Music Books

If you are looking to brush up on your theory, expand your musical vocabulary, or just get some great ideas, this is the book for you. Steve obviously not only knows his stuff but also knows how to communicate his "wisdom" effectively and efficiently.

Bravo!

Easy to read, easy to understand, easy to put into practice. That's what Steve Goomas has accomplished in his new guide to theory and technique. Never again will you have to muddle through pedantic exercises or mind-numbing exposition. The book is broken down into two to three page sections by chord types and scales, i.e., major/minor, sevenths, 6/9, thirteenths, modes, augmented and so on. Frequently used scales are clearly set forth with short and easy examples as to how to apply them over a few chords progression-enough to where you get the gist of things and want to head right to the keyboard to try them out. In all the right places, Goomas interjects short, practical tips on how to improvise. You'll learn all the ways to voice a chord and then substitute other chords for it and then improvise over everything. Go out and buy this book and see for yourself.

Goomas' manual is an excellent source that is easy to read, with practical insights to improvisation and solid keyboard theory. I highly recommend it.

Steve has given us an exciting window on contemporary piano and keyboard playing. Concise and easy to read materials are presented directly so you can get your hands on a wide vocabulary of cool sounds right away enabling both
beginners and more advanced to excel and make that vocabulary their very own.
I know Steve to be a great player with a razor sharp mind and he has put his insights into this beautiful book that aims to lift hearts and minds into the worlds
of Jazz/ pop/ rock/latin and country. I have chosen to use "Keybaord Wisdom"
in my own classes at the university level. I highly recommend Steve's tome of wisdom. It's what you need to begin your practice for real.
Don Cardoza
Pianist and instructor

This book by Steve Goomas is presented in a straight-ahead, logical, concise manner. I like books that are fun as well as educational and Steve's book really hits the mark for me with this effort. I also really liked the addition of the CD examples. His comments on pg. 10 "...Do in all 12 keys with both hands'" can't be emphasized enough! I'm glad that he hits the reader with that on the 2nd page of exercises. If you are an intermediate player with a need to expand your horizons - this is the book for you!

The book is great.It gives really all the information about Michael Jackson for his fans.This book should be in every Michael Jackson fans' home to look back for his story.

i really dug this book on The KIng Of Pop.Adrian Grant has done great stuff on MIchael.this book gives dates of his Writting&Production and ALbums released.also Concerts.very well in depth Profile on THE Man.getting this book helped me get songs that he did for others oe sung on.MICHAEL JACKSON is STILL THE BADDEST ARTIST ALIVE TODAY.nobody can count MJ out.

I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. I have loved Michael Jackson all my life and this book helps people like me know more about what he went through. I thought the book was great and also I think MJ is the greatest.

This is the best book that was ever published about Michael Jackson. It is informative, accurate, well written and gives the world a very wonderful insight into Michael and his achievements. Adrian Grant has done it again!

I have just had the book 2day , Its great , its really worthy , If you like the man , you have hundreads of pictures inside , they are all great , the book tells the story of MJ day by day , from the day he was born till 1997 , everything you wanna know about michael , you will have it here...

A friend told me he was going to listen to David Whyte and it intrigued me enough to look him up and download this CD for a long drive this weekend. I find myself rather numb from the depth and breadth of it all. So very much to think about and what its implications are in my life that I'll be having to relisten many times I'm sure (I've already listened twice). He gives us his experiences with such clarity I can almost smell the Celtic grasses under his feet and feel the mists swirling around his vision, occasionally parting for a view of distant and promising lands. This wrapped up in his and others poetry that he reads and his reflections about it has caused me to further explore new poets, to talk about them with my friends, and to ask what can we do with this. David has obviously thought about such matters deeply and I can think of no higher tribute to a person than they made me think profoundly about profound matters.

A NEW NOTE OF CAUTION: I purchased this as an introduction to David Whyte, thinking if I liked this "unabridged" version I'd buy his "Clear Mind, Wild Heart" (CMWH) audio. Long story short: this is actually CD 2 and 3 of CMWH. I think this is like taking all the odd chapters of a Tale of Two Cities, renaming it "Story of a Town (Unabridged)". It is misleading labeling. I will keep the five stars because it is an amazing foray into poetry and life in general but beware--if you're thinking you'll buy CMWH then go straight there. Fortunately the audio download server with a name almost identical to the publisher of this CD refunded my money so I could just buy the 6 CD set.

