Music Books

We adore this book! Mr. Gossett, a professor in our home town of Chicago, is brilliant. The scholarship is first rate, the writing is user-friendly without talking down to you. The subject is incredibly well covered - it's interesting, enlightening, fascinating and really worth it! Highly recommended!

Paul Vermel and Carolyn Paulin (musicians both)

This is a book every opera conductor should read. A lot of information and beautifully written by one of the greatest opera scholars.

This beautifully presented tome is fascinating. There may only a few die hard, full time dismissers of Italian Opera left, but they will find it harder to be so snooty after reading any of the chapters. It is all about context. Gosset provides you with detailed examples of the conditions under which the works were composed and performed and the pressures facing all involved. It is fascinating and made me feel like a musical sloth in my own perfomance habits.

There are very elegantly printed musical examples as well as the odd juicy snide comment about singers whose attitude to performing these works is less than thorough. Sometimes the detail is daunting and perhaps a little dry but you could pick and choose your chapters if this is worrying you.

How reassuring that books like this are still being written when the Music section of Borders is filled with biographies of such musical heavyweights as Sting and Bono.

"Divas & Scholars" is a masterpiece from every possible perspective, and I am astonished that there are only 4 customer reviews ahead of mine. It is written in the liveliest, most personal style. Every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence is filled with fascinating information and insights. (The only book on music that I have ever read that is its equal is Charles Rosen's universally acclaimed "Classical Style," which was published 35 years ago. Rosen himself gave "Divas & Scholars" a rave review in the New York Review of Books (10/05/06).) No one before Gossett has ever explained so clearly the conditions under which masterpieces by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi were not merely created but nearly tossed off, in almost the manner one associates with live television in the 50's. No one else has ever explained so clearly what a first performance looked like and sounded like, the lighting, the gestures, the sound in a particular theater or particular instruments, and the particular text and ornamentation that a singer chose. No one else has ever shown in such specific detail how performance traditions (and music) were transmitted and how they changed over time and place. "Divas & Scholars" can be read by everyone--the opera lover, the record listener, the stage designer, professional opera singers, orchestra musicians and conductors, and directors. It could be read by everyone who has ever loved Norma, Lucia, and all the other great figures of bel canto opera. It could be read by anyone with an interest in the social history of Europe in the first half of the nineteenth century. A summary of the delights of this book would be as long as the book itself. Five stars are not enough. It will be a resource and a pleasure forever.

I found this book a true revelation. No review can express just how much valuable information there is in this book. Certainly the earlier reviewer is correct that this is one of the most important books ever written on early nineteenth-century Italian opera. The focus is on Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, and early Verdi.

Some chapters can be rough going, with a good bit of technical detail. But even the amateur can find much to learn here.

If you're an informed opera-nut, don't miss this one.

Stacy is one of the true industry leaders. Any DJ, whether new to the business or seasoned veteran, can get some pretty valuable information from this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants wants to generate more business.

This book is a great thing to have. It brings thing to your attention that you would not have thought of. It has helped me to better market myself and helped improve my business.

Once again Zemon has used her many years of experience and talent and lent us her superb advise. The book is a constant reference to me as well as other DJs lucky enough to read it. A must read for newbies as well as seasoned single- and multi-op mobiles looking to increase their marketing savvy.

I've been DJing for years but knew I was lacking in marketing knowledge and sales skills. I read this book, immediately put some of the ideas into practice, and saw results right away! The DJ Sales & Marketing Handbook and The Mobile DJ Handbook are my two most important reference manuals for the sucess of my mobile entertainment business.

Although I am not a DJ, I purchased this book to help me in marketing my photo booth rental business that I provide to special events.

The book contains real-life specific marketing advice to any business serving the special events industry like how to break in to the Bar Mitzvah Market, when to advertise for different event types, what to do after completing an event, how to deal professionally with complaints..etc

A must read to create a successful business.

Los Angeles Times, July 29, 1990
"DOMINO teaches the chants, clap patterns and jump - rope songs of the Virgin Islands, with a cassette recorded on playgrounds of St. Croix by author Karen S. Ellis; the syncopated rhythms are irresistible, and some of the lyrics quite salty."

The Orff Echo, Fall 1990, page 44
"All material is clearly presented with precise and easy-to-understand directions for the games and dances. To maintain authenticity, the words of the songs are written in a mixture of standard English and Cruzian, the dialect of St. Croix. A glossary is provided to assist with unfamiliar words and phrases. Especially interesting is the author's account of her use of an Orff Schulwerk-based approach to teach language skills to the children in a small island town. The accompanying cassette tape, available separately, includes nearly all of the items in the book, most of it performed by the children themselves. No one should miss the priceless rendition of "Ding Dong."

