Instruction Books

I have purchased a number of Irish fiddle materials over the last four years. I have played guitar for over 30 years and thought that I would try Irish fiddle. Of all the books and materials I have purchased, this is simply the best. The tunes are challenging, yet playable, (if you put some time in} even for a beginner. Mr. Cranitch's playing on the accompanying cassette is excellent, and the cassette makes for good listening on it's own. I would assume that an intermediate to accomplished violinist who wants to play Irish fiddle would find this book less challenging, but I am confident that he or she would enjoy it. For someone with no knowledge of the violin, it will be very challenging, and maybe discouraging. But, once you have the ability to play in tune in first position, and are comfortable and relaxed with your bowing, this is the book to buy.

I've seen this book at music stores but was reluctent to purchase it because it seemed a little expensive and also didn't include the cds. Maybe it's good not to rely too much on the cds with books like these but I have to admit I feel they are essential. It's like having a teacher giving you a run-through of not only how it sounds but also the feeling of how to play it. I see the top seller on amazon is the Peter Cooper book which I bought but was a little disapointed at what I thought was a bit of an uninspired interpretation of the tunes. I suppose that the fact that its on mel bay and is called the complete irish fiddle player gets it alot of attention but I wasn't all that crazy about it. What I do like is the Kevin Burke 20 Irish fiddle tunes on Homespun and my favorite right now is Ireland's Best Fiddle Tunes by Paul McNevin (Waltons Publishing) which has 110 fiddle tunes and 2 cds. Evidentally you can get this with or without the cds but I got the cd edition of course and it was about 30 bucks. I probably should apologize for getting off track of the book in review but I really need to have the cd or I'm not really interested. Oh, the McNevin book also has the guitar chords. This is the one to get, in my opinion. It doesn't look like amazon has it but I see now that although it's Waltons, an Irish publisher, it's evidentally being distributed through Mel Bay. McNevin also has a guide to learning the Irish fiddle for about the same price but I haven't checked that out.

I understand there is a CD or audio cassette with this book. Is it available through you?

Martha Bishop waltmart@mindspring.com

So you want to learn the Irish fiddle, eh? First find yourself a great teacher and start learning these tunes by ear! Second, pick up a copy of this book and the two CDs that go along with it--if you want to learn a tune on your own this book is a wonderful resource. All of the tunes (from reels to hornpipes to airs and everything in between) are written out with little more than the melody, so that you can personalize each one with ornamentation and bowing. Therefore, this book has a more authentic feel to it than many of the other books out there that seem to leave nothing to the imagination. Aditionally, the CDs offer a great sense of appropriate ornamentation and rhythm for many of the tunes. They are essential to truly making the most out of this book.
This book does offer an overview of basic fiddle technique and starts off with chapters on each seperate style of tune. The back section simply contains a wealth of tunes written out in standard musical notation. Honestly, I would recommend this book as a companion to lessons with a teacher, rather than a subsitute for them, in order to master the technical aspects of fiddle playing. But for most people this book will make a wonderfully comprehensive resource for building up your knowledge of very authentic Irish fiddle tunes. It is truly the best of its kind that I have ever used.

I have this fiddle book and it is very thorough. Matt is an excellent fiddle teacher. There is a CD and a cassette that goes with it, sold separately, usually at music stores. The CD is recommend so you can just hit the track button and replay a tune you're practicing rather than rewinding the tape cassette. Highly recommended for learning Irish fiddle.

This book provides highly effective strategies for teaching in classrooms with diverse learners. The activities are fun and engaging and can be easily adapted to fit into any curriculum. Each section provides space for teachers to work on making the strategies successful in their classrooms.
(Elana Zamorski, 9th grade social studies teacher)

Joyful Learning is a dream come true for any busy teacher! With quick ideas that are simple to implement, any teacher can utilize this book in lesson planning and implementation. As an educator, these strategies are easy to learn and implement whether you are a high school P.E. teacher, a kindergarten teacher, or a 5th grade science teacher. When I want to motivate and engage my students, I let them choose one of the strategies and they use it to deepen their understanding, work collaboratively, and build community within my classroom. They love it! In fact, since these strategies differentiate for all learners, the entire school will intergrate them into practice next school year from Pre-K to 8th Grade!