I bought this to listen to as we traveled through Scotland.(Seems like an odd plan, but I wanted to do some reflection on my own mid-life.) I LOVED it! David uses poetry in such a meaningful manner, and he's an excellent story-teller. I've listened to this many times since that trip, and each time I REALLY listen. I have to say that I am a little better for the listening.

This CD is one that you will want to listen to over and over again, and with friends. It is not just for people in midlife, it is for anyone in life. Get it and you will learn what life is all about and how to live it.

As awkward as it might be to consider oneself at mid-life, it is a genuine relief to have such a clear and open-hearted guide such as David Whyte help make sense of it all. This CD is profound and inspiring. I could listen to Mr. Whyte's voice all day long. He draws on not only poetry (his own and that of others), but on basic life observations and recollections. The only caution I'll give is that some material seems to be lifted directly from another of his CDs, entitled "Clear Mind: Wild Heart". It's possible that it's just the same words and themes...I haven't done a side-by-side comparison. The duplication is a bit disconcerting, but has more to do with the publisher than the author. Anyway, David Whyte's talents are amazing, and this material is one that I'll listen to again and again. Best wishes,

I wish the "midlife" reference were not in the title as it made me hesitate and delay trying this product for way too long. It is such an exquisite treat and so powerful in way more ways than I can convey through words. David Whyte's uniquely powerful delivery adds further punch to his great insights that reach ever deeper the more one listens. Thus I found it amazing the first time I listened and keep being blown away by finding it ever more powerful every time I listen. In addition to the content, the place David Whyte speaks from is itself profoundly impactful. At the time I ended up deciding to buy this product I had greatly lamented Amazon not selling David Whyte's "poetry of self-compassion" as I had adored that tape. Although I still regret not having yet been able to find it on CD as it is even more powerful yet, I am so glad that it ended up pushing me into giving this product a try as both are invaluable and well worth owning and repeatedly listening to over the years as special treats that get ever better over time.

Miss Woman is Ann Vaughan Richards' first novel. Married to a scientist, a self-proclaimed recluse, A.V. Richards is a member of a large Alabama family who she says all gathered in the same spot...for generations.

Victoria is a town where everyone knows each other and their business. Told from the viewpoint of Willie Kay, a divorcee who has returned to the bosom of her family, Miss Woman at first seems to be a typical Southern story about racism. "Miss Woman" is a sassily dressed African-American woman who suddenly appears on the scene of Victoria. When she throws open her window to treat the residents of Victoria to an impromptu, loving blues performance, people don't know what to think. Then Callie Thomas runs into the street and gets hit by a car, and Glenna Bedsole, whose personal problems leave her deranged, is suddenly murdered. Willie Kay is in the middle of the action, but feels powerless:

"We didn't know what happened, but Glenna Bedsole knew and Callie Thomas knew. And, sitting in the alley beside the Victoria Dry Cleaners, O.K. Maylo knew. He had seen it all. He had seen Glenna Bedsole heap curses upon Callie's head, and he had seen her enter her store and come back with a handful of wire coat hangers, he had seen her throw the coat hangers on Callie's unsuspecting body, and he had seen Callie start in fright and run into Mr. Stroud's car. O.K. Maylo knew, all right."

As Ms. Richards' quirky but fascinating tale unfolds, her equally quirky but completely compelling characters roll out one at a time. Her tale is slow and ponderous; the type of story that appeals to any woman on a mission of self discovery or any man who craves insight into the workings of the female mind. Miss Woman operates on many levels: social; political; emotional; intellectual; philosophical. It is as much a tale that Oprah would like as it is a tale with a whodunit theme.

