Music Books

Simply could not resist trying the book after seeing the video. The reviewers are right---the book is even better than the excellent film.

Some things are different --- the book has a Methodist church not Lutheran, and the book has a date with the two string players at a drive-in.

What a wholesome book for youth and adults.

Rachel is a young girl who is talented at playing the violin. Her best friend is now playing softball and spends most of her time with her team. Rachel, an only child, thinks she is in a weird family. Besides having no school, she isn't looking forward to summer. Then, to her surprise, she is accepted to play in a professional orchestra. Despite her excitement, she feels major things could go wrong, especially when the conductor quit.
I recommend this book to anyone, especially those interested in music. It shows that things can turn around and prevail, even if you don't think it will.

I first read this book about four or five years ago, when I was around eleven, and it's become one of those books that I can just go back to and re-read as many times as I want and never get tired of. OK, so it's not one of the deepest books ever written, but the style is easy, the plot simple and entertaining, and yet somehow it manages not to slip into cliche or become overly shallow.

The books follows exclusively the character of Rachel Green, an early teen whose one solace from life and parents is classical music. Perhaps the reason that I found this book so enjoyable is that I am a big fan of this type of music myself (as you can see from my name!). The girl displays all the characteristics typical in an early teenager - paranoia about her appearance, desire for acceptance, the feeling that her parents are unbearable, etc. However, in the last case, she might well have a point.

Her mother is a crusader for better education and artistic facilities in the town of Sandy Bottom, and forbids a TV in the house; instead there is a grand piano. Her father meanwhile conducts imaginary symphony orchestras in the den, and cries over recordings of classical music.

As you can see, the characters in this book are, shall we say, unique, and even those characters which could be called "transitory" are invested with larger-than-life personality traits. (The foremost among these being Drew and his mother.)

Mainly due to these characters there is a good deal of humour in the book. However, there are a lot of wry observations made by the authors on some aspects of life and love. Speaking of which, there is a touching romance between Rachel and a cellist thrown into the book, further making the character of Rachel even more real and vivid.

The book's overlying theme is obviously music, which makes it a joy to read for someone who is interested in this, but you definitely do not have to be a music-lover to get a great deal of enjoyment out of this book.

All in all, for something which appears on the face of it to be merely a "children's book" it is a very enjoyable and easy read for people of pretty nearly every age.

His review was largely quite positive, so it is only a very gentle disagreement I have with reviewer Eugene Barnes, who wrote that anyone who knows music will realize this isn't realistic (regarding the music). I very respectfully disagree! I think the opposite is clear from this book--that they DO know music! Not only does one feel that way reading it, but it is well-known that Jenny Lind Nilsson, Mr. Keillor's wife, actually IS a successful professional violinist--I think she was good enough to make a living as a violinist in New York City--how many people are that good? And she definitely contributed heavily to this book--it isn't exactly in Garrison Keillor's ordinary style, although there are certainly hints of it, and this book is certainly compatible with it. Having said all that, I found this an extremely pleasant book. I wish I knew a teenage girl (or preteen) to give it to!

This is a wonderful book! It is warm and funny, and hearfelt. It has characters who are believable and interesting. It asserts that young people's feelings are every bit as important as those of grownups.

The Sandy Bottom Orchestra is, as far as I know, the only book to result from the collaboration of Jenny Nilson and her husband Garrison Keillor. There is a lot in this book of the writer's diffident voice that America has come to love on "The Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio. But the boisterous, sometimes salty humor of Keillor is admirably moderated here. So, the work is inoffensive, suitable for the young, but it is a treat for their parents as well.

I have now read this book twice. It was wonderful both times.

Mark Ortman's "simple guide" is an easy to read, comprehensive look at the various aspects involved in self-publishing, including preparatory steps (copyright, ISBN), printing, marketing, and distributing. He offers lots of references to resources which will be useful, and he provides some tips as well.

Brevity is the chief positive attribute of this book, and it is also a weakness. You might want more about each of the subjects that Ortman raises. Another problem with the book is that much of the information involving technology is outdated, although most of the rest of the book is up-to-date.

Not everyone will want to read this book. But the beginning writer can certainly benefit from it.

Back in the late 1980's I had the privilege of attending a self-publishing workshop with Mark Ortman, the author of this excellent how-to guide. I purchased "A Simple Guide to Self-Publishing" and used the knowledge I gained to successfully publish and market my first book. I've recommended this book many times over the years, since it provides a perfect introduction to the topic. I'm happy that Mark has kept the book up to date, and that the Third Edition includes helpful information on On-Line Publishing.