The Midwest Book Review, May 26, 1990

An oversized paperback with spiral binging and a 35 minute audio cassette introduce both adult and child listeners to traditional children's songs and proverbs from the American Virgin Islands, providing a unique opportunity to absorb the culture and sounds of an area which has received relatively little attention.
An oversized paperback and 35 minute cassette provides a unique opportunity to absorb the culture and sounds of an area which has received relatively little attention. More than just another ethnic song collection, the tape alone holds merit, the paperback/tape package is recommended above each singly: the book is an essential enhancement to the tape, offering a political and cultural review of the Virgin Islands, teaching advice to teachers who may be considering the tape and workbook for classroom use, and illustrated musical instructions and score sheets for the tape's songs. The small black and white photos of the children at play are particularly intriguing."

Come-All-Ye, Vol. II No. 2, Summer 1990 A Review Journal for publications in the fields of Folklore, American Studies, Social History and Popular Culture. "It is a thoroughly delightful compilation, of interest to folklorists, teachers and everybody else can enjoy it."

"An oversized paperback and 35 minute cassette provides a unique opportunity to absorb the culture and sounds of an area which has received relatively little attention. More than just another ethnic song collection, the tape alone holds merit, the paperback/tape package is recommended above each singly: the book is an essential enhancement to the tape, offering a political and cultural review of the Virgin Islands, teaching advice to teachers who may be considering the tape and workbook for classroom use, and illustrated musical instructions and score sheets for the tape's songs. The small black and white photos of the children at play are particularly intriguing."

Jim Cox Midwest Book Review

Dr. John Rickford Ph.D (1997, Feb. 28) Dept of Linguistics, Stanford University

I recieved Domino, and was impressed both by the book and the tape. It was enjoyable for my wife Angela and I--the similarities with so many songs we knew growing up in Guyana were so striking, especially for Angela. (As your photos show, these clap patterns and circle songs are more popular with girls than boys.) For instance, for "Brown Girl in the Ring," we sing, "There's a Colored girl in the ring, etc" and end with "She likes sugar, and I like plum!"

WRT the "Congo Saw" proverb on page 22--I'm pretty sure this is the same as the "Conguseh" we have in Guyana, meaning "gossip," so the proverb really means that gossip is worse, more harmful than working obeah. See the entry for _congosa_ in Allsopp's wonderful, just released _Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage_ (Oxford U Press).

Also, the wording for Mother Goose on page 39 seemed to us perhaps to be "Come look a me ya" ("Come look at me here") but it wasn't so clear. This is a wonderful achievement, Karen, and the kids must have LOVED the attention and interest you showed in them and their songs. I bet they missed you when you left.

As an uninitiated and therefore shy one in the realm of the drum circle I needed some reassurance. This is the book that will convince you that the drum will drum you if you relax and let it. Ater just a couple of chapters I sauntered into our local drum circle and jammed. Thank you Russell Buddy Helm.

As a new drummer, this book was a major find. Buddy's philosophy of drumming and teaching is the way that all such things should be shared. Reading this book made me want to travel to California just to meet the author and have an opportunity to learn from him in person.

Russell Buddy Helm's Drumming The Spirit To Life includes a cd of drumming to enhance the method presented in this book. Basic and advanced patterns for spiritual drumming will apply to both user and listener, with chapters outlining connections between magic and drumming.

Earlier this year, I did my first drumming circle and was amazed at the power and energy I felt. This was something that appealed to me and I knew I needed to get my own drum. I found a beautiful djembe and began playing in a handful of different drumming circles. However, at one of them I found myself getting frustrated because I was unable to keep up the rhythm. It was not too long after that I came across this book. Perfect, I thought..a book about drumming by a drummer himself!

And in it, Helm talks not about the techniques of drumming, but more about the reasons why we drum, and the philosophies behind it. Why it is better to play soft, leave notes out, then it is to "bang on the drum all day," as Todd Rundgren would say. Helm makes so many great points in this book and I found myself very much in agreement with his philosophy, and of pointing out that we all have rhythm inside each of us, and that we need to let that spirit come out and be joyful.

At a time when I was beginning to doubt whether drumming was something I could enjoy, this book reinforced the enthusiasm I felt the first time when I hit a drum. I now have a much better idea and philosophy about drumming. Thanks Russell!