JOYFUL LEARNING: ACTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS by Alice Udvari-Solner and Paula Kluth (9781412941747) provides a resource for K-12 teachers who wish to create an active, collaborative learning environment. Here is a blend of classroom theory with applied facts, using classroom-tested examples and clear guidelines to help teachers create and assess the results of such an environment. From assisting individual learners to integrating results into a wider classroom atmosphere, JOYFUL LEARNING offers many specifics, making it a perfect pick for practicing teachers.

I just received this book at the "Inclusion Works" conference in Austin, TX. From what I've read so far, there are many techniques that educators can use in the classroom for all students (regular, bilingual, special needs, etc.) I am so pleased to have been able to see Dr. Kluth show some of these techniques at the conference. I look forward to finishing her book and discovering all it has to offer. THANK YOU!

As a former special education student I found myself wishing my teachers had read this wonderful book! I think my educational experience would have been much more positive if the teachers had used the activities in Joyful Learning. I would love to see the classrooms where these strageties are used. It would be inspiring to see all students fully engaged in a classrroom where respect for learning differences is modeled and all students are engaged in learning. This book offers many ideas and activities to begin this process.

I'll keep this short as I could write about how brilliant this book is for ages.

1. This is the best ukulele songbook in existence.

2. This is for Advanced players. If you are looking to take your ukulele playing to the next level, buy this book.

3. You will never look at the ukulele or you playing the same ever again after you play through this book. This is a good thing.

4. Buy it. Now. Don't lose the CD, you WILL need it to learn the songs.

Warning: The ukulele solos in this book are for advanced players.
I've been playing ukulele since I was a kid, but only recently have I gotten serious about it. After about a week, I was able to play half of one song (Don't Get Around Much More). Whew! I'm looking forward to figuring out the rest of this song and learning more since they sound so nice on the CD. Infact, the CD is of high quality with an accompanying Bass. I would give the CD a 4 or 5 stars by itself. Having the arrangement to follow along definitely makes this a 5 star product.

Outstanding book and CD. Although not a beginners book, the combination together (Book and CD)provide a fun and real learning experienced with the ukulele beyond the basic strums.

This is an excellent source book for the ukulele enthusiast. With practice and patience, one can learn some of these classic song solos in the jazz ukulele stylings of Lyle Ritz, one of the greats in uke playing.

An essential book for all uke players.

A great music book. This book, which includes cd, is arranged by Ukulele Jazz Master Lyle Ritz. The disc contains all songs in the book, seven for tenor uke and eight for fluke. An electric base helps define the harmonies and the rythm. It's a bit advanced for me because I'm still learning the basic chords, but the finger charts are very easy to follow. The collection has songs spanning swing, jazz, ballad, waltz, bossa nova and reggae, most with written lyrics and a few without (instrumentals). Lyrics are not sung on the disc except for the last song "Where or When." The nice part about this disc is that listeners who aren't learning to play but simply want to hear the magical ukulele in the air will enjoy it as much as uke students. Mahalo

The wild designs to color here present the most perfect break from your other daily activities -- creative or otherwise. This book is so good for releasing stress that Amazon should require a perscription to purchase it. That's some powerful tension-release!

A Kaleidoscopia Coloring Book: Abstract Adventure is filled with beautiful images just waiting for your finishing touches. It's an inspiration.

I Love this abstract coloring book !! This is a wounderful product and i would recomend this to anybody who loves to color abstract coloring pages.

This is one that I have already started on,..with colored pencils,...,..I really enjoyed what little that I have started on,.last night,..Arcystal

This coloring book is imaginative and fun! The pages are full of interesting & creative designs. a++

Thank you for bringing these wonderful coloring books to Amazon.com! Year after year, at Minneapolis's Art a Whirl I look forward to finding Kendall Bohn's art studio because of the colorful and intellectual art he produces. Kendall is an artist who has not forgotten our children (and the children at heart) and their need for abstract, creative and fun art. Each coloring book is a flawless masterpiece which makes them a fantastic gift for cultivating imagination. At any age, anyone can color one of these beautiful pages to match any room and frame them for all to admire. I look forward to your continued releases!