Miss Woman showcases a strong Black role model with the ability to make our hearts sing. Willie Kay is probably more a character whom most of us can relate to. The story itself is fascinating. Willie Kay herself uncovers emotional levels unplumbed by most of us. A great tale.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Ann Vaughan Richards' first novel is a lush celebration of all things Southern: a tale as rich as homemade pecan pie and as tangled as a kudzu vine.
"Miss Woman" is set in fictional Victoria, Ala., where nothing much has changed in decades. When 45-year-old Willie Kay, newly divorced, returns to her hometown to start over, she finds that litttle has changed since her departure. Even the unyielding attitudes of the local folks seem frozen in an earlier, less enlightened, era. Old loves and old hatreds are still firmly in place here, and old secrets still fester underneath a veneer of politeness.
The town's rigid social order is cracked wide open with the arrival of Miss Woman. She appears without warning in the upstairs window of the Victoria Thrift Store on a steamy summer day, and as she bangs chords on an upright piano and sends her "low down, gut wrenching...You Can Have Him I Don't Want Him Didn't Love Him Anyhow Blues" floating across the town square, she embodies everything that the town is not. Her ample body shimmers in rainbow satins, her smiling face is framed by a turban; she is flamboyant, mysterious, uninhibited, spontaneous and generous.
These qualities alone would be condemnation enough for Glenna Bedsole, a vicious gossip bent on unraveling the lives of her neighbors. But even more alarming, in Glenna's eyes, is the fact that Miss Woman is black.
Glenna's own father was a notorious bigot whose ruthlessness earned him a bullet through the heart long ago. When the embittered woman launches a campaign of personal destruction against her fellow townspeople, probing her neighbors' best-kept secrets, a late-night visitor uses a shotgun to silence her. As the evidence around the case slowly unfolds, the list of possible suspects grows, and a small-minded band of residents turn suspicious eyes on Miss Woman.
Unsuspecting Willie Kay finds herself at the heart of a struggle that will transform her own life, and change the townspeople of Victoria forever.

I love books with descriptions so vivid, I can smell the flowers, hear the rain, and feel the sweat drip down my neck. Miss Woman by Ann Vaughan Richards is exactly that kind of book. And her characters!! If you've ever felt overwhelmed or outflanked by your family, you will feel an immediate connection with Willie Kay, the narrator. The rest of the towns people of Victoria quickly become people as well, leaving you at times laughing at their antics and then completely shocked by their behavior. But don't make the mistake of dismissing this book as a light, frothy description of southern charm. This book also tackles serious subjects like adultery, abortion, racism, and murder. The framework of the novel is a murder mystery but it is really an in-depth look at the characters in a small southern town and their interactions with each other. I especially appreciated Ms. Richards' treatment of race relations. Although she does describe the racism most associate with the South (white man kills black man for being "uppity"), she also explores another, far less publicized side of these interactions. The love and care provided for an aging black woman by her "white family" and the courageous determination of a group of white people to provide Miss Woman a safe place to live are vivid counterpoints to the racism brutally portrayed in other parts of the book. Even a week after I have finished this book, I find myself revisiting the town of Victoria in my mind, wondering about the little mysteries left unsolved and the big question of "What happens next?" Good books always leave you wanting more and Miss Woman has done an excellent job of just that. So, grab a comfy chair, turn on your favorite blues music and let Miss Woman take you to that rainy, hot day in June when the blues notes first started falling from a second story window. . .

In the late 1980's, a stranger comes to town and settles into an apartment above the local thrift shop. A large black woman who dresses in rich jewelry and shimmering fabrics of red, green, and gold, Miss Woman exudes "presence" and mystery. Who is she? Why has she come to this sultry Alabama town? Why, from her open window, does she lean out and sing the blues?

On the surface, the town of Victoria appears respectable enough. To be sure, it harbors eccentrics like O.K. Maylo, who lives with his dog in a kudzu-covered school bus; Vereena Lucille, a former trapeze artist now almost inaccessible beneath mounds of body fat; and Lurlene Langford, who, according to local legend, calls out at night to visions of her dead brother. For the most part, however, Victoria seems like any other small town. One by one, the inhabitants emerge-the sheriff and deputy; the mayor, beautician, and jeweler; the mute child Callie; the renegade clan "strong enough to steal, but too weak to work"; and Willie Kay, a recently-returned divorcee through whose eyes much of the story is filtered. The reader empathizes with the Morrows, who grieve for their deceased daughter; the faithful Claude, whose aged body is "shrunken to an everlasting chill"; and even Granny Lou, who, until her dying day, will never know how she has managed to raise such a wasteful family. In Victoria, adult children still show up for family dinners, and an ice-cold Coke can transform a bad day.