I have been a classically trained drummer for over 10 years and just recently got into the hand drumming. I have Never felt the kind of power and joy thatI felt after I started working in this side of it. This book is an incredible tool for Expert and Novice alike. It gives you the basics and you just grow from there!

Earl Hamner is genious, intelligent, heartfelt, honest man. He created the best show on t.v., "The Waltons." This books opens a lot of interesting history of his career and family. The author spends too much time indulging other writers works, and trying to compare them to Earl Hamner. I wish Earl was the author of his bio. You will discover his works from Charlotte's Web, Falcon Crest, Snowy River, Spencer's Mountain, The Homecoming,and of course, The Waltons.
Sections of the book gets very boring, and turns away from Earl's life. The rest of the book is well written. We need more writers & producers like Earl Hamner.
God Bless The Waltons!

Earl Hamner,Jr. is as familiar to some of us as our own father, or grandfather.He has been a part of our lives for as much as the last thirty or so years,since his book "The Homecoming" aired as a made for tv Christmas movie,and the long running series,"The Waltons" took over our living rooms every Thursday night.
The series was based on Mr. Hamner's life growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains during the depression,and the stories related to many of us,having touched on our families and their histories,stories that were told to us by our parents and grandparents,and some that lived through those times themselves.
Earl had a special gift in his ability to tie that world in with ours,reminding us even still today the meaning of family.He could even make those without a family feel like they were part of one.
Mr. Person's book not only presents a great tribute to a great man, but his writing also has the ability to make the reader feel as though they are reading about one of thier own family,but with some surprises along the way.If I had only one comment about the book it would be that I only wish there were more pages to read in it! Great job,Mr.Person!

It was the best bio I have ever read.It made me feel like I was part of the Hamner family.When I watched the waltons as a kid I did not know it was based on a real family. Now when I watch the Waltons it has a whole new meaning

This book provides excellant insight on Earl Hamner. My wife and I belong to the International Walton's Fan Club and have meet Earl several times at Walton Reunions. Mr. Hamner is a talented writter and a wonderful person.

Mention 'Earl Hamner' and savvy book readers will instantly recognize his name as the creator of the beloved Waltons, which became a hit TV show - but there's more to his life than Walton's Mountain, as Earl Hamner: From Walton's Mountain To Tomorrow reveals. Hamner was raised in small town Virginia and discovered writing at a young age, becoming a published writer at the age of six. He did much more than just The Waltons: he produced eight scripts for The Twilight Zone, did the screenplay for Charlotte's Web, and was loved and respected for his talents. A fine account of his lively career and many literary contributions evolves.

I knew there had to be an easier way to play piano. I'll never be a concert pianist, but I am able to enjoy playing for my own enjoyment. With the vocal training I have had, and an explanation of chords, I am able to play the old hymns I grew up with. This is easy and fun.

I love this Easy Hymn Fake Book and the Easy Gospel Fake Book both. Wish I'd have had some like it many years ago! They make playing so much easier. Piano or guitar! I even bought some extra for my new chord-style piano students. The large bold print is easy for my old eyes to read. I'm also impressed by the great chord selections and placements, just how my ear likes to hear the old songs of the Lord.

Having just gone to Scott Houston's workshop, I needed/wanted a fake book to start using and learning new chords, with music worth playing...this is the book! Repetion of chords, songs which are familiar...perfect 1st book, I'm still enjoying, as I can also re-enforce them repeatedly.

Your mother will love you if you play this quietly in the background. If you know how to read the melody and can learn to play chord, this one is for you. It is so easy if you do not know (like me) how to read all those notes on the left hand.

Hello.... I bought these two books, Hymn and Gospel, for my wife who is taking piano. She is doing well at piano and has found that these books have given her more incentive to play. She has had them for about three weeks and she is still playing them. He teacher is actually going to use them to instruct my wife as she is not interested in theory as much as playing. I'm hoping she will be able to play at our Seventh-day Adventist church very soon. Hebrews 11:1
Jamie

The book is very sweet but will have value for a small audience, fathers with little girls or Elvis fans

We gave this book to my three step-daughters for Christmas and they all were overwhelmed with emotion. It is a wonderful testatment to the bonds between a father and a daughter especially when there has been a divorce. It is a keepsake and a reminder of the love shared between parent and child. Even if that father had to be a "weekend dad". Something they will cherish long after we are gone. The song while being played and reading along is very, very heartwarming and emotional. I cannot listen to it without tearing up, and that is a very good thing.

There just aren't that many books that let a father convey these kind of feelings for his daughter. Great book.

