decisions was to pick up this work by Nelson George in June 1986 when it was still in hard cover. I've never let it out of my sight since. Time has proven it the precursor of a deluge: `Dreamgirl,' & `Supreme Faith' by Mary Wilson (1986, 1990), `Temptations' by Otis Williams (1988), `To Be Loved,' by Berry Gordy (1994), `Inside My Life' by Smokey Robinson (1989), `Dancing In The Street' by Martha Reeves (1994), and `Between Each Line of Pain and Glory,' by Gladys Knight (1997), among others. I bought them all and I read them all. By far the worst, was the October 1993 work by Diana Ross, `Secrets of a Sparrow,' which was quickly named the worst non-fiction work of the year by People magazine. I couldn't argue with them.

`Where Did Our Love Go,' on the other hand, proves a truth we discovered in the day of the very music it chronicles: no amount of tepid covers surpasses a towering original. Perhaps because Mr. George was not an insider at Motown in the 60s, his history of the company is so objectively good. I've read it many times in over 16 years, and haven't found a date or factual mistake.

And it is balanced. The wonderful music of those glory days in Detroit is given the respect and affection it deserves, as well as the how-it-came-about details. Mr. George acknowledges as most of us do, that Motown's 60s sound is timeless, and is going to outlive Berry Gordy, the artists whose names appeared on the labels, and we baby-boomers who were weaned on it.

Yes, the who-struck-John stories of disappointment are delineated fairly too: the career declines and /or disappointments of folks like Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, Chuck Jackson, Marvin Gaye and, especially Florence Ballard. But unlike the recollections of the authors listed above, `Where' is not told by a writer needing to come out smelling blameless or put-upon at the end.

All these years later, `Where Did Our Love Go,' by Nelson George remains the single most essential biography of Motown Records you can own. Buy it anyway you can manage to, even used - just don't ask to borrow mine. Beyond it, there are two companion works you should also seek out for some fair and detailed `inside' looks of Motown in those days: `Divided Soul,' David Ritz' account of Marvin Gaye's life, which appeared first in 1985, and might have been helped in its excellence by the fact that its subject was no longer around to censor it or `advise.' Finally, from 1989, J. Randy Taraborrelli's `Call Her Miss Ross,' could likely be a dozen times more factual and objective than the 1993 work of the former Supreme herself could ever be!

For the time that it was written, I found this book to be my Motown bible. I still enjoy reading this book on Motown by someone who does not have an axe to grind with the company. Upon seeing the first review of this book, here at Amazon, I felt the need to respond. The reviewer mentioned that the author should have focused on Kim Weston's talents more than he did. Since 1986, Kim Weston has had a ton more recordings released by Motown then ever before. She never even had an album with Motown during her tenure. Her solo stuff released since 1986 could easily fill a box set. Her duets with Marvin Gaye could fill another two CD's. Had these recordings been available when the author had written his book, I would agree with the first reviewer. Her best recordings have only seen recent release. Kim Weston is probably the most talented woman to ever come out of Motown. Diana Ross had the luck and the hits but there was a stable full of women at Motown who were much more talented than she was. Also, the first reviewer mentions the talents(?) of Chris Clark. I love the whole Chris Clark persona and story. There are about four of Chris' recordings that I do love. However, if you listen to all of the Chris Clark recordings currently available on the Motown label (about three CD's worth) you'll question her talents, as the author also did. Mr. Gordy, in all of his arrogance once said, "Give me a singer who can sing three notes and I'll get a hit on her." I think he might have been thinking of Ms. Clark when he said it. By the way, he never got a hit on Chris Clark. This is an amazing book & a great introduction to Motown.

I found this book to be very informative on the music that I grew up with but it also revealed how Mr. Gordy has ruined the lives of talented but uneducated people.

Although a little short on photos (it was obviously not the authors' intention to be another photo book), this is in many ways the best book for someone really interested in the subject of Motown to own,in that the author pulls no punches. Other books on this record company/hit machine of the 60s & 70s suffered from censorship by the record company's head and his people.

This book does not suffer that hinderance, and it allows us to read what really went on behind the scenes. It was not such a happy family with Berry Gordy Jr. as the paternal head as it is often depicted.

An excellent book, both readable and informative, and well worth getting hold of for all fans of the music who want to know what really went on as the records were made and the tours were run.