It is Glenna Bedsole, however, the embodiment of small-mindedness and mean-spiritedness, who reveals the town's darker underside. Oppressed by financial difficulties, prejudices, and family skeletons, Glenna at first strikes out at Miss Woman and then, as her antagonism mounts, begins a tale-bearing crusade against the neighbors. Since most of Victoria's inhabitants are living "critical deceptions and essential lies," Glenna touches first one nerve and then another. Methodically, she exposes and alienates the townspeople--until she is discovered--dead.

Who killed Glenna Bedsole? This is a second mystery. Read as a whodunit, MISS WOMAN becomes a study of character and possible motive, a crime novel replete with likely suspects. Still, MISS WOMAN is much more than a detective novel. Even as it captures the flavor of small-town life--the gossip and prejudice, the interconnected web of relationships, the intrigue, the fear of being "found out"--it reveals a more fundamental conflict. For years, Victoria has resisted change, maintaining its identity--and stability--as a closed, insular system. As she sweeps into town like a healthy Earth goddess, Miss Woman brings with her both opportunity and threat:

"We didn't have a place for her in our society. She didn't fit our labels. She was dark-skinned and sensuous, and she was threatening us by her boldness. She was unsettling our world and exposing the insecurities that lay lightly buried under its ordered surface."

Through her spontaneity and humanity, Miss Woman models a new, more authentic behavior. In a very real sense, she has come to give life. To receive her gift fully, however, Victoria must be willing to relinquish at least some of its long-cherished patterns. It must forge a link to the outside world and open itself to change. This is the challenge Victoria faces. This is the theme MISS WOMAN explores.

Prefering to read non-fiction and finding enough "drama" in my own life to fill a book, I rarely read novels for pleasure. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't put down Miss Woman! Yes, the characters are colorful, the setting provocative, and the plot intriguing, but it's the mysteries left unsolved that linger and inform one's contemporary world, especially here in "Florida's Great Northwest." Florida's best-kept secret is rapidly becoming less so, thanks to unparalleled expansion by the St. Joe Co. Like Victoria, our own sleepy, very-stereotypical, small Southern towns like Apalachicola, St. Joe, Mexico Beach...even larger Panama City...are struggling with growth's purported opportunities. Miss Woman's Glenna embodies the "insanity" that is symptomatic of the "threats" of change and loss of power/control. What is especially provocative is the reader's own examination of herself/himself as both akin to and murder suspect of Glenna. What lingers for me is appreciation for being at this place in Florida's evolution...at this time. I find myself challenged to be less apologetic about all that makes my culture rich and unique and to take a more active role in preserving worthy heritage while embracing those dimensions of change that enrich it and move us forward constructively. A compelling book.

I would say that it is a very informative book and an easy read.
I read over half the book in 3 days. I would recommend this book for all to have in their reference library.
It's worth keeping near your Pro Tools rig

Wow! I'm an intermediate PTLE user, and this book blew me away. Now I know what's been missing from my mixes, and what to do about it.

This is not a book for beginners, although the initial section on setting Preferences for professional workflow is something I'd never seen covered in any other basic PT book. The authors explain WHY certain preference settings make your life easier or harder, and where certain settings can cause PT to behave in unexpected ways. The other feature for beginners is to show what to aim for in the way of pro quality results. However, the book assumes that the song, arrangement, playing, tracking, and basic mixing (EQ, comp, volume/mutes, panning, etc.) has been done to a reasonable quality level. The material covers the last 10% of tightening the rhythm and fixing any vocal glitches that separate a potential gold-record result from a semi-pro effort.

After getting the book, I went into a session I'm doing with some rather complex rhythm parts over a synth drum loop. After "pocketing" the parts, the song now sounds much crisper and more alive, but not mechanical. (NOW I know why I should have recorded the loop to a grid, and driven the synth from PT's clock. Oh well...) My next step will be to clean up the vocals, using the book's suggestions for using Auto Tune. Now I understand why I was always a bit dissatisfied with Auto Tune, even in Graphic mode.

Overall, the book is very well written and edited, and covers not just the easy situations but tells you how to handle a number of real-world oddities. Most of the text is accompanied by screen shots (including before / after, where appropriate.) The DVD is also very helpful, and I found myself really understanding material by referring between the text and the DVD.

I'm advanced ProTools User.
This book is more about Nathan particular techniques.
Dont adds much to me maybe works better to you.

