Music Books

It was certainly not any love for country music that made me pick up The Road to Eden's Ridge -- the only singers named in it that I recognized were Willie Nelson and Roy Acuff. Instead, I was interested in the Maine angle. So often we natives are portrayed as stereotypical bumpkins who can't put together a complete sentence, but not in Eden's Ridge. The characters are distinct individuals so realistically drawn that I feel I've already met them. Lily, my favorite character, is the woman I want to be. Strong, independent, capable of dealing with whatever life throws at her, and yet deeply passionate.

The Western Maine setting, almost another character, is equally well-drawn. I certainly understand why Lindsay wanted to leave for a different life. Snow storms like the one that isolated Lily and Ben, allowing them to express their love for each other, really do happen -- frequently. But the book also captures the beauty of our summer sunsets, apple orchards, fields of wildflowers, lakes and mountains.

What I like best about the book are the many contrasts. It has urban Nashville and rural Maine, Grand Ole Opry and Frederic Chopin, blizzards and heat waves and love stories set fifty years apart. Somehow all these dichotomies come together like the warp and weft to make an intricately woven novel.

Oh, and one more thing. The lyrics of "If I Ever Write a Song," written by Lily for Ben, just might make me a convert to country music.

By all means, Take the Road to Eden's Ridge. The novel, by ML Rose, traces two compelling love stories over the course of generations, finding common lyrical themes in country/western and classical music. As a result its sympathetic characters have broad appeal for performers, songwriters, and fans (like me). It's got plenty of location appeal as well, from Maine to Tennessee: I can see a film in its future. Who can resist a story about second chances to fulfill youthful dreams that's crafted with such virtuoso flair? The Road to Eden's Ridge ends, of course, but its songs resonate.

A Customer

This book has just been released in trade paperback by Turner Publishing. It's a captivating book that kept me up all night until the last page. It's the story of a girl from the Northeast with an Ivy League education who chucks it all for a new adventure in Nashville that brings her life, her family's and those she meets along the way full-circle.

"The most talked about local book of the season. Lindsey Briggs leaves her husband to be in Maine to move to Nashville and causes quite a commotion while learning valuable lessons about love, life and people."

The road less travelled means that you delay gratification and tend to the tasks before you in life. It can also mean unrequited love. Love that is oh so close, yet so far from being fulfilled. That is how I see the novel THE ROAD TO EDEN'S RIDGE. M.L. Rose who wrote this love story is a pseudonym for Myra McLary and Linda Weeks, two friends and writing teachers. They have a knack for using words to portray human emotions. It is a love story over several generations. It is about country music and probably is a true story of a famous person in that venue. It took me several boxes of tissue to get through the novel in one night. A country song kept going through my mind the next day. Willie Nelson's song "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" could be the theme of this romantic novel. Academia on the East Coast and country music in Nashville are twin characters in the story. The ending is classic. You won't want to put the book down. These two writers are brilliant and deserve more exposure to the reading public. I love this tear-jerking,heart-warming romp in the snow, ride on a horse, intimate tale of passion and music set to both classical and country rhythms.

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Like all great writers, you don't have to have read GT's first book "Playing Right Field: A Jew Grows In Greenwich" to "get" his follow up of "Surfing Armageddon: A Memoir". You will, most likely, want to...but it ain't a requirement.

Taking up pretty much where the first book ended, "S.A." is the continued saga of noted punkrock writer/performer George Tabb...a view into the trials and tribulations that helped make him the man he is today. And the title is prophetic as well, as George continues with his personal showdown between good and evil to this very day...but that is a story for another blog.

This a book filled with sex (or the lack thereof), drugs and redemption thru Rock and Roll...those teenaged rites of passage that can either make you or break you.

A rollercoaster of a read, don't be surprised if you find tears of laughter rolling down your face one minute...and those of empathy the next...as GT takes you along for the ride on the inroads of his teen years. You'll meet his siblings...as well as his pals and his adversaries...an abusive father and wicked stepmother...his misaligned mother and stepfather...a brief but unforgetable image of his grandmother Rosie...and includes a roomie whose pater familia is Grand Wizard of the KKK...a cast of characters that you just couldn't make up if you tried.

Be that as it may...it's easy to identify with our young hero, George. Whether you were a geek or a freak...a rich kid or poor...boy OR grrl..."Surfing Armageddon" is a brutely honest mirror reflecting back all the pain and pleasure we hold back inside.

A GREAT read that leaves you wanting more...

I bought this book after discovering (from a google search) that George Tabb and I share many of the same life experiences - we both attended Leon High School in the late 70's, rode the same school bus (the "Nairobi Express" as George's brother called it), and were both "Rocky Horror" devotees @ the same theater on North Monroe st.