My husband read this book to my kids and it was an instant success with all three of my children. They started repeating the rhyme and giggling so loudly. They had a great time with it.

I bought "Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar" for my two-and-a-half-year-old niece. I was visiting during bath time the other day, when my sister said: "Come here little mouse. Let me wipe your face." My nieces response was: "Please don't tease. I eat cheese."

I had no idea what my neice was talking about until my sister explained that that is what the mouse says from the book. Infact, my niece has the entire book memorized. She loves it!

When we read "Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar" later that same night, my niece proudly explained how if you look at the page you can tell who's coming next, how Mommy taught her that. She reads this book over and over. And each time she reads it, it's like discovering this secret of who is coming next for the first time, fresh and exciting.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a todler or young child. It's full of a love for animlals, as well as the sense of wonder and curiosity that makes this book and young children so magical.

Fresh new life infuses this familiar children's playground song/chant/rhyme. As Skunk puzzles out the mystery of the missing cookies with help from his animal friends, children are introduced to the landscape of the southwestern desert, as well as many of its animal inhabitants.This presents a fun opportunity for gentle lessons in science.And for teachers/parents looking for patterned books to nudge reading skills along, this fits the bill with its rhyme and repetition. The large, colorful pictures portray animals that are endearing but not cutesy. Bright and bouncy, this is just the kind of book that works well with lap sharing for very young children but just as easily lends itself to sharing with a group. Kids will be developing their sleuthing skills as they use clues in the pictures to predict which animal did steal the cookies. They'll be having so much FUN that you'll have to steal the book back from them to do anything else!

This book was an instant hit in our house. My daughter enjoys having it read to her as well as participating in the rhymes herself. We also like going through each page to solve the mystery behind who's on the next page. Beautifully illustrated and lots of fun for both parent and child.

I am a kindergarten teacher and LOVE this book. My students enjoy the repetition of the phrases, "Who me, couldn't be!" and "Mmm... Oh!... Now I know..." as on each page skunk thinks he has solved the mystery of the missing cookies. Clever clues on each page help students predict which friend of skunk will appear on the next page. The happy ending, with all the friends sharing the cookies, brings the story to a warm conclusion. The illustrations are colorful and large, with limited text on each page, perfect for younger children.

I use this book early in the school year to help the students learn each others names. I hide a small baggie of cookies in a child's lap. Students then have to guess who has the cookies by saying, "Mary took the cookies from the cookie jar." Mary responds, "Who me, couldn't be!" and guesses another child. When the cookies are discovered, we rehide them. Finally, we get to enjoy our cookie snack. I also adapt the activity for use throughout the year, with each child being an alphabet letter, an alphabet sound, a number or a site word. For example, "14 took the cookie from the cookie jar." "Who me, couldn't be!" "17 took the cookie from the cookie jar." and so on.

My students truly enjoy experiencing this story all year long. I highly recommend it for your students or your child.

This is a book full of adventures and great things.A young boy by the name of Charlie, who loves Wonka Chocolate bars.The factory is full of unbeliveable things, chocolate milk maker, gum drop trees, this place has it all! The owner of the company Mr. Wonka, has a contest, he sends out Golden Tickets on the inside of Wonka Bars. Now Charlie, a poor young boy , thinks he has no chance of winning. He lives in a small shack. Little does Charlie know, what he is about to unwrap. This book was one that kept me interested. I thought a lot of the things that went on were pretty awesome. The movie is just as good as the book. I have a fair Warning for you though, DONT WATCH THIS MOVIE IF YOUR HUNGRY!

While the book version of this tale is much darker than the movie script, the overall message is valuable to 4th graders (when it was read to me), & adults alike - over indulgence, of any sort, leads to no good.... The tale always stuck w/ me, & is classic - it will stick w/ children by & large.
There are few comparisons to Dahl, when it comes to a descriptive setting, & lavish tale, w/ a lesson to boot (you in the patoot!)... My only lament is that the author is dead.
Sherry -(;o)~

It starts about a poor little boy who barly has anything to eat. He lives with his great grandparents and his mother. On his way to school everyday he walks past a gaint chocolate factory,the oner is a strange little man with lots of secrets.

I've read this book as a child, and think it is a classic.