Being a professional Recording Engineer in the music industry for 23 years and having used Pro Tools for the last 3 years, finally there is a book written that offers some useful and valuable information. Mostly all of the other Pro Tools books are written for beginners and intermediate users. They seem like edited down versions of the Digidesign documentation that already ships with Pro Tools. The most valuable part of the book to me was showing where to separate audio events before time stretching them. You always want to preserve the transient of the sound and the authors have some very good tips on how to best preserve the original piece of audio. Though editing is the tedious process that many hate to do, it many times is the difference between a good recording and a major label quality recording.

I am a songwriter and have a home studio where I demo my songs. Even though I know the mechanics of using pro tools, I was missing the practical knowledge of how to apply all of the nuts and bolts. This book and the other dvds by this same publisher do just that. You are sitting right there next to the engineer with actual raw studio tracks going through the entire post production process. The accomanying DVD/ROM provides you with narration and actual pro tools screen shots so you see and hear what the engineer is doing. This book covers editing and pocketing in extreme detail. I now appreciate pocketing - a term I had heard but never really understood with respect to post production. Now I KNOW how the records I hear sound so insanely tight. There are a lot of tweaks done in post and this book shows you how to do it. The autotuning chapter also is excellent. After so many disappointments with other books that basically rehashed the user's guide this book and all of the other Multi-Platinum Pro Tools products were exactly what I was looking for. They have been my rosetta stone to pro tools. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Get it!

This is most recommended who loves Jazz and/or ever been a fan to Duke from the past and the future. I always been a long-time supporter to him since I was 9 or 10. This is definitely going into my book collection alongside Autobiography of Malcolm X, Miles: The Autobiography, Revelations: There's a Light After the Lime, Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye, Hip-Hop America, As Though I Have Wings: The Lost Chet Baker Memoir, and mos definitely the Bible.

I'm a huge fan to the memoir/biography section than I do most books I read about life and stuff. This would go on forever in a lifetime.

Sometimes self-serving, somewhat pretentious, but indispensable. Edward Kennedy Ellington, the greatest composer this country has ever produced, in his own words.

Classic. If you consider the classic elegance of Edward Kennedy Ellington, it should come as no surprise that his prose is as lyrical and poetic as his music. This is a wonderful collection of writings. It is in effect an arrangement of essays and short pieces written with what I suspect is love about the love of his life-jazz, or music itself, if you will. The book contains many short pieces-impressionistic sketches and characters of persons that Duke Ellington knew-musicians, friends, acquaintances, public figures. But it also has a variety of essays-longer subjects interwoven with themes and counterpoint. Ellington's is exquisitely musical prose-again, not to be surprised. The organization is chronological, narrative, more or less. Duke organizes with autobiographical passages followed by short portraits-Dramatis Felidae-that demonstrate the concreteness through brief descriptions of the persons that he knew with anecdotes that define them. The book covers a life filled with friends and experience. The variety is tremendous, and the life and the career are masterpieces. The themes and subjects are multifaceted. This is Duke Ellington's poetic literary suite posing as prose, and it should not be missed. Really-it's great poetry and a terrific compendium of jazz history and experience.

Wow what a book. The best part about this book is that Duke wrote it. You get it straight from him. I recommend this book to anyone into the music.

His accounts of his younger days were what most appealed to me. He pays so much respect to the people he was surrounded by, both his family and the community of musicians. Sometimes the many names dropped can be a bit much, but that was just his style--always letting people know who helped him, who mentored him, who taught him, who he admired. There's scarcely a mean-spirited word in the whole book!

There is a lot of variety to the way he tells his stories. Sometimes its through the name dropping profiles; sometimes its through interviews reprinted for this book; sometimes its through out-and-out philosophical dissertations about music and life; sometimes it's in the midst of his endless travelling of the globe with his band.

For the musician looking for tips and advice, there's plenty of Duke wisdom provided throughout. His overall love for music and musicians is just SOOO apparent. My favorite piece of advice is that he said he learned music exclusively through oral instruction, from people in the scene who would share techniques and secrets seemingly as freely as idle conversation (how different the musical climate is these days!)

The last third or so of the book get a bit tedious for this reader. There just wasn't a lot of variety to his accounts of globetrotting and meeting all the important people in all the countries. What kept me going through these sections were the occasional gems of advice or insight, but there's more of that in the first half of the book. Thank god for the end of the book, a funny interview where the interviewer is REALLY condescending to Duke, but Duke gets through is with all the grace, wit, intelligence, and humor that makes him such a compelling person, composer, and most of all, a genius and musical mystic.