I wanted this book because I worked in this airplane from 1971 to 1975 at Lockheed in Palmdale CA., it brings very good memories back. Thank you.

A great book, lots of details and inside stories. Easy to read, I've really enjoyed.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit as a great general reference on the design of one of my favorite commercial airliners of all time! My only downside to any of the books in this series is that most of the pics are in Black and white. Anyway, if you love the L-1011, then this is a great reference.

This book covers this airliner in all its glory.Beautiful photographs,superb text,good quality paper and great value make this book a real gem.Lovers of this airliner can enjoy a superb look at this aircraft.This is the first book in the "airlinerTech" series I've bought and I'm impressed.If you love airliners you will love this book.

I am an unashamed L-1011 fan. I believe that the plane was decades ahead of it's time, and still has some features (Direct Lift Control, which accounted for it's superior Autoland system, and an enormously sophisticated Speed Command System for example) that are unrivaled today. I was fortunate enough to check out and get a type rating on the L-1011 near the end of her life at the major airlines, and in every respect I believe she was the best designed aircraft I have ever flown. I can't recall meeting an L-1011 pilot who would disagree with that.

Jim Upton has put together an excellent book on the 1011, and I highly endorse it. In this one volume he accurately summarizes the operations and features of this beautiful machine. The photographs are clear and plentiful, the systems descriptions are well done (and will be the best you can see unless you get a 2,000 page L-1011 operations manual), and the format is logical and accessible. Buy this book and learn about one of the greatest airliners to ever grace the sky.

I really LOVE this book! From start to finish, I LOVE everything about this book-Tara's dedication "To everyone who has loved and lost"; Frank Kozik's wonderful Foreword speaking about the appreciation of an art culture and discovering such a unique artist like Tara McPherson; to all of the amazing rare & hard to find works of Tara Mcpherson's art this book features...this book is truly a must have!!! This book does not have a great deal of text...The most text you'll find in this book is the Foreword by Frank Kozik, which says everything that needs to be said! This book focuses on the art, which for me is a breath of fresh air as Tara's beautiful, intense, colorful art speaks for itself! "LIFE IS ART & ART IS LIFE"...I found that to be the case with this book, which I love seeing being an artist myself...to find an artist like Tara who shares her life through her art...what a gift! I purchased a couple of copies of this book, because I am a fan of Tara's art & this book FEATURES some of her SOLD OUT, RARE & HARD TO FIND Paintings, Prints, Posters, drawings, an interview with Tara & some of her personal photos which is a nice personal touch!

Nerdy BirdLonely Heart: The Art Of Tara McPherson

This compilation of Tara McPherson's work is simply amazing.
I could spend hours pouring over the pages.
She's so talented and this book is a must have for any Tara fan.
Very decent price also.

Tara McPherson is a NY based artist who seems to gently dominate all of the fields she works in.

She's made her mark in Comic Books, Poster Art, vinyl toy design and fine art. This book collects a body of work from sketch to finished piece, including transparent layover pages that bring her process to life. And for it's very affordable price, should be on every art collector's shelf.

This book is fantastic, the quality of the colours is great and i love the tracing paper pages that show the process from drawing to prints. Tara Mcpherson is an inspiring modern artist, I am a high school teacher and my students love this book.

Love, light as the air, but sometimes as dark red as the blood running through your veins (see my customer images).
"This book is dedicated to everyone who has loved and lost" reads Tara McPherson's dedication on the first page.
Love, broken hearts, innocence and its loss, yet neverending hopes and dreams come to mind when I look at these drawings.
Tara's work is beautiful, seems innocent at first sight. The colors - mostly pastel - at first have you think you're in bubble gum heaven. But you don't need a second look to discover the deeper and often darker side in Tara's art.
Tara created posters for bands like Supergrass, Green Day, Dandy Warhols, The Hives, The Strokes, Duran Duran and Suzanne Vega, Josh Rouse, Elvis Costello, PJ Harvey, and various covers for DC Vertigo.
The book contains beautiful reproductions of posters, portraits, comic book pages, drawings, roughs, an interview with Tara, polaroids, and a foreword by the legendary Frank Kozik.
A beautiful gift!