This book may be a handy ADDITION to your publishing library, but it is definitely not "the" source book for marketing. In fact, in the rapidly changing world of publishing, I found that most of the information I did want to use was already out of date.

This book helps you compare regular publishing with self-publishing to see if it's right for you.

Three main questions underlie the process:
Why do you want to publish your book?
Who is your audience?
What makes your book different or unique?

Chapters cover such topics as:
Learning about the industry and preparing the manuscript
Printing
Announcing your book
Distribution
Creating a demand, touring, marketing--by far the longest chapter

This book has lots of great suggestions, but he doesn't go into any very deeply. At only 62 pages, this is useful as a handbook. It is geared toward writers who needs an overview of the process, particularly those wanting more traditional paper publishing for their books.

This simple guide is exactly that, the bare bones basics for those who don't want to wade through hundreds of pages. You can get more than three times the information for only twice the price in a book like Dan Poynter's The Self-Publishing Manual, but more is not always best for everyone. If you are the type of person who wants "Just the facts" this book could be your ideal introduction to self-publishing.

I have collected and used books on sound system engineering for many years and this book has quickly become my favorite. Mine has been borrowed by other engineers so often that I have purchased a second copy. Don and Gene are among the most experienced in the field. They have also both tried to share thier knowledge with others throughout thier careers. This combination of knowledge and desire to share it has produced a book that explains complex ideas in a way that leaves the reader with few questions. It is clear and concise, and is supported by a great number of charts and diagrams. I can't imagine a better way to capture thier knowledge and share it with others. A great number of professionals are going to benefit from this book, and I expect it will be the industry standard for many years to come.

One of the better books in my collection, and I have many on acoustics and audio from the highly technical to hands-on.

I owned 1st version before and the 3rd revision is a more complete version and gives more information on digital processing aspect.

Sound System Engineering, 3rd Edition contains a wealth of information on the design, implementation and testing of sound reinforcement systems. Don Davis' section on audio and acoustic measurements is a must read for anyone serious about performing such tasks. The concepts he discusses about signal delay/synchronization and room acoustics will help the reader to understand what is at the very basis of these topics.

Similarly, Eugene Patronis' section on loudspeakers and arrays is not to be missed. It will have you going back again and again to find that piece of information you need about horns, direct radiators, crossovers and arrays. His presentation of signal processing starts with basic sampling and progresses through system theory and digital audio.

Two of the latter chapters on equalization and "putting it all together" are true gems. They yield practical information that you'll be using the next time you're faced with the issues covered.

Sound System Engineering, 3rd Edition takes all of the knowledge contained in the 2nd edition and augments it with up-to-date interface methods and advances in the field of audio and acoustics since its last publication. This text is equally suited for both the novice and the veteran audio practitioner. It is written in such a manner that each time you read a portion of it, something new will come to light.


Charlie Hughes
President
Excelsior Audio Design & Services

Congratulations to Don Davis and Eugene Patronis, Jr. for writing the most informative book on sound system engineering ever. The book contains all of the elements of theory, design and practical installation. The book is an excellent reference for the sound system engineer.

Sound System Engineering, Third Edition is the most complete technical book on sound system engineering I have ever read. It is a concentrated capsule of knowledge that gives the theory as well as instructions of how to implement the theory. Don has recorded for us how to do the installation process. Dr. Patronis has given us the physics back of the theory and he added the mathematics so one can reporduce the results. There are places that Doc uses the "It is intuitively obvious..." leap of knowledge that some might have trouble working through but it can be done.

Thank you for such a great work

Don Eger, Owner, Don Eger & Associates

Flipping through this book, lingering over the
pictures... what a wonderful way to spend
some moments of your life. It's like looking
through an old family album; tender,
endearing-- elicits lots of happy memories.
Helps the wait 'til the next tour! :)

I have just read the reviews and actually started crying. My intention with this little book was to share with those who loved Bruce what it was like to be on the Darkness Tour. I did not do this for money. I never made a dime on this book. I did it so that there could be a manifestation of a time that will never come again except in our memories. I hope it is a time that you can share more closely with a younger generation who did not have the opportunity to witness what was truthfully the spirit of rock and roll. Thank you to all who shared your appreciation of my work.

Lynn Goldsmith's Springsteen Access All Areas is a photodiary of his 1978 Darkness On The Edge Of Town tour. The photos are all in black and white and they perfectly capture the spirit of Bruce Springsteen. Ms. Goldsmith was Mr. Springsteen's girlfriend at the time and she uses that cache to give us glimpses of the man and his band that other photographers may never have been able to get. For those of you old enough to remember or even attend a show at the tour, this book will bring you back to that time and for those of us who were too young to know, it provides us with a look at an artist establishing himself as an icon.

Awesome - if you've ever been confused as to the reason that Springsteen fans are so...um..commited to their hero, this book will answer all your questions. Quite simply, the greatest portfolio of Concert and backstage photos I've ever seen.

Look in the faces of the people in the crowd - you'll see the connections between performer and audience that remains right up to this day. Fabulous. Buy this book.

This is a beautiful little book which captures perfectly a moment of music history.

Springsteen's 78 tour is widely regarded as one of the seminal moments of his career. Coming of the back of Born to Run, the settled courtcase with his ex-managers and the Darkness album, Springsteen undertook a triumphant tour accross America, playing 1,000 to 5,000 seater concert halls.

This tour was a pure celebration of rock n'roll and Lynn Goldsmith's unrivalled access (she was Bruce's girlfriend at the time) allowed her to record it for posterity.

The concert shots capture the excitement of the shows perfectly, the sweat pouring off the performers, Bruce's mock collapse, the interaction with the audience. I've seen bootleg videos and heard many tapes from the tour but I have to say that Lynn Goldsmith's book captures the excitment of being in the crowd at one of those concerts better than any medium I have seen.

But this is more than a collection of superb concert photos, it also captures the quieter moments backstage both pre and post show (including the infamous Bruce shower shot!) Shots of the band eating breakfast, Bruce writing etc.

This book is pricey but will definately appeal to all Bruce fans and admirers of outstanding photojournalism.

A couple years ago I just happened to be browsing the music section of my local Borders, looking for some inspiration, and stumbled upon this book. It is truly great, and has had large effect on my outlook (and skills.) I read through it regularly, write in all the margins, and should really be putting more effort into mastering these ideas. Buy a copy if you can, even at the current used price of $45. It's worth it, if you can only see the knowledge it contains and truly adopt this performance outlook for yourself.

If you want to "entertain" an audience, Liv can tell you how to do it. This book is concise, entertaining, and a MUST read. The author provides some real-world reality checks, shows you how to engage the audience, and does it all with humility and good humour. It is truly unfortunate that the book is out of print. It shouldn't be.

Buy it, if you can find it. Borrow a copy, check the library, but definately READ this one! It is short, to the point, and it is even a FUN read! I would sell my copy to you, but I want keep it so that I can read it again!

RHB

I have seen Liv live on a number of occasions. He is an amazing performer - not as technically proficient as, say, Vince Gill, but he never claims to me. One walks away from his concert feeling as though their emotions have undergone Ty-Bo.

He mixes grace, humor, and modesty in a way that few have managed to master. For the new (or experienced) performmer, this book is a great way to begin that Mastery process.

Highly recommended, to say the least.

Excellent, engaging, compassionate, humorous, with lots of useful information on myriad facets of the music business. This material is the fruit of 30 years of experience, and is laced with gritty, funny anecdotes that bring each of Taylor's "lessons" to life. I'm buying another two copies for friends.

Liv Taylor's book is an excellent resource for all musicians and performers who engage in live performance or touring. As a writer, Taylor brings the reader into his Berklee College of Music Stage Performance Class, where assorted characters (based on real students) receive coaching and wisdom Liv has garnered from his 30+ years of performing and touring experience.

Taylor's primary message is one of cultivating a sensitive and attentive relationship between the performer and his or her audience. He also presents useful thoughts on stage presence, performance anxiety, audience interaction, life on the road, and the requirements for maintaining a viable performing career.

Though Taylor's book is primarily targeted at young, aspiring popular musicians at the beginning of their careers, more experienced artists, musicians from other disciplines, and even actors and public speakers can benefit as well.

-Doc Wallace, Faculty, the Juilliard School

Good book for my needs. I'm a rookie conductor-director of orchestral ensembles and use materials like this regularly. Thanks and good luck with whatever new undertakings may leave you feeling as vulnerable and under-prepared as I!

Rob Rife

I have been so fortunate to be able to work with Dr. Boonshaft in performance. He recently conducted the community band that I have been involved with. My parents, who were audience members, and I were so impressed with Dr. Boonshaft, that my mother hopped on the computer and ordered this book as soon as we got home from the performance. I have since been reading it, a little at a time, finding it so full of amazing information, awesome advise, and well thought out structure that I have been savoring it and trying to absorb as much of it as possible. Currently, I have finished the first chapter and I am compelled to write the review!

For a girl who loves quotes, there are many, many quotes from astute thinkers from every realm in this book that are so ridiculously relevant to the subject Dr. Boonshaft is delving into. I highly recommend this book to ALL TEACHERS not just music teachers. Even though this book is titled "Teaching MUSIC with Passion" there are many concepts that are relevant for ALL teachers.

I wish I had been taught all of these little tricks of the trade before I was tossed in and baptized by fire. My first years of teaching would have been DRASTICALLY different. I also find this book to be quite a good pick-me-up as well as cheerleader as I flirt with burnout on the occasion. Highly recommended!

Dr. Boonshaft was a lecturer at The Complete Band Directors Workshop this year at Capital University. His presentation gave me many ideas for this school year to use with my middle school bands. I am about 3/4 of the way through his book and know I'll reread it because it has so many useful ideas for rehearsals. This is one to keep on your director's bookshelf.

I am a former student of Dr. Boonshaft, and was introduced to this book when it was assigned as my class text for the semester. The book was very consistent with my Secondary Band Methods class, and reading it allows outsiders to share in Dr. B's funny anecdotes and useful tips. It's almost like taking a class with him. It was interesting enough to read beyond the assigned sections each night. He touches on lots of useful rehearsal techniques and also gives advice on how to deal with different situations. Well known for his conducting, he breaks down different methods in Laymen's terms.

I highly recommend this book, for it an extremely useful read to keep on a nearby shelf for reference. Years later I still refer back to it on a regular basis. It speaks to the the director, the instrumentalist, the conductor and most importantly, the teacher.

If you're like me, it will definitely leave you inspired.

This is one of the most awesome soundtrack sheet music books I've ever seen! All of the pieces sound like they do in the movie, and the grand staff notes are close enough to the original melody to sing along to. The key is hard to get used to, but once you do, it's amazing!!

This book is a challenge even for the most experienced pianist. His music is fun and intricate and complex. I recommend this book for anyone who is not only a fan of the movie but a fan of excellent music who is looking for music that takes their knowledge of music theory to the max.

I love all things tim burton, especially the soundtracks to his movies. danny elfman is possibly the most talented composer in hollywood and it baffles me that not all his music is sold as a piano vocal series, since it is so very suitable for just that. consequently I was thrilled to find this little book, and I was not disappointed. it is simple enough for a novice to play along based on the chords, and yet sophisticated enough for the more experienced pianist to get a lot out of the instrument. as has been noted elsewhere, the guitar chords are indeed systematically drawn every tim they occur, which to me is a fantastic idea. every tim burton/danny elfman fan who likes singing and playing the piano should own a copy of this!

the second I got my hands on it, I went directly to my piano and did not get up for the next four hours. that's how great it is to be your very own nightmare before christmas soundtrack!

I'm not musically gifted like the rest of my family; I only took 4 years of violin to get out of gym, but wouldn't know what to do with one if I picked it up today. But I do know that this music/lyric book has every song from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" movie. anyone that's watched it KNOWS that every song is hauntingly, melodiously beautiful, just like any other Tim Burton production. Even if you can't carry a tune or don't know the words, you have to try to sing along. But with this musicbook you can! -at least know the words -you know best if you can actually sing... I would highly recommend this product! Kudos to the Hal Leonard Corp for making it available! :)

There's lot of stuff in this tiny cheap book. It's obviously not aimed at orchestrators but more at the movie fans who expect some nice evenings, singing these excellent tunes.
I give this book a 5 because of the guitar chords which are systematically drawn each time they occur. It wasn't expected, especially as we're dealing with a piano vocal song book, so: 2 thumbs up=5 stars !

I have really enjoyed this book and video. Kalani explains various methods in the book, but it's very helpful to watch him execute them on the DVD. I even like the section of the DVD where he plays various instruments to demonstrate them. Being a very amateur percussionist, I had never thought of some of the techniques he demonstrates.

This book is the best guide on learning drum circle facilitation techniques. Kalani is a master recreational music facilitator, and provides straight forward information on how you too can learn to facilitate a drum circle.

Together in Rhythm is an incredible resource that I use on a regular basis. Kalani's ideas and explanations are truly inspiring. The DVD brings everything to life, and offers excellent footage. This book is a must have!

If you are in music, education and rhythm. And how to share with others. You need to read this book.

The book outlines specifics well, but I think it is important to see from beginning to end, how a drum circle excercise/rhythm is followed through. The video just shows excerpts. Also, no syncopated rhythms were broken down visually or in the book. You have order the next installment to get the drum circle rhythms! The instructor's method is great, but I was left feeling that some crucial beginner elements were missing from this video.

This book is amazing! The plot is twisted enough to get the reader guessing, the characters are well rounded and well developed and the attention to detail is first rate. I finished it in 2 days! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read interesting books that have unique points of view, which this one does. This book is definitely a great one if a reader wants to be entertained!

I completed 'Traveling with an Eggplant' in a day. This is the first time--in a long time--that a book has kept my undivided attention. The story is seamless and not full of filler-footage. Every word written has revelance. And the writing is smart, which makes you think, but not in an i-have-to-take-an-exam kind of way. More so in the 'Zen and the Art of Motorcylce Mainteance' way. Just not as heavy.

Alycia Ripley also did an amazing job in bringing the reader into Alison's (main character) world. I felt primarily connected to Alison and had a fun time watching the story unfold in my head. As a thespian, I understand how important it is to keep your audience connected with your character and Ms. Ripley displayed that extremely well in her novel. Also, being a child of the 80's and from Long Island, I could easily associate my own life to various references about the 80's the LI in 'Eggplant'.

I highly recommend 'Traveling with an Eggplant' if you're looking for something different. It's a quick read and I believe most will definitely find a connection to the story.

I'm pleased to say that I briefly knew the author of this book while mutually attending Syracuse University. She was a friend of a friend whom I met at a lively campus bar and often went to see perform in the SU comedy troupe. You could always tell what material was hers because it was so on the mark and on the money. The voice she used while making fun of our (oh so visible) campus stereotypes was unique, articulate and fast as bullets. Although that was comedy and this book is more drama, I can still hear her voice in my head and see her when reading some of the descriptions and images. This book is really engaging and fascinating. The characters are so alive and the circumstances so vivid that I sometimes found myself looking around the room I was in to make sure that I was still alone. There are several parts that kept me awake and freaked me out. If you enjoy a good story, some fresh characters, and having to actually use your brain, you will like this book. Congratulations Alycia for succeeding at what you wanted so much to do! It's really great to see someone from SU making their name in the arts.

Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (2/06)

In her stunning debut novel, Traveling with an Eggplant, author Alycia Ripley takes the reader on a wild ride through the life and mind of Alison Olson. Alison finds herself revisiting her past, both literally and figuratively. She finds herself haunting the remnants of her college life, aimlessly wandering around her old campus and apartment. As she haunts her old life, her old life begins to haunt her. She lives with an onslaught of memories, as well as a hallucinatory soundtrack running through her head at random. As she attempts to deal with her past, she struggles with the present; her tumultuous and maddening relationship with Seymour, her friendship with her best friend Tara, and her fight for respect and recognition at her job where she is one of a handful of females working in a male-dominated world.

The characters in this novel are so well developed, it is hard to forget they are not actual people. The writing is so vivid and detailed that you can easily imagine yourself taking this journey with Alison. When she begin hallucinating, your mind is right with hers as she dances the line between what is real and what is our imagination. As you watch Alison deal with finding herself, finding her destiny, and commit an amazing act of heroism, you can't help but cheer her on. Your heart breaks with hers, but she gives you a reason to believe there is hope in midst of the chaos we call life. In the end, you celebrate with her as she faces her demons and realizes that to move forward in life, you have to ultimately deal with your past.

Traveling with an Eggplant is a incredibly bizarre book, yet so beautifully written you are never confused about what is happening. It takes you on a journey from the present to the past to the dream world and back again, but is written so smoothly that never once does the reader feel lost. Alycia Ripley has done a splendid job of writing a novel that not only acts as an escape, but as a catalyst for examining our own lives. Alison Olson is a character that we can all identify with, and can all admire for her strength and heroism.

My favorite thing about this book is its great dialogue. With many books the dialogue just sort of reads and you accept it because you have to but in this book, the dialogue is really alive and once it was done, I wanted the characters back. The main character, Alison, is a music journalist with a problem- she's thirty something and doesn't know why she's wandering her college campus and hanging out near her old college apartment. She has a strange relationship with a guy named Seymour who in college once cautioned her about an on coming storm and from then on, the book takes off to her career in New York, writing for a Rolling Stone type magazine and the difficulties in breaking into the business as a woman and as a 'rock encyclopedia' who desperately wants to achieve her goals. Her relationship/friendship with Seymour, now a neuroscientist, veers from charming and sweet to frustrating and maddening! To top it off, she starts hearing voices and songs in her head and being assaulted by a ghost version of someone she knew long ago....Her best friend becomes sick, Alison begins hallucinating (or not) and all this is happening as she deals with becoming a bit of a celebrity. I loved this book- the ending was such a surprise and the dialogue is realistic, hilarious, and engaging. The character of Seymour has to be experienced to be believed! I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.

Well crafted tale pulling together the romance of violins, violin history, and development of a professional violinist as well as argueably the greatest single work of music ever written.

I read Mr. Steinhardt's book in almost a single sitting. His explication of Bach's D minor partita, and particularly its final movement "chaconne" should be required reading for every serious, classical violinist. Despite my many years of involvement with the instrument, both as a dealer and amateur player, I was fascinated with Mr. Steinhardt's search for a suitable violin. Having heard the Budapest Quartet, it was a revelation to me that he acquired Joseph Roisman's fiddle; so appropriate that it would pass from one great quartet leader to another. A small error in the book was the date given for Jascha Heifetz's memorable Carnegie Hall debut; it was in October of 1917, not 1918. Aside from that
the book is a page turner, beautifully written and very personal.

Charming and engrossing book about playing the violin and trying to come to terms with one of Bach's great masterpieces. In my opinion the book is at its best when it is about music and the violin - which is most of the time. I'm less convinced by the sections designed to give it universal appeal and at times the style gets a little too folksy. However, it is full of wonderful detail and has got me playing the Chaconne (in Steinhardt's impassioned performance on the CD) in the car all the time. And given me an entirely new understanding of what a violin is. And we see the true apostolic succession - that of the artist - the present standing upon the achievements of the past - we see that at work. The idea of dancing the Chaconne suffuses the book with a feeling of what it means to be human and mortal. A lovely work.

Wonderfully well-written. Most musicians' books are loose collections of stories. Steinhardt has stories, but also architecture that binds everything together: dreams, the individual sound of every violin, the making of the violinist and musician, the Bach Chaconne. His dreams are both hilarious and beautiful. A terrific book, and you get a CD of Steinhardt playing Bach, besides.

Violin Dreams, on the surface, is a simple book, recounting Arnold Steinhardt's life as a violinist from his first days of playing, up to his career as first violin of the Guarneri Quartet - the quartet, by the way, from whom I first "learned" the Beethoven quartets. The book also tells of Steinhardt's lifelong quest for the "perfect" violin. But this is only the surface of the book. Intentionally or not, Steinhardt's very simple prose conceals a sub-stratum of deep feeling, musical insight, and a man's search for meaning in his own life.

As a sports professional, I found Steinhardt's confrontation of the possible loss of his ability to play at all deeply moving. What are we, when the thing we have lived for is taken away? If we are nothing without our profession and our tools, then we are nothing with them - as Steinhardt points out.

Arnold Steinhardt, it turns out, is a great deal more than just his violin. He grows increasingly curious about the music behind the music - repeatedly, we return to the Bach Partita for Violin solo No. 2 in D minor, from which the chaconne becomes a touchstone of Steinhardt's "journey towards music", as Victor Gollancz once memorably put it. He travels to wonderful places such as Machu Pichu (on foot, which says something about the man). He pays homage to the luthiers of Cremona. He grows through friendships with some of the world's great musicians, and from friends less musically exalted. And each journey brings Steinhardt, and the reader, closer to music, and to something both basic and ennobling.

At the end the book, I was taken by surprise at how emotionally engaged I had become. John Steen has pointed out that the real purpose of the critic is to make us hear music better and to lead us to deeper engagement with it. Away from his violin, this is exactly what Arnold Steinhardt has done with this book. I loved it, am buying multiple copies to give to musical friends, and recommend it heartily.

Now back to practicing, with no hope of every playing at Mr. Steinhardt's level, but with an increased love of the instrument, and of making music.