Thank the Duke for this book, and allowing us to get a glimpse of his life and all his amazing stories!

I'm a great fan of autobiography. Granted, often it is sanitized and self-serving, but there's nothing like hearing a person tell their own life, especially if the life is as important as this one. Without a doubt, Duke Ellington was the century's greatest American composer and bandleader; the only ones who even come close to him (Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Cole Porter) had neither his longevity nor his variety. And none of them also maintained a working band through six decades! I own almost every recording ever released by Duke Ellington; his music has become indelibly printed on my brain. This book may not be the most accurate account of his life (if you can handle a little armchair psychology, the Collier biography is the best choice for that), but this is like sitting in a room hearing Duke talk -- and play!

Nancy Herkness' Music of the Night takes us into the realm of classical music set in the world-famous Carnegie Hall.
Ms. Herkness builds suspense the way a master composer creates a symphony. She weaves mesmerizing sexual tension with the discordant terror of a murderer loose in Carnegie Hall, never losing the rhythm of the lovers' dance.
New York Detective Lieutenant Anna Salazar is in charge of the murder investigation. World-renowned conductor Nicholas Vranos not only found his friend's body, but further discoveries link him to this murder. Anna's inquiries reveal more bizarre connections, including newly discovered Beethoven's 10th symphony. Maestro Nicholas Vranos is a leading authority on Beethoven.
When the truth is revealed, more lives are at stake, building to a dramatic crescendo in the story's spellbinding climax.
Bravo!! Ms. Herkness has another winner in Music of the Night.

Without a doubt the best romance I have read in years. With a fantastic mystery/suspense element added in it was a book I could not put down. I hope the next book is out soon!

A romantic and sexy backstage tour of the famous Carnegie Hall -- with a charismatic and talented hero, a fiercely determined and passionate heroine, a possibly priceless musical score, and a sprinkling of dangerous villains. All in all, an excellent read with a dramatic beginning, a very satisfying ending, and some very hot moments in between!

Another fantastic book by Nancy Herkness! I loved her previous books, A Bridge to Love and Shower of Stars, so I was soooo glad when I heard about Music of the Night.

Once again, Nancy displays her wonderful flair for giving us an unconventional, non-clichéd romance hero. Nicholas Vranos is a hot (and I mean hot!) world class symphony conductor. When his orchestra's brilliant French Horn player is murdered in a practice room in Carnegie Hall, Nicholas is the prime suspect. Despite that disturbing fact, police detective Anna Salazar can't stop the sizzling attraction that draws from the first moment they meet. As their relationship progresses, she tries harder and harder to prove his innocence. But Nicholas is undeniably mixed up in a scheme involving the supposed discovery of Beethoven's legendary Tenth Symphony. Is the newly discovered score the real thing? Or just a clever forgery? And who, exactly, is murdering to protect it?

The plot starts out moving quickly and only picks up suspense and momentum as the pages turn. You won't want to put this thriller down until the final, crashing crescendo!

I loved this book. LOVED. The suspense is wonderful, the hero is HOOOOTTTTT, and the writing is fantastic. It's one of those books where you tell yourself you'll just keep reading one more page before you put it down, but it sucks you in and you CAN'T put it down.

I'd recommend it to not only to lovers of romantic suspense, but anyone who loves a good book that's well written, evocative, and veerrryyyy sexy.

i'm so glad i was able to get this again for the next generation! it's as wonderful as it was 17 years ago when i bought it for my now 20 yr old from discovery toys.

This is truly a wonderful book and audiotape (don't just get the book). My daughter and I love listening and reading along. The music is very enjoyable and almost puts you into the story. I highly recommend them for gifts, too!

This book and cassette are excellent. My younger sister listened/read this cassette/book 8 years ago, and now that my sister is older, my own young kids have enjoyed this wonderful story and the sweet accompanying narration and music.

The story is beautifully narrated and the background tunes are catchy and fun. I would have liked the music better if it were a real orchestra instead of a sampler/synthesizer, but it is really enjoyable nonetheless. There is a good range of instruments and musical styles to listen to, and the story is interesting and engaging for children. I highly recommend this book for any young child. (And if the cassette is not included, then I would recommend buying that as well).