I purchased this item for my wife for Christmas. The selections are arranged beautifully - a definite must for those who play the piano and appreciate fine Christian music.

I have always been "picky" about the arrangements of Christian hymns and worship songs, because I am a piano arranger myself. This book has THREE things going for it!
1. these are classy, beautifully done arrangements and not disjointed
2. Mark Hayes has just a "hint" of jazz chording which adds to the appeal of these arrangements
3. this particular book is actually three books in one, so you get a terrific bargain!
I use this book with some of my students, as well as for church offertories. This book is at least upper-intermediate to advanced level. I love how he weaves in some classic hymns with newer worship choruses from the last two decades. You will not be disappointed if you purchase this book.

I've played two pieces in this book on Sunday worship, and every time the congregation really enjoyed the music. I love the music as well. This book is not an easy book, there are always some spots I need to work on. However, after practicing several time, the music is wonderful!! If you are a church pianist, I would recommend you to buy this book.

This is an amazing book, you will not find any arrangements better than these. Be sure to check out Doxology, Give Thanks, Create me in a Clean Heart, and MANY more. GET THIS BOOK!

Mark Hayes is a master of creating arrangements that reflect the message of the song rather than simply showing off the talent of the performer. I have used his music arrangements constantly during the last 20 years, and I buy all his new arrangements the minute they come out. Not only do I use these transcriptions for my own piano solo work, but I also utilize them as topnotch accompaniments for both vocal and instrumental soloists during the worship service.

Don't pass this up!

This book gives you a broad scope of the to be used topics when creating elearning sites. You will get a quick tutorial of the most important Macromedia features to get the process done. In a clear way building up from using templates, attaching stylesheets, showing and hiding layers with Dreamweaver and using Flash for simulation and user-interactivity the book introduces the interaction with databases by using Coldfusion.

I thought Coldfusion was rather difficult to learn, because the tips of the week by Macromedia were a little to quick for me. But Jeffrey Bardzell proved it is easy. In a straight-forward way you are taken by the hand to take all the basic steps for building a data-driven website.

I'm an assoc. prof. of New Testament currently working to produce an interactive web workbook for teaching/learning skills for New Testament interpretation. I want to give students practice developing close reading skills rather than ask them simply to drill content. For a couple of years, I have had a dream for such a site, and I felt sure it was buildable, but didn't know how. I care enough about how the interactions work and the relationship of content to design that I wanted to design the interactions myself if possible. Yet I didn't know anything but a little Dreamweaver and its CourseBuilder extension.

Working my way through a copy of Macromedia MX eLearning is changing all that. Wow! The book teaches how to develop interactions in Dreamweaver and Flash as well as offering several chapters on putting ColdFusion to work in eLearning. Each chapter includes a fine combination of hands-on work and explanation for why we are being asked to do what we're doing, especially at those places where some task is counter-intuitive. The book is also free of mistakes, typos and muddled language, a welcome plus when so many computer books seem to have been rushed to press without having been edited or proofed.

Bardzell's book is giving me two things: (1) hands on work with the software that introduces and reinforces learning without devolving into busywork and (2) a model for developing materials (like the book itself) that teach effectively from a distance. A+

I am a trainer and instructional designer at a university. I thought this book was very useful in helping me to use Flash MX for education. You would likely need some introductory training in Flash and Dreamweaver basics before using this book.

This is an excellent book where you learn how to integrate ColdFusion MX, Dreamweaver MX, and Flash MX by building interactive learning applications. The exercises are explained in great details and contain many tips and techniques especially for Dreamweaver and Flash. The newer aspects of interacting ColdFusion MX with Flash MX are not covered, but for those of us still using ColdFusion 5 there is a good coverage of LoadVars. I recommend this book without any reservation as it is one of the best technical books I have read so far.