Illustrator, Tom Browning, puts a new twist on an ELVIS classic love song. Never before has this song meant anything other than a dedication from a lover to another. But now, this book brings to life in a unique way the emotional bond between a father and his daughter.

Rich colors and sweet, sensitive facial expressions bring the lyrics to life in an extraordinary way as we see the many ways a father shares special moments with his daughter, from ice skating, feeding ducks on a pond, bundling up in the fall breeze, and blowing out birthday candles on a special cake.

Share this one with your little one, your father, or your grandfather. An absolute TREASURE of a book. And the cd of the Elvis is even included in the back!

We all know the lyrics, but in a different context. This beautifully illustrated book made me cry way before I got to the end.

This would be a perfect gift for a single father with a daughter, as all the illustrations are a man and girl together, but any child would love to hear this book read (or sung...you can't help it!) to them by anyone. Father, Mother, Aunt, Grampa...doesn't matter.

My father died when I was 15. I look for books to read with my children that have words that they will keep their hearts forever if anything ever happens to me or their dad. This will be a book we'll sing together for a long, long time. I can't recommend it enough.

i truly enjoyed reading this book. I have been a fan for 26 years and it was enjoyable to read about his life.
The book was a quick read and as entertaining as going to his show. my favorite chapter was where his wife wrote her feelings. I took alot away from that. That is what love is about!!
read this book and enjoy!

It didnt take long to read this book..couldnt put it down. Totally surprised at what I read and I give Kudos to Mrs. EH! I liked the frankness about everything without all the details! Engelbert held nothing back he didnt want to and Im glad he is still with his family! He still has a beautiful gift and should thank God for watching over him and his family! I still say he can sing better than any other ever!!

What a tale Engelbert has to tell, and how entertaining is the way he tells it; it's been a life full of twists and turns, and he writes it all, with all the bumps and bruises along the way.
From his childhood in Madras, India, where he lived through the violence of pre-Independence terrorism, to the many hardships of trying to make it as a singer, which were made that much tougher by the ever-present "couch-casting" that went on, a form of getting ahead that he would not participate in...and its prevalence explains why many of the untalented seem to "make it", if only for a season, while some of the really gifted have a rough time getting noticed.
Engelbert's rise to stardom was meteoric, with the single song of "Release Me" in 1967, and he went from living in a sparsely furnished flat into the lap of luxury, and all the pitfalls that come with fame and fortune.

Through it all, he has had Patricia, or Popea, as he calls her, with him since the early days. Beautiful as well as intelligent and strong, she's been the one that has kept the family of 3 boys and one girl (the stunning and talented Louise Dorsey) together, and "stood by her man" through thick and thin. Popea writes a portion of Chapter Fifteen with gritty honesty, and explains how, and why, she withstood the many women, the paternity suits, and all the paparazzi that hounded them through those many years of notoriety.
The women, as Engelbert explains, were an "occupational hazard", certainly not helped by his years of lonely nights and hard drinking on the road, and the many females who would make themselves exceedingly available.

Engelbert comes off as an extremely complex individual, but very likeable. A perfectionist in his work, living life to the fullest, and discovering in his later years that he has the gift of healing; this assertion I believe, as I find that the sound of his voice can have curative effects.
There are portions that are laugh-out-loud funny (like the UFO story in Chapter Seventeen), and adding to the charm of his writing style is some of the "Brit-speak" slang, with expressions like the now rarely heard "grotty" (a favorite word of mine coined by George Harrison in the '60s).

The book has two sections of photographs, from the age of 17 on. Favorites of mine are the one with Muhammad Ali, and a lovely family shot taken by the pool in one of their USA homes, affectionately named "The Pink Palace".
The final 12 pages are devoted to a UK discography, and include chart positions.
This is fast reading, and riveting, so walk the dog, feed the cat, turn off the telephone, and make yourself a big cuppa, because once you open this book, its going to be very hard to put down.

I read Engelbert's Biography and I found it very interesting. Many events in the book were stated with the up most honesty. Most biography's are written with only the good things the person wants you to know. Engelbert and his wife tell you his story just as it was. I have never read a book in just 2days,but I couldn't put the book down. I am a great fan of Engelbert for over 30yrs and I'm sure anyone who reads this book will enjoy it.

I was sure this book would be interesting...but it went way beyond anything I could have imagined. It was poignant, honesty..incredibly honest..I can't believe there were were several chapters where I couldn't see beyond my tears. I am so glad I got this book..it is a very deep look...and I'd love to sit down with him and be his friend! Thank you, Englebert, for letting us inside your heart.