Like George, I also first saw the Ramones live when I was 16(in Atlanta) and later sat transfixed (and alone) through 5 screenings of "Rock and Roll High School" at the Tallahassee Mall and... we both attended the same Ramones show in Gainesville, FL in 1980.

I even wrecked my parents car at the same intersection as he did!

Surfing Armageddon contains so many untruths, distortions, and just plain hogwash that I have to go through them in a list.

1. I assume the sale price of his Fathers house in Greenwich, CT in 1977 was 1.4 million and not 14.1 as printed. 14.1 million for a single family house in Greenwich is high even by 2008's standards and would have been unheard of in 1977. Dunnellen Hall, which is now the most expensive property on the market in Greenwich @125 million (followed by Old Mill Farm @ 39.5), sold in 1976 for 3 million.

2. Tallahassee is within driving distance of, but not part of, the Redneck Riviera as Tabb frequently refers to it. This would be comparable to calling Yonkers "The Hamptons".

3. There were many Jewish students attending Leon High in 1978/79 including members of the football team. There were three synagogues in Tallahassee at that time and the idea that a Jewish kid would have caused such an uproar (or that a group of athletes chanting JEW JEW JEW would force him to pull his pants down to reveal the oddity of a circumcised penis) is preposterous.

And I can personally vouch for the fact that 99% of the boys in the locker room, whether Jewish or not, were circumcised. If anyone stood out it would be the one kid with foreskin!

4. The Killearn section of Tallahassee is a wealthy neighborhood populated by Doctors, Lawyers, Professors and high-ranking State Officials. Tabb's account of encountering barefoot, redneck children spouting off about niggers, jews, and jesus on the sidewalks of this manicured , country club enclave is highly improbable.

Tallahassee is very progressive politically and has voted Democratic in every national election since 1992. Tallahassee was also the first U.S. State Capitol to elect a Black Mayor - James Ford in 1972, 76, and 82 - who was followed by Penny Shaw-Herman (a JEWESS!)

5. Mad Dog contractors are a progressive, green oriented (since 1974), company of (basically) hippies who started a business as an outgrowth of their work with the Miccosukee Land Co-op and are now one of the leading contractors in Leon County. HIPPIES - NOT REDNECKS!

6. Tabb states that 11th grade in Tallahassee is like 6th grade any where else in the country. Because of the presence of three large universities in town, Tallahassee schools have always been top-rated. In fact, in 2006, Leon High was rated 109th in the U.S. by Newsweek Magazine's highly regarded "1000 Best Public High Schools in America" with Tallahassee's 3 other high schools coming in at 115, 153, and 157.

Maybe if he had left Greenwich High (which does not make Newsweek's List) a little earlier he would have learned the history of the Ku Klux Klan and where babies came from before starting college- (we had already covered those subjects in Middle School).

7. I was at Rocky Horror almost every weekend of it's first year's run on N. Monroe st. and never saw anyone who could be called the "Sal Piro" of Tallahassee.

8. I attended FSU so I can only say that his college dorm mate's being involved with the klan and keeping a klan robe in his dorm closet (as well as his racist remarks and violent behavior in the dorm) would have sparked a campus-wide protest and would have certainly resulted in his expulsion had it happened 100 miles away at the other large state university.

I'm just assuming that some of the characters in the book are composites of people Tabb COULD have met in Florida - but I doubt that this really was a student at U of F.

p.s. George - do some homework on the klan - who and what they were in 1980 in central FL. The Southern Law Poverty Center is a great starting place...

Finally, despite everything I've mentioned, and the fact that Tabb stoops to the use of a "Magical Negro" to free him from his conflicted family life in the last chapter of the book, by the end I had developed an affection for this lonely, searching , virgin and actually enjoyed the book.

but I don't think Amazon would allow me to use it in a review.

Surfing Armageddon: A Memoir is a, well, a memoir. It follows young Tabb from Connecticut confines to a re-envisioned Tara in Tallahassee, and ultimately toward salvation at the University of Florida. Sex & Drugs & Rock 'n Roll ensue. Also a job and a car and more than one obsession can be found along the way.

But let me back up a bit.

I've heard most of these stories over the years in some form or other, usually shorter. But it was nice to read them in chronological order, putting some sense to them. Well, maybe not sense but perspective at least...

This book reads more like a novel than his previous effort. I feel that with Surfing Armageddon, George has finally found his voice outside newspaper and magazine essays - and it is as funny and clever as ever.

Whether or not you know, or know of, George, this peek into his life will please most voyeurs.


Personally, I'm looking forward to the third installment, post-virginity to 9/11 and beyond.