Jeffrey Bardzell's book is intelligently written with plenty easy-to-understand examples. He engages, inspires, and motivates learners throughout. His Dante's Inferno project makes learning fun. He breaks subject matter down into comprehendible pieces, using Aristotelian logic in places. This guy knows what he's doing. Of several computer books that I have purchased over the years, this is the first time I have written a review. You can learn eLearning and website design, and this book will teach you how-even if you are a motivated beginner, technical type, or humanities person-this book is suited for most everyone.

Barry Long is one of my favorite spiritual master, his clarity and insight is so deep and he penetrates and speaks about different subjects with such clarity.

This book is about sex and love and how we distinguish. It give you a totally new perspective. Read it and change...

enjoy

This book gave me integrity and new purpose in relating to women. I can't say enough-maybe the most life expanding book I've had the pleasure to read. First time I ever read a book straight through twice.

I feel rejunvinated in my ability to give love deeply and unselfishly.

I don't think I've ever read something so raw. So undeniably true and to the point. I feel like more of a man of character and responsibility and compassion having just read this book.

No book has jarred me thus since I was 18 and read Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. I'm a 30 something divorced guy who became utterly confused and even contemptuous towards the opposite sex. Talk about lying in the bed you've made!

If you are a man or woman that can stand up to constructive criticism this book will make you laugh as you blush and fluster you as you recall your past foibles. But hark! The world is made anew through understanding :)

Very insightful. Barry Long found his Enlightenment through intimate union. Everyone has their own perspective and there were some things I didn't necessarily understand "why" or agree with but it was very informative and talked very much about being present. Presence is a theme that all masters will tell you is the key to knowing yourself as God. Barry Longs "Making Love" just brings that presence into the bedroom which is something our culture desperately needs. I gave it 4 stars because our culture needs sexual healing and reading this book is a great tool for the facilitation of that process. I didn't give it 5 stars because of my questions of "why" but it has nothing to do with the quality of the book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to deepen their connection with themselves, the Creator and their intimate partner.

I have been waiting all my life for this book!
This is nothing less than a life changing book. What Barry Long has to say about love is so important in these times, this is what everyone wants but no one knows how to make real.
My partner and I have put his teaching into practice and have found a totally different perception of love, and each other opening up to us. It's so beautiful! I am so grateful to Barry Long and amazed that more people aren't aware of this whole other spiritual dimension to making love. i would say that if you want this deeper, more real sort of love in your life you've really got to go for it and your partner too, otherwise it's just another book and you won't 'get' it. But even if you're single, you should read this book! If i had read this years ago i could have saved myself a lot of heartache. And if you are in partnership and you try this, it will make your love grow in a way you could not imagine.
I can't recommend this book enough!

As a long time veteran of music lessons, I can attest to the importance of the instructor on the outcome of the lessons - for both the student and the teacher. Having had two so-so, "bored with the whole concept, but gotta pay the bills somehow" teachers, and one excellent, inspiring "be the best you can be and have fun doing it" teacher, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book as an excellent guide on becoming the latter.

Not all kids are prodigies, and not all students want to go on to win State competitions and have prestigious careers as soloists. Some do, of course, but some just want to be able to play well around the campfire or at their cousin's wedding, and have fun doing it. Some take up an instrument later in life because they are recovering from an injury and playing an instrument can improve their dexterity, or simply because they want to finally experience the joy of making music now that the kids are out from under foot, and they finally have the time. Ms. Blanchard offers a great collection of fun and creative ways to help every type of student, from the prodigy to the part-timer, meet their own particular goals, as well as excellent tips on setting up a teaching studio to be profitable and successful.

Ms. Blanchard demonstrates an intuitiveness in this book that reflects her years of teaching, and draws upon that experience to provide useful guidelines for the music instructor to follow to help achieve the best results for each student. Students come in all ages, skill levels and attitudes, and have widely variable family backgrounds, social and financial situations and personal goals. This book provides thought-provoking questions that instructors can ask themselves to help assess how each particular student can best reach their goals, and provides insightful ideas on how to make the learning process an enjoyable and positive experience for everyone - including the student, their family, and the instructor too!