This book covers a wide array of African-American spiritual songs across a variety of genres. It starts with spirituals from the slavery period and interprets the literal and hidden messages in these moving songs. It then moves succesively onto sacred compositions by such luminaries as Thomas Dorsey and interpretations of standard hymns. It ends with a review of modern sacred songs with impressive scores from writers like Andrae Crouche, Kirk Franklin, etc. I am enjoying it immensely!

In Ephesians 5:19, the Apostle Paul urges Christians to "speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in our heart to the Lord." Author Gwendolin Sims Warren follows this comprehensive arrangement in "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit."

For Christians growing up in Church over the past half century, she answers the question, "I wonder about the history of the composition of this song . . ." Warren's contextualizing of these favorites provides an emotionally and spiritually moving interpretation and celebration of these songs that deepens their impact on the hearers.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction.

This is a good book for the worshipper who wants devotions or to know the back story behind their favorite hymns. And the author's piano/vocal arrangements are for the most part playable and error-free.

That being said, this is a selective not a comprehensive collection of Gospel Music. I found myself wondering "is this song in here?" looking and being disappointed that it was not included. Especially the older Spirituals (out-of-copyright). There should have been more of these, instead of the traditional Hymn section, which is duplicated in many Hymnals. If the Hymns had to be kept, it would have been instructive to see the original and the "gospelfied" versions in print, side-by-side. That and the lack of footnotes and skimpy historical info (definitely more on the appropiation of Spirituals in the Civil-Rights era and the controversy concerning Dorsey's Blues-Gospel style in the 1930's-40's) make this book more for the casual reader than a resource for the serious student of the genre.

The newer Gospel and Contemporary songs are a nice touch, although I wondered at putting the copyright and publisher information in the back of the book.


Also a spiral binding would be good for those who wish to play the music...

This is a splendid book, written in an personal, informed, deeply intelligent and moving way by a wonderful woman. It is a perfect resource for those who want to know the history and inspiration of the songs it contains, which are, by themselves, inspired and inspiring.

In this collection, Ms. Warren presents straightforward and faithful arrangements of 101 psalms, gospel hymns, and spirituals. She relates brief histories of the songs and places them in the context of her Christian faith and experience.

Generously, Ms. Warren includes a couple of dozen Euro-American hymns and presents them in a similar context. Undoubtedly, these hymns stand in relation to and have even influenced some twentieth century black composers.

But it is the presentation of the songs from the Afican-American tradition that is most important here. The Euro-American hymns aside, this is a marvellous introduction to black American spirituals and hymnody.

I agree with another reviewer that this is a wonderful work to browse at random, but it is also rewarding to sit down and read it through. As you please.

Either way, when you come to the end of the book, if you've got a soul it will thirst for more...

I hope you'll be able to satisfy some of that thirst by hearing some of this music sung live by a choir and congregation that knows its business. Even if you're not a Christian, you may still find it rewarding to experience this aspect of Christianity first-hand.

After all, you've already heard this music many times before. It is the cornerstone for American blues, jazz, soul, and rock 'n' roll. It began in Africa, survived the Middle Passage, grew up fast in hard times in the American South, and lived to tell the tale. It's been around the world and back a million times.

And, speaking on behalf of the planet, the world can't wait to see where this music takes us next.

It offers exactly what it says. Great for learning piano/guitar duets. ADding the vocals is a given.

I first heard the song Imortal on one of the music tv channels,I'm thinking it was VH1. I wish the music channels were all music again. I realized later she was also on the Elektra soundtrack (Great movie and nice outfits-Jennifer Garner) I put the Imortal song on a DVD-I recorded it from TV, I always wanted to learn to play the song so after alittle thinking I decided to purchase the music. I'm the kind of person who buys something -only if it has a few good songs.She has a GREAT voice.

I am a vocalist and am taking piano, and I love this music book! It is really great for the vocalist/pianist/guitarist Evanescence fan. However, don't buy it thinking you will sound exactly like the band. Of course, they can't match up the music exactly, and it is a bit different than the album versions or the songs you're used to. However, if you like Evanescence and want to do their songs, buy it!

This book is a great book, especially for guitar /piano / keyboard players. You can play it with your band (if you have one), and the sheet music for "Hello", "My Immortal" and even piano fill for "Bring me to Life" and other songs are there!

Note: Guitar-Bass parts does not included.

This book is easy - BUY IT!

I love this book, I use it all the time at my singing lessons.