What a wonderful, engaging book and tape to open the world of music to our children! It is a lifesaver in the car that even the driver will enjoy! The story is sweet, the illustrations beautiful and the music is rich! Thank-you Catherine Meyrick and Michael Twinn!! What a gift!!

This tape, based on the lovely book of the same title, is a wonderful way to introduce children to the world of music. The original compositions are beautiful, and the naration, provided by Patrick Macnee (Steed from "The Avengers" TV series) is perfection-full of warmth and love and whimsy, as if he's talking directly to his own grandchildren sitting on his lap. Our daughter loves this tape, and my wife and I never tire of listening to it either.

To begin with, several adjectives to describe this wonderful book: 1.) candid, 2.) inspiring, 3.) poetic, 4.) instructional, 5.) spiritual, 6.) humanitarian, 7.) humorous, 8.) compassionate, 9.) courageous. From what I gather, it took Capra approximately three years to write this book, and what book it is. To be honest, this book is perhaps one of the best pieces of work we might ever have about the legendary director, the course of the twentieth century, and the people who have helped shape the film industry. This book demystifies the often deified directors, actors, moguls that ruled Hollywood during the golden age, reminding us of the universal bonds of humanity that link us all to each other. In many ways, it reads like a Frank Capra movie -- life-affirming to the end. For the younger generation (X'ers and Y'ers) who might question the values of their fathers' generation, this book is a must read. Underline this fact several times because when Capra takes you into his fold and shares his world, it is an experience you won't likely forget. Most history books seem to be written with a detached sense of objectivity from an supposedly impartial historian. The results of such labor is often an uninspiring book that keeps the reader at arm's length from the fascinating history, often boring the reader to no end. No so with Capra's autobiography. Capra reminds the reader that people are still simply people, no matter what generation, no matter which occupation. There are always going to be saints, martyrs, bullies, intellectuals, clowns, idiots in every walk of life. Such an example can be seen when Capra served in World War II and was privy to a touching moment with the great Admiral Nimitz. The old war hero had just come back from seeing three thousand men he had sent off to war -- some of them now without limbs, others without faces, yet all of them saluting him and thanking him from the bottom of their hearts. Nimitz broke down and wept, his shoulders so burdened by the sadness of his men's suffering. Hitting his desk over and over again the Admiral cursed the war with ever fiber in his being. After a brief moment to recompose himself Nimitz thanked Capra for being in the same room... allowing one tortured soul to connect and draw strength from another. Personally, it is easy to find yourself laughing when he laughs and crying when he cries. Like all classic works of literature, this book is so fresh in content, that it inspires the reader to look into his/her own heart and find the beating pulse of humanity and to take pride in the fact that one such as Capra was able to do so much through his films. I look forward to reading this book again and again. And perhaps, others will agree and do likewise.

Frank Capra's superb autobiography provides loads of fascinating information about the film industry during a thriving period, when he was one of filmdom's most popular and successful figures, as well as about the mindset of this intriguing man of accomplishment. What is refreshing, along with his basic candor, is that despite his enormous success he retains a humble and highly humane touch.

Some of the most humorous anecdotes of "Name Above the Title" involve madcap, always colorful Columbia boss Harry Cohn, who took his Gower Street studio from the ranks of "Poverty Row" to the that of a giant. Capra helped significantly with box office smashes such as "It Happened One Night", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington","Lost Horizon" and "Meet John Doe." It took awhile, but the Capra film which has soared to top spot in the hearts and minds of the public was the 1946 release starring Jimmy Stewart, "It's a Wonderful Life." The star was so enthused about the story that he pitched it personally to Capra after driving over to his house. Capra relates the time that he begged Cohn not to drop a struggling young cartoonist from the Columbia payroll, predicting that he would be sorry. Capra was right as the cartoonist was a young, meek Iowa farm boy named Walt Disney.

One of Capra's great contributions was directing and producing the excellent World War Two documentary series "Why We Fight." He tells about being called into the office of Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, who asked him to undertake the project. "But I've never done a documentary!" a surprised Capra replied. Marshall pointed out that he had never run an army before either, and that the American way during the critical war period was for citizens to learn jobs with which they were previously unfamiliar. Capra saw Marshall's logic and the rest is history.