Surfing Armageddon is easily George Tabb's best work so far,and if you've read his columns and last book,you know that's saying alot. It's got everything the reader expects from his stories and more. As George gets older, his style of writing somehow makes you feel like you're getting into your late teens along with him. The stories become more similar to your own experiences i.e. too much masturbating, only caring about losing your virginity, almost dying after smoking a joint laced with enough chemicals to give you the strangest hallucination imaginable, falling in love with the easter bunny at the mall, having a wanna be slave master father who you catch practing cracking the whip in a full white southern suit in the middle of the night, and so on. The book slowly becomes more dramatic towards the end that provides the most shocking and satisfying conclusion that one could ask for.

No one can tell a story like Mr. Tabb. If you've read his first book, Playing Right Field, or any of his MRR columns, you know that.

George's journey through first experiences with sex, drugs, punk rock and Rocky Horror are both hilarious and heart wrenching. The ups, the downs, the good, the bad - George makes it feel like you're experiencing it all right beside him. From his first leather jacket, to losing his virginity and back again... it is impossible to put down. The end leaves you with tears in your eyes, a smile on your face, and an intense curiosity about what happens next. This book, along with Playing Right Field, has skyrocketed to the top of my list of favorite reads, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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.

An excellent, well written story about the old days in rock and roll Los Angeles. It was during the coming of age for us boomers and Ms. Hill's book captures the excitement and drama of that era, while introducing us to characters that are complex and real. Great reading for any age!

It's not easy to create tales of by-gone eras with authenticity, honesty, and richness. Roccie Hill has done all of this and more in her novel Three Minutes on Love. It is a beautifully written work, captivating, and moving, and I will recommend it to my book clubs, members of which lived through this era. I know they will be as appreciative of Ms. Hill's talents as I.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (10/08)

Roccie Hill did a phenomenal job writing her first novel "Three Minutes on Love." This story begins with Rosie as a budding photographer. Leaving behind the southern California desert that she grew up in, in the late 60s, Rosie goes to college in San Francisco. This is where her career as a photographer of rock stars begins. Rosie is really good at what she does because she is able to capture the true essence of the artist on film. Through her connections she meets David, a musician who will manage to share the rest of her life with her.

"Three Minutes on Love," tells Rosie and David's story through Rosie's eyes. At first their lives interconnect at various moments in time. After they become a couple, their love takes them through many rough times. Rosie learns that being in love with a rock star is very difficult. David is very susceptible to the negative influences that surround him when he is on the road. It takes David a long time to overcome his addictions. Through her experiences, many of which are painful, Rosie grows as a person and has to learn to come into her own.

I found this to be a very powerful novel. Roccie Hill can really take you into the minds and hearts of her characters, especially Rosie's. I felt more like I was a bystander feeling and seeing what was happening to Rosie, than just a reader. Roccie brings the 60s and 70s alive through her writing. She wrote the times as I remembered them, even though I was very young. I highly recommend "Three Minutes on Love" to all readers, but especially those who lived during these times. I suspect it will rekindle a lot of memories.

Roccie Hill's skill with character together with her intelligent and gripping writing make for a love story you must not miss. A highly enjoyable read and I can't wait for her next novel.

Three Minutes on Love is, more than anything, a wonderful twining of era and character. For a generation that grew up seeking to live life according to the lyrical refrain, it is a time-capsulization of all that was compelling and contradictory in its own coming of age. This was a generation of ingenuous flower children growing up within the protective and uncompromising cellulose of its rock music, seeking by means of a heady and often self-righteous idealism to offset the realities of a society entrenched in the bleak sordidness of war, racism, and apathy. It was a generation of naïve allure, and a time of ultimate unsustainability.

The narrator brings this era to life for us. She negotiates her way through its many contradictions with little more to assist her than a camera and her own watchful intelligence. Shrugging off the restrictive mantle of a typical heroine, she assumes instead a more fluid persona, one that allows her to both experience her life and observe it from a philosophical distance. She is possessed of rueful determination, an unpretentious desire to stare down those complexities of life that would overwhelm a character of lesser strength and tenacity. And yet she remains accessible and identifiable. She does not aspire to the role of an Everywoman for her generation but, by the very act of not aspiring, achieves it.

To different generations she might be characterized differently. The women of an earlier generation, the ones who took to the assembly lines when their men went overseas and who, by doing so, paid it forward for this generation of women, might well have approved this character as `quite a dame.' In today's vocabulary, Stephen Colbert would probably admire her for her `truthiness.' But for those of us who lived out the tumultuous transition from adolescence to adulthood against the backdrop of the 60s, she is someone personal and familiar, someone we would like to know over the course of the many decades to follow. We are, in a very special way, connected to her life story, and captivated by how she herself undertakes the task of unfolding it.

In every respect an exemplary first novel.

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 !