The impact a great teacher can have on a student is undeniable. A great teacher can inspire, encourage, and motivate students to embrace life-changing principles which will affect not just their music but every aspect of their life. I would encourage all music teachers hoping to become that great teacher, to take advantage of this excellent collection of insights to become more effective at enriching their students' (and their own) music and lives.

Bonnie Blanchard's book "Making Music, Enriching Lives" is a joyful, fun and inspiring read, imbued with the author's enthusiasm and humor. The book is pleasantly personal, filled with many stories and examples, which go straight to the heart of teaching. The numerous suggestions offered are practical, rather than mechanical. For example, the book does not cover the physics of tone (the air hits here at this angle, etc), rather it offers ways to help students find and instill in themselves the motivation and desire to practice tone. I read the book, cover to cover, over a long weekend (away from my teaching studio) and was reenergized upon my return - this book is its own "mini-teaching spa/retreat"!

The book is unique, specifically because of its focus on the "human" side of teaching - drawing attention to students' varied abilities, personalities and learning styles. Ms. Blanchard presents many suggestions to help build and nurture the student/teacher relationship, as well as the teacher/parent relationship - both primary factors for student success. In addition, it not only encourages us to challenge and raise the bar for our students' playing skills, but to do the same for our own teaching skills.

Ms. Blanchard reiterates the importance of teaching the "whole" musician, rather than "a piece of music". She offers helpful suggestions for incorporating fundamentals and musicality within each lesson and provides many pointers to help students build their problem-solving and independent learning skills. The author includes a valuable list of suggestions to help students become creative and critical thinkers.

The sections discussing the varied learning styles of boys vs. girls, as well as the section specifically addressing the characteristics of adult learners are extremely informative and helpful. The author places important emphasis upon the learning process and the skills acquired and enhanced throughout, rather than placing the most important emphasis on what the author defines as "outcome goals" (winning the audition, something in control of the judges, not the student). Also unique is the Ms. Blanchard's "Music for Life Notebook System", which ultimately provides students with a personalized reference of all they have learned.

Overall, the book was a refreshing look at many aspects of teaching, offering a myriad of ways to lead each student to their fullest musical potential, through a balance of hard work and fun! One of the most memorable lines in the book is Ms. Blanchard's statement that, "Many musicians decide to become music teachers because the love music. A better reason would be because they love helping people". I believe this not only best sums up what teaching should be, but also the overall nature of the book - "Making Music and Enriching Lives" helps teachers, help their students develop skills to experience joy, confidence and success, in music and many other areas of their lives.

"Making Music and Enriching Lives" offers something for everyone - new teachers, experienced teachers, burnt-out teachers, teachers relocating or teachers of any instrument. The title is well suited to the book, as it will "enrich" the teaching of those who read it and in turn "enrich" the lesson experience of their students. I highly recommend this book to all teachers - keep it in your library, as you will undoubtedly refer to it often. If possible, for the first read, find a quiet spot, curl up with a good cup of tea and be inspired!

One of the best books on pedagogy I've read. Bonnie's work is positively brimming with ideas -- I found it difficult to get through the book in a timely manner; I was too busy trying to incorporate the ideas from my previous reading.

Bonnie's style is very conversational, making the book a fun and light read despite the heavy amount of content. She strives to make the work useful and full of examples from every instrument, making this the most comprehensive work on pedagogy I've come across. The helpful sections on methods of bill collection and marketing as a private teacher were sorely needed and filled in a lot of gaps in my conservatory education.

As a voice teacher of many years, it was a joy to read this inspirational book, with wonderful advice for all teachers (not even in the music field). It shows you're never too old to learn new motivational tricks and ways to be more organized as well. Hats off to Ms. Blanchard!!
Margaret Russell
Essen Germany

A number of people sent me the Amazon link for this book and indicated that it was the best book they'd read in this subject area. Mine arrived yesterday and I can't put it down. It really is excellent. I do think that the characterological makeup of pianists and string players is different than that of flute players (the book is written by a flute teacher and freelancer in Washington state), but nevertheless, the book is full of ideas and helpful recommendations, and is not to be missed.