The book fuses three basic themes - the cinderella story (a child who rises from poverty to fortune), every child's fanatasy of owning a sweets shop / factory, and Jules Verne style fantasy (Oompa Loompas from Africa, miraculous sweets, fantastic teleporting TV, etc).

This book was passed in my extended family from child to child, and as everybody knows and likes it, we sometimes jokingly refer to it.

I've read it nearly twenty years ago, and enjoyed picking up the same copy I read than and reread it a short while ago - it's one of my favourite childhood books.

This is definately a must read for all ages! It magically takes the reader into the delicious world of Willy Wonka and his mysterious Oompa Loompas while teaching us all a lesson in honesty. I dare you not to get the munchies while reading this fantastically written edible story.

This is a must have for anyone conducting a choir at highschool level and beyond. I sang many of these songs in my choir in highschool, and now that I'm starting my own carreer as a music teacher I've purchased my own copy. If you're looking for some great arrangements of classic pieces, this is the book you want. Perfect for the classroom and more.

Some of the gems of this book that I'd recommend are Lord of the Dance, and In Dulci Jubilo.

Buy this, you're missing some great music if this isn't in your collection.

I had to buy this book for a concert with my local music association. I was impressed with the wide variety of carols in it, despite the fact that it lacks the "Carol of the Bells," one of my favorites. I was kind of hoping that some of the arrangements could be used for informal singing, but most of them are arranged for performance.

This is the first time that I am able to find so many Christmas Carol for Choir which is my favorite music during the whole year. I would like to see more information about the songs contained, and the title of the songs.

I had the pleasure of participating in a workshop with David Willcocks, and received this book as part of it. It was first published in 1987, but Sir David had some amusing anecdotes to share about how he and John Rutter, another name to reckon with in choral music circles, put it together.

This is what I like about it:

* These gentlemen are giants in the English choral music scene, and personify the English choral tradition in everything they do. So it's a pleasure to find that they have included many carols from other countries, as well as the English ones. It's very hard to find non-English-language carols, so this is a nice little collection.

* Their 4-part arrangements are imaginative but easy enough to sight-sing.

* It also includes a listing of church festivals other than Christmas, with the names and page numbers of carols that would be appropriate for each.

* For ease of navigation as you're singing, the verses are in Roman type while the refrains are in italics.

* For reasons that are not clear, they have chosen to include the text in the original language in some cases, but not all. The foreign language texts are immediately under the English translations, so you can sing in either language.

* At the very end of the book is the order of service for the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, with instructions on the appropriate rank of each person to read, from chorister to bishop.

If you are only going to buy one carol book, this and the Oxford Book of Carols are the best ones to consider. The Oxford has more in it, and is hugely more expensive, so I recommend this one! it'll take you several Christmasses to sing your way through it.

This book is a wonderful source for any established choir. The multi-part harmonies are arranged in a unique and expressive way. The song selections range from old latin (Quem Pastores Laudavere), to religious (It came upon a midnight clear), and even encludes variations of Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls.

I am long time beginner guitar player. I can strum chords well enough to sing familiar songs, but never had any formal lessons. I found this book to be exactly what I needed to move beyond this stage. The writing style is conversational, with a good dose of humor. I particularly enjoyed the anecdotes about former students. The included CD is well produced, and does a good job of illustrating the concepts and techniques on the book.

This was an excellent overview of so many different areas. The book is laid out in a logical order, however, the reader could certainly pick and choose various chapters. Lots of good insights from many different sources.

I'm learning to play and this book is the first thing in awhile to really help me out. He takes all the topics that others seem to avoid, likely because they are technical and difficult to explain, and explains them in a useful and entertaining manner. The book also goes into areas like ear training that are very valuable and often missed in books.

David Mead has taken all the fat and left the meat in this guide for guitarists of all skill levels. These are the questions you should be asking but didn't know how or what to ask for.

Has missed out on a couple subjects of which I thought was important(like left hand technique). Over all however, this is the most intelligent book to motivate and inspire a guitarist who wants to enjoy the journey to mastering an instrument.I work in a music shop so I am subjected to a whole lot of useless literature on the subject of learning guitar.

i hope it works out for you as well as it did for me.

If you're a self taught guitarist and you feel like you haven't learned much in the past few months or years...buy this book.