This autobiography is fascinating enough for the interesting information about Capra's life. What makes it even better is that you are reading the revelations of a good man who did his best to instill positive values into his films, and to help in his distinctive way to make America a better country.

I have read many, many books on Hollywood and auto/biographies in general and this book ranks as one of the best ever. It is a very entertaining book that doubles as a great history of Hollywood through its golden age. Capra interacted with Hollywood's legends and reports in a funny, candid and emotional way his dealings with the likes of Harry Cohn, Sinatra, Disney, Monroe and many more stars of the thirties and forties. Do not think the book is dated: yes, some of the names are meaningless to us today but the perspetive and lessons contained in every single page are timeless. this book tells you better than any others how movies are made or should be made...

From the opening chapter which describes the incredible saga of how this man (as a young child) and his poor Sicilian family managed to come to America, to the end of his inspiring life and his brilliant career when he suffered cluster headaches so severe he could barely function, but kept his head up, this book captivated me. Capra exemplifies the American Dream, where a poor immigrant can become anything he sets his mind to be. Especially significant is his pure and honest soul. This book is SO inspiring.

I cannot figure out which is more amazing and inspiring: the man, his films, his life or his autobiography.
Every autobiography will pale in comparison after you read this one. Frank's book should come with a
warning that he will open your mind, transform your relationship with films, and ultimatley find a place of permanent endearing love in your heart! Friends don't let friends go into the Light, without reading this book,
as I am sure, it is required reading in Heaven!

Frank's biggest fan, Vaishali, author of "You Are What You Love."

My dad named me for his mother who died of colon cancer several years before my birth. My birthday and her death date are only a week apart. Though I never got to know her, I've always felt that she was keeping a close eye on me. She played mom to six very mischevious children, and guardian angel to at least this grandchild. This song and the book always make me think of her.

My brother's-in-law father passed away very suddenly only a few weeks ago. He mentioned in his eulogy how much his dad loved his grandchildren, even though they are not yet conceived. An absolute truth that resonated with his wife (my sister), myself and our other two sisters who never met our grandmother, but have every assurance that she loves us.

I've bought the book for myself and for my future nieces and nephews, so they know they have guardian angels.

"Where you come from is as important as where you're going," so says and sings Naomi Judd through the eyes of a child in this charming story inspired by reflections on her great-grandparents. The book is written for children ages 4-8. The song on the companion CD is for anyone. Included in the book are beautiful paintings by Dan Andreasen which capture and enhance the quality of this gift of family love, and those special places and memories stored in the heart. It is an enchanting book, and yes, love can build a bridge across time.

I would trust Naomi Judd if I didn't trust another person in the whole world! Her book is beautiful, her songs are beautiful, her daughters are beautiful, her life is beautiful! Thank you, Naomi! In a world where so many people are invested in "taking," you are definitely a "giver." You enrich our lives in so many ways.

This book for "all ages" is a timeless tale about our connections with our ancestors. A spin-off from a best-selling Naomi Judd song, Judd's Guardian Angels reminds us that we belong no matter where we are. The hardback book also includes a cd of the song that inspired the book.
The book begins with a forward from Naomi Judd that describes how the song and the book came to be. It is then followed by a short and simple rhyming story. The story revolves around the phrase, "And if you look real close you'll see our eyes are just the same." A young girl takes comfort in the photograph of her great-grandparents and feels a special closeness to them, even though she had never met them. She believes they're watching over her and that she is never alone because of that.
Probably one of the most charming aspects of the book are the illustrations. I may be a little biased, however, since Dan Andreasen is one of my favorite illustrators. He breathes life into characters that may otherwise seem flat and ordinary.
The beautiful watercolor paintings inside this book almost make it feel like an art gallery. Andreasen's token soft character expressions and wonderful colors make the story complete and add a sense of awe to the book.
As a whole, the book is wonderful and great to read aloud to kids and grownups alike. Its simple text allows the reader to grow on his or her own, filling in the spaces with their own personal experience. It is a true tribute to family and a great buy for the holidays.

When I saw a copy of it in my local bookstore, I thought I get that since it's such a lovely book. So, I brought that as a birthday present for a well-known person. Only one problem, though. How do you open the CD that comes with the book? Anyway, great book, so, I'll might get it for my mother when I